Royal Antwerp Golf Club

Royal Antwerp Golf Club was founded in 1888 and is not surprisingly the oldest golf club in Belgium. Located just north of Antwerp, the club is set over gently sloping heathland terrain covered in native ground brush and towering pine trees. The club is now home to the 18-hole Tom Simpson course and the nine-hole Dormy House course, each designed originally by Willie Park Jr. in 1912. The club later commissioned Simpson to do renovations in 1930, and the course has been regarded as one of Continental Europe’s great classic courses ever since. Royal Antwerp’s challenge comes in the form of well-guarded fairways lined by heathland and pine trees, often with sets of bunkers shrinking landing areas. The greens at Royal Antwerp are small with subtle breaks but challenge players by forcing precise iron play with tight landing areas. The rolling heathland terrain of Royal Antwerp can easily be mistaken for the best courses in West London, often drawing comparisons to Sunningdale and Wentworth.