Eindhovensche Golf… the only club in The Netherlands without Club after its name. A curious characteristic, but one that traces back to the origins of the club itself. The golf course at Eindhoven was the brainchild of none other than husband wife; Anton & Anna Philips, who upon locating their light-bulb headquarters in this industrial heartland, were inspired to develop recreational activities to lure their prospective employees to the southern parts of the country.
Hockey and Tennis were of course part of the plan, but why not build a golf course as well, and therefore it would seem only sensible to bring in the world famous Harry Shapland Colt to design it who in 1930 was at the absolute peak of his powers when the course was opened for play.
A craft that he honed on many decades on some of England’s finest, his work in The Netherlands is courageous and daring. This is strategic design with character and flair, which sympathetically incorporates the slopes and movement of the land into its holes.
The sprawling course weaves its way through the now dense forest on the outskirts of the city, on firm sandy soil, rich in heather, where the two clockwise 9 hole routings lead you back each time under the watchful gaze of the quintessential thatched Dutch clubhouse. But despite being host to 7 mens and 4 womens Dutch Opens and hosting Dutch Amateur annually to this day, the club have always resisted temptation to stray too far from Colt’s original intent. All 18 original Colt greens remain intact. Each, beautifully arranged and naturally sited, they follow the flow of the land.
And whilst Eindhoven can certainly stretch itself out when it’s required to challenge the elite players, the course is eminently playable from the members tees, and when doing so the emphasis on strategic design is brought into sharp focus
Colt was famous for designing his par 3’s first when routing a course, and as such it’s no surprise that these are some of the most iconic holes amongst his repertoire where he had the pick of the land. The New at Sunningdale emphasises this, a product of needing to work with intricate or awkward parts of the land that might be too difficult to incorporate into a longer 2 or 3 shot hole within the routing.
Instead, at Eindhoven Colt was blessed with an enormous footprint from which to paint his canvas, and whilst the short holes, particularly the drop-shot 8th and the sumptuous 11th are quite the spectacle… it is the longer holes that really shine. At every tee box the next chapter unfolds as you are presented with a different landscape, asking the player to think carefully about their tee shot and often demanding something creative if you want to score well.
The second hole is majestic short par 4, with a saddle of heather in the centre of the fairway requiring you to think about your approach shot and playing for position into the green perched behind two bunkers. Wicked contours create endless variety and multiple pin placements which change the hole dramatically on any given day, and as you walk down the fairway you can catch a glimpse of an old Dutch manor house which played host to German infantry in the second world war.
Gentle reminders from World War Two are frequent throughout the course. In 1944 a Canadian owned Lancaster Bomber – on its way back from a bombardment in Leipzig – was shot down by German fighter craft. The Lancaster crashed between the 14th green and the 17th tee, and the entire crew of 7 men were killed in action. In the same year, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery flew into Eindhoven on his Miles Messenger to play a game with Ryder Cup legend Dai Rees, and King George V also visited The Netherlands to pay the British troops a surprise visit, yet still found time to squeeze a quick game in at Eindhoven with the light-bulb magnate and founder – Anton Philips. Plaques to commemorate these juxtaposed wartime events were unveiled in 2020 marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands.
The 5th hole has bunkers staged at varying distances creating a narrow schute to place your drive on the extreme right if you want to shorten your approach to the volcano green perched above which feeds severely from front to back. The 7th hole demands an aggressive drive up the extreme right to set yourself up for a regulation par, and the 14th, with its vast expanse of land on the left might just distract you enough from noticing the subtle land movement which will repel your drive unless you find the right part of the fairway to open up the green tucked away, only a stones throw from where that Lancaster Bomber crashed all those years ago.
In recent years, the club have undergone significant tree removal work to widen the playing corridors, as well as regenerating the heather. Not only opening the course to better airflow and light and creating more visual intrigue, but also opening up new lines into the greens and restoring Colts original strategic intent. Its a course that flows, harmonious and tranquil. You might be in the countries industrial capital, but you feel like you’re a world away as the sound of a well struck drive reverberates off the pine trees.
This is not ‘just a golf club’ – it is a club where the golf is centre stage without question – but its a constant hub of sports and games of all sorts. The lake was and still is a popular hangout, its easy to imagine the scene in the 1930’s where people swam in the summertime, and skated in the winter months, and still to this day, the club hosts the Eindhoven curling championships… when there is enough ice! The old thatched bath house remains intact, designed by the same clubhouse architect along with all the course furniture which all tie in together beautifully creating a consistent aesthetic! A 5-hole short course, bespoke childrens clubhouse and the simply unimaginable performance centre which has every resource you could desire – the product of a generous member who wanted to do more to nurture talented and younger golfers from The Netherlands – all speak to the strong community aspect of the club.
The facilities are remarkable and far too many to mention, but the members no doubt know how fortunate they are.
The terrace has its own unique heartbeat, one of the almighty spots in Dutch golf, with the sun glistening off the water with panoramic views of the course you sit there contemplating a quick loop round the par 3 course, or possibly another drink or two! Yes, the members at Eindhoven are very lucky indeed!
