Golf & Country Club Capelle (Capelle aan den IJssel)

Par 69 by Donald Harradine

Golf & Country Club Capelle sits in Capelle aan den IJssel, and it has been part of Dutch golf since 1977. The Swiss architect Donald Harradine laid out these 18 holes as parkland — a course that winds between trees and water rather than open dunes. Par is 69, a touch under the usual 72, which tells you this is a round about placing the ball well, not only hitting it far.

Golfers on LeadingCourses give it 7.9 out of 10 from 221 ratings — a warm, steady score for a club this size. On Hole19 it holds 4.3 out of 5 across 65 ratings, so the good word carries across more than one place.

Suits juniors especially well: there is a dedicated junior programme, so children have a real path into the game here. Beginners building their first handicap are welcome too, and so are social and club golfers who enjoy a well-kept parkland round.

What a visitor needs

You will need a golf handicap — a GVB card or the same — because the club asks for one before you go out on the course. Visitors are welcome and you book your tee time online, at any time of year, since the course stays open through all seasons. A green fee is €65 for eighteen holes and €30.50 for nine.

For practice there is plenty. A covered, floodlit driving range means you can hit balls on a dark winter evening after work. Add a putting green, a short-game and chipping area, and a golf academy on site, and you can work on every part of your game in one visit.

A game of placement

Par 69 rewards the golfer who thinks — who picks the right club off the tee and leaves the ball in the right spot, instead of reaching for distance every time. That is my favourite kind of golf to teach, because placement is a skill you carry to every course you ever play. A little short-game sharpening before a round here goes a long way.