Dutch Diary 2023 - #5 - Noordwijkse Golf Club - Randweg 25, 2204 AL Noordwijk, Netherlands

The 'newest' of the Dutch links courses can be traced back to 1973 - the members of Noordwijk Old entrusted their fellow member Paul de Jong to route a course across a truly exceptional site for golf.

The Dutch Dunescape stretches from Ostend in the south, north to the German border. Many golfers of my acquaintance were somewhat surprised when I extolled the virtues of links golf in the Netherlands and downright aghast when I mentioned the existence of links courses in France, Belgium, Germany and indeed Denmark.

But enough of day-dreaming of future adventures, we need, firstly, to briefly skirt over a more pressing initial question:

Where did the Dutch dunes come from?

The geological story of the Netherlands is a long one, a more detailed analysis of this is planned for the first in a series of podcasts on Dutch golf (currently in development).

This evolutionary tale has evolved over millennia as techtonic, sedimentary, glacial, tidal and riverine forces combined to create a barrier dune system that simultaneously serves as flood protection, nature reserve, golfing playground, and water source. More information on the Noordwijkse dunescape can be found here.

Noordwijk Old Course

The original Noordwijksche Golf Club was founded in 1914, initially building as a 9 hole course located some 500 metres north of the Noordwijk lighthouse. These holes opened for play in September 1915.

By 1928 the membership elected to build an additional 9 holes, engaging Harry S Colt and the course builders Copijn & Son, to extend the original course. Such were the vagaries of both extreme winters and parched summers that the additional holes did not open until 1931.

The site of the original Noordwijk Golf Club (1915), Colt’s 9 holes from 1928 have been swallowed by housing with the original 9 being abandoned in favour of a new site some 5km to the north. Pic credit Google maps.

As with many Dutch golf courses, during WW2, the occupying army of the Third Reich obliterated much of Colt’s additional routing through the construction of defences aimed at impeding any potential seaborn attack from the allies.

The original 9 holes from 1915 were reconstituted after the war, however, over time the town of Noordwijk-an-Zee’s encroachment towards the original property could not be quelled. This realisation led to a search for a new dune-land home some five kilometres north of the aforementioned lighthouse.

This new course was routed and designed by Noordwijk member Paul de Jong, with approval from Ken Cotton a ‘pupil’ of Tom Simpson. Cotton would later form a partnership with Frank Pennink, Charles Lawrie and finally Donald Steel.

Initial routings and plans date from November 1960, however, the approval process was circuitous and building did not commence until 1969. The Dutch landscape firm Copijn were favoured with the task of construction, while the design firm of Cotton, Pennink, Lawrie & Co. (led by Frank Pennink) assisted the club with advice regarding de Jong’s original course design.

The Site

Good golf in the Netherlands is synonymous with sand and pine trees and the course at Noordwijk is no different. Edge Road (Randweg) skirts past and then through one of these pine laden idylls. Much like the reveal at Murvagh in County Donegal the forested thoroughfare breaks free from the dappled grip of evergreen foliage - the road rising past the simple golf club sign, presenting the arriving golfer with a vista that overloads the senses…

The approach to the 18th green at Noordwijkse GC.

The rustic grey weatherboard clubhouse sits atop the coastal dune ridge, a sand scarred landscape stretches northwards along the coastal horizon. This 40 hectare site, may well be one of the best coastal sites sites I have encountered for golf.

The opening salvo at Noordwijk is played parallel to the coast, often into a fresh north-easterly breeze

Three distinctly different environments are visited over course of the round - the lowland plain, the hill and the hilltop plateau that encompasses a links forest. The variety that these distinct areas represent, transports the golfer on a journey that is somehow simultaneously reminiscent of Baltray, St. Patricks Links and Royal County Down all wrapped into one.

The first inimation of the links forest suggests itself at the 3rd

The ‘relative’ relief to this particular piece of golfing music is at play over the opening and closing holes as you wind up and wind down the days adventure.

The 7th requires the golfer to challenge the single bunker on the left to open up the best angle to approach the green

Real drama abounds as the round weaves up the hill, around and through the pine flanked fairways and bisecting dune-land chutes and over crested blind saddles.

The blind cresting drive at the 8th is an exhilarating adventure

The sum of Noordwijkse’s parts adds up to a unique smorgasboard unlike anything you will likely have seen before - it will undoubtedly remind you of places you’ve played and indeed pictures you’ve seen. The NGC experience is unique and well worth exploring if you like your golf firm, fast and coastal.

The par 5 11th, connects the lowland plain with a green nestled almost within the confines of the forest

Renovation

NGC sits within a pristine coastal ecosystem that is governed by some of the most sustainable and stringent environmental requirements in Europe. The club engaged the design firm MacKenzie & Ebert to create a master plan for the course in an effort to

‘make even better use of the wonderful landscape over which the course plays and also to address the possibility of a green reconstruction programme to ensure that the Club is in the best position to present good playing surfaces’ .

The club are currently engaged with cross community stakeholders in an effort to gain approval for the M&E proposals that have been developed. In the mean time the course team, led by course manager Richard Wing, are focussed upon further developing fescue content, tree management and general aesthetics.

The par 5 14th asks the golfer for a heroic carry across a hungry chasm - alas your intrepid correspondent didn’t have the requisite length to answer this specific question… I did enjoy failing :-)

Please find some additional video content below from the guys at Cookie Jar Golf .

Many thanks for taking the time to read this instalment of the newsletter, it was a bit delayed in both its’ authorship and release. Keep an eye out for the new podcast series on Dutch Golf which aims to take a deep dive into the story of golf in the Netherlands - it’s turning out to be quite a story!