Architect Kyle Phillips— who has courses like Blessings Golf Club in Arkansas and Dundonald Links in the U. K. on his resume— helped bring the Bernardus project across the finish line. Shortly after its soft opening in 2018, Bernardus landed the DP World Tour events. Simulator players across the world were able to experience the design virtually starting earlier this summer.
A heathland course, Bernardus’ most visible features are extensive bunkering and water from a couple of lakes that come into play prominently on the outward nine. Add in extensive gorse, heather, and Scots pine, and Bernardus is a visually striking track that will offer numerous challenges to Solheim Cup participants.
“ Paula [ Creamer ] and I really feel that Bernardus will be a fantastic stage to showcase the 2026 Solheim Cup and our incredible teams,” U. S. captain Angela Stanford told media after playing the course last September.
Bernardus is just one piece of the Dutch golf experience, which varies from heathland courses in the country’ s interior to links tests along the North Sea that rival anything you might find in Ireland or the U. K.
If you have any plans of traveling across the ocean to watch the Solheim Cup live, or if you just want to get a taste of Dutch golf from the comfort of your living room, the courses below provide an excellent starting point.
Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club
CHECK OUT THESE COURSES:
The International | AMSTERDAM For many, Schiphol Airport is the initial entry point for visiting the Netherlands. Itching to play a round before even catching the tram to the city center? The International, which opened in 2012, sits nearly adjacent to the Buitenveldertbaan and Oostbaan runways at Schiphol.
Amsterdam had long been without a viable championship venue within 30 minutes of the city before The International came along. With a routing that at times sits below sea level before rising above sea level, The International provides a unique, if chaotic, challenge to players of all skill levels. The DP World Tour held its KLM Open at the course in June. Belgian designer Bruno Steenseels and headline architect Ian Woosnam helped bring The International to life.
Utrechtse Golf Club‘ de Pan’ | UTRECHT The second-oldest golf club in the country, U. G. C.‘ de Pan’ is a Harry Colt design that requires more thought than muscle, especially on the inward nine. Laid out in classic English heathland style, the course meanders through stands of pine, birch, oak, and chestnut trees and features several memorable driving holes. Water isn’ t necessarily the challenge here. Instead, intricate bunkering and forced carries over valleys of heather and sand provide a stern test. U. G. C.‘ de Pan’ is regarded as the Netherlands’ best club and is among the top 60 courses in the world.
Like many private Dutch golf clubs, including those in this story, starting times are available at U. G. C.‘ de Pan’ with a little advanced planning. Players are required to hold a Handicap Index of 24 or lower and must be a member of a recognized club in their home country. Inquire directly with the caddie master for available visitor starting times.
Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club | ZUID-HOLLAND The Hague is known as“ The Legal Capital of the World” due to the presence of the Peace Palace and the International Criminal Court. Lesser known is that some of the best links golf in continental Europe can be found just north of the city, starting with this club, more commonly known as Royal Hague. Though located inland from the North Sea, Royal Hague is a links masterpiece considered among the top 100 courses in the world. An exacting layout that pitches and rolls against undulating land, the design is surprisingly minimalist. What it lacks in bunkering( only 23 are spread across 18 holes, per Golf Digest), it makes up for in uphill shots into semiblind greens. The original Charles Alison and Harry Colt design came to fruition in 1939, with Frank Pont thoughtfully renovating the layout starting in 2007.
32 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J u ly / A u g u s t 2026 vsga. org