Golf & Country Club Winterswijk

Golf & Country Club Winterswijk plays at the De Voortwisch course in the hamlet of Henxel, in the Achterhoek close to the German border. The club was founded on 7 November 1986 at the initiative of Ruud Paijens, then director of the NEDAP company in Groenlo, and has grown from 119 members in 1988 to around 700 today.

From campsite to golf course

De Voortwisch goes back to 1984, when Erik Huiskamp proposed building a golf course on the grounds of the campsite of the same name. Construction began in August 1989 to a design by the British architect Donald Steel, with Hans Hertzberger as executive architect, and the course was fitted into the Achterhoek's patchwork landscape. It came into play in 1991. On 12 September 1992 the federation president Rolf Olland officially opened it, and the club became the 71st recognised golf club in the Netherlands, gaining A status in July 1994. Under Hertzberger the course was extended to its present 18 holes, which opened on 16 September 2014: par 71 and 5,718 metres.

The Winterswijk Open

From 1988 to 2013 the club ran the Winterswijk Open. Because members Rick, Han and Chris Huiskamp spent years in the national junior squads, players such as Joost Luiten, Reinier Saxton and Taco Remkes entered. Visitors with a recognised handicap are welcome and book a tee time in advance.