Spiegelven GC Palingbeek GC
Augustinian monastery, in whose hospice the sick
and wounded were cared for and pilgrims could
rest up for their pilgrimage to Compostela. as one of the dominant diamond centres and
fashion headquarters in the world with some of the
most renowned fashion designers like Bikkembergs,
Dries Van Noten and others having started in the
local academy.
The Martin’s Hotel Group is Belgium’s most active
golf hotel group. Their Martins Golf Pass has for
years been a firm favourite with international
golfers. Martins is a fascinating company as they
take non conforming buildings and turn them into
fabulous hotels. A sample is the ‘Patershof’, which
was previously a Franciscan church in Mechelen
but with church attendance declining, the building
fell in disrepair. Martins took on the project and
it now is an eccentric hotel with the historic and
hip ‘Fishmarket’ where the young locals meet and
eat, within walking distance. The Martins Golf Pass
gives you access to fabulous lodging and preferred
access to golf courses within the pass.
Beer and Birdies …
The diversity, quality and fame of the Belgian
breweries makes Belgian beer most likely to be THE
best beer in the world. There are hundreds of beers
to choose from, from the mainstream ‘lager’ to the
more flavoursome Trappist beers brewed by monks
from various denominations. Of only 10 recognised
Trappist Beers in the world, 6 of them are Belgian.
Every club house offers great food with local
‘Stoofvlees’, Flemish stew, the famous must have
‘Frites’ and the delicious ‘Mussels’ on most menus.
If shopping is your thing, the main shopping streets
in Antwerp, Ghent, Knokke, Leuven, Mechelen and
other cities offer a variety of shops unsurpassed in
many cities worldwide. Antwerp is of course known
FACT FILE:
Where to fly to: Brussels National Airport, within
easy reach of all cities mentioned. 1hr20 min from
Dublin, 1hr from London, 1hr40 from Edinburgh/
Glasgow, 1hr30 from Copenhagen, 2 hrs from
Stockholm/Oslo.
Who to drive with: Hertz has proven to be very
golf minded and with a vast choice of cars suitable
for golfers.
When to go: Anytime between early May and late
September. Weekends can be busy as all courses
have members competitions.
Where to stay: Check out the Ghent Marriott or
any of the Martins Hotels for a comfortable value
for money stay all in the centre of any city action.
Check out the Martins Golf Pass for package deals;
www.martinsgolfpass.com/en/
For more information, check out the website;
www.golfinflanders.com
Picture credit: Flemish Golf Federation
Article by: Jo Maes,
President European Golf
& Travel Media Association
Email: [email protected]
Volume 4 • Issue 42
23