Beyond Amsterdam: Why Bernardus and Den Bosch Belong on Your Netherlands Golf Holiday

For many British travellers, a short break in the Netherlands begins and ends with Amsterdam. The capital deserves its popularity, but golfers who automatically stay within its orbit could be missing one of the country’s most interesting destinations.

Around an hour south of Amsterdam, Bernardus Golf brings together a Kyle Phillips-designed championship course, boutique accommodation, excellent food and facilities that make a tee time feel like a complete day out. A short drive away, the historic city of Den Bosch offers underground waterways, medieval architecture, independent restaurants and a noticeably more relaxed pace.

Bernardus will receive worldwide attention when it hosts the Solheim Cup from 7–13 September 2026, with the main Europe-versus-USA matches taking place from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September. It will be the first Solheim Cup staged in the Netherlands, adding another major chapter to a venue that has already hosted the Dutch Open and KLM Open between 2021 and 2023.

At Hashtag Golf Travel, we think the tournament will introduce many UK golfers to more than a great course. It will also show why North Brabant works so well for a golf break that combines sport, food, culture and time spent properly exploring somewhere new.

Championship golf at Bernardus

Located in Cromvoirt, Bernardus is an 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by American golf architect Kyle Phillips.

Phillips is also responsible for acclaimed venues including Kingsbarns in Scotland, Yas Links in Abu Dhabi and The Grove in Hertfordshire. At Bernardus, he created a modern heathland-style course with wide playing corridors, sandy waste areas, carefully shaped bunkering and water coming into play throughout the round.

Although the course is capable of testing the world’s best players, it was not designed solely for professionals. Different teeing options allow visiting golfers to choose a manageable challenge, while the generous-looking fairways provide more room than the championship reputation might suggest.

The clever bit is that width does not automatically make Bernardus easy. The position of the drive often matters more than simply finding short grass. Golfers who choose the correct side of a fairway are rewarded with a clearer approach, while those who play without a plan may find an awkward angle into a well-defended green.

That balance is one of the reasons we find the course so appealing. It is visually impressive and tournament-ready, but it should still provide an enjoyable holiday round for golfers who do not play from scratch.

Play where the Solheim Cup will be decided

The arrival of the 2026 Solheim Cup gives golfers another very good reason to visit.

Bernardus will become the first Dutch venue to host the competition, in which 12 players from Europe face 12 from the United States over three days of foursomes, fourballs and singles. The wider tournament week runs from 7–13 September, including practice days and the PING Junior Solheim Cup before the main matches begin.

Watching the event will be exciting, but playing the course before or after it has a different attraction. Golfers can study the same landing areas, water hazards and green complexes that will shape one of the biggest contests in women’s golf.

Bernardus has already proved that it can host elite professional tournaments. It staged the Dutch Open in 2021 and 2022 before welcoming the KLM Open in 2023. The Solheim Cup, however, places the venue on an even larger international stage.

We expect that attention to make Bernardus one of Europe’s most talked-about golf destinations. Anyone considering a visit should plan well ahead, particularly around the tournament and during the main spring and summer golf seasons.

More than an ordinary green fee

One of the most distinctive parts of Bernardus is its Day Membership concept.

Rather than paying for a round and leaving shortly afterwards, visiting golfers are treated as members for the day. The experience includes access to the championship course and practice areas, with a trolley prepared for arrival. Guests can also use the gym, tennis court, sauna, hammam and heated outdoor swimming pool during its seasonal opening period.

The Day Membership currently allows unlimited golf during the day, meaning visitors are not restricted to a conventional 18-hole visit. A non-playing partner can also use the leisure facilities without an additional charge.

This is an important difference, especially for couples.

At many golf clubs, a non-golfer has little reason to travel with the person playing. Bernardus makes the day easier to share. One guest can head onto the course while the other uses the pool, gym or wellness facilities, before meeting again for lunch or drinks.

In our view, the Day Membership is one of Bernardus’ strongest ideas. It encourages golfers to slow down and enjoy the entire venue rather than treating it as another course to tick off a list.

Stay beside the course at The Lodge

Golfers who do not want to leave after their round can stay at The Lodge, Bernardus’ small on-site guesthouse.

It contains just eight modern double rooms, each with a spacious bathroom. Guests also have access to Bernardus’ leisure facilities, while breakfast and dining can be added to the wider stay-and-play experience.

The limited number of rooms creates an intimate atmosphere. This is not a large resort hotel filled with several hundred guests; it feels more like a private golf retreat positioned beside the course.

That exclusivity is appealing, but it also means availability is limited. For a larger golf group, the eight rooms may not provide enough space, and early booking will be essential. Groups can alternatively stay in or around Den Bosch and travel the short distance to Bernardus for their golf.

For couples, small groups and special occasions, however, The Lodge looks like a particularly good fit. Waking up beside the course and having everything from golf to dinner within the same destination removes much of the organisation from a short break.

Food worth building into the itinerary

Golf holidays are always better when dinner is treated as part of the experience rather than an afterthought, and Bernardus takes its food seriously.

Bernardus Café is the relaxed choice for lunch, post-round drinks and informal dining. Its terrace overlooks the golf environment, making it a natural place to discuss the round while everyone remembers their score rather differently.

For something more special, Nami by Bernardus holds one Michelin star. The restaurant serves modern cooking with Japanese and wider international influences, giving guests the opportunity to turn a golf day into a proper dining occasion.

The wine also has an interesting connection to the Bernardus name. Bernardus Pon established Bernardus Winery in California’s Carmel Valley after moving to the United States, and its wines now form part of the wider experience in the Netherlands.

We would not recommend rushing away after the final putt. Even golfers staying elsewhere should leave enough time for a drink or meal at Bernardus. The quality of the hospitality is a major part of what separates the venue from a standard championship-course visit.

Discover Den Bosch after the golf

The nearby city is officially called ’s-Hertogenbosch, although almost everybody calls it Den Bosch.

Its compact historic centre is easy to explore on foot, with medieval streets, independent shops, pavement cafés and the impressive St John’s Cathedral. The city feels lively without being overwhelming, making it well suited to a relaxed afternoon or evening after golf.

At Hashtag Golf Travel, we think Den Bosch is one of the main reasons to stay for more than one night. Bernardus supplies the headline golf experience, while the city gives the holiday character away from the course.

It also offers a useful alternative for mixed groups. Non-golfers do not have to spend the day waiting at the hotel; they can explore museums, shops and cafés before meeting the golfers for dinner.

Take a boat beneath the city

The most unusual way to see Den Bosch is from the Binnendieze, a network of narrow waterways that passes beneath buildings and through some of the oldest parts of the city.

Guided tours use quiet boats to travel through covered sections, courtyards and historic passages that are almost invisible from street level. Along the way, visitors learn how the waterways were used for trade and how they influenced the development of the city.

This is not a grand canal cruise like the familiar experience in Amsterdam. It feels more enclosed, unusual and connected to the medieval city.

For a short golf break, it is also a very manageable activity. The tour can be combined with lunch, shopping or a museum without taking over the entire day.

Try a proper Bossche Bol

Every destination needs a local speciality that provides a weak but entirely acceptable excuse for eating cake.

In Den Bosch, that speciality is the Bossche Bol: a large pastry filled with whipped cream and covered in chocolate fondant. It is traditionally served with coffee and requires a certain amount of commitment, plus a complete disregard for eating neatly.

There is even a Bossche Bollen Experience dedicated to the history and culture surrounding the city’s most famous treat.

Our advice is simple: do not attempt to divide one politely between the group. Order your own, accept the consequences and consider it essential preparation for another round.

Explore the art of Hieronymus Bosch

Den Bosch was the birthplace of Hieronymus Bosch, the medieval painter known for fantastical, detailed and often wonderfully strange scenes.

The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center explores his life and work through reproductions and exhibitions inside a former church. Although many of Bosch’s original paintings are held by major museums elsewhere, the centre places his art within the city where he lived and worked.

Nearby, Het Noordbrabants Museum covers the art, culture and history of North Brabant. Its collections include work connected to Brabant artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Jan Sluijters, alongside exhibitions examining the wider story of the region.

Design Museum Den Bosch adds a more contemporary option, focusing on design and visual culture.

This range makes Den Bosch especially useful when the weather does not cooperate. Golfers may be optimistic people, but even we admit that an indoor backup plan is sensible in northern Europe.

Walk or cycle through inland dunes

North Brabant’s scenery provides a complete contrast to the streets and waterways of Den Bosch.

The nearby Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park contains woodland, heathland and broad areas of shifting inland sand. Visitors can explore the landscape on foot, by bicycle or on dedicated mountain-bike routes.

The dunes may come as a surprise to visitors who picture the Netherlands entirely as flat farmland and canals. Although this is not a coastal landscape, the expanses of loose sand and open sky can feel remarkably wild.

A walk here works well on a non-golf morning, while more active travellers can hire bicycles and follow longer routes through the surrounding countryside.

Cycling is one of the easiest ways to understand this part of the Netherlands. The infrastructure makes rural areas and nearby towns accessible without needing to treat every outing as a major expedition.

Visit the fortified town of Heusden

Another worthwhile excursion is Heusden, a beautifully restored fortified town beside the River Meuse.

Its defensive walls, cobbled streets, historic buildings, windmills, galleries and harbour make it an appealing place for a half-day visit. The town also has independent shops and restaurants, so the experience can be as relaxed as a walk followed by lunch beside the water.

Heusden is not somewhere that requires an exhausting sightseeing schedule. That is part of its appeal. Visitors can wander around the fortifications, stop for coffee and return to Bernardus or Den Bosch without losing an entire day.

A strong choice for couples and mixed groups

Bernardus is clearly centred on golf, but it does not expect every visitor to spend the whole trip holding a scorecard.

The Day Membership gives non-playing partners access to leisure facilities, Den Bosch provides shopping and cultural attractions, and the surrounding region offers walking and cycling. Dining at Bernardus can then bring everybody back together in the evening.

That makes the destination particularly attractive for:

• Couples where only one person plays golf

• Small groups looking for a premium short break

• Golfers travelling with friends who prefer food, culture or nature

• Visitors attending the Solheim Cup who want to extend their stay

We would describe Bernardus as a golf-led escape rather than a golf-only holiday. That distinction matters.

Golf may be the original reason to book, but the wider experience is strong enough that the rest of the trip does not feel like filler between rounds.

Easy to reach from the UK

Bernardus is accessible from both Amsterdam Schiphol and Eindhoven airports. Direct flights operate from London to both airports, while rail travel through the Netherlands provides another option after arriving at Schiphol. Travellers can also take the Eurostar from London and continue by train.

Amsterdam is roughly an hour away by road, making it possible to combine Bernardus with time in the capital. However, we would resist the temptation to spend the entire trip there.

A better itinerary could include one night in Amsterdam followed by two or three nights around Den Bosch. That provides the familiar canals and major sights of the capital, then moves into a quieter region with championship golf and a very different atmosphere.

For a shorter trip, flying into Eindhoven and concentrating entirely on North Brabant may be the simpler choice.

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Our verdict

Bernardus is already one of the most complete golf experiences in the Netherlands, and the 2026 Solheim Cup will give it the international attention it deserves.

The Kyle Phillips course has the quality and strategy expected of a major tournament venue, but the appeal goes beyond its championship credentials. The Day Membership encourages visitors to spend longer at the club, The Lodge creates an intimate stay-and-play option, and the restaurants give the experience a genuine sense of occasion.

More importantly, Bernardus is not isolated from the destination around it.

Den Bosch adds historic streets, unusual waterways, excellent food and a strong cultural identity. The inland dunes and fortified town of Heusden provide easy days out, while the wider cycling network makes North Brabant particularly enjoyable to explore at a slower pace.

At Hashtag Golf Travel, we think Bernardus is ideal for golfers who have played the familiar resorts and want somewhere polished but different. It also suits couples and mixed groups who need a destination capable of delivering much more than 18 holes.

Amsterdam may remain the best-known gateway to the Netherlands, but it does not have to be the whole holiday. Travel a little farther south and you will find championship golf, Michelin-starred dining and one of the country’s most enjoyable small cities, all close enough to combine in one memorable break.