Dutch Diary 2023 - #3 - Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club - Groot Haesebroekseweg 22, 2243 EC Wassenaar, Netherlands
Routed amongst the largest contiguous dunescape in South Holland, Royal Hague is one of Hollands' best courses and was my first taste of links golf dutch style.
Alison’s design style differed significantly from that of his partner Colt. Both, of course, subscribed to the strategic school of design that Colt himself had done so much to create, but a close inspection of some of Alison’s courses shows him to be a more severe examiner of golfing skill than his mentor. The extent to which this can be put down to his experience at Pine Valley is a matter for debate – did he, perhaps, take that style to Pine Valley? – but it can be seen on much of his work. There is his well-known fondness for deep bunkering that is so famous from his Japanese work, but his 1927 report for Toronto Golf Club, which Colt had designed before the war, shows his emphasis. “[The course] has been constructed as a playground for elderly businessmen, and hitherto it has no doubt fulfilled that function,” he wrote. “But as a school and a test for young and ambitious players, it is a back number.” Repeatedly he called for bunkering to be tightened, arguing that even weaker players would come to realise the benefits of such work. “As a general rule the short player ultimately enjoys a closely bunkered green, when he finds how much more interesting the game becomes,” he told the club. From an article written by Adam Lawrence for Golf Architecture Magazine (January 2011) https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/The-Pioneer-Hugh-Alison-the-sadistic-sidekick
Steven Zivan has recently re-exposed the origin story of Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club (better known to us anglophiles as Royal Hague). His article, in Vol. 7 of the McKellar Journal, reads like a cross between The Golfing Annual and an Ian Fleming novel - unusual bedfellows! Adventure, subterfuge, an advancing foe, hurried golf course construction, escape and V1 rockets.
In an effort to find out more, well, you’ll have to buy Vol. #7 - while you’re at it you could do worse than pick up as many of the back catalogue as they can muster for you.
Just in case you are wondering, this is an unpaid/uncomissioned recommendation - the writing really is that good - McKellar is a haven for many of the, now sadly, independent golf scribes that used to be in the gainful employ of newspapers and magazines - the golf correspondent is almost a thing of the past, however, these now independent scribes have a few remaining paid safe harbours and McKellar represents one such refuge. Give it a go, the juice is well worth the squeeze!
Dutch Links Golf - Take 1
It was cobble-lock relaying season as I pulled out of Kasteel de Wittenburg in Wassenaar, setting sail, circuitously, towards the Meijendel dune system and an 8am appointment at Royal Hague Golf & Country Club.
Car parked, Sunday bag unfurled I was greeted with a thoroughly magnificent view, from the starters hut, at the top of the hill, across a heaving landscape that is perfect for golf.
The Royal Hague Golf & Country Club is the oldest golf club in the Netherlands dating from 1889. The clubs’ original links course was extended by J.D. Dunn and John Abercromby but was all but destroyed during WW2. The club eventually purchased the Wassenaarsche Golf Club from the Wolf family after the end of WW2.
RH exudes an air of confidence that emanates from a property that could tell a few stories if it was able to speak. Alas it cannot, however, I will endeavour to feature a few vignettes below to whet your appetite.
The site that Royal Hague now occupies was bought by a merchant named Daniel Wolf in the 1930’s. An upwardly mobile type, he decided to contact Colt & Co. to commission the design and build of a links golf course over the rolling sand hills of his estate at Wassenaar outside of Den Haag.
C.H. Alison was the Colt & Co. partner responsible for design of the golf course, in addition to numerous site visits both before and during construction. By the late 1930’s HSC confined himself to mainland UK travel only. Prior to this commission at Royal Hague, Alison had already made significant impression on the golf world, including an indelible mark on both Japanese and North American golf.
Some of his higher profile projects in the USA included the completion of Pine Valley (after the death of George Crump), designing Sea Island in Georgia and the Country Club of Detroit. In Japan, Alison was the designer of record at Fuji, Tokyo, Hirono, Kawana, he also undertook significant revisions at Kasumigaseki East (host venue for golf at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020).
The 200 acre site at Wassenaar is ideal for golf with copious amount of golden sand in addition to significant site depth, this facilitated Alison in routing a golfing adventure that bobs and weaves down, over and through real estate that would not look out of place on the West Coast of Ireland or indeed perhaps maybe even more pertinently the Cups Country on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne.
Alison’s favoured design style was a little more flamboyant than that of his senior partner Colt - this flamboyance is in evidence with pushed up green sites (painstakingly and faithfully reinstated by Frank Pont of Infinte Variety Golf Design from 2005 onwards) and deeply foreboding bunkers that yawn at the approaching golfer.
A striking counterpoint to the significant fairway undulations, are the somewhat more mellow green sites. Exhibiting more movement than a Colt design, however, relatively chilled out, when compared with the topography that surrounds them. To be crystal clear on this point, I’m not complaining, just making an observation that there is an interesting counterpoint to the general wildness of the terrain when compared to the comparative restraint in evidence on the putting surfaces.
Watch out for the false fronts on the back nine (the perched 10th and 14th greens come to mind readily) never up will likely mean another shy at a pulpit target.
If you are interested, further information on Frank Pont’s green restoration project can be found here.
The splendid clubhouse, with its’ inviting terrace, overlooks the 18th green-site - be sure to check out the clubs extensive library and plethora of historical imagery that adorn its’ ample interior.
The Royal Hague experience ticks all of the boxes that you would expect and should be one of the first ports of call on any Dutch golf itinerary…. you simply will not be disappointed.
Once again, you should check out the Cookie Jar Podcast video for Koninklijke Haagsche below to really get a feel for the course, the site and the elevation changes.