Success

• 750 private and corporate memberships were sold by the time the golf course opened in May 2011, with individual joining fees of €43,000 and membership fees of between €2,500 and €250,000 per year.
• The quality of the course was such that The Dutch was selected as the Netherland’s Candidate Venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
• The course has already been selected to host The Dutch Open on the European Tour from 2016 to 2018.

The Brief

• Client required a premium private members golf course capable of holding major professional tournaments.
• The golf course should be designed in such a way as to attract very high value individual & corporate memberships.

The Challenge

• The flat, uninspiring site was several metres below sea level with a silt/clay soil overlying a deeper layer of peat.
• The gound conditions exhibited poor weight-bearing capacity and inadequate surface and sub-surface drainage.
• Sales of memberships coincided with the worst economic conditions in generations.

The Solutions

• New technology for golf was used to combat settlement. A very light foundation of air-filled concrete was installed under green complexes while polystyrene blocks were incorporated within mounds to reduce soil weight and restrict sinkage.
• Soils were imported to raise low-lying ground levels and to provide material for shaping and creating visual interest.
• Ground fill elevations were accentuated by an additional 50% to allow for settlement of fill material.
• Colin Montgomerie was appointed to assist with the design and his visits to the course were planned to coincide with key marketing events, increasing speed and volume of sales to targeted clients.
• Golf course design established an immediate ‘wow’ factor to define the project’s unique character and encourage membership interest.

Status

The course opened for play in May 2011.

Course Stats

• Designed in association with: Colin Montgomerie
• Client: Made in Scotland
• Course: 18 Holes
• Length: 6518 metres, Par: 71

Contact Details

The Dutch
Haarweg 3
4212 KJ – Spijk
The Netherlands
W: www.thedutch.nl