New Golf Courses in Belgium, 2026
The straight answer is that no new course is opening in Belgium in 2026. But that is not a reason to overlook it. Belgium quietly holds some of the finest Harry Colt and Tom Simpson golf in mainland Europe, and for a classic short break it is badly underrated.
Photo via Google.
The honest picture
Belgium is a mature golf country rather than a growing one. Its best courses were laid out a century ago by the great British architects who brought golf to the continent, and the scene today is stable, well kept and quietly excellent rather than expanding. There is no confirmed new course opening for 2026, and if you arrived hoping to plan a trip around a grand opening, we would rather say so plainly.
What Belgium offers instead is pedigree. This is a country where Tom Simpson and Harry Colt left their mark in the early 20th century, where royal clubs sit in mature woodland minutes from a capital city, and where a links style course runs along the North Sea coast a short hop from Bruges. For a golfer who values architecture and history over novelty, that is a far more interesting proposition than another resort opening.
Belgium's golf courses at a glance
| Course | Designer and era | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Zoute, Championship | Harry Colt | Near Knokke on the North Sea coast, a classic links style test |
| Royal Golf Club de Belgique (Ravenstein) | Founded 1906, redesigned by Tom Simpson | Tervuren, woodland minutes from Brussels |
| Royal Golf Club des Fagnes | Tom Simpson with Philip Mackenzie Ross | Spa, in the wooded Ardennes uplands |
| Golf de Pierpont | Two courses around a 17th century farmhouse | Wallonia, south of Brussels |
Why the existing set is worth the trip
The two names that put Belgium on the golfing map are Royal Zoute and Ravenstein. Royal Zoute, near Knokke on the coast, is a Harry Colt design with a genuine links character and a British flair that rewards the running, ground game so often missing on the continent. Inland, the Royal Golf Club de Belgique at Ravenstein, founded in 1906 and redesigned by the flamboyant Tom Simpson, winds through centuries old trees and the historic buildings of the Ravenstein estate just outside Brussels, and is regularly rated the most important course in the country.
The supporting cast is strong too. The Royal Golf Club des Fagnes at Spa, another Tom Simpson layout created with Philip Mackenzie Ross, brings the wooded calm of the Ardennes, while Golf de Pierpont in Wallonia offers two courses set around a characterful 17th century farmhouse on the very ground of an early skirmish with Napoleon. Initiatives such as the Premium Belgian Golf Courses group, a consortium of ten 18 hole courses across Flanders and Wallonia, make it easier than ever to string several of these clubs into one trip.
Our take
The honest way to sell Belgium is on classic architecture and convenience rather than novelty. You will not be playing a 2026 opening, but you can play a Harry Colt links on the coast and a Tom Simpson masterpiece outside Brussels in the same long weekend, with short transfers, easy access from across Europe and some of the best food and beer on the continent waiting at the end of the round. For a group that has done the obvious destinations and appreciates a course with history, it is an easy and rewarding recommendation.
Build the trip around two or three of the royal clubs, pair the coast at Knokke with the woodland courses near Brussels, and add a city stay in Bruges or Brussels to round it out. Our Belgium destination hub and the best courses in Belgium list lay out the options, and our team can put the few days together around the golf, the lodging and your dates.
Plan a Belgium golf trip
Want a classic few days on Belgium's Harry Colt and Tom Simpson courses, paired with Bruges or Brussels? Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will build the trip, tee times and lodging included, costed to the head, with no obligation.
Belgian golf, your questions
Are any new golf courses opening in Belgium in 2026?
There is no confirmed new golf course opening in Belgium in 2026. The country's golf is mature and stable, built around a set of historic Harry Colt and Tom Simpson designs in Flanders and Wallonia rather than a pipeline of new builds.
What are the best golf courses in Belgium?
The headline courses are Royal Zoute near Knokke on the North Sea coast, a Harry Colt design, and Royal Golf Club de Belgique at Ravenstein near Brussels, a Tom Simpson layout. Other notable clubs include Royal Golf Club des Fagnes at Spa and Golf de Pierpont in Wallonia.
Is Belgium worth a golf trip?
Yes. Belgium offers a compact set of high quality, history rich courses within short drives of one another and of cities like Brussels and Bruges. It suits a focused few days of classic parkland and coastal golf paired with food, beer and culture, and is easy to reach from across Europe.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course origins and current status compiled June 2026 from Belgian golf clubs and leading databases; no new course is confirmed for 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.