Royal Golf Club of Belgium - Ravenstein

About the club

Designed by Seymour Dunn in 1905, this historic course was laid out on a property then owned by Belgian King Leopold II, which he christened the Royal Club of Belgium. The King requested that conifers like those in his nearby arboretum be planted, so this rolling course occupies a magnificent woodland setting where oak, birch, blue cedar, elm and willow trees line every hole. Fairways are generously wide for relatively stress-free tee shots. The real challenges come with approach shots to greens that, though not quite undulating, can still be very hard to read. Tom Simpson oversaw modifications before World War II, and Martin Hawtree lengthened some holes by extending the greens further into the woods. All players will enjoy this course, which is always in good condition, as they will a superb lunch in the historic clubhouse, which was once Ravenstein's Manor Farm of Ravenstein and dates back to 1460.