Kennemer golf guide: Harry Colt's dunes near Amsterdam
A classic 1928 Harry Colt duneland links on the Zandvoort coast, longtime host of the Dutch Open and home to a landmark thatched clubhouse — 27 holes a short hop from Amsterdam. The course, visitor access, season and getting there.
The Netherlands isn't the first place golfers think of for a links trip — but it should be on the list, and Kennemer is why. Laid out among the dunes near Zandvoort by the great English architect Harry Colt in 1927, and opened in 1928, it's genuine British-style duneland links golf a short hop from Amsterdam, with a landmark thatched-roof clubhouse and a Dutch Open history stretching back decades.
It's a members' club that welcomes visitors on sensible terms. Here's the course, how the 27 holes fit together, how to play it as a visitor, the season, and how to get there from Amsterdam.
Where
Zandvoort, North Holland — in the coastal dunes near Haarlem, west of Amsterdam
Course
27 holes (Van Hengel, Pennink & Colt nines); the original 18 by Harry Colt, 1927–28
Nearest airport
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) ~30–40 min; train from Amsterdam to Zandvoort
Best time
Coastal season roughly Apr–Oct; wind a constant factor
Access
Members' club; green-fee visitors welcome with a handicap certificate (not Sundays for small groups)
Championship pedigree
Host of the Dutch Open / KLM Open 20-plus times; returns in 2027
Harry Colt (1927 original); third nine by Frank Pennink (1985) · 1928 · 27 (three nines) holes · Duneland links · par 72 (18-hole combinations)
The Netherlands' premier links; Dutch Open host 20-plus times, returning in 2027
Kennemer is a classic Harry Colt duneland links — undulating fairways among the dunes, gorse and heather, occasional pines, and the wind off the North Sea as the ever-present defence. It now runs to 27 holes in three nine-hole loops: the two original Colt nines (Van Hengel and Colt) plus a third (Pennink) added by Frank Pennink in 1985, which combine into full 18-hole rounds. It's the oldest 27-hole course in the Netherlands and home to the country's oldest surviving golf clubhouse — the much-photographed thatched-roof landmark that overlooks the course.
It has hosted the Dutch Open (latterly the KLM Open) more than twenty times, with a champions' list that includes Seve Ballesteros (1976), José María Olazábal (1989), Joost Luiten (2013) and Paul Casey (2014). The KLM Open is scheduled to return here in 2027.
How to play Kennemer (visitor access)
Kennemer is a members' club that genuinely welcomes green-fee visitors, on sensible conditions. You'll need to show a valid club membership card (from an NGF-recognised or foreign club) and a handicap certificate — the club sets a maximum handicap for visitor play (broadly around 24). Small groups can play most days except Sundays, booked through the caddiemaster, with larger groups arranged via the club office; there's a cap on visits per year, so it's a play-it-when-you-can rather than a regular haunt for non-members. Book direct and reserve ahead, especially in summer.
When to go
Kennemer's season runs roughly April to October. As a coastal dunes links it's exposed, so wind is a near-constant factor and the weather can turn — pack a waterproof and a wind layer whatever the forecast. May to September gives the longest days and the best odds of dry, firm links conditions; late spring and early autumn are quieter.
Getting there
Kennemer is remarkably easy to reach for a links of this quality. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is only about 30–40 minutes away by car, and there's a direct train from Amsterdam to Zandvoort (the same line that serves the beach and the Formula 1 circuit), with the club a short ride from the station. The handsome city of Haarlem is right next door and makes an excellent base for food and lodging.
How to play it (a Dutch golf trip)
Kennemer is the anchor of any Dutch golf trip, and it pairs naturally with the country's other quality courses: Noordwijkse, another fine dunes links down the coast; Hilversumsche, a classic heathland former Dutch Open host inland; and the modern championship venues Bernardus Golf (which hosts today's Dutch Open) and The Dutch. Base in Amsterdam or Haarlem and you can string several together in a long weekend. For the wider picture, see our best golf-trip destinations guide.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Kennemer is exposed, walking dunes-links golf on the North Sea coast — pack a proper links kit and expect the wind:
Yes. Kennemer is a members' club but welcomes green-fee visitors who hold a valid club membership card (NGF-recognised or a foreign club) and a handicap certificate — the club applies a maximum handicap for visitor play. Small groups can play most days except Sundays, booked through the caddiemaster; book direct and reserve ahead in summer.
Who designed Kennemer?
The English architect Harry Colt laid out the original course in 1927 (opened 1928) among the dunes near Zandvoort. A third nine was added by Frank Pennink in 1985, so the club now has 27 holes across three loops — Van Hengel, Pennink and Colt — that combine into full 18-hole rounds.
Has Kennemer hosted the Dutch Open?
Many times — Kennemer has staged the Dutch Open (latterly the KLM Open) more than twenty times, with champions including Seve Ballesteros (1976), José María Olazábal (1989), Joost Luiten (2013) and Paul Casey (2014). The KLM Open is scheduled to return to Kennemer in 2027.
How far is Kennemer from Amsterdam?
Very close — Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is about 30–40 minutes away by car, and there's a direct train from Amsterdam to Zandvoort, the same line that serves the beach and the Formula 1 circuit. Haarlem, right next door, makes an excellent base.
Is Kennemer a links course?
Yes — it's a genuine British-style duneland links, laid out among the coastal dunes with gorse, heather and the North Sea wind as the main defence, which is exactly why an English architect like Harry Colt was brought in to design it. It's the Netherlands' premier links course.
