207 - The National (Brussels)

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Rating: 8.3

Recently I was passing through Brussels on my way back to Amsterdam and decided to have a look around the better courses in Brussels and this gem popped up on Leading Courses. A short drive to the east of Brussels is the National, a course that was only built in the last 7 years so by golfing standards very new. The venue will be more than just a golf course, currently housing a David Lloyd gym but with apartment blocks and hotels still under construction it is still a work in progress for example the car park isn’t completely finished. Behind the first and tenth tee there is a water feature under construction which will provide a great backdrop once complete.

The course however is fully operational with a lovely clubhouse providing a backdrop to the 18th green. They have a brand new state of the art driving range with trackman monitors and a huge putting green in front of the clubhouse providing excellent practice facilities for the members.

Onto the first tee and you have a tricky par 5 measuring at 450 meters. Water on the right and bunkers on the left provides a tricky opening tee shot and it is a theme of the course. This was one of the flatter holes on the course, some of the others have steep changes in elevation, twists and turns and undulating fairways. Bunkers are sprawled all across and are vasts masses of sand and wonderfully crafted. The greens are large but inorganically shaped and tiered making putting tricky at The National.

There is some water on the course but plenty of bail out areas and the course is well trimmed even around the rough so it can be quite forgiving, a lovely course to be a member at. At 5,950 meters of the ‘men’s tees’ it is one of the longer courses in the area and on a blustery day it can play much longer than that! The greens had recently been punched so were a little sandy but still played really well and the fairways were like carpets. I feel they could do with a nice row of trees surrounding the course to provide a bit more intrigue, something like the tall pine trees at Wentworth but that’s just me being picky.

It is a really beautiful course still bedding into its surroundings and for just over €100 a round it is awesome value for money! I would certainly recommend stopping by!