Royal Antwerp Golf Club (Tom Simpson)

Grand, excellent and unashamedly Belgian.

I’d played the Tom Simpson course at Royal Antwerp before during a media trip four years ago so I pretty much knew what was in store when I teed it up here – of course, I told my two playing partners in advance what to expect and on exiting the 18th green they both agreed that I’d not over exaggerated just how good this layout was.

My first round abroad since september 2020 was one I’ve looked forward to for a long time and also one to remember.

The first time I visited Royal Antwerp was like 8 or 9 years ago.

You have to admit the sound of a golf ball smashing into a tree trunk always has significant comedy value (as long as it’s your mate’s ball).

The Tom Simpson layout at Royal Antwerp dates back more than a hundred years to when Willie Park Jnr first set out a course for the club after it moved to its present location.

In a word - superb.

A little bit of geography first of all… Royal Antwerp is located some 20 km north of Antwerp, close by the Dutch border, deep into the Flemish part of Belgium.