Château-Ferme du Grand Scley,
Méan, nr Marche-en-Famenne, Ardennes B-5372
Office
+32 (0)86 21 44 54Pro shop
+32 (0)86 21 44 54Fax
+32 (0)86 21 44 49Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Antoine DumontThe Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined & open parkland. Hilly - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Rural countryside and woodland.
Designer:
Gary Player
50.346350
5.349677
40 km S of Liege
From Marche-en-Famenne take the N63 direction Liege/Mean. After 14 km turn right onto the N983 (Mean) and follow direction Ocquier. After o.5 km turn right off the N983 and follow signs to Golf.
Five Nations Golf Club is located on the northern edge of the Belgian Ardennes region, just 15 km to the west of its sister course (Durbuy). Given the distinctly undulating nature of the terrain here, Gary Player has done an excellent job in designing a playable though always challenging layout. And somewhere not too far away (they say), are vantage points where you can look out over the five nations of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
No surprise to discover that the main characteristics of the Ardennes Forest, not least it's extensive woodlands, rolling hills and open ridges, are all reflected in the two nine-hole loops of this testing layout. From the higher parts of the course there are many spectacular views over the Ardennes region, while other stretches take you down into thick woodland, and alongside a small stream. You will quickly get used to the relatively tight fairways and some leg-stretching climbs. The toughest of these climbs, is that which spirals up from the 6th green to the 7th tee ... a fairly steep and steady seven-minute "ascent" for those on foot.
Variety is a key ingredient of the Five Nations layout, with an equal mix of tree-lined holes (mainly on the front-nine) and others that occupy the more open, linksy and elevated terrain (mainly on the back-nine). Five Nations offers an excellent example of being able to combine the pastimes of golf and hill-climbing, which may account for many members preferring to ride rather than walk. But don’t let that put you off coming to this thoroughly enjoyable, very playable and wonderfully scenic Gary Player design.
MOST MEMORABLE HOLE: Second only to the popularity of island green par-3s, must be the plunging downhill short hole. Five Nations has one of the latter, the 118-metre 13th ... as vertigo-inducing a hole as they come.
Stay & Play at Five Nations: onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Maximum handicap: 36.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2020].
Soft spikes only. Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire.
Good
Five Nations, and its sister course Durbuy, are both partner golf clubs of the French-based Blue Green golf group. In addition to offering discount schemes and loyalty programmes to its members, the Blue Green group also actively manages around 50 golf clubs, as well as providing golf instruction through the BlueGreen Academy and its network of over 100 instructors.
Ferme du Grand Scley, 5372 Méan.
+32 (0)86 32 32 32
Visit websiteBetween Marche-en-Famenne and Liège, on the edge of the Belgian Ardennes, you'll find the Five Nations golf course, which is now complete with an onsite boutique hotel. The former 18th century manor house farm has been transformed into a spacious, light-filled hotel in which old world charms combine with modern details and design.
Five Nations
No
Durbuy
2 Rue des Brasseurs, 6900 Marche en Famenne
+32 (0)84 32 17 13
Visit websiteLocated in the wonderfully historic centre of Marche-en-Famenne next to an 18th century baroque Jesuit church.
No
No
Five Nations; Durbuy
Tournaments:
European Tour: 2021 marks the 50th and last season of the world renowned European Tour, launched in April 1972 at the Spanish Open. From 2022 the Tour will be sponsored by Dubai-based global supply chain and ports operator DP World, and will be known as the DP World Tour.
South African Open: December 2021 events in South Africa have again been impacted by the Covid pandemic. The South African Open (Dec 2-5) will no longer be played as a DP World Tour event, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship (Dec 9-12) has been cancelled.
Who's Who:
Bernhard Langer: at age 64, Langer collected a record sixth Charles Schwab Cup, the only player to have won the season-long points chase more than twice. He also topped the PGA Tour Champions money-list for the 11th time out of a possible 13 since 2008.
Carlota Ciganda: the five-time Solheim Cup star was delighted to record a fourth Ladies European Tour win in her home national championship, the Ladies Spanish Open.
Lee Elder: Trailblazer, Ryder Cup player, four-time PGA Tour winner and eight-time Senior PGA Tour winner, Lee Elder died on November 28, aged 87. In 1975 he became the first African American golfer to play in the Masters tournament, and in so doing provided one of the pivotal moments in the history of professional golf.
Golf World Top 100: Best Golf Courses in Europe. From France to Spain to the Netherlands and Norway, the Golf World Top 100 panel reveals the places you have to play (published 20 October 2021).
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club "makes its tournament debut with the hosting of the Italian Open on the European Tour" by Richard Humphreys
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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