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Royal Antwerp Golf Club is Belgium's oldest golf club, founded in 1888 and based at its present Kapellenbos property north of Antwerp since the early 1910s. The site is a wooded heathland property on sandy soil, with heather and mature pines forming much of its character. Willie Park, Jr laid out the original course at Kapellen, and Tom Simpson carried out the defining redesign and expansion in 1930.
The club now has two distinct layouts: the principal Tom Simpson Course and the separate Dormy House Course. The Tom Simpson Course plays to par 73 and measures 6,228 metres from the men's Black tees, rated 73.0 with a slope of 129. Visitors are accepted subject to handicap requirements and advance reservation.
The course is a heathland golf course. Designed by Tom Simpson and Willie Park, Jr, the course originally opened in 1912. It is semi-private, welcoming both members and visitors. On-site facilities include Covered Practice Range, Putting Green, Pitching Area, Chipping Area, Pro Shop, Bar, Restaurant, Buggy Hire, and 1 more.
Royal Antwerp traces its foundation to 1888, making it the oldest golf club in Belgium. The club's own historical material says it was founded by English tradesmen. It eventually established its home in Kapellenbos north of Antwerp in the early 1910s, on naturally sandy heathland that supported heather and mature pine trees.
Willie Park, Jr created the original Kapellen course. After additional heathland was acquired in 1929, Tom Simpson was commissioned in 1930 to reshape and expand the golf. Simpson's work established the strategic character associated with the modern championship course, including doglegs, carefully positioned bunkering and an emphasis on placement rather than length alone.
King Albert I granted the club the 'Royal' title in 1925. The 1929 land acquisition enabled Simpson's 1930 work and the development of an 18-hole championship course alongside a separate nine-hole layout. Later architectural restoration work has sought to recover elements of the Park and Simpson-era design.
Golf Digest includes Royal Antwerp among its ranked courses in Continental Europe, and the course has long been discussed in European golf architecture literature as an important surviving example of early twentieth-century heathland design.
Royal Antwerp operates the 18-hole Tom Simpson Course and the separate Dormy House Course at Kapellen. Visitors can play subject to handicap limits and advance green-fee reservation.
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| Fee Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor | ||
| Tom Simpson Course - Season Visitor | €185 | Season runs 15 March to 31 October. |
| Tom Simpson Course - Season Visitor Twilight | €100 | Twilight Monday from 12:00; Tuesday-Friday from 16:00. |
| Dormy House Course - Season Visitor | €80 | Season runs 15 March to 31 October. |
| Dormy House Course - Season Visitor Twilight | €50 | — |
| Tom Simpson Course - Winter Visitor | €80 | Winter runs 1 November to 14 March. |
| Tom Simpson Course - Winter Visitor Twilight | €50 | — |
| Dormy House Course - Winter Visitor | €50 | — |
| Dormy House Course - Winter Visitor Twilight | €35 | — |
Prices are indicative and subject to change. Contact the course to confirm current rates.
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