Golfers from the USA seldom consider visiting the Netherlands when it comes to the best places for golf. However, this country hides many magnificent courses designed by Golden Age masters like Harry Colt. One such course, Utrecht De Pan, has once again been listed in GOLF Magazine's 'Top 100 Courses in the World', reminding us of the rich Dutch golf culture.
Situated on sandy soil and deep within the forest, De Pan resembles Colt's renowned works around London. The path to this course winds through a tree-lined road leading to a thatched-roof clubhouse. Beyond it lies a course with holes transitioning from grove to grove under tall pines.
Colt fully utilized the terrain's features, creating routes with numerous blind shots, sometimes even multiple on a single hole. It's reported that Tom Doak drew inspiration from De Pan's 6th hole when designing the 8th hole of the new Pinehurst No. 10, which also features blind shots on the tee and approach.
In an era where wide fairways and aggressive tree removal campaigns are becoming the norm, De Pan remains true to tradition: the course is shorter and narrower on the tee, yet no less challenging than the modern power layouts dominating the rankings.
De Pan's return to the Top 100 world rankings confirms a long-known truth: Europe's best golf courses can be found in the Netherlands. Visiting De Pan, Royal Hague, Kennemer, and Eindhoven won't attract crowds of tourists from America but will provide quiet satisfaction from discovering world-class, underrated golf.