Utrechtse Golfclub 'De Pan'

Zeer vriendelijke en gastvrije ontvangst als greenfeespeler. Met 180 euro wel zeer pittig aan de prijs. Goede uitleg van de locale regels die voor hole 6 (2x blinde shoten, en dus bellen) en hole 10 (over toegangspad, dus knop voor zwaailicht) geen overbodige luxe is. De baan lag er prachtig en ook groen bij, wat sowieso een wonder is na deze droge weken. Ook de greens waren top. Hoewel niet lang geleden gestoken, toch snel en prima speelbaar. Baan niet al te lang of extreem moeilijk. Relatief vriendelijke rough, zolang je bal maar niet in de hei slaat. Met slim spel en goede approaches is De Pan zelf een heerlijke baan om aan je handicap te werken. Na afloop op heerlijk teras met uiterst vriendelijke bedieding. En de beste appeltaart van alle banen in de regio en verre omstreken!

De baan ligt er prachtig bij. Er is veel afwisseling met voldoende uitdagingen. Een bijzondere baan om te spelen.

De Pan blijft een pareltje verstopt in de bossen in alle rust van de natuur. De baan is uitdagend, niet te lang met snelle greens. Tip; bal net voor de green laten landen dan rolt hij meestal mooi de green op. De bunkers bevatten (te) veel zand waardoor je makkelijk te diep in het zand slaat. Eén minpuntje de greenkeepers waren met hun verkeerde been uit bed gestapt terwijl het zo’n mooie zonnige dag was.

I played De Pan on the 7th of May and returned again on May 28th. I must say that the location of the course is truly exceptional. Set deep within the forest, with nothing to hear except birds tweeting, it offers one of the most peaceful golfing experiences in the Netherlands. The routing of this Harry Colt design is simply outstanding. Having played many courses around the world, I still believe that the routing at The Pan is among the very best I have ever encountered. The property covers only around 55 hectares, yet almost every green flows naturally into the next tee. The efficiency and elegance of the routing are remarkable. The Netherlands had experienced a very dry spell in the months leading up to my first visit. While The Pan intentionally keeps its fairways very short and firm, almost links-like in style, I felt the fairways were not quite at the conditioning level I am normally used to seeing here. During my second visit on May 28th, conditions had already improved noticeably, although still not quite at the exceptional standard I normally associate with De Pan. The 16th hole was unfortunately out of play due to irrigation works, which will likely provide a more structural solution to the dry fairway conditions mentioned earlier in this review. The staff were, as always, extremely friendly and welcoming. The marshal who started our group of 20 players on my second visit was particularly warm and accommodating, and the clubhouse staff were equally friendly throughout the day. The small pro shop may be compact, but it has everything you need. After our round, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner outside on the terrace, which provided a perfect ending to the day. If you ever have the opportunity to play The Pan, I would absolutely recommend it. I am already looking forward to my next visit to this Harry Colt classic.

De Pan has an amazing layout: you never have to walk more than a few steps from the green to the next tee. Really impressive what Harry Colt achieved on this fairly small piece of land. All holes are also well separated from each other. Only on a few occasions will you see another fairway or green from a different hole. The course is set in a wooded area called "het Panbos" (the Pan Forest in English). I played the course some time ago, probably one to two years back, and at the time it was in much better condition than it is now. I have heard it was even worse a few months ago, but in my opinion the course looked a bit sloppy. Not something you would expect from a course that ranks so highly in many listings, such as number two in Continental Europe. We played our annual Leading Courses Invitational here and had a great day. The course is still enjoyable, but as mentioned, it looked a bit 'tired'. Fairways were quite bare, the tee boxes weren't in the condition I would expect (especially on hole 7) and sand in the bunkers wasn't that nice. They are trying to fix a few tee boxes, but I think that work started a little too late. The same goes for the fairways. At this time of year they should be lush, not in the state they were in. Yes, we had quite some weeks of hot weather, but other courses I played in the same area (Utrecht) looked much better. We could not play hole 16 due to irrigation works, and I have heard from other golfers that this was not communicated in advance. I also couldn't find that information on their website. One person in our group was shouted at by a greenkeeper, and I have heard similar stories about quite rude behaviour. I understand that if someone is not following club rules, that can be frustrating. But there are better ways to communicate that. Shouting and swearing is not appropriate. The practice facilities are there, but difficult to find if you are a green fee player. They are tucked away behind the 18th green. The driving range is adequate, with only four bays on the ground floor and two for the pro, plus some additional bays on the upper level. For a course considered one of the best in Europe, the driving range balls could be of better quality. The clubhouse, however, is nice, the showers are excellent, and we had a good meal with our group, accompanied by some decent wines. To summarise: this remains a very fine golf course, set in a beautiful forest with a fantastic layout. But in my opinion, maintenance has not kept pace with its reputation and status. Certain things, such as sandy spots on the fairways, paths and tee boxes, looked tired and are in need of some TLC.