What’s in a name? To this week Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, the question gives us a lot to unpack.
The host location is Bernard Golfa name that is known for what it is 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 a high-quality members’ enclave without the starchy trappings of a country club. He wanted the property to feel exclusive. I 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 remains – Bernardus Golf – has the ring of a lifestyle brand, an experience that 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, short game area and practice range, as well as a sauna, spa and other non-golf extras.
“The whole place smells a lot of exclusivity,” minus the fuss, said Jan Swinkels, a member who lives five minutes from Bernardus. It’s joined by proximity. But also for the advantages.
Bernardus, which opened in 2018, is anchored by a Kyle Phillips-designed heath course that hosted the Dutch Open from 2021 to 2023. (Other notable Phillips projects include Kingsbarns in Scotland and the restoration of the Cal Club, south of San Francisco.) Conditions are pristine and modern drainage allows you to play all year round, keeping the land firm, Swinkels says, when other courses in the region turn squishy.
Another plus: Even with external access, the tee sheet is uncluttered. For the club’s 300 members (about half are corporate members, the other half are individuals), Swinkels says it’s never difficult to land a time. Carts are allowed, but most golfers walk. There are two comfort stations, on the 8th and 13th holes, where many players stop for sandwiches and wine, keeping an eye on the TV monitors that show when other groups are approaching. For guests, food and drink on the course are included in the payment to play.
If all this smacks of high-end golf resort, you are not far. Bernardus has overnight accommodation – a boutique hotel with eight double rooms – and a Michelin-starred restaurant, Noble Kitchen, which serves a refined six-course menu. Among the labels on the wine list are wines from Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, California—a winery that Van der Wallen now owns, though he hasn’t found it yet. Credit for that goes to Bernardus Pon, a Dutch Olympic skeet shooter and race car driver who returned 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 cellar mate.
Bernardus Golf. It’s well-marked, which is no surprise, given that Van der Wallen built his fortune by founding a global marketing company called Brand Loyalty. The Solheim Cup is just adding luster to the name.
