[Cristian]

As promised when I joined this site as a member hereby a review of one of the Classics by Colt, or Simpson in Continental Europe. After the recent thread on Toxandria, now a more well known course: Hilversum; 25 times host to the Dutch Open Championship. The original course was built around 1917 by H Burrows. It is located some 30 km from Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

In 1926 Harry S. Colt designed the current 18 hole layout. Although since then several changes have taken place; In the fifties Sir Guy Campbell did a lot of work on the course, particularly on the par 5's. Most recently Kyle Phillips has designed some changes, renovating a few greens and lengthening some of the holes with new back tee's. The biggest changes have taken place on 1, 9, 10 and 18 which have been given totally new greens, or even green sites.

As a result of the changes and lengthening the Dutch Open will return inland to Hilversum in 2010 (August).


The Opener: A par 5 which immediately provides a birdie opportunity, but to bite of some distance one has to flirt with the tree's on the right, too far right is bogey or worse. Are you willing to take that chance this early in the round?




The first green; approach after a good drive


looking back:



The second is a short par 4 with a band of rough in the fairway which has to be cleared to drive the green; not easy at 345 yds from the back Tee, especially with the bunkers guarding the entrance...


looking back:


After crossing a public footpath for the first time in the round the 3rd is a medium length par 4 with a remodelled green.
Tee shot:


green:


The mowing lines on the green illustrate the swales on the putting surface. This green seems to have been extended as well as the bunker, and some of the swales are also new I think. For those interested the old green sites can still be seen on Frank Pont's www.golfarchitecturepictures.com.

After crossing another public footpath one tee's off from the 4th tee a blind drive to a landing area that is wider than one can see, although the really long hitters have to keep to the right for the ideal approach. Notice the band of rough with the mound through the fairway; a feature used regularly on Hilversum, which protects the course against long hitting; a good and aesthetic method I think if not used too often.



The fifth is the first par 3 of 4 excellent short holes, although at 225 yds most people will have a wood in their hands on the tee. This picture is taken just a little bit to the right of the ladies-tee. On the right the 17th fairway.



Hole 6: A par 4 of 460 yds. Don't take on the bunker on the right if your name is not Cabrera. (saw him clear it in a practice round in 2003)



approach:


Hole 7 is a short par 5 played in the same direction as 6, the holes are somewhat alike; If one would want to name a weak point of the course it is probably the similarity between some of the holes; The course has no real dogleg holes which is odd for a Colt course, however upon closer inspection each hole has individual playing characteristics.



approach to 7:


After the wonderful short par 3 8th (unfortunately no picture!) the renovated ninth hole awaits. This is the view from the medal tee.


and the new green; pushed back into the tree's a little bit more putting more premium on placement of the Tee (draw). However if the Tee's are up, long hitters better beware of the cross bunker.


working on the back 9....

[Mark Bourgeois]

Christian

Great stuff! Do you have additional pics of the 2nd and can you post a Google aerial to show us the routing?

Would love to see old pics; suspect tree intrusion is a modern thing.

Many thanks
Mark

[Cristian]

Back 9:

The 10th is a par 3 played to a totally new green. The putting surface has been moved forward by 30 yards. The tee's have also been moved forward, so the hole is only slightly longer. The tiered green (not typical Colt I believe), has been replaced by a more gently sloping surface. The sandy patch in the foreground is the location of the old tee. Also a lot of bushes and small tree's have been removed on this hole.


The 11th is along par4; a lot of work has been going on especially tree clearing. two weeks ago this was the last hole with a lot of work still in progress.


After the short par 4 12th (not pictured), we move on to 13. A par 5 reachable in two. 100 yds short of the green a band of rough eats into the fairway, making the preferred shot of attack on the second shot a draw, assisted by the slope of the land. A common type of invite on Colt courses.
tee-shot:

approach:


14 is a classic short hole; Par3 125 yds. The bunkers have been remodelled and are now sand faced. Again on www.golfarchitecturepictures.com the difference with the before situation can be seen. Because of the sand faced bunkers and the cutting of heather and bushes in front of the green the bunkers can now be seen from the tee. Miss the green and par is far away; the target is generous though, given the distance of the hole.


15 is one of the best holes on the course; a wide opening between the trees is filled with fairway on the right and a band of heather on the left. As the hole progresses the fairway becomes wider, but closer to the green it narrows again, with the heather eating into the fairway. A tee-shot to the right is obviously the safest option, but will require a long approach over a bunker, guarding the right side of the green.
Tee:

green:


Hole 16 is a medium long par 4, a bit wider than most of the other holes, with a nice undulating fairway and a small green sloping right to left.
The tee-shot (photo found on the internet, not my own, which was blurred)

Green:


Hole 17 is a long par 4 similar to hole 6.

The closer is a great par 5 of 500 yds. A lot of bushes and small trees have been removed resulting in a full view of the fairway; The large silver Birch is the ideal line for a go at the green in two. The green favours a shot from the right side, so a fade of the tee is preferred for the long hitters.


The approach:


The green:
A new green complex with a huge swale on the left. This used to be there already but not at this scale.


I like the new green, but wonder what Old Harry would make of it.

Routing:


Hilversum is a private club allowing visitor play on week days.

[Sean_A]

Christian

Thanks for the pix.  It looks a perplexing course with general flat areas and tumbling areas sort of existing on adjacent holes.  I take it the area around holes 18, 9, 7, 3 & 2 is the best area for golf with #1 somehow occupying a flat (maybe a wee valley?) spot.  There seems to be another hilly area at the far end of the course as well at #15.  The sandy areas are also interesting.  I take it the course drains fairly well, but I don't see a lot of bunkers which is especially noticeable for the flat holes. 

Ciao

[Scott Warren]

Nice pics, Cristian. There's a fair bit there that reminds me of Royal Zoute.

Do you know how much the trees have begun to encroach from what Colt designed? Looks super tight in section?

[Cristian]

Sean:

The best holes are the ones closest to the clubhouse, including hole 4 and the area of holes 14-16 and 5. The 12 th has a semiblind shot to the green and is a short par 4 (unfortunately no picture!) But it's close to the tee of 2, so members and those who know the course will always look at the pin position on 12 before teeing off at 2. There are quite a few bunkers but not as much as on some other Colt inlands, I noticed the same, especially fairway bunkers. Probably because some holes are well defended by their narrowness. Also there is quite a bit of use of bands of heather in or crossing the fairway. Colt has also stated he likes to build bunkers in uphill patches as they were easier to build and look more natural. At Toxandria the same scarcety of bunkers can be seen. It is clever though that the few Fairwaybunkers we do see are all intelligently placed for maximum strategic effect! The course is on sandy soil and therefore drains well and plays firm and fast virtually all season.

Scott/Mark:
Unfortunately I could not find vintage pictures of Hilversum. The course is indeed narrow on some holes, although not as narrow as the pictures suggest; sometimes wider landing areas are obscured by trees near the tee. It is not a wide course though. A few years ago John Daly was a regular visitor at Hilversum, but he never scored very well in the Dutch Open. Perhaps also because it was rumoured that he divided his interest between the course and the tournament and cultural distractions in Amsterdam City.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.199848,5.210009&spn=0.019122,0.038495&t=h&z=15



above an areal googlemaps link of the course for a more precise view of the routing.

I have also posted additional pics of holes 16 and 14!

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks again, Cristian

Nothing that gives a course more of a pastoral feeling and (to me eye) appealing aesthetic than those at-grade green sites.  I have to leave it to those who play these old Colt courses to tell them how they, well, PLAY....

Peter 

[Pete Lavallee]

Thanks for the great tour Christian! I love the rumpled features near the green sites. Has it been a wet spring, the course looked very green? Do you know what type of grasses they have in the fairways and on the greens? It certainly seems a wonderful Colt design.

[Cristian]

Thanks for the great tour Christian! I love the rumpled features near the green sites. Has it been a wet spring, the course looked very green? Do you know what type of grasses they have in the fairways and on the greens? It certainly seems a wonderful Colt design.

All springs are wet here...

but I think you are right; the green staff should be prudent not to overwater the course, even do it's all sandy soil. I think it has to do with the green renovations still growing in partly and therefore the course is being watered generously.

[Mike_Clayton]

Christian,

I first played here in 1980 when Seve won the  Dutch Open and we came back  several times in later for the Open.
It was always fun - not so difficult - and it seemed to me that the course would always have been better if there was a massive tree clearing program. It was such beautiful land and much of it was lost under the forest.
How would you compare it with De Pan?
One of the great trips for golf lovers is the one beginning in Paris, moving up through Belgium and into Holland. Hilversum is one of ten ot twelve courses that make for fabulous golf.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Christian a really enjoyable tour.   The first has that Heathland look but as others have said the trees define the others.  To my eye none are anything like 80 years old. What is the surrounding land, farmland or forest?

I find it’s hard to generalise about Colt. He did so much that a sense of familiarity is often there without it being a template.

For 1926 there’s a lot of grass/heather/cross bunker break ups across the fairways something I would have associated with earlier courses of his?

And would you care to elaborate on the following and where you’ve seen it before?

After the short par 4 12th (not pictured), we move on to 13. A par 5 reachable in two. 100 yds short of the green a band of rough eats into the fairway, making the preferred shot of attack on the second shot a draw, assisted by the slope of the land. A common type of invite on Colt courses.

[Sean_A]

I find it’s hard to generalise about Colt. He did so much that a sense of familiarity is often there without it being a template.

For 1926 there’s a lot of grass/heather/cross bunker break ups across the fairways something I would have associated with earlier courses of his?

Tony

I agree with you.  Colt always seems familiar, but its in how the total coruse hangs together rather than in its details.  For instance, I don't think the greens here look particularly Coltish.  Additionally, I wouldn't say that Colt didn't use centre-line rough, but it seems to be used a lot here. 

Ciao

[Cristian]

I find it’s hard to generalise about Colt. He did so much that a sense of familiarity is often there without it being a template.

For 1926 there’s a lot of grass/heather/cross bunker break ups across the fairways something I would have associated with earlier courses of his?

Tony

I agree with you.  Colt always seems familiar, but its in how the total coruse hangs together rather than in its details.  For instance, I don't think the greens here look particularly Coltish.  Additionally, I wouldn't say that Colt didn't use centre-line rough, but it seems to be used a lot here.  

Ciao

Sean, Tony, Mike, Pete(r),

Thanks for your interest in the course. Believe it or not, the course just finished a tree clearing program during the Kyle Phillips renovation, and also a lot of the undergrowth and bushes have been cut down. It is true that the course is still far from wide although on some holes there is more room than meets the eye in a picture.

'The draw invitation' as I called it came up in my pictorial on Toxandria two weeks ago (hole 11). Note that the bunker on the right is well short of the green.


Hole 14 is also an example. Also De Pan 11 comes to mind, and Haagsche 5, Haagsche 6, St George's Hill 13....

Compared to De Pan, Hilversum is probably more difficult to score on because of more length, but De Pan is superior in all other aspects, in fact it could be as good as any inland course I have ever seen, although this course needs a tree clearing program desperately as well. I know of some work which has been done there recently, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes.

Mike, you probably played the tournament routing which is in play during dutch opens: 1,2,3,13,14,15,16,17,4, (front)
5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,18 (back 9). The routing was changed to today's in the sixties to ensure a return to the clubhouse after 9 holes.

The trip you talk about would indeed be awesome; A Simpson and Colt classic gourmet tour could include, starting in Paris:

Fontainebleau(Simpson), Paris St Germain (Colt), Morfontaine (Simpson), St Cloud (Colt), Chantilly (Simpson), all in Paris area, then move to the coast and play Le Touquet (Colt), Hardelot (Simpson), then into Belgium Royal Zoute (Colt), Royal Antwerp (Simpson's only course in dutch speaking territory)Ravenstein in Brussels(Simpson), and maybe drive further east to Spa (also Simpson) then into Holland playing Eindhoven (Colt), De Pan (Colt) inland, before heading to the coast playing Kennemer and Haagsche (also Colt). And that would still leave out little gems like Toxandria Sart-Tilman etc. Indeed it could be divided into two or three trips.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Christian, for most of Colt's days players were using Hickory shafts on unirrigated fairways.  It would seem natural to me for to play a running draw on long holes. This is just speculation on my part, but you have suggested holes where the better player can get his reward for producing such a shot.


Re and ideal North European trip, it's been suggested a future BUDA Cup could be held on this basis.  We would need two clubs, geographically close who would welcome a large (say 36) group of golfers over 3 days.  Being close to an international airport would be a definite bonus.  Paris or Schipol?  Can you think of any clubs that might be interested? IM me if you think it's sensitive.

[Scott Warren]

Tony,

I had already considered that Royal Zoute and Royal Oostende would serve such a purpose well.

Eurostar train from London goes to Brugge in 3hr (or ferry from Margate in 4hr).
Brussels airport is less than an hour away for those flying in.
They are both 5-10mins drive from the seaside village of Knokke.
Brugge is 20mins from each (for nights/non-golfing partners) serviced by a direct train.

Either that or get a couple of carloads and do a Paris > Amsterdamage roadtrip, taking in the best of NE France, Belgium and Holland. I'd be keen as mustard!

[Cristian]

Thanks Christian, for most of Colt's days players were using Hickory shafts on unirrigated fairways.  It would seem natural to me for to play a running draw on long holes. This is just speculation on my part, but you have suggested holes where the better player can get his reward for producing such a shot.


Re and ideal North European trip, it's been suggested a future BUDA Cup could be held on this basis.  We would need two clubs, geographically close who would welcome a large (say 36) group of golfers over 3 days.  Being close to an international airport would be a definite bonus.  Paris or Schipol?  Can you think of any clubs that might be interested? IM me if you think it's sensitive.

Interesting point on the hickories used in Colt's days. It seems logical, unless of course if you were playing left-handed! (maybe worth another thread in its own right; do archies take left handed players into account when designing a course?) On the Buda possibilities I would say that Le Touquet, Hardelot and Spa are quite welcoming to guests, also weekends. Morfontaine and St Cloud are totally private and I doubt they would accomodate a Buda. For the other clubs it would be worthwhile writing a letter, but weekend play would probably be unlikely, especially for a large group. The best chance would be to stay away from the summer months.
 

[Mike_Clayton]

Christian

We played the Open at De Pan in 1982 and I thought the course was really good - and better than Hilversum.
The 1980 Open played this routing but after that it was changed - but I still think of the holes in the correct order - where the long three was the 6th.

[James Boon]

Believe it or not, the course just finished a tree clearing program during the Kyle Phillips renovation, and also a lot of the undergrowth and bushes have been cut down. It is true that the course is still far from wide although on some holes there is more room than meets the eye in a picture.

Cristian,

Thanks for the pictures. I've seen the course on TV when the Dutch Open has been there so its good to see some pictres of it which give a better idea of the course. I assume the undergrowth clearing you mention is why there are large sand waste areas, and that these will eventually be covered in heather as it naturally comes back?

Also, you mentioned the new 10th green with a tier, not being typical Colt? I'm not a Colt expert but I can think of several, four on the West at Wentworth alone? Tony and Sean mention it being difficult to generalise on Colt, but does anyone know if he used tiered greens much?

Cheers,

James

[Sean_A]

Believe it or not, the course just finished a tree clearing program during the Kyle Phillips renovation, and also a lot of the undergrowth and bushes have been cut down. It is true that the course is still far from wide although on some holes there is more room than meets the eye in a picture.

Cristian,

Thanks for the pictures. I've seen the course on TV when the Dutch Open has been there so its good to see some pictres of it which give a better idea of the course. I assume the undergrowth clearing you mention is why there are large sand waste areas, and that these will eventually be covered in heather as it naturally comes back?

Also, you mentioned the new 10th green with a tier, not being typical Colt? I'm not a Colt expert but I can think of several, four on the West at Wentworth alone? Tony and Sean mention it being difficult to generalise on Colt, but does anyone know if he used tiered greens much?

Cheers,

James

James

Being a member of Burnham we know there is at least one tiered green which Colt designed; # 2.  In general though I don't think of Colt as tier man, but the more I play his courses the more I find how varied and willing he was to have the odd bit curiousness as part of his work. 

Ciao   

[Cristian]

Believe it or not, the course just finished a tree clearing program during the Kyle Phillips renovation, and also a lot of the undergrowth and bushes have been cut down. It is true that the course is still far from wide although on some holes there is more room than meets the eye in a picture.

Cristian,

Thanks for the pictures. I've seen the course on TV when the Dutch Open has been there so its good to see some pictres of it which give a better idea of the course. I assume the undergrowth clearing you mention is why there are large sand waste areas, and that these will eventually be covered in heather as it naturally comes back?

Also, you mentioned the new 10th green with a tier, not being typical Colt? I'm not a Colt expert but I can think of several, four on the West at Wentworth alone? Tony and Sean mention it being difficult to generalise on Colt, but does anyone know if he used tiered greens much?

Cheers,

James

James,

I am not sure whether Colt never used tiered greens, it is just that I have come across very few at Colt courses. But as said I am not sure, as I have played mostly Colt courses on the European continent, which are for the most part not his earliest work. So perhaps I have not seen an educated average of his work. As Sean pointed out, it is very hard I think to define Colt's designs except that they are always the courses which are most fun to play for me and most holes on his courses have either some sort of bailout or a safe side and on the other hand, the design seems to tempt you to hit certain shots.

Some of the sandy patches are indeed area's where the heather had been overgrown by other scrub; I expect the heather to return in most of these area's, although some of the sand will remain visible I suspect.
 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Hooray! I've been telling people for years how much good golf there is to be found in the Low Countries. Consider staying in Antwerp, too - several really good restaurants.

Christian, You'll just have to go back to Hilversum for a picture of the 12th. It's so brilliant to get a blind approach shot in such flat country. I sem to recall the 18th drive was blind, too.
I was in Hilversum earlier in the year and went for a walk on a vast expanse of heathland - shame you would not get planning permission for a golf course nowadays.

[James Boon]

James,

I am not sure whether Colt never used tiered greens, it is just that I have come across very few at Colt courses. But as said I am not sure, as I have played mostly Colt courses on the European continent, which are for the most part not his earliest work. So perhaps I have not seen an educated average of his work. As Sean pointed out, it is very hard I think to define Colt's designs except that they are always the courses which are most fun to play for me and most holes on his courses have either some sort of bailout or a safe side and on the other hand, the design seems to tempt you to hit certain shots.

Some of the sandy patches are indeed area's where the heather had been overgrown by other scrub; I expect the heather to return in most of these area's, although some of the sand will remain visible I suspect.
 

Cristian,

I think you are probably right! Colt courses are so great and such fun to play, probably because they aren't easy to define with regards to common characteristics.

As I've some Belgian ancestory, I really should make an effort for a golfing trip to the low countries!

Cheers,

James

[Cristian]

Hooray! I've been telling people for years how much good golf there is to be found in the Low Countries. Consider staying in Antwerp, too - several really good restaurants.

Christian, You'll just have to go back to Hilversum for a picture of the 12th. It's so brilliant to get a blind approach shot in such flat country. I sem to recall the 18th drive was blind, too.
I was in Hilversum earlier in the year and went for a walk on a vast expanse of heathland - shame you would not get planning permission for a golf course nowadays.

Was that the stretch on the other side of town near Bussum (to the west of Hilversum?)

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Yes, in the triangle with Bussum in the North and Laren to the east. My friends (musicians) now live in a house in Hilversum near the Town Hall, in easy earshot of the carillon. They used to live in Bussum, in easy noseshot of the chocolate factory. Not good news!

[Tom MacWood]

According to Darwin the original nine at Hilversum was design by Abercromby, and Colt added second nine in the 20s. I'm not sure which nine is Abercomby's and which is Colt's.

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