Best golf courses: Belgium

Golf architect Tom Simpson had a big hand in establishing golf in Belgium in the early part of the 20th century, designing 4 out of the first 5 courses to be built. Belgian golf clubs automatically acquire the "Royal" title once they have been operational for fifty years. All golf courses presented are open to the public. Some may be difficult to play on week-ends owing to the number of members, but travelling green-feers should often be able to play during the week. 
To make the most of your golfing trip, and to help in your planning, you can look up the location of the best courses in Belgium on our customised maps.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Mons
Simpson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Mons

Designer

Original 18-holes (Bruyere & Quesnoy nines) laid out by Tom Simpson with help from Charles Warren (the professional and greenkeeper at Knocke GC). Les Etangs nine added by Fred & Martin Hawtree (1990).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Antwerp
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Antwerp

Designer

Original design by Baron Paul Rolin, with later modifications by Hawtree Design.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Namur
Dunn, Seymour

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Namur

Designer

Seymour Dunn

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Liege
Simpson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Liege

Designer

Tom Simpson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Liege
Simpson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Liege

Designer

Tom Simpson

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Gent
Hawtree, Fred W.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Gent

Designer

Original design by George Pannell; redesigned by Frederick W. "Fred" Hawtree (1950s).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Cotton & Pennink

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

C.K. (Ken) Cotton, Frank Pennink & Charles Lawrie

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Steensels, Bruno

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Belgian golf course architect Bruno Steensels designed (and later renovated) the original parkland nine holes in 1998 (holes 1-5, 8, 9, 10 & 18), then added nine new linksy holes in 2015 (holes 7, 6, 11-17).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Theys, Frederic

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Frederic Theys

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Namur
Jottrand, Jean

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Namur

Designer

Jean Jottrand

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Mons
McAuley, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Mons

Designer

Designed by Northern Ireland architect Tom McAuley (1987).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Oostende
Pern, Jeremy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Oostende

Designer

Jeremy Pern

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Oostende
Dunn, Seymour

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Oostende

Designer

Original design by Seymour Dunn (1903). Modifications by Martin Hawtree (1990s).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Namur
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Namur

Designer

English architect Martin Hawtree.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Baron Paul Rolin

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Rossi, Jean-Manuel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

French architect Jean-Manuel Rossi.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Gent
Baker, J.H.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Gent

Designer

J.H. Baker

Visitors welcome
Brussels
Evans, Fred

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Fred Evans & David Fields

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Liege
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Liege

Designer

Martin Hawtree

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
McAuley, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Northern Ireland architect Tom McAuley; some revisions made by Alain Prat (2009 and 2012).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Dudok van Heel, Joan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Joan Dudok van Heel

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Hasselt
Steensels, Bruno

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hasselt

Designer

Bruno Steensels

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Bruges
Dudok van Heel, Joan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Bruges

Designer

Championship course: designed by Joan Dudok van Heel (1987); President's-nine: designed by Bruno Steensels (2014).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Hasselt
de Keyser, Marc

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hasselt

Designer

Marc de Keyser

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Liege
Player, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Liege

Designer

Gary Player

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Martin Hawtree. Later improvements added by Peter Alliss & Clive Clark.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Gent
Baker, J.H.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Gent

Designer

J.H. Baker

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Kortrijk
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Kortrijk

Designer

Baron Paul Rolin

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Steensels, Bruno

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Belgian golf course architect Bruno Steensels.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Rossi, Jean-Manuel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by French architect Jean-Manuel Rossi. Modifications by Dutch course architect Frank Pont (2018-19).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Hasselt
Hawtree, Fred W.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hasselt

Designer

Frederick W. "Fred" Hawtree

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Hasselt
Kirby, Ron

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Hasselt

Designer

Ron Kirby

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Vercruyce, Marcel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Marcel Vercruyce

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Amick, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Bill Amick. Later improvements by Peter Alliss & Clive Clark.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Brussels
Dudok van Heel, Joan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Joan Dudok van Heel, with later revisions by Bruno Steensels (2011).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Weekdays only
Brussels
Dunn & Simpson

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Seymour Dunn (1905); modified by Tom Simpson (1928).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Weekdays only
Antwerp
Park Jr & Simpson

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Antwerp

Designer

Original course at Kapellenbos laid out by Willie Park Jr (1910). Course lengthened and revamped by Tom Simpson (1930).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Wkends restrictd
Brussels
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Original design by Baron Paul Rolin (1985). Greens and bunkering redesigned by Martin Hawtree (2004/05).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Wkends restrictd
Bruges
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Bruges

Designer

Original 18-hole course at this site substantially redesigned and re-routed by Harry Colt in 1912, at the same time as he designed Royal Zoute's Inner course. After WW2 both courses were restored by Lieutenant Colonel Allen. Located on the coast at nearby Lekkerbek, was a third Harry Colt design dating from 1921. The Lekkerbek course, considered by many to be one of the finest duneland links courses in the world, was lost forever after WW2.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Wkends restrictd
Brussels
Hawtree, Fred W.

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Brussels

Designer

Current course at this location designed by Frederick W. "Fred" Hawtree (1959). Greens and bunkering redesigned by his son Martin Hawtree (2004/05).

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Tournaments

The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.

Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.

Who's Who

Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.

Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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