Royal Golf Club Du Hainaut

About the club

Tom Simpson was a very active and highly regarded designer in the 1930s. His course here works through heath-land similar to what he would then have found outside London. Heather and pine abound, and the sandy soil is playable all year round. Simpson's bunkers, banked high and contoured unevenly, were formidable tests, and though they were modified because they were expensive to maintain, still reward accuracy, whether off the tee or through the green. The course, at 6235 meters off the back tees, features quite narrow fairways. It is a course that balances risks and rewards: greater care off the tee makes the second that much longer and harder. Greens are undulating and very fast, again reward accuracy. The Hainaut has a distinctly "British" flavor; the clubhouse abounds in Old World charm, and the pro shop just happens to feature the best club-maker in Belgium.