GOLF released its latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World (2025-26), and while Pine Valley again took the top spot, there were three newcomers and two returnees to the ranking. Here, we’ll introduce you to them.
The Netherlands rarely comes up first when golfers daydream about must-visit destinations. But the country is quietly loaded with great designs, including several by Golden Age masters. One of them — Utrecht de Pan — has returned to GOLF Magazine’s World Top 100 list, a worthwhile reminder of just how rich Dutch golf really is.
Set on sandy soil and tucked deep in a forest, De Pan is a heathlands course with a look, feel and playability that echo Harry Colt’s more famous work around London. The experience begins with a long, winding drive through the trees to a quintessential thatched-roof clubhouse. Beyond it, the course unfolds as a walk in a sylvan park, its holes meandering from grove to grove beneath tall pines.
Colt used the land to full advantage, creating a routing dotted with blind shots — sometimes more than one on the same hole. Word is Tom Doak borrowed inspiration from De Pan’s 6th when designing what has become the signature 8th at the new Pinehurst No. 10: a blind tee shot followed by a blind approach, which add to the sense of excitement and surprise.
In an era defined by wide fairways and aggressive tree-removal campaigns, De Pan is a throwback: shorter, tighter off the tee, yet no less demanding than the brawnier modern layouts that dominate rankings.
Its return to the World Top 100 underscores a truth long appreciated by those in the know: some of Europe’s finest golf is found in the Netherlands. A loop of De Pan, Royal Hague, Kennemer and Eindhoven won’t come with tour buses of Americans — just the quiet satisfaction of discovering world-class, underrated golf.
Pete Phipps is a course rater for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com.
