Golfclub de Semslanden (Sellingen)

Golf should feel like a warm welcome

Some clubs make you feel small the moment you arrive. I don’t like those. The golf I love is the kind where a stranger waves you onto the tee and the person behind the bar remembers your name. That is the golf I teach, and it is the golf I look for when I visit a course.

A friendly club in the northern countryside

Golfclub de Semslanden, known to many golfers as Sellingerbeetse, sits in the calm green countryside of the north, near Sellingen in Groningen. It is an 18-hole parkland course — that means gentle, tree-lined holes rather than wild dunes, so the walk feels natural and the round feels kind to your nerves.

A highlight is the whole set-up, not just the holes. There is a driving range to warm up, a putting green to find your feel, and a golf academy right on site. When a club puts learning at the center like this, you can feel it in the atmosphere. Beginners are not an afterthought here; they are welcome.

For families this is a real find. There is a short course to build confidence, plus a junior program for young players. I have taught many children, and I promise you — a short course is where a nervous eight-year-old turns into a proud little golfer. Small steps. Small steps win in golf.

After your round, the clubhouse is waiting: a restaurant, a bar, and a terrace where you can sit with a drink and watch the last groups come in. Honestly, this part of the day is underrated. Some of the best golf talk happens on a terrace, not on the tee. The course is also wheelchair accessible, which tells you the club thinks about every guest who wants to play.

To play here you will need a handicap (GVB), and visitors are asked to bring an introduction or show they can play safely. That is normal for a course of this quality, and you can book your tee time online, so planning a visit is simple.

Best for: beginners who want a gentle place to start, juniors and families, and any golfer who prefers a quiet, natural setting over a crowded, busy resort.

Play it well, enjoy it more

A beautiful course is even more fun when your swing feels steady. Many golfers tell me the same thing after a few lessons — the round finally feels calm, not stressful, and they start to look forward to the tricky holes instead of fearing them. That calm comes from a few simple basics: grip, balance, and a short game you can trust.

I am Marina Romanik, a PGA-certified instructor, and I teach all ages and levels in Dutch, English, Ukrainian and Russian. I do not teach permanently at Sellingerbeetse, but wherever you play, a handful of good lessons sharpens your game and your confidence.

So book a lesson with me, then go and enjoy every hole at de Semslanden. You will play better, laugh more, and remember why you fell in love with golf in the first place. Come and let me help you — I would love to.