Amsterdam & Dutch Links

Harry Colt's 1928 routing through the Zandvoort dunes — the closest thing to a true links you'll find on the continent, and a regular Dutch Open host. The original A and B nines are the must-play loops; the newer C nine is fine but doesn't have the same teeth. The thatched-roof clubhouse looks like a Hobbit lodge and is worth the visit on its own.

Tighter and more dramatic than Kennemer, with dune corridors that genuinely intimidate off the tee. The current routing is a Colt/Alison design from 1938, rebuilt after the war flattened the original. Bring your wind game — exposed elevation changes mean every club selection is a guess.

The inland heathland counterpunch to the coastal links — heather, pine, and silver birch on sandy soil about 30 minutes southeast of Amsterdam. Founded in 1910 with later Colt input, and it plays nothing like the dune courses, which is exactly the point. Don't treat it as a filler round.

Out east near the Veluwe forest — 45 holes of heathland and forest golf on the sandiest inland ground in the country. The North Course is the championship loop and has hosted the KLM Open. Worth the drive if you're staying multiple nights and want a different look from the coast.

The third member of the Dutch dune triumvirate, sitting between Kennemer and Haagsche on the coast. Frank Pennink design from the 1970s with a front nine through pine forest and a back nine that breaks out into the dunes — when the wind gets up on the back, it's as good as anything around. Often easier to get on than the other two.

Colin Montgomerie and Bruce Weller design from 2014 — modern, manicured, target-style golf an hour southeast of Amsterdam. Hosted the KLM Open multiple times and is the one course on this list with proper resort-level access and a guaranteed tee time without a member connection. Not links, not heathland — but a fine break round.

Closest serious club to the city — about 20 minutes from central Amsterdam on polder land near Schiphol. It's flat, tree-lined parkland with water in play, and won't blow you away after the dune courses. But for a half-day round when you've got a flight or a city night, it does the job.

Canal-side boutique in a converted 17th-century building on the Keizersgracht — the address most well-traveled people pick when they're in town and don't want a chain. Quiet courtyard, serious breakfast, and you can walk to dinner in the Nine Streets. Splurge tier.

Twenty-five canal houses stitched together into one hotel along the Prinsengracht — quirky, characterful rooms (no two alike) and the best location in the city for walking. The bar is a legitimate destination on its own. Splurge but worth it for a golf-and-city trip.

Reliable, design-forward, mid-priced on the Herengracht — the sweet spot if you want canal-side without spending Dylan money. Lobby restaurant is actually good, and groups can usually get connecting rooms. Easy yes for a 4-6 guy crew.

Big rooms in a Jugendstil landmark near Centraal Station — useful if you're training out to Haarlem and the coast every morning. Less boutique character than the canal houses, but you get space and convenience. Solid mid-tier base for a golf-heavy itinerary.

A genuine country estate hotel ten minutes from Kennemer in the dunes north of Haarlem — the right call if you want to base yourself near the golf instead of commuting from Amsterdam. Quiet, formal, and you can walk to the beach. Pair with two or three Amsterdam nights at the end.

For a group of 4-8, a whole-house canal rental in the Jordaan beats stacking hotel rooms — narrow stairs and all. Look for places with a roof terrace and you've got a clubhouse for the trip. Search Vrbo or Airbnb a few months out for the central addresses.

Multi-course chef's menu that rotates themes every few months — could be 'beef,' could be 'land vs sea.' Lively room, good wine list, the kind of place where a golf group settles in for three hours and nobody checks their phone. Book a week ahead.

Restaurant inside a glasshouse that still grows its own vegetables — set menu, hyper-seasonal, walks the line between special-occasion dinner and impressive lunch. A bit out of the center (Frankendael Park) but worth the tram ride. Skip if your group is meat-and-potatoes only.

Tiny, no-fuss French bistro in the Jordaan with no menu — you eat what they're cooking that night. The kind of place locals try to gatekeep. Reserve, sit at the bar if you can, and let them pour you something.

Order the steak with their pan sauce and a Heineken. That's the meal. Multiple locations around the city, the Johannes Vermeerstraat original is the right one. Loud, fast, exactly what you want after 36 holes in the wind.

One of the oldest restaurants in the city, in a leaning 1614 building near Centraal Station. Classic Dutch fine dining — lamb from Texel, fish from the North Sea — in a setting that feels like a Vermeer. Splurge meal, jacket-encouraged, save it for the last night.

Tourist-adjacent but locals still go — homestyle Dutch food (stamppot, meatballs, hutspot) served on mismatched plates with photos of customers' moms on the walls. Order the proeverij if you want to try four classic Dutch dishes at once. Easy lunch or low-key dinner.

Across the IJ harbor in Amsterdam Noord — take the free ferry behind Centraal Station, walk five minutes, eat on a beach made out of shipping containers. Casual food, great late-afternoon hang for a non-golf day. The ferry ride alone is worth doing once.

Dinner by candlelight — literally hundreds of them — in a 15th-century weigh house on Nieuwmarkt. The food is solid European brasserie, but you're really paying for the room. Good first-night dinner to set the tone.

Big grand café on the Amstel with a waterfront terrace that's the best in the center on a sunny afternoon. Coffee, beer, club sandwich — not destination food, but the destination is the terrace. Park here between activities.

If one guy in the group wants pannenkoeken, erwtensoep, and the full Dutch tavern experience without leaving the center, send him here. Touristy, yes, but the food is honest and the building (linked townhouses from the 1500s) is the real thing.