A continued blog piece to coincide with our filming releases in The Netherlands…

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Day 2 – Utrechtse Golf Club: ‘De Pan’

 

Spirits were in the sky until approximately 5 km outside of Utrecht. The hour-long journey through the fairly anonymous Dutch motorway network had passed quite quickly, as we recounted the highlights of our day at Eindhoven, with Sam reminding the others in vivid detail how well he had played on the back nine to secure the win.

Bruce was at the wheel when suddenly a light flashed up on the dashboard, warning that the tyre pressure had dramatically fallen. From the comfort of the backseat, Tom quickly dismissed this as a regular occurrence in modern vehicles and assured the others that the car was probably being overly sensitive. We decided to continue carefully to our accommodation in Utrecht just a few kilometres away. Parking up on the cobbled streets to unload all of our kit, it was immediately apparent that the offside rear tyre was completely shredded and simply not driveable anymore. 

As Bruce and Tom investigated further and began to make enquiries with Dutch roadside assistance, Sam found the keys and let himself into the house we were staying in, only to realise that the excitement of playing the par 3 course at Eindhoven had caused him to leave both his camera and laptop behind the bar in careless abandon. 

They say bad things always happen in 3s, but to this date we still do not know what the 3rd was.

Frantic googling for replacement tyres & couriers

After a short motivational team talk, we focused on solving the problems in front of us. Sam put in a call to Cees who kindly agreed to arrange a same-day courier for the laptop and camera to Utrecht de Pan with typical Dutch efficiency. Meanwhile, Bruce and Tom liaised with local roadside assistance for a solution to the shredded tyre. After being informed that there would be a short wait, we headed to a local student bar in search of a few nightcaps to pass the time and let off some steam. Some 90 minutes and several ‘demi’ beers later, the roadside mechanic had arrived, swiftly removed the old tyre and fitted the spacesaver with absolute professionalism, not once raising the question which was on everyone’s lips: why was this simple task beyond the skillset of the three bewildered men who had been watching on? Having found an interim solution, we headed to bed at circa 3am for some much needed shut-eye, aware that we would need a fast start in the morning if we were to get our tour back on track…

After 4 hours of sleep all three members of the Jar awoke feeling surprisingly rejuvenated and ready to face the day ahead. The immediate task was trying to find a full size replacement tyre for the car, as the space saver simply wasn’t going to cut the mustard for the circa 600 miles of driving which remained, especially given the tight schedules.

Brilliant archive footage in the clubhouse

Sam was not met with the usual friendly Dutch custom when trying to source a replacement from several Utrecht garages. Nevertheless, our host at Utrecht De Pan Golf Club and the decorated Dutch Amateur Champion, Barend van Dam, came to the rescue, putting on a masterful display of diplomacy and logistical organisation. We followed Barend in convoy to a garage on the outskirts of Utrecht, dropped off our car, and then continued in Barend’s own car to the golf club. 

Standing on the 10th tee at De Pan, the turmoil of the past 12 hours quickly dissipated as we all marvelled at the beauty of the golf hole in front of us. After four half-decent tee shots which found (relatively) short grass, we were away…

We were extremely lucky to enjoy two loops of De Pan. In the morning we played a casual 13 holes with Barend before heading back to meet club archivist Ernst van den Doel to record a podcast. Tom and Sam chatted with Ernst about the history of the Club, how Colt worked, as well as the wider evolution of the game in the Netherlands, while Bruce and Barend zipped back to the garage in Utrecht to pick up the car. And, right on cue, the Fedex man arrived to unite Sam with his camera and laptop – it was taps back on content. 

A brief lunch consisting of some fine Dutch toasties then followed, and we headed back out to play the full 18 in what would be a straight up three-ball for The Jar. The side-effects of 4 hours sleep having now worn off, Bruce played his best golf of the tour and posted a 67 gross to take first place: near-faultless play from start to finish, surgical precision with his irons and some vintage Fitzpatrick short game when a green was occasionally missed.

UGC De Pan: Purveyors of fine course furniture

It’s hard to heap enough praise on the layout at Utrechtse Golf Club De Pan. The wonderful routing is effortless, allowing you to fall off one green and onto the next tee box without any excessive walks in between. This Colt masterpiece is reminiscent of the best heathland courses in the UK, and it’s no easy task to single out one’s favourite holes because they are all so good. The 6th and 7th are stunning back-to-back par 4s which combine visual drama and strategy. Holes like 10 are totally unique. And the one-shotters are some of the finest Colt par 3s you will find anywhere in the world. 

De Pan is a special place: understated and intimate. The collection of Dutch barns which are arranged around a small courtyard perhaps exemplify these traits, where you can find old friends stopping to chat and catch up before and after their game.

After the short drive back into Utrecht, we capped off a truly memorable day in much better spirits than we had started. Barend had booked us into a local restaurant (Bistro Madeleine) in the old part of the city, tucked away down a cobbled street where many locals were to be found enjoying a few drinks outside in the warmer-than-usual October evening. Dinner comprised several portions of cote de boeuf, some red wine, and a healthy dose of Calvados. The 6am alarm for Kennemer wouldn’t be easy, but that was tomorrow’s problem. Our camera and laptop had been repatriated by Cees, and Barend had saved the day with a replacement tyre. Proof that not all heroes wear capes!

A classic Dutch bistro night: Cote De Beouf, claret & calvados

 

https://youtu.be/2t_SiN9c1a0