Best golf courses: Netherlands

The Netherlands lays some claim to being the true home of golf, or "colf" or "kolf" as the ancient game was called. Things clearly went into a significant lull, until in 1894 Utrecht "De Pan" led the revival, with other great golf courses such as Hilversum, Kennemer and Noordwijk following a few years later. Golf is now very popular in the Netherlands and a sport played by all sections of society. 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 Netherlands on our customised maps.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Weekdays only
Amsterdam
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Amsterdam

Designer

Baron Paul Rolin designed the current course in 1989.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Amsterdam
Woosnam, Ian

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Amsterdam

Designer

Ian Woosnam

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Not Sundays
Amsterdam
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Not Sundays

Nearest city

Amsterdam

Designer

Located 10 km further north in Santpoort, Kennemer's original nine-hole course dated from 1910. The club moved to its present location in 1928. Here an 18-hole course, comprising the current B and C nines, was laid out by English course architect Harry Colt.

In 1937 Colt was invited back to design a third nine, but this was not actually built until 1985. Adhering closely to Colt's earlier plan, Dutch-born course architect Frank Pennink created the final design for the A-nine, the building of which was supervised by former club Secretary Steven van Hengel.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Amsterdam
Jol, Gerard

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Amsterdam

Designer

Gerard Jol & Roel van Aalderen

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

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Arnhem / Nijmegen

Designer

Baron Paul Rolin (Belg).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Arnhem / Nijmegen
Rijks, Alan

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Arnhem / Nijmegen

Designer

Original course at this location (known as Golfclub De Hooge Vorssel) was revamped and extended to 18 holes by Alan Rijks (2015).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Arnhem / Nijmegen
van Krimpen & Pennink

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Arnhem / Nijmegen

Designer

Original nine-holes at this location laid out by Aelbrecht Arent del Court van Krimpen (1910). Later changes and extension to 18-holes by Frank Pennink (1976).

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

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Breda

Designer

Joan Dudok van Heel (Netherlands).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Breda
Pennink, Frank

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Breda

Designer

John Jacob F. "Frank" Pennink (Eng), with the newer section designed by Baron Paul Rolin (Belg).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Breda
Morrison, John

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Breda

Designer

Original design by English golf course architect John S.F. Morrison (of Colt, Alison & Morrison), with later additions by Joan Dudock van Heel (1990s) and revisions by Frank Pont (2010s).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Den Bosch
Steel, Donald

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Den Bosch

Designer

Donald Steel

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Den Bosch
Phillips, Kyle

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Den Bosch

Designer

Kyle Phillips of California-based Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Weekdays only
Den Haag
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Den Haag

Designer

Current layout designed by Harry Colt, Charles Hugh Alison & John Morrison (1938); most of the design is attributed to Hugh Alison.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Weekdays only
Den Haag
Pennink, Frank

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Den Haag

Designer

Original 18-hole course, which no longer exists, laid out by Harry Colt (1931). When the club moved to a new site 5 km north of the original, Frank Pennink of Cotton, Pennink, Lawrie & Co supervised the new course construction (in 1969), working to a design largely developed by P. de Jong and other club members (in 1959).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Eindhoven
Van der Vaart, Spogaard & Jol

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Eindhoven

Designer

Michiel van der Vaart, Philip Spogaard & Gerard Jol.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Eindhoven
Pont, Frank

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Eindhoven

Designer

Dutch golf course architect Frank Pont.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Eindhoven
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Eindhoven

Designer

Harry Colt

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Eindhoven
Rijks, Alan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Eindhoven

Designer

Alan Rijks

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

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Enschede

Designer

Current 18-hole design by Thomas J.A. "Tom" Macauley (Ire), coincident with club's 1997 move from its original 9-hole layout.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Middelburg
Steel, Donald

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Middelburg

Designer

Donald Steel & Hans Hertzberger

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Middelburg
Warren, Charles

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Middelburg

Designer

Original design by E.C. "Charles" Warren, at the time the professional and greenkeeper at Knocke GC in Belgium (later called Royal Zoute). Later modifications made by Dutch golf course architect Alan Rijks.

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

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rotterdam

Designer

Tom Macauley

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Rotterdam
Kuijsters, H. & K.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rotterdam

Designer

Henk & Kees Kuijsters

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Wkends restrictd
Rotterdam
Pennink, Frank

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Rotterdam

Designer

Original design by Frank Pennink (1981) with later modifications by Gerard Jol.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Utrecht
Rijks, Alan

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Alan Rijks & Roel van Aalderen.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Weekdays only
Utrecht
Burrows & Colt

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Original 9-hole course at this location designed by Henry Burrows (1917). Extended to 18-holes by Harry Colt (1928). Subsequent modifications made by Sir Guy Campbell (1952) and Kyle Phillips (2009).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Utrecht
Pennink & Steel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Original design by Frank Pennink, who died before Hoge Kleij was completed. Donald Steel, Pennink's one-time partner, ensured the course was completed. Later renovations by Frank Pont.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Mon thru' Thur
Utrecht
Phillips, Kyle

Visitors?

Mon thru' Thur

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Designed by Kyle Phillips, with input from Robert Trent Jones Jr. During the project's early phases, Phillips was working for the firm of Robert Trent Jones II.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Mon thru' Thur
Utrecht
Colt, Harry

Visitors?

Mon thru' Thur

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Harry Colt designed the current layout in 1927.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Mon thru' Thur
Utrecht
Steensels, Bruno

Visitors?

Mon thru' Thur

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Bruno Steensels (Belg).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Utrecht
Montgomerie, Colin

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

A Colin Montgomerie Signature Course created with Ross McMurray of European Golf Design.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Not Sundays
Utrecht
Dudok van Heel, Joan

Visitors?

Not Sundays

Nearest city

Utrecht

Designer

Original design by Joan Dudok van Heel (1986); later additions by Gerard Jol & Roel van Aalderen (2004).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Zwolle
Pennink & Steel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Zwolle

Designer

Original 9-hole design by Frank Pennink (1964); extended to 18 holes by Donald Steel (1994), with later improvements by Martin Ebert (of Mackenzie & Ebert).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Zwolle
Pennink & Steel

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Zwolle

Designer

Original 9-hole design by Frank Pennink (1972); extended to 18 holes by Donald Steel (1992); renovated by Frank Pont (2011).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Zwolle
Rolin, Paul

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Zwolle

Designer

Baron Paul Rolin (Belg).

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

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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