Winter golf is very possible in the Netherlands, but the weather decides what you can play on any given day. Snow always closes the course, and frost or thaw often does too. When the course is open, you usually play to winter greens, sometimes from winter tees and often with preferred lies, so check on the day itself what is open.
Why golf courses close in frost, snow and thaw
When there is snow, the course is always closed. That is what head greenkeeper Koert Donkers of Golfclub De Dommel told golf.nl. When frost first sets in, the tips of the grass are frozen and fragile. Footsteps and trolley wheels can easily damage the turf at that point.
According to Donkers, you can only play again once the temporary greens are frozen solid. A light night frost is therefore often more of a problem than a proper cold spell. After a night frost, clubs often announce that they will measure again later in the day. A course that is closed at eight in the morning may well be open by eleven.
Thaw is even trickier than frost, according to golf.nl. The ground turns soggy and the roots are vulnerable, while deeper layers can still be frozen. Meltwater has nowhere to drain and often freezes again in the top layer overnight. A sunny day after a cold week does not automatically mean the course is playable.
Winter greens and winter tees
Winter greens are temporary greens, usually a closely mown area in front of the real green with its own hole. The greenkeeper calls them essential for protecting the course, because greens recover more slowly than fairways. Putting on a winter green feels different, but it means you get good greens back in spring.
Many clubs also use winter tees, which usually shorten the course or move the tee to a spot that copes better with the conditions. That matters for your score. Under the NGF winter rules, a course played from winter tees only stays qualifying if the difference in length from the normal course is no more than 50 metres per 9 holes, or 100 metres per 18 holes. If the winter course is much shorter, the club needs a separate winter rating.
Preferred lies in winter golf: what changed in 2026
Normally you play the ball as it lies. Preferred lies, called Plaatsen in Dutch and officially Model Local Rule E-3, is an exception to that. You may lift, clean and place your ball, which helps a lot when fairways are wet and muddy.
The Dutch golf federation, the NGF, wants clubs to use preferred lies only in extreme conditions across the whole course, such as heavy snow, thaw, prolonged rain or extreme heat. As soon as conditions allow, the rule should be withdrawn. The NGF recommends limiting the relief area to 15 cm or one scorecard length.
The big change: since 1 January 2026, a club may put preferred lies in place at any time of year, as long as the conditions are met. Up to and including 2025, this was only allowed in the Netherlands from 1 November to 1 May. Permission from the NGF is no longer required either. The club now decides for itself, but still has to stick to the conditions.
Planning a winter round
Flexibility pays off in winter. A few things worth checking on the day:
- Is the course open, or will it be measured again later in the day?
- Are you playing to winter greens or the normal greens?
- Are winter tees in use, and is the course still qualifying?
- Are preferred lies in force, and within what area?
The current status is on the club's website. If you want to see where you can still get a tee time today, OneTee shows the available times per course and lets you book straight away, without a membership. That includes Golf Club Spaarnwoude, where 54 holes give you plenty of choice, as well as Golfbaan Kralingen, Rhoon Golf Center, Crayestein Golf, Golf & Country Club Liemeer and Golfbaan Bentwoud.
Dress in layers, bring a hat and gloves, and expect less roll on the fairways. If you can, book a little later in the morning, once any night frost has left the ground.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play golf in winter in the Netherlands?
Yes, many courses stay open through the winter. Snow always closes the course and frost or thaw often does too, so check the club's website on the day you want to play.
Why are golf courses closed when there is frost?
When frost sets in, the tips of the grass are frozen and fragile, so playing on it causes damage. According to greenkeeper Koert Donkers, play can only resume once the temporary greens are frozen solid.
What are preferred lies in golf?
Preferred lies let you lift, clean and place your ball, ideally within 15 cm or one scorecard length, as the NGF recommends. Since 1 January 2026, Dutch clubs may use the rule all year round when the conditions are met.
Do winter rounds count for handicap in the Netherlands?
Yes, a course stays qualifying with preferred lies, provided the rule has been put in place correctly, and with winter tees as long as the course is no more than 50 metres shorter per 9 holes. If the rule was applied wrongly, the round does not count as played under the rules.
Photo: Best Golf Country Club.