Golfbaan Soestduinen (Soestduinen)

Par 27 in the Soestduinen dunes

Golfbaan Soestduinen is a nine-hole par-3 course laid out in the dune landscape of Soestduinen, in the province of Utrecht. Every hole is a par 3, which makes the loop a par of 27. Golfers on LeadingCourses rate it 7.7 out of 10 from 162 ratings. On Hole19 it holds 4.0 out of 5 across 22 ratings, and Tripadvisor shows the same 4.0 out of 5 from 10 reviews. The club runs it as a pay-and-play course, so no membership is needed to play — you bring a valid GVB or handicap card, book a tee time online, and go.

Suits: beginners playing their first real rounds on a course, improvers working on distance control and approach play, and golfers who want a focused iron session in a natural dune setting. Because every hole asks for one clean approach and a putt, your round lands on exactly the shots that bring a score down.

What a visitor gets

A round of nine is €17.50, and playing the loop twice for eighteen is €35; check golfparksoestduinen.nl for the current rates. Practice here is generous. The driving range is covered and floodlit, so you can warm up in any weather or after dark, and beside it sit a putting green, a short-game area and practice bunkers. There is a golf academy and a pro shop on site, buggy and club rental are available, and the restaurant is open after your round. Soestduinen is about 13 minutes from Utrecht by car, easy to reach for a quick nine after work.

What the par 3s reward

On a par-3 course, every score comes down to your irons and your touch around the green. There is no driver to hide behind, which is what makes this such a good place to sharpen the approach shot and the putting stroke — the part of the game I most love to teach. Arrive with a repeatable half-swing and steady tempo, and the round gives back plenty.