How this Dutch gem made it into our Top 100 rankings of the world

GOLF has released its latest ranking of the world’s top 100 courses (2025-26), and while Pine Valley once again occupies the top spot, there are three newcomers and two returners on the list. Here we will introduce them to you.

When golfers dream of must-visit destinations, the Netherlands rarely comes first. But the country is quietly filled with great design, including some by Golden Age masters. One of them – Utrecht de Pan – has returned to Golf Magazine’s World Top 100 list, which is a worthy reminder of just how rich Dutch golf really is.

Set on sandy soil and hidden deep in the forest, De Pan is a heather course whose look, feel and playability echoes Harry Colt’s more famous work in London. The experience begins with a long, winding drive through the woods to the typical thatched-roof clubhouse. Otherwise, the course is like a walk in a forest park, with holes winding from grove to grove under tall pines.

Colt took full advantage of the land, creating a course filled with blind shots – sometimes more than one on the same hole. Tom Doak is rumored to have taken inspiration from De Pan’s No. 6 for the signature No. 8 hole at the new Pinewood 10 course: a blind tee shot followed by a blind approach, which adds to the sense of excitement and surprise.

In an era characterized by wide fairways and aggressive tree-clearing campaigns, the De Pain course is a throwback: shorter, tighter off the tee, but no less demanding than the more powerful modern layouts that dominate the rankings.

Its return to the world’s top 100 highlights a fact long appreciated by those in the know: some of the best golf courses in Europe are in the Netherlands. The loop of De Pain, Royal Hague, Kennemer and Eindhoven won’t carry American tour buses – just the quiet satisfaction of discovering world-class, underrated golf courses.

Pete PhippsCourse grader for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com.