Also, I want to reemphasize Mark's comments about the speed controls in Holland. Make sure you are not going faster than the general traffic. If all the other vehicles are going slower than you think is "Normal" there is a reason. There are long stretches of highway where vehicle speed is monitored by your AVERAGE speed over several miles. You are marked in on one end and marked out on the other... If your travel time over that stretch of road is too short you will receive a ticket! Ingenious, really.
I wouldn't agree with these sentiments from Mark and Michael either. I don't think the Dutch love their golf difficult any more than the rest do. Noordwijkse is a tough course but keep in mind it's a links course with many raised, greens and average playing corridors. The greens are colonial bent grass and roll very fast for links courses. If you are not playing links golf all the time it's just simply more difficult than parkland or heathland golf, the wind and the elements make it all that much more challenging. On top of that there is a premium put on short game as well as long game. You have to be a great chipper and putter to play well there, there are no easy shots. Noordwijkse is not that friendly for high handicappers either unless they are straight and if you are wild left and right of the fairway you will struggle. It's a course that puts a premium on course management and playing it only a couple times is just not enough to figure it out. It's also the toughest test in the country by a long shot. That's seen by the scores from the countries best players.
The yellow tees that everyone in the BUDA played from are just not that tough. Slope is 139. If you want tough, go play Pine Valley. To me that was much harder with long carries and trees everywhere.
The rest of the Dutch courses are just not that hard which means in my opinion that Mike and Mark are only referring to Noordwijkse. Which is fine, it's tough, I warned of this. Add 10 shots to your normal score if you don't know the course and let that be your par for the day. Play smart, ie don't smash your driver off all the tees.
What people have to understand is that in general courses in continental Europe have much less "feel good" maintenance practices. In the US often not a blade of grass is out of place. You can hit it anywhere (except OB and water and still have an easy play). Often here they have to make due with less greenkeeping staff and equipment. Maintenance standards are a bit lower. On the other hand so are membership fees. In The Netherlands the membership fee for a high end private club is between 1200 - 1500 USD per year. At that rate you should understand 2 things. First of all there will be a severe budget on maintenance and secondly there will be far less complaints if the rough along the fairways is a bit "rougher".
Let's see any of the top courses in other countries survive on that kind of annual revenue and little to no greenfee players being allowed.
Manage your expectations then you can start to look at things realistically in my opinion.