GOLF published its latest ranking of Top 100 courses in the world (2025-26)and while Pine Valley again took the top spot, there were three newcomers and two returners in the rankings. Here, we will introduce you to them.
The Netherlands rarely comes first when golfers dream of must-visit destinations. But the place is quietly loaded with great designs, including some of the Masters of the Golden Age. One of them – Utrecht de Pan – has returned to GOLF Magazine’s World Top 100 list, a valuable reminder of how rich Dutch golf really is.
Set on sandy soil and nestled deep in a forest, De Pan is a dryland course with a look, feel and play that echoes Harry Colt’s most famous work in London. The experience begins with a long, winding drive through the trees to an important thatched-roof club. Beyond it, the course unfolds like a walk in a sylvan park, its holes meandering from grove to grove under towering pines.
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Colt used the terrain to full advantage, creating a fairway filled with blind shots — sometimes more than one on the same hole. The word is Tom Doak borrowing inspiration from De Pan’s 6 when designing what has become the signature 8 at Pinehurst’s new No. 10: a blind tip shot followed by a blind approach, which adds to the sense of excitement and surprise.
In an era defined by wide roads and aggressive tree-removal campaigns, De Pan is a throwback: shorter, narrower, but no less demanding than the sturdier modern structures that dominate the rankings.
Its return to the Top 100 underscores a truth long appreciated by those in the know: some of Europe’s best golf is found in the Netherlands. A set of De Pan, Royal Hague, Kennemer and Eindhoven won’t come with the tour buses of Americans – just the quiet pleasure of discovering world-class, underrated golf.
Pete Phipps ia course reviewer for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com.
