Golfcentrum De Batouwe (Zoelen)

Orchard holes in the Betuwe

Golfcentrum De Batouwe sits in Zoelen, in the middle of the Betuwe fruit region, and the orchards are part of the golf. From the club’s own description, old fruit trees and tree groups run through the course, with about 6 metres of gentle elevation change — enough to shape a hole, not enough to tire you. It is a parkland course, designed by Alan Rijks, and it carries an A-status rating.

The layout is generous: 27 holes in three nine-hole loops — Perengaard, Appelgaard and Kersengaard — with par 71 and a length of 4,402 metres. Golfers seem to enjoy it. On LeadingCourses it holds 7.9 out of 10 from 630 ratings, and on Hole19 it scores 4.3 out of 5 from 152 ratings (checked 26 September 2026). Those are warm numbers for a course this size.

There is a fourth loop, the Pruimengaard, a short par 3/4 course of 9 holes. This is where beginners feel at home. For the main 27 holes you need a GVB or a handicap up to 54, but for the Pruimengaard a simple baanpermissie is enough — a real first step onto grass without pressure.

Suits: newer golfers first, thanks to that short course and the practice ground; then club and social players who want three different nines to mix. Visitors are welcome and can book a tee time online. A nine-hole round is €44, eighteen holes €72.

Practice you can trust

The practice side is strong here. The club lists a covered, floodlit driving range — so rain and dark evenings never cancel your session — plus a putting green, a short-game area and practice bunkers. There is a golf academy, a pro shop, and a restaurant with a terrace for after your round. The course and range are open all year, from sunrise.

Confidence before the round

De Batouwe rewards steady, repeatable golf over raw power — three different nines mean you meet many kinds of shot, and the short Pruimengaard is a lovely place to build a swing you can trust. Getting the short game reliable before you play here is exactly the work I most enjoy teaching.