Chaussée du Château de la Bawette 5,
Wavre, Brabant 1300
Office
+32 (0)10 22 33 32Pro shop
+32 (0)10 22 90 85Fax
+32 (0)10 22 90 04Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Dave Lebrasseur / Gaël Seegmuller.The Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland.
Designer:
Original design by Northern Ireland architect Tom McAuley; some revisions made by Alain Prat (2009 and 2012).
9-hole par-33 Les Champs course (2130 mtrs from back tees).
50.730395
4.598760
18 km SE of Brussels
Bawette
Golf du Château de la Bawette: Located southwest of Brussels and just north of the town of Wavre, Bawette is a pleasant and undulating parkland course, although one that "plays tough" on many occasions. More commonly known as "Bawette", and mainly surrounded by mature woodland, the tree-lined layout provides an at times fearsome golfing challenge.
If you can't hit straight, the championship layout (Le Parc) will not just test your all round game, but may leave you somewhat perplexed ... if not downright depressed. On several occasions there are uncompromisingly tight drives to be made, starting at the first and culminating at the end of each nine-hole loop. The 9th and 18th are a pair of intimidating "ugly sisters" if ever there were. Both holes point downhill from their respective elevated tees, and require precision-perfect drives through narrow tree-lined chutes, then long uphill approaches to well-guarded greens. There are several other tight, and sometimes bizarrely doglegging holes in the mix, not to mention plenty of sand, water (especially on the more expansive back-nine loop) and undulation.
With several elevation changes, many tightish tree-lined fairways, an abundance of fairway and greenside "porridge-filled" bunkers and relatively large greens, designer Tom McAuley clearly believes golf is not a game of "fair". His Belgian offerings (Mont Garni and Bawette) are ample evidence of that.
Reflecting the vallonnée character of French-speaking Brabant-Wallon, the layout rises and falls through the grounds of Château de la Bawette (which you get good sight of on the 10th tee). The present day "fortress-like" clubhouse, designed by André Jacqmain, occupies a modern construction, rather than being located in the Château itself. The club also boasts a nine-hole academy course (Les Champs), and a driving range.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends. Closed Mondays.
Must book in advance. Maximum handicap: 30.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire.
Good
The stately brick and sandstone Château de la Bawette, clearly seen from the 10th tee, was built in the period 1662-67 in the style of Louis XIV. The new building was commissioned by Charles de la Bawette, a captain in the regiment of Laverne, and replaced the ruins of a former house that had burned down.
The château takes its name from a lineage that occupied the premises as early as the 14th century (Wautier de la Bawette, 1329). From around 1805 the estate was sold several times, and since 1865 has been owned by the Viscounts le Hardy de Beaulieu. The word "bawette" means loophole, a cleft through which one can see without being seen oneself. The château is not open to the general public.
Rue de Limalsart 20, 1330 Rixensart
+32 (0)2 634 34 34
Visit website27 immaculate, well appointed and tastefully decorated rooms. A cosy bar with an open fireplace and deep club armchairs. And a charming restaurant from which you can step out into the garden where, during the summer, you can come together for a barbecue!
No
Bawette; Royal Waterloo; Louvain-la-Neuve.
Royal Bercuit; Sept Fontaines; Empereur; La Tournette; Hulencourt; Pierpont; Rigenee; La Bruyere; Royal GC de Belgique (Ravenstein).
87 Avenue du Lac, Genval
+32 (0)2 655 71 11
Visit websiteThe 5-star Chateau du Lac is wonderfully located alongside the Lac du Genval, a very picturesque and quiet lakeside setting. Your culinary options are plentiful, with an excellent restaurant, Genval Les Bains, in the hotel, while Italian and Chinese restaurants are just a minute's walk away. Martin' Spa provides an earthly journey of well-being and beauty. Many top-quality courses in the area will keep golfers fully occupied.
No
Bawette; Royal Waterloo; Louvain-la-Neuve.
Royal Bercuit; Sept Fontaines; Empereur; La Tournette; Hulencourt; Pierpont; Rigenee; La Bruyere; Royal GC de Belgique (Ravenstein).
Tournaments:
Women’s major championships: the month of June sees two women’s majors: the US Women’s Open (June 3-6), with A Lim Kim defending, and the Women’s PGA Championship (June 24-27), with Sei Young Kim defending.
Senior PGA Championship: the revered Southern Hills in Oklahoma hosts the 81st staging of this event (May 27-30); Ken Tanigawa holds the title from its last playing in 2019.
Who's Who:
Phil Mickelson: in winning the 2021 PGA Championship, the world’s most famous “leftie” became the oldest winner of a golf major championship.
Hideki Matsuyama: became the first Japanese professional to win a men’s major championship, when he triumphed in this year’s Masters Tournament.
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.
American Dunes opens for play following Nicklaus transformation
Nicklaus Design has transformed the former Grand Haven Golf Club in Michigan into the American Dunes Golf Club, a new public course that is now open for play
New course opens for play at Barnbougle
Bill Coore designs 14-hole layout with “sporty” holes on dune ridge above Lost Farm (golf carts allowed).
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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