Solheim Cup site Bernadus Golf isn’t a ‘club’ or ‘course.’ Here’s why

What’s in a name? At this week’s Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, the question gives us plenty to unpack.

The host venue is Bernardus Golf, a name that’s notable for what’s not in it. No mention of “club.” No reference to “course.”

Robert van der Wallen, the Dutch entrepreneur who developed Bernardus, set out to create an upscale members’ enclave without the starchy trappings of a country club. He wanted the property to feel exclusive. He didn’t want it to be off limits. So he omitted “club,” with its closed-circle connotations. And he left out “course,” with its utilitarian implications. What remained — Bernardus Golf — has the ring of a lifestyle brand, an experience anyone can access.

And, it turns out, anyone can.

For €255 (about $295) during peak season — the rate drops to €195 ($225) in the off-season — non-members can become members for a day, with unlimited access to the course, the short-game area and practice range, as well as a sauna, spa and other non-golf extras.

“The whole place very much smells like exclusivity,” minus the fuss, said Jan Swinkels, a member who lives five minutes from Bernardus. He joined for the proximity. But also for the perks.

Bernardus, which opened in 2018, is anchored by a Kyle Phillips-designed heathland course that hosted the Dutch Open from 2021 through 2023. (Phillips’ other notable projects include Kingsbarns in Scotland and the restoration of the Cal Club, south of San Francisco.) Conditions are pristine and modern drainage allows for year-round play, keeping the grounds firm, Swinkels says, when other courses in the region turn squishy.

Another plus: Even with outside access, the tee sheet is uncluttered. For the club’s 300 members (roughly half are corporate memberships, the other half are individuals), Swinkels says it’s never hard to land a time. Carts are permitted, but most golfers walk. There are two comfort stations, at holes 8 and 13, where many players stop for sandwiches and wine, keeping an eye on TV monitors that show when other groups are approaching. For guests, the on-course food and drink is included in the pay-to-play.

If all this smacks of high-end resort golf, you’re not far off. Bernardus has overnight accommodations — a boutique lodge with eight double rooms — and a Michelin-star restaurant, Noble Kitchen, serving a refined six-course menu. Among the labels on the wine list are vintages from Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, Calif. — a winery Van der Wallen now owns, though he didn’t found it. Credit for that goes to Bernardus Pon, a Dutch Olympian skeet shooter and race car driver who turned to growing grapes after decades of dominating on the track. Pon established the winery in 1989; Van der Wallen became an investor in the business and took it over after Pon’s death in 2019.

By then, Van der Wallen had already cut the ribbon on a golf property half a world away, naming it in honor of his friend and winery partner.

Bernardus Golf. It’s well branded, which is no surprise, given that Van der Wallen built his fortune founding a global marketing firm called Brand Loyalty. The Solheim Cup is only adding luster to the name.