Golf Digest International Rankings

[Mark Bourgeois]

Ally

I don't have a lot of time right now unfortunately to provide a complete response but my main point is not that it is a bad course but rather an opportunity lost.  Flying into Schipol some years back our approach was slowed and we were set on a course tracking north from the Belgian border up the Dutch coast.

So for half an hour I was treated to a view of incredible dunes -- and imagine my delight to see golf courses nestled in them!

And so that was my introduction to Noordwijkse.  Roughly one year after the flyover I played it.  The 1st was decent, something to get you away, and then came the second -- fun! Just as I imagined...

The 3rd was okay, but what terrain was that which surrounded the green?

And from there we went into a forest, with real trees that could eat your ball!

Except to the left of the 4th, where you could see that glorious terrain of massive, winding dunes -- at this point I couldn't help thinking that in the right hands nobody would be discussing Sand Hills except to compare it to Noordwijkse.

Beyond the forested section of the course, my other disappointment with the course -- and here comparisons with Kennemer are apt -- was the siting of the greens and the routing to and from.  Several green sites are situated in lovely amphitheaters, but there's not nearly as much to'ing and fro'ing or interacting with the dunes structures, certainly from tee to green but also the greens themselves, as I would have hoped.

All in all, a lot tamer than I would have expected.

As a club, Noordwijkse was a warmly welcoming place -- I enjoyed the clubhouse, members, and staff tremendously.  In that regard I felt it beat Kennemer.

It's more than possible I missed something; what did the group like about Noordwijkse over Kennemer?

Mark

[Ally Mcintosh]

Mark,

I can't talk for the group in general but these were my thoughts that I passed on to the Dutch journalist who was there... As for a lost opportunity, the course plays right up to the boundary of the property - the duneland to the North was not an option. Clearing the trees in their entirety was not an option either:

Noordwijk:
- The routing was excellent. When playing it, I lost all sense of orientation which made every hole feel isolated and individual.
 
- This course had one of the best set of Par-5's that I have seen anywhere. In particular, the eleventh and fourteenth stood out as great golf holes and the second had a very interesting feature in the blind second shot to rumpled ground.

- One weakish point was the set of Par-3's (I preferred Kennemer's Par-3's). The third and seventeenth were good holes. The sixth needed some tree clearing to open it up and show a nice fall-off to the left of the green. The twelfth was without doubt the weakest hole on the course. It felt forced in to the routing and the trees encroached on play far too much.
 
- In general, the tree lined holes could do with some tree clearing. Even the great eleventh hole could do with the green having more room around it.

- There were some lovely run-offs cut at fairway height from the greens. Many of the greens were built up on small plateaus which looked lovely. Maybe too many though. A few more greens at grade level would allow running shots. However, where those plateaus were at angles to the direction of play (the 16th comes to mind), they were extremely challenging. Very good fun.

- Variety of hole types was outstanding.

- General feeling of dramatic golf, isolation and the welcome at the club was also outstanding.

- Would be interesting to play in the wind to see if playability was affected


Kennemer:
- The 'C' nine was undoubtedly better than the 'A' nine (It was a pity we did not see the 'B' nine). More micro-movement in the fairways. More natural feeling.

- However, I found the 4th and 5th on the 'A' nine to be very good golf holes. In general, the 'A' nine could be widened slightly but the odd very tight hole is welcome and the short par-4 4th was like this. Wonderful green site. Same for the 5th. Didn't like the 6th hole at all - Where blind doglegs held balls at Noordwijk, this one repelled them over to the rough and / or 7th fairway. No definition there either.
 
- The 'C' nine had a wonderful old world feel to it. With the holes on the edge of the dunescape on more meadow land, it was obviously less dramatic than Noordwijk but the holes were individually all excellent. The tenth was a beautiful short Par-4 with a wonderful fronting bunker. The fifteenth is obviously a very famous par-3 and it is like no other I've ever seen.

- All the Par-4s on the 'C' nine were very strong with lovely Green sites and approach shots.

- The greens themselves at Kennemer were a little disappointing. The condition wasn't as good (but this was April). Less that however. More that they seemed to have been reduced in size to small round greens. I am sure that these were designed as larger greens with more shape to the outline. Many greens appear to have lost a few metres around the edges.
 
- Clubhouse was beautiful. Nice old world feel to everything as at many members clubs in England.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Ally

Yes I was being a little unfair in the forest comments as it was my understanding as well that the club was constrained in its ability to cut down trees.

I, too, greatly enjoyed the 11th -- and we're simpatico on the 2nd.  It seemed to me there could have been more holes along the lines of those though.

Regarding Kennemer, good insight re the need to expand the greens outward.  I would add that much of the course seems to have been "tamed" over the decades.  It looked wilder upon opening, but I guess that's down to the typical maintenance "evolution" found in dunes-situated courses.

I found the greens nevertheless superior to Noordwijkse, particularly the siting of the greens by Colt (and Pennick).  For example, Colt "embedded" these two greens (one from each of his nines) just wonderfully:



Mark

[Matthew Hunt]

Nice to see RCD at #1.

[Craig Sweet]

While searching for golf courses in Chile I came across this description of the Coya Country Club in Rancagua...not exactly a Matt Ward review...but I am looking for a place to "relieve my tensions".


"This club is located in Rancagua, in the Sixth Region of Chile, amidst a special natural environment where visitors may relieve tensions and play golf in an excellent circuit. Its course is nestled in a beautiful mountain range scenery occupying 6,550 exclusive yards to develop this exciting sport.
It has 18 holes with par 72, and it presents several recreational possibilities in its large green areas.
Furthermore, the Coya Country Club offers the best alternative to hold conventions, seminars or business meetings, as it has been conditioned with an excellent infrastructure for such purpose. "

[Cristian]

Tommy:

There is no way they have 40 votes on Barnbougle Dunes or Ellerston, to name two.  They probably don't have ten on Ellerston.  I am guessing they somehow incorporate their associated publications' rankings into these, but I don't know how they do it.

Just taking South Africa as one example, these rankings [Leopard Creek #1, then Gary Player CC, Fancourt, Durban #4, no Humewood] are COMPLETELY at odds with the reports from Ran, Ben & the group that was just there.

There are about ten courses toward the bottom of the list which seem out of place, at least based on anything I've ever heard.  Has anyone here ever played any of the following?  Are they worthy of a list like this?

G de Moliets, France
Shensan International, China
Olivos, Argentina
Fox Harbor, Canada
Oarai, Japan
Limburg, Belgium
Monte Rei, Portugal
Vista Vallarta (Nicklaus), Mexico
Santa Elena, Philippines

I have played Moliets; No way it belongs on this list; it is not top 10 in France, nor top 100 europe + Uk, let alone top 100 rest of world. Limburg is miles better, a real hidden gem. However to have it ranked ahead of De Pan, Ravenstein and Haagsche in the Benelux is a complete joke.

In fact upon closer study one has to conclude that a number of courses in mailand europe were completely overlooked (have any of these people ever been to mainland europe?) and others which apparently one did stumble upon were completely overrated; some of these courses do not even belong in a top 100 of mainland europe. Also UK courses are unbelievably underrated, where are Boat of Garten, Deal, Prince's Berkshire R&B?, to name just a few I've played.

American GCA-friends: whatever you do, do not use this list when visiting mailand europe...

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