Golf & Country Club Capelle (Capelle aan den IJssel)

Golf that feels friendly

I teach for a living, and the first thing I look for in any course is not the score you can shoot there. It is the welcome. Do beginners feel at home? Can a junior swing without worry? At Golf & Country Club Capelle the answer is a warm yes, and that is why I like to point new golfers toward it.

A parkland course with heart

Golf & Country Club Capelle sits in Capelle aan den IJssel, in the green heart of Zuid-Holland, and it has been welcoming golfers since 1977. Almost fifty years of play have settled the course into its parkland setting — soft, tree-lined fairways, gentle water, the kind of quiet where you hear the birds between shots. It is a full 18 holes, and the design asks you to think a little without ever punishing you for learning. I call that a moderate challenge, and for most golfers that is exactly the sweet spot: enough to keep you interested, never enough to spoil your day.

What makes Capelle special for me is the practice side. The driving range is floodlit, so on a dark winter evening you can still hit balls under the lights — I love this, honestly, because so many people only find time for golf after work. There is a putting green and a proper short-game and chipping area too, so you can build every part of your game in one place. An on-site academy means lessons for all ages and levels, and there is a real junior programme, which tells you the club cares about the next generation of players. Add a restaurant, a bar and terrace to sit on after your round, buggies and trolleys to rent, and you have a place that is easy to enjoy for a whole afternoon.

Capelle is NGF-affiliated and open all year. You will want a golf card and a handicap to play here, which simply means a little preparation first — but visitors are genuinely welcome, and you can book your tee time online in a minute. A round is very fair: around €30 for nine holes and €59 for eighteen. For a course this settled and this well cared for, that is good value.

Who will love it most? Improving golfers who want a friendly, honest test. Juniors, thanks to that dedicated programme. And anyone who, like me, sometimes only gets free after sunset and blesses those range lights.

Play it better, enjoy it more

Here is a small truth from years on the tee: a good course rewards good habits, and good habits come faster than most people expect. Many golfers tell me the same story — they played the same holes for a year, then took a few lessons and suddenly saw them with new eyes. Same course, more fun, lower scores.

I am Marina Romanik, a PGA-certified instructor. I teach at Chi Chi Golf in Utrecht and at Golfschool Hoenderdaal in Driebergen, in Dutch, English, Ukrainian and Russian, and I teach every age and level — nervous beginners, curious juniors, players who just want more from their round. Wherever you play your golf, a few sharp lessons make the whole game feel lighter.

So if a place like Capelle makes you want to play more, let’s make sure you play it well. Book a lesson with me online, send me a WhatsApp, or just call. Small steps. Small steps win in golf — and I would love to help you take them.