Dutch Open returns to Hilversum

9 September 2010

This week’s European Tour event, the KLM Open, marks the return of championship golf to Hilversum for the first time in five years, in the year of the club’s centenary.

The course, originally designed by Henry Burrows, was extended to eighteen holes in the 1920s by Harry Colt, later altered by Sir Guy Campbell, and has been extensively renovated in recent years by Kyle Phillips.

Phillips’s changes include new greens on the first, third, fourteenth, fifteenth and eighteenth holes, a number of new back tees, and some additional fairway bunkering.  The new green at the first hole has turned the opener into a very stiff par four, playing all of its 469 yards. 

“The weakest holes from the 1950s era near the clubhouse have been strengthened considerably without changing the rhythm of the course and the five non-Colt greens that were redesigned are more sympathetic in their style to the original Colt greens,” said Phillips. “The wooded heathland gem stands ready to defend par against Europe’s top players.”

The tournament also sees the return to competitive golf of Martin Kaymer, in his first start since his win at the PGA Championship last month.