Royal Golf Club des Fagnes

Few golf courses in Belgium carry the same historical weight as Royal Golf Club des Fagnes, which traces its roots to 1929 and occupies a setting unlike almost anything else in continental European golf. Perched on the high plateau of the Hautes Fagnes — the largest nature reserve in Belgium — the course plays through a landscape of moorland, ancient peat bogs, and dense Ardennes forest. The terrain is raw and exposed in the best possible way, giving the place a character closer to British heathland golf than the parkland layouts that dominate this part of Europe.

The course earned its royal designation and has long been considered one of Belgium's finest, attracting players who make the detour from Spa's famous racing circuit or the town's historic thermal baths. The elevation means weather can shift quickly and dramatically, and wind across the open heathland stretches punishes anything wayward.

Spa itself is one of Europe's most storied resort towns — the origin of the word "spa" — and playing golf here feels genuinely tied to that long tradition of discerning visitors seeking something out of the ordinary.