Royal Fagnes

Royal Fagnes

Nearby Courses

174 miles away

Crecy

188 miles away

Le Touquet

202 miles away

Royal Cinque Ports

Designed by English architect Tom Simpson, Fagnes is a tranquil experience among mature trees and over gently undulating land.


There is evidence of golf here as early as 1893 but Simpson created this Belgian classic in 1928 in the pretty touristy town of Spa.


There is heather at Fagnes but the proliferation of deciduous trees means it is not quite like our heathlands – so more like somewhere such as the modern-day Wentworth.


The front nine is especially interesting, with a little more movement in land and a great variety to the look of the holes even if the challenge and land is similar. There has been lots of work carried on the tees and it has been a worthwhile process.


Some tree management would also be very welcome even if the timber does;t always affect play as it looks as though it might. The visuals and the turf would however be hugely improved with some pruning.


The variety of par 3s is excellent. The 2nd is a downhill hole to a flat green, the 8th is raised like Dornoch’s famous Foxy – with bunkers set into the bank – and especially the 14, a really cool par 3 to a benched, angled green with a bunker at the front left.


The downhill 11th is nicely disguised by a bunker that foreshortens it and another on the right.


On the front nine, other notable holes include the 3rd, which snakes left to right and the 5th – which swings in the opposite direction on terrain that slopes right to left and has echoes of the 10th at Augusta.


The 8th is notable for its delightful green complex, with bunkers between runways of heather.




The sporty 17th, with heather-decorated church pew-style bunkers, and the semi-dell green on 18th end Fagnes on a real high.



After the turn, the 12th is a strong par 4 – SI and 470 yards – that offers a really good scene from its tee of heather in front of the tee and cross bunkers dissecting the fairway. That means you have to be 150 yards out for you approach to a wide open green that slopes away from you and means a clever running approach is the ideal play.


There’s a long hole at 13, with three heather-decorated bunkers that steer you up the left of this left-to-right dogleg.


This hole showcases the land atFagnes perfectly; naturally undulating without being extravagant with bunkers set into the folds of terrain. There is another flat green here, which suggests Simpson’s originals have lost some of their eccentricities over time.


There’s a really nice sweeping hole at 15 to a green in an amphitheatre of trees with tufty Continental-style gorse at the front of what is another flat green that tilts left to right.


Then you turn round and play the very well-bunkered 16th, which is one of the holes that would most benefit from tree management. However it boasts some of the raunchiest terrain, with bunkers scooped out of the hills.


The sporty 17th, with heather-decorated church pew-style bunkers, and the semi-dell green on 18th end Fagnes on a real high.