De Utrechtse (Houten)

Nine holes by a castle

De Utrechtse — for many years the Nieuwegeinse Golfclub — is a parkland course at Houten, in the province of Utrecht, and it goes back to 1986. From the club’s own description, it is nine holes, par 70, over 2,510 metres, with a sunny terrace that looks straight out over Kasteel Heemstede and the 9th green. It is a seven-minute drive from Utrecht. Golfers on LeadingCourses give it 7.3 out of 10 from 409 ratings.

This is a members’ course, but it carries real support for players who are still growing. There is a separate short course to build confidence hole by hole, an on-site academy, a ladies’ programme and room for groups and company days. So it suits golfers developing their game and anyone who likes a proper club with a warm community — with handicap-holding visitors welcome too.

Playing here as a guest

De Utrechtse is a members’ club, and a valid handicap — a Dutch GVB card or international equivalent — is needed to play. Visitors who hold one are welcome: you book a tee time online in advance. The green fee is €42 for 9 holes and €70 for 18, and the course is open year-round.

For practice there is a covered, floodlit driving range, a putting green, a short-game area with practice bunkers and the academy — plenty to warm up on whatever the weather, which I love, because golf should not have a season.

What nine holes reward

A tidy parkland nine like this one rewards control far more than raw power — the shorter the course, the more every approach has to land where you mean it. Before a round here, the part I most enjoy teaching is exactly that: one reliable iron and a clean, confident chip. Get those two shots steady and a par-70 like De Utrechtse starts giving back scores.