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Sean_A

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Benelux Tour 2024: Diminutive DOMBURG GC
« on: September 17, 2024, 08:05:57 AM »


Walcheren in the province of Zeeland may seem an atypical place to commence a golf journey through Benelux, but one must travel to where the courses are. After driving past innumerable dykes, ditches and windmills, we arrived on the western edge of Walcheren which was once an island prior to poldering and dam building. The handsome town of Domburg was our destination. In the dunes just outside of town is where the sublime Domburg GC is can be found. Certainly, one of the oldest golf sites in the Netherlands, Domburg even hosted a sole Dutch Open in 1921; won by Englishman Henry Burrows. Having the won the event the previous year (at Kennemer – an earlier site for the course) and the following year (at Hilversum), Burrows was permitted to keep the cup. Many decades later the Burrows family generously donated the cup to the Netherlands Golf Federation. Incidentally, Jerseyman Aubrey Boomer also won the Dutch Open three times on the trot and he too was allowed to retain the cup. In 1926, the third year of his Dutch Open success, Boomer also captured the French Open, Belgian Open, Daily Mail Tournament held at St Andrews and Britain’s richest prize, the Glasgow Herald Tournament played at Gleneagles. Despite playing in the first two Ryder Cups in 1927 & 1929, sadly, Boomer never won the Open. His closest finish was a second-place tie behind Bobby Jones in 1927.

Aubrey Boomer


Map of the course.


It comes as quite a shock to come upon a rumbling links site after experiencing so much flat countryside, but its a welcome shock. Domburg isn't a long course, but it does demand accuracy...perhaps too much so.  I am told Domburg it is the only links in Netherlands with a view of the sea! The opener.


Playing into a stiff breeze, the 1st played surprisingly long.




Behind the green. Domburg retains a bit of its history with visible loose sand here and there.


Although less inviting from the tee, the 2nd plays similar to the 1st in that it is a down and up hole.


Walcheren’s strategic situation made the deep sea port of Antwerp possible. The area was heavily bombed by the RAF to create a flood in preparation for the Battle of Walcheren during October 1944. This action was controversial given the hardship the population would incur with infrastucture and agricultural damage with two daily tides creating havoc. The last repair to the dyke system wasn't completed until a year later and it was some additional months before the then island was drained. There are countless craters dotted about the property and I suspect some are used as bunkers or hollows. 


There is more space on the plateau than it appears from the fairway.


Alan Rijks, a well established Dutch architect, worked on the course at some point in recent history. I don't know what he did, but I get the distinct impression the greens are modern. My guess is Rijks did some serious renovation work on the greens. The short 3rd...another fine hole adding to Domburg's great start.


Behind the green.


More to follow.

Ciao
« Last Edit: October 06, 2024, 07:01:47 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2024:Winterfield & Alnmouth,

Enno Gerdes

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Re: Tour of Benelux: Dimunitive DOMBURG GC 1-3
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2024, 05:23:57 AM »
Sean
I think you are correct that the greens are modern. From what I understand, they were built in the late 90’s or early 00’s. The course was too short to qualify for the Dutch association’s “A status”, so they built new greens, primarily behind the existing ones. They also built the new greens based on sand (matching the rest of the course), wheras the old greens were not sand-based.




Sean_A

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Re: Tour of Benelux: Dimunitive DOMBURG GC 1-3
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2024, 03:22:11 AM »
Sean
I think you are correct that the greens are modern. From what I understand, they were built in the late 90’s or early 00’s. The course was too short to qualify for the Dutch association’s “A status”, so they built new greens, primarily behind the existing ones. They also built the new greens based on sand (matching the rest of the course), wheras the old greens were not sand-based.

Thanks Enno.

Do you know the story about the fairways. Some are not very links…seems like some new grass was planted.

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024:Winterfield & Alnmouth,

Enno Gerdes

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Tour of Benelux: Dimunitive DOMBURG GC 1-3
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2024, 04:02:40 AM »
Sean
I think you are correct that the greens are modern. From what I understand, they were built in the late 90’s or early 00’s. The course was too short to qualify for the Dutch association’s “A status”, so they built new greens, primarily behind the existing ones. They also built the new greens based on sand (matching the rest of the course), wheras the old greens were not sand-based.

Thanks Enno.

Do you know the story about the fairways. Some are not very links…seems like some new grass was planted.

Ciao


Sorry, Sean, no idea.




Sean_A

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Re: Benelux Tour 2024: Diminutive DOMBURG GC 1-3
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2024, 02:33:41 PM »
Thanks Enno

Domburg Tour Cont

Its perhaps a bit surprising that there are two par 5s at Domburg and they share a fairway going in either direction.  The 4th is in the neighbourhood of 550 yards...so no pushover. I found the small hollow shy of the raised green the best feature of the hole.


The course continually narrows until reaching the short 5th which plays to a raised green from a high tee....another good par 3.




There is no space for a tee so we must walk well forward for the 6th. A better hole than the 4th, there is a large swath of rough country splitting the two fairways after the drive. Its easy to make the mistake of playing too safely left off the tee then being forced to cope with the rough for the second.  I wonder what prompted the decision to cut a swath of light rough up the left of harsh growth near the green?


There is no avoiding the impact of many hollows.


More to follow.

Ciao
« Last Edit: September 28, 2024, 07:09:15 AM by Sean_A »
New plays planned for 2024:Winterfield & Alnmouth,

Tony_Muldoon

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Re: Tour of Benelux: Dimunitive DOMBURG GC 1-3
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2024, 06:08:48 AM »
Sean
I think you are correct that the greens are modern. From what I understand, they were built in the late 90’s or early 00’s. The course was too short to qualify for the Dutch association’s “A status”, so they built new greens, primarily behind the existing ones. They also built the new greens based on sand (matching the rest of the course), wheras the old greens were not sand-based.


Enno this makes perfect sense.  What Sean hasn't said (yet) is that the biggest mark against the course is how narrow it is in the wind. If the course was shorter it would be better proportioned, but I've heard they can't push the fairways out for environmental reasons. The new greens are postioned very well and a really good set.

What a surprise this course was, its the real deal and I'd be happy to return. 
Nice tour as ever.
« Last Edit: September 26, 2024, 06:10:27 AM by Tony_Muldoon »
Let's make GCA grate again!

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Benelux Tour 2024: Diminutive DOMBURG GC 1-6
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2024, 07:01:34 AM »
Domburg Tour Cont

The 7th is a short 4 which turns right around water.  Due to the sloping nature of the land, the fairway plays less wide than its width, which isn't generous. Below is the approach.


The short 8th plays over water to a raised green. To my eye this hole doesn't fit the design and I didn't much care for it. Another short two-shotter, the 9th sort of button hooks at the end making the drive fairly awkward for those looking to reach the green or get close.  We attempted to play the upper left tee to accentuate the dogleg, but it was completely blind due to overgrowth. I am not sure why the club thinks this enhances the hole, but it doesn't. We then retreated to a lower tee.


From here it is easy to see why hitting the green from the tee is not a simple task. 


Looking back to the tee.


I must admit to being surprised at the quality of Domburg, although, the narrow fairways and funky grass on the fairways are not ideal. It is often the case that greens for 9 holers are not overly interesting. This is certainly not the case for Domburg. Additionally, they were in good nick. Domburg is a simple affair done well. The town too was a revelation...handsome and welcoming. Domburg worked perfectly for us a travel day game....I have a lot of time for the course and town. 1*  2024

Other courses on the Benelux Tour

Eindhoven
de Pan
Hilversum
Kennemer
Ostend

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024:Winterfield & Alnmouth,

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