Winge

There’s a lot of good golf to be found in Belgium Jim McCann samples some of Belgium’s lesser-known courses August 2013 Belgium is not exactly renowned as a European golfing hotspot. Nonetheless it offers the more discerning golfer a wide range of courses – from world ranked championship “Royals” such as Royal Zoute on the North Sea coast to more modest 18-hole holiday golf layouts further inland. We’ve featured the very best courses in the country for some time now – here’s the current list of the top Belgian tracks – so, when an invitation was extended from the European Golf & Travel Media Association to expand our coverage of golf in the Low Countries, it just had to be accepted. Sponsored by Martin’s Hotels, the trip allowed EGTMA delegates the chance to play a number of lesser-known courses affiliated with the Martin’s Golf Pass scheme to the east and south of Brussels. The number of participating Golf Pass clubs has recently been expanded to nineteen, with the likes of Keerbergen, Millennium and Winge joining Bercuit (and ten other courses) from the Brabant Wallon region. The Frank Pennink-designed Keerbergen course is a somewhat understated layout with fairways set out on rather flat terrain next to Lake Keerbergen. Featuring no fewer than six par threes, this is a gentle parkland course that golfers can walk with ease. The Millennium (Championship) course also occupies a largely level site but it’s a more modern track that brings water, in the form of Lake Paalse, into proceedings at several of the holes. Now well bedded in after more than a decade of play, this Bruno Steensels design is surely destined for ranking status in the future. Compare and contrast these two courses with the hilly layout at Winge. The Sint Joris Winge track starts and ends beside a lovely lake but holes from the 2nd to the 17th clamber up and over a hilly landscape that rarely offers an even stance. Similarly, the Robert Trent Jones Snr-designed Bercuit course at Grez-Doiceauis is laid out on a very undulating landscape, with fairways carved through dense woodland. It’s a very stylish and elegant 18-hole layout. Martin’s 4-star hotels in Mechelen, Leuven and Waterloo are ideally situated close to all of these courses, affording golfers minimal travel time between rounds. They’re obviously part of a small hotel group but there’s no generic, corporate sameness here as each hotel retains its own unique, historical character. For example, the 79 bedrooms in Martin’s Patershof in Mechelen are situated within a wonderful old neo-Gothic Franciscan Church. Continuing the ecclesiastical theme, a new 64-bed extension to the Martin’s Klooster hotel in Leuven has just been sympathetically added to the 39-bed main hotel building, itself a 17th century former Augustinian convent. By comparison, the historical background of Martin’s Grand Hotel in Waterloo appears rather bland as its 79 bedrooms occupy the site of an old sugar refinery which dates back to 1836. No trip to this area of Belgium would be complete without exploring the small town of Mechelen in between games of golf. By all means visit St Rumbold’s Cathedral, the impressive UNESCO World Heritage site, but make sure you also leave enough time for a look round the Het Anker brewery, home of the famous Gouden Carolus range of beers. If you’re not too sure of its location, the wonderful aromas from the beer making process will soon lead you to it so just follow your nose. Jim McCann Editor www.top100golfcourses.com

The Low Countries offer some of Continental Europe's finest golf, where Golden Age masterpieces from Harry Colt and Tom Simpson showcase world-class architecture across remarkably compact geography. From the towering dunes of Dutch links courses to Belgium's tree-lined royal estates, the Benelux region delivers diverse golfing experiences within easy reach of major airports. The Netherlands leads with 40 exceptional courses headlined by Utrecht De Pan's heathland masterpiece. Belgium counters with 30 superb layouts dominated by royal courses carrying century-old heritage. Luxembourg rounds out the trio with three quality courses in one of Europe's smallest nations. 🇳🇱 Best Golf Courses in The Netherlands The Elite Five 🏆 The Netherlands' premier golf courses showcase the finest Golden Age architecture in Continental Europe. These five courses represent the absolute pinnacle of Dutch golf: 1. Utrecht De Pan – Harry Colt carved this heathland masterpiece through magnificent pine, birch and oak forests in the late 1920s. Ranked 56th in the world, the course presents strategic golf where holes flow naturally across gently rolling terrain. Frank Pont's recent restoration work has returned the layout to its original glory, removing decades of vegetation to reveal Colt's intended playing corridors. 2. Koninklijke Haagsche (Royal Hague) – This links layout weaves through towering sand dunes along the North Sea coast. Originally redesigned by Harry Colt's partner Hugh Alison just before World War II, the course ranks 86th globally and second in Continental Europe. Recent reviews compare its rolling duneland to Shinnecock Hills, high praise for any course outside traditional links strongholds. 3. Kennemer – Harry Colt's 1927 design near Amsterdam offers another links experience, later expanded by Frank Pennink in the 1980s with an additional nine holes. The sandy-soiled fairways and firm conditions provide authentic seaside golf just minutes from Schiphol Airport. 4. Eindhovensche – Another Harry Colt masterpiece from the Golden Age, this woodland course winds through dense forest south of Eindhoven. Recent tree removal has reclaimed lost width and improved turf conditions, showcasing Colt's original strategic intent. 5. Noordwijkse – Coastal links golf at its finest, this layout offers firm turf and natural movement between The Hague and Haarlem. The course held the Netherlands' top ranking in 2014 before being overtaken by the resurgent courses above it. Modern Excellence ⬆️ Beyond the Golden Age classics, exceptional modern courses prove great architecture continues: 🏖️ Links Valley – Modern links-style layout emphasising firm, fast conditions and strategic ground game 🏆 Bernardus – Kyle Phillips masterpiece hosting multiple KLM Open championships ✈️ The International Amsterdam – Bruno Steensels championship venue near Schiphol Airport Regional Character 🗺️ The Hague Coastal Zone 🌊 – Koninklijke Haagsche and Noordwijkse provide the Netherlands' finest links golf with towering dunes and firm conditions. Utrecht Heathland 🌲 – Utrecht De Pan anchors the region where courses thread through pine forests with year-round firm playing conditions. Amsterdam Gateway 🏙️ – Kennemer and The International offer championship golf within 30 minutes of Schiphol Airport. 🇧🇪 Best Golf Courses in Belgium The Royal Elite 👑 Belgium's finest courses carry impressive royal pedigrees, most earning the "Royal" designation automatically after fifty years of operation. The top courses showcase British Golden Age architecture adapted to Belgian terrain: 1. Royal Antwerp – Belgium's oldest club (founded 1888) now holds the nation's top ranking. Tom Simpson redesigned Willie Park Jr's original routing in 1930, creating a wooded heathland classic. Recent intensive tree management has restored the course to Simpson's vision, opening vistas and improving playing conditions dramatically. 2. Royal Zoute – Harry Colt's 1907 links layout near the North Sea coast held Belgium's #1 ranking for years. Eight Belgian Open championships have been contested here, with Lee Westwood capturing the last edition in 2000. 3. Royal Limburg – Fred Hawtree designed this heathland course in the mid-1960s, with son Martin later refining the layout. Recent bunker renovation by Bruno Steensels has enhanced both aesthetics and playability. The course extends to over 6,000 metres with strategic demands throughout. 4. Royal Belgium (Old) – Originally laid out by Seymour Dunn over a century ago, Tom Simpson redesigned this tree-lined layout in 1928. Martin Hawtree's 1990s renovation modernised the course whilst respecting Simpson's strategic architecture. The 27-hole facility near Brussels includes a complementary nine-hole short course. 5. Royal Ostend – Belgium's only true links course offers seaside golf along the North Sea. The relatively flat terrain creates different challenges than the rolling dunes found in the Netherlands, but the coastal wind and firm conditions deliver authentic links golf. Championship Tests 🏆 Royal Waterloo (La Marache) – This championship layout consistently ranks among Belgium's finest courses. Strong conditioning and strategic design create a proper tournament test that has hosted numerous professional events. National Golf Brussels (Championship) – Opening in 2017, this modern facility immediately gained recognition for its championship-quality design and extensive practice facilities. Belgian professional stars Nicolas Colsaerts, Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters endorsed the course at its launch. Tom Simpson's Belgian Legacy 🏛️ Tom Simpson's influence on Belgian golf towers above all other architects. Three top courses bear his design signature: Royal Antwerp – 1930 redesign now fully restored to original intent Royal Fagnes – 1930 partnership with Philip Mackenzie Ross in Spa Royal Sart Tilman – 1939 design through dramatic topography near Liège Simpson's work across varied Belgian terrain, from dense forest to open parkland, created courses that have stood the test of time. His understanding of strategic golf and natural land movement produced layouts that remain relevant nearly a century later. Regional Distribution 🗺️ Belgium's top courses cluster in four regions: Antwerp (Royal Antwerp in the north), Coastal Strip (Royal Zoute and Royal Ostend along the North Sea), Brussels Area (Royal Belgium, Royal Waterloo, National Brussels around the capital), and Ardennes Mountains (Royal Fagnes and Royal Sart Tilman in the southeast). 🇱🇺 Best Golf Courses in Luxembourg Luxembourg's compact size means just three courses dominate the national scene: 1. Golf de Luxembourg – Located within a 400-acre estate in the hilly, forested Grevenmachar district, the course routes around the beautiful 18th-century Belenhaff château. The layout provides a pleasant golf experience that mirrors Luxembourg itself – quality in compact scale. 2. Grand Ducal de Luxembourg – Golf in Luxembourg started here in 1935, making this the nation's oldest course. Originally designed by Major J.C. Symonds with inspiration from Tom Simpson (who was working nearby in Belgium), the venerable layout maintains historic significance. 3. Kikuoka – Japanese architect Iwao Uematsu designed this course in 1991 within the 250-acre Scheierhaff Estate for the Kikuoka family. The club added a unique six-hole short course in 2008 featuring synthetic sand-filled greens, rare in Continental European golf. Planning Your Benelux Golf Trip ✈️ Coastal Links Tour (2 days) 🌊 Experience Dutch seaside golf across Koninklijke Haagsche, Noordwijkse and Kennemer – all within 80 kilometres along the North Sea coast. Base in The Hague or Haarlem. Heathland Heritage Tour (2 days) 🌲 Play Utrecht De Pan, Hilversumsche and Lage Vuursche through pine forests and sandy heathland. This 40-kilometre triangle uses Utrecht as its base. Belgium's Royal Circuit (2 days) 👑 Experience Royal Antwerp, Royal Zoute, Royal Limburg and Royal Belgium across Belgium's finest courses, all within two hours' drive. Brussels makes an excellent base. Complete Benelux Experience (7+ days) 🗓️ Fly into Amsterdam Schiphol. Play two days of Dutch coastal links (Koninklijke Haagsche, Noordwijkse, Kennemer), two days of heathland classics (Utrecht De Pan, Hilversumsche), one day of modern championship golf (Bernardus or The International), then cross into Belgium for Royal Antwerp and Royal Zoute. Why These Courses Matter 🎯 The Low Countries preserve Golden Age architecture from Harry Colt and Tom Simpson that has stood the test of time. The Netherlands maintains two courses in the World Top 100, whilst several Belgian courses rank within Continental Europe's elite. Major international airports at Amsterdam and Brussels provide easy access, with excellent motorways making multi-course trips efficient. Most top courses sit within two hours of major airports. Year-round play is possible thanks to sandy soil and modern drainage, with late spring through early autumn offering peak conditions. What Makes These Courses Special 🎓 Links Golf 🌊 – True links courses remain rare on the continent. The Netherlands offers the finest examples at Koninklijke Haagsche, Noordwijkse and Kennemer, featuring firm turf and natural dune movement. Heathland Golf 🌲 – Dutch heathland courses through pine forests like Utrecht De Pan showcase sandy soil, heather-lined fairways and strategic bunkering that create year-round firm conditions. Restoration Success 🌳 – Recent tree removal at courses like Royal Antwerp demonstrates how returning to original design intent elevates golf courses dramatically. The Best Golf Courses: A Summary 📝 The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg deliver world-class golf architecture across compact geography. Utrecht De Pan's heathland excellence, Royal Antwerp's restored Simpson masterpiece and Belgium's royal courses offer layouts worth crossing an ocean to experience. The region succeeds through architectural heritage preservation and recognition that Golden Age designs remain relevant a century later. For international visitors, the Benelux region provides efficient multi-course itineraries with minimal travel between world-class courses. The best golf courses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg await.

Royal golf in Belgium – and a few highly-regarded “commoners”… We’ve planned week-long summer golf trips to several European countries in recent years – Sweden in 2016, Netherlands in 2017, France in 2018 and Italyin 2019 spring to mind – but a visit to Belgium in 2020 fell through due to covid travel restrictions. Last month, we picked up from where we left off two years previously, re-establishing all our contacts before flying to Brussels to play ten of the country’s top-rated tracks. Many of the clubs now have the “Royal” prefix attached to their title. According to the Royal Belgian Golf Federation, affiliated clubs that are at least fifty years old can apply to the Royal Palace for this designation, provided they meet a certain number of specific criteria. Most of the clubs we visited were “Royals” but we also stopped off at a few highly-regarded “commoners” along the way on what proved to be a high-quality golfing excursion. Royal Ostend We started in the northwest of the country at Royal Ostend Golf Club, where The Links course was founded in 1903. The layout was damaged during both World War conflicts but it was eventually brought back into play in the summer of 1948. In more recent times, Martin Hawtree redesigned the course and the clubhouse was renovated during the 1990s. Playing hard and fast like a true links, the holes occupy three distinct 6-hole “compartments”: holes 1-4 and 17-18 are positioned nearest to the clubhouse, holes 5 to 10 are laid out closest to the beach, with holes 11 to 16 set a little further inland, on the other side of the main road and tram track that run along the coast. Royal Zoute Just 27 kilometres away, on the other side of Zeebrugge, lies the 36-hole setup at Royal Zoute Golf Club in the upmarket seaside resort of Knokke-Heist. The Championship course dates back more than a hundred years to when Harry Colt redesigned the club’s original layout. After World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Allen reinstated the fairways and these remain the course in play today. Also called “l’Extêrieur” (because it encircles the smaller “l’Intêrieur course), the Championship layout is routed in an out and back manner, with the longer back nine stretch featuring three par fives between 461 and 501 metres in length. The Belgian Open has been staged here on a dozen occasions, the last one taking place in 2000 when Lee Westwood won the event. Royal Antwerp Located to the north of Antwerp, less than 5 kilometres from the border with the Netherlands, Royal Antwerp Golf Club is one of the oldest in continental Europe, having been formed in 1888. The course is of a more recent vintage as the club moved to its present site in 1913, when Willie Park Junior laid out the original holes. Tom Simpson was then engaged to upgrade the layout in the early 1930s. The 18-hole Tom Simpson course is regarded as one of the best wooded heathland courses in continental Europe, with a sandy soil base and both heather and pine trees lining many of the fairways. The landscape is largely level, making it an easy-walking course, but there are plenty of intimidating fairway and greenside bunkers to negotiate from start to finish. Rinkven Rinkven Golfclub was founded as Antwerp International Golf & Country Club in the 1980s, with 27 holes in play. Another nine holes were added in 2006 but it was only after Russell Talley from Hawtree Ltd. carried out a major redesign a decade later – which included the addition of some new holes – that the property’s potential was fully realised. We played the South course, the slightly shorter of the two 18-hole layouts, which is said to provide a greater variety of holes. It’s a fine mix of woodland and parkland golf, with water coming into play a few times. Just a couple of months ago, the latest edition of the Belgian Open was staged at Rinkven on a composite 18-layout which includes most of the front nine holes on the South. Beveren Not many people will have heard of Golfclub Beveren, situated in the very heart of Antwerp’s dockland area, but we paid a visit on a media trip to Flanders in 2018, when we got the chance to see grassroots golf in all its glory at a fabulous little club which operates a 9-hole course, 4-hole compact course, driving range, practice area and restaurant. We liked this place so much four years ago that we had to return to the multi-functional clubhouse to see how things are developing. Club officials, along with local architect Dimitri Van Hauwaent, have done a remarkable job transforming this small 70-acre industrial site into a progressive facility that puts into practice all-inclusive policies that others only talk about. Royal Limburg We then moved southeast from Antwerp towards Liège, stopping off at Royal Limburg Golf on the way. The club was formed in the mid-1960s but a full 18-hole course didn’t evolve until 1973, designed by Fred Hawtree. Martin Hawtree, Fred’s son, made some changes in 2010 then architect Bruno Steensels (who’s a long-term club member) carried out a full bunker renovation five years ago. The fairways are set across a gently undulating landscape, weaving in and out of woodland areas and the huge expanse of heather that flanks the more open heathland holes. An ongoing tree management programme has improved the general playing conditions, as has removing extraneous vegetation around a number of tee positions and green sites. Royal Sart-Tilman Designed by Tom Simpson, the course at Royal Golf Club du Sart Tilman was only a few months old when it was forced to close at the start of World War II. By 1947, the place was back in full swing (thanks to the efforts of US military and German prisoners of war) and the club now leases the golf facility from the University of Liège after it purchased the land in 1963. All eighteen holes are laid out in a wonderful woodland setting with rolling topography across much of the property. Configured as two returning nines, the course features a handful of par threes and par fives, with interesting short par fours easing golfers into their round at two of the opening three holes. The old thatch-roofed clubhouse caught fire during a renovation project eleven years ago and a large modern design now serves members and visitors. Royal Fagnes Royal Golf Club Des Fagnes resides less than five kilometres to the north of Spa, which is the name most commonly used by members when talking about their club. It’s a Tom Simpson layout that was designed along with Philip Mackenzie Ross when both men were in partnership in 1930. Three editions of the Belgian Open were contested here during the 1930s then another four of these championships were held during the 1940s and 1950s. The holes are set out on gently undulating terrain, with two circuits of largely tree-lined fairways returning to the two-storey clubhouse. Like Sart Tilman, there are five par threes and five par fives on the scorecard, with three of each appearing on the front nine. Civilization is less than a 10-minute drive away but you’d never know that when you’re out on this course. Royal Waterloo The final stage of our Belgian tour returned us close to Brussels, adjacent to the famous site of the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was defeated for the first time in 1815. Royal Waterloo Golf Club (founded in 1923) moved next to the historic battlefield in 1960 and over time it has developed into a 45-hole facility with two 18-hole layouts and a 9-hole track. We played the main La Marache course which has evolved over time from the original “A” and “B” nines that were designed by Fred Hawtree more than sixty years ago. Fred’s son Martin has since carried out a number green and fairway upgrades and the bunkers are currently undergoing a complete renovation. Royal Belgium The 18-hole Arboretum course at Royal Golf Club of Belgium (often referred to as “Ravenstein”) has been in play since the club was formed in 1906. Tom Simpson redesigned the layout in 1928 then Martin Hawtree advised the club during a 10-year improvement plan in the 1990s. The Arboretum is complemented by a delightful 9-hole short course called the “Parc” which was introduced by Simpson’s design partner Philip Mackenzie Ross in 1951. Today, the Arboretum extends to just over 6,000 metres from the back tees, playing to a par of 72, with two strong runs of par four holes from the 7th to 11th then from the 14th to 18th. Refreshingly in this modern era of generally slower play, the club advise on the scorecard that a round should be completed in 1hr. 41 mins. for the front nine and 1 hr. 40 mins. for the back nine. National Brussels Located less than three kilometres away from Royal Belgium as the crow flies, the Championship course at the modern National Golf Brussels complex could hardly be more different to its esteemed older neighbour. Designed in the style of an “inland links” by Bruno Steensels, the course is set out on land that was formerly part of the country’s largest horse racing facility. Quite a bit of soil was shifted here to create movement in the fescue-fringed fairways, along with elevating teeing areas and raising green sites. Several deeper digs have allowed small lakes to be created at holes 2, 5, 10 and 18. Interestingly, the back nine is routed in a clockwise direction around the perimeter of the property so technically out of bounds runs along the left at all these holes. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses