Utrechtse Golfclub 'de Pan

Established in 1894, De Pan is the second oldest continuously operating private club in the Netherlands and its most selective, counting Dutch royalty among its membership. Located in a hilly region near Utrecht, this inland links-type layout features pine and birch trees, heather and sandy soil. Harry S. Colt's design makes the most of dune-like mounds so that each of the holes is unique. A poorly executed refurbishment in the late 1990s did much to efface Colt's work, particularly his bunkers, but the situation has been remedied thanks to Colt acolyte Frank Pont, who is involved in an ambitious project to restore all eight of the pioneering architect's designs in the country. As one expects with Colt, the short holes are the heart of the layout; unlike contemporary courses that sprawl over 6500 meters and more, De Pan recalls a time when golf was more a game of strategy than of brute force.