36 - Zaanse Golf Club

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rating: 7.2

Zaanse is another decent course not too far from Amsterdam. I've played here numerous times as one of the more accessible clubs in the area with plenty of tee time availability which baffles me as some of the worser courses in the area you battle to get on.

The nice thing about Zaanse is that it offers a nice mix of parkland and inland links style golf with the first 6 holes navigating flatter ground with tree lined fairways and the typical amount of water/canals you find on a Dutch course before heading out onto a more undulating stretch of holes that eventually returns you to a finish on the parkland side for the last 3.

The first hole is quite a gentle start with nothing more than a 6 iron off the tee but leaves a tricky approach to a narrow green with a canal running down the left and reeds and more water on the right, not an easy opener and then swiftly followed by a par 3 where the wind typically blows straight across and a green that is protected by yet more water. From there it eases up a bit and then gets onto the 7th-15th holes on the linksy side of the course but still, true to Dutch form, has an abundance of water. There's just no getting away from it!

It is one of my favourite courses to play in Amsterdam because of its accessibility but it is still not cheap at about €65 a round. Having said that it has a lovely patio to sit and enjoy a post round beer and great practice facilities with a recently renovated driving range with Trackman screens which I thoroughly enjoy!