Probably better known as the recent home of the Dutch Grand Prix, the Zandvoort track has hosted the race on 34 occasions. The 2024 winner was the young English/Belgian driver for McLaren, Llando Norris. Just to the southeast of the track, another well-known attraction is nestled in the dunes set back from the beach and town, Kennemer G&CC. The course and town were badly damaged during World War II in the German effort to build and fortify the Atlantic Wall against the inevitable allied continental invasion. Well over a 100 bunkers and battlements were built throughout the course in addition to an anti-tank wall. Many remnants were buried under dunes, but a few bunkers remain to this day. One such example is just off the 3rd tee.
The original 1910 Kennemer G&CC course was abandoned for a new 1928 HS Colt design which covered a fraction of the original dune system in the area. Colt’s first design in the Netherlands included 27 holes, but only 18 were originally built (B&C nines). The A nine wasn’t built until 1985 by Frank Pennink, a well-respected architect of Netherland lineage. Pennink made only one change to the original routing, the 6
th. Over the years changes were made by D Steel & Martin Hawtree. In recent years Frank Pont has been the consulting architect.
Host to 23 Dutch Opens, Kennemer is a proud club and regained its place in major international golf in 2006 by hosting the Dutch Open after a long break. The most famous winner of the Kennemer events was none other than Seve Ballesteros. After storming onto the golfing stage with a magnificent showing at the 1976 Birkdale Open, Seve would grab his cardinal professional win at the Dutch Open three weeks later and win the European Tour Order of Merit. Sadly, this would be Seve’s only Dutch Open triumph, but he eventually won 50 European Tour events and the Order of Merit five more times. Its heartening to see Ken Brown's name on the board.
A Colt map of the Kennmer prior to the construction of the A 9.
The current map.
Kennemer scorecard. We played the B&C routing, the orginal Colt course.
Dead straight and downhill, the opener is a stern hole mitigated somewhat by a gathering green....if the approach is accurate.
The approach was blind for me; below is a closer look at the green.
Looking back to the tee.
A nasty hole short hole, the 2nd is of modest length, but the false front/firm green combo is plenty of challenge.
The hole below and in the background is the 16th on the C 9. I must say the concept of three nines is not one I have much time for. I much prefer an 18 hole course and a relief 9 holer.
More to follow.
Ciao