Golf in Flanders is the new initiative between the Flemish Tourist Board and the Flemish Golf Federation to start promoting Flanders as a possible alternative golf destination for golfers worldwide.
Kanaal Z, Flanders' lifestyle TV station - New Golf Walhalla?
Flanders has many tourism assets ... the region has been the centre of the developed world for centuries and its historic landmarks across cities, towns and regions are a reminder of its rich history. Anybody that has seen pictures or has visited Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Ypres and other have witnessed the grandeur through the ages.
Important for golfers, Belgium is a beer-lover's paradise, with over 1,500 different original beers, many with their own personalised beer glasses in which that beer, and only that beer, may be served. Although Flanders is still too much identified with waffles, fries, beer and chocolate it has amongst the world's most Michelin Star restaurants per capita so it's very hard to avoid good food in Flanders ! When it comes to fashion, Belgium as a rich history but also has a very lively contemporary fashion scene. It already started in 1663 in Antwerp when the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp was found.
From 1914 to 1918 Flanders Field was a major battle theatre in the First World War. A million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action here. Entire cities and villages were destroyed, their population on the run. Ypres and Passchendaele became worldwide symbols for the senselessness of war.
Golf in its modern form started in 1888 when the Royal Antwerp Golf Club was found, the 2nd oldest golf club on the continent. Since then, over 50 courses are available for play and although mostly member based, there are many opportunities to play good courses at reasonable green fee rates. Courses are always dotted around the major cities with Bruges, Antwerp, Genk and even Brussels offering accommodation and golf courses all within a short distance. With an extensive road network and accessibility by air and sea, Flanders is very much at the centre of Europe for everything including playing golf.
www - Golf in flanders - com
Golfinflanders.com is a dedicated website to showcase what Flanders has to offer for golfers. Look up golf courses, find information about some of the tourism hotspots in and around the region and book tee times directly with the course.
HISTORY OF GOLF IN FLANDERS
One could argue that the game of 'Kolf' was invented in Flanders during the middle ages as in 1261, the Flemish poet Jacob Van Maerlant, described a ball game 'mit ener coluen' (with a colf or club) which was putting a ball in a small hole hundreds of yards away in the least amount of hits.
golfvlaanderen - FLEMISH GOLF FEDERATION
Currently, the game of golf in Flanders is administered by GolfVlaanderen, previously the VVG or the Flemish Golf Federation. All the hard work GolfVlaanderen has done with young talents has resulted in Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry now flying the flag from golf in Flanders and together with Nicolas Colsaerts, are the catalyst on which golf in Flanders is starting to develop.