Brussel. 38-44_Dominican Republic. 12-19 15.05.11 11.21 Side 4
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russels has far more to offer than just politics – the city is full of culture, history, beautiful architecture and wonderful restaurants. Add to this around 80 golf courses, 20 of them within an hour’s drive from Brussels, and you have more reasons than ever to visit. Increasingly, people are finding their way to the golf courses, especially the many foreigners who live and work here.
A great city Brussels has become a magnificent city, a veritable melting pot of influences from around the world. But it still manages to maintain its character as a Northern European centre, full of ancient heritage, traditions, buildings and history. It is a beautiful place, more centrally located than most other capitals in Europe. From the center of Brussels, it’s just an hour by train to the Gare de Nord in Paris, and just two hours to London. Brussels and Belgium in general are world-famous for cuisine, fine chocolates, sweet waffles and good beer, not to mention Brussels sprouts and, perhaps, Agatha Christie’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. I stayed at the Norwegian-owned Stanhope Hotel in the city centre. The company’s Area Manager, Nils Hauge, is a Norwegian who has lived here for 13 years. “Lots of politicians and EU-delegates come to stay at this hotel, even royalty and celebrities. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Norwegian royal family usually stay here when they are in town,” says Hauge. “When it comes to golf we have deals with a couple of clubs, and can offer guests reasonable rates. Here you can play golf most of the year,” he adds.
Regal golf Golf Chateau de la Tournette is located in a rural setting about 40 minutes drive from my hotel. When you stroll through the gate the first thing you see is a small chateau, originally built in the 16th century. The building has been extensively renovated throughout the years, and is now the clubhouse with a bar, two restaurants and conference facilities. On the grounds you’ll also find a miniature version of the ornate gardens in Versailles. Hauge is a member here and the Stanhope Hotel has a corporate agreement with the club, so everything is ready at the check-in desk. First, though, we treat ourselves to a quick espresso in the elegant bar and restaurant before teeing off on the American course. According to Hauge, this course is slightly more fun than The English Course because it is more hilly and with more water hazards.
Luscious landscape We tee off fairly high above a small lake down to the right, out on a fairway that slopes upward into a dogleg to the left. It’s a beautiful and somewhat gentle opening to the round. Then follows a relatively simple, rather flat, par-4 hole. On the third hole, the course reveals itself, and to my surprise, this is certainly hilly, because here the fairway lies way down in a dogleg to the left around a large oak tree, and with strategically placed bunkers along the right side of the green. A beautiful, challenging and fun hole. On the next few holes we have to play over water, through woodland, then up and down undulating fairways and a long par3 hole, which is again over water. At the Chateau de la Tournette all the four par-3 holes have water in front of the green, making them both challenging and scenic.
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