Simon's Golf Club – 27 Championship Holes North of Copenhagen

Thirty-five kilometres north of Copenhagen, on the rolling moraine landscape of North Zealand, sits one of Denmark's most storied golf venues and a must-play destination for anyone planning a golf holiday or golf trip to Denmark. Simon's Golf Club is not just another golf course — it is the only club in Europe to have hosted events on all four major European tours.

Simon's Golf Club owes its existence to the vision of shipping magnate Arne Simonsen, founder of Scan Group, who in 1987 acquired the historic Nybogaard estate in Kvistgård with a clear ambition: to create a golf club that could stand alongside the great championship venues of Britain and continental Europe. Simonsen commissioned Martin Hawtree — one of the most respected golf course architects of his generation — to design the layout, and construction began in 1991.

The club opened in May 1993, with Ian Woosnam — 1991 Masters champion, former world number one, and future European Ryder Cup captain — hitting the ceremonial first drive. From the outset, the engineering was as important as the aesthetics: an advanced drainage system was built into the design, making Simon's one of the few courses in Scandinavia capable of offering play on natural greens and tees year-round — a significant advantage for any golf trip to Denmark, where autumn and spring weather can be unpredictable.

The Course: Three Loops, One Standard

The original 18 holes — now known as Loops A and B — follow the gently rolling moraine terrain with a classical Hawtree sensibility: strategic bunkering, natural water features, and fairways that reward intelligent shot placement over brute length. The landscape around Ladehøj Lake adds visual drama to several holes, and the variety between the loops ensures that no two nine-hole combinations feel alike.

In 2007, the course was extended to its current 27-hole configuration with the addition of Loop C, also designed under the Hawtree office with Caspar Grauballe as lead architect. This extension gave players six distinct 18-hole combinations — a flexibility that makes Simon's an ideal base for a multi-day golf break in Denmark. A comprehensive renovation followed in 2020, with all bunkers and green surrounds redesigned using modern drainage solutions, sharpening both the aesthetics and the strategic challenge of the course.

A Tournament Pedigree Unlike Any Other in Denmark

Simon's Golf Club occupies a unique place in Danish golf history. In 2003, it became the first club in Denmark to host a European Tour event — the Nordic Open, won by Ian Poulter in a final-round charge that drew 30,000 spectators. Colin Montgomerie finished second; Denmark's own Søren Hansen was tied third. Five years later, the Ladies European Tour arrived for the Nykredit Masters, won by Martina Eberl, with Annika Sörenstam playing her final European event on these very fairways. The club's 25th anniversary in 2018 was marked by hosting the Shipco Masters on the European Senior Tour, again won by Montgomerie in a historic occasion that saw Laura Davies become the first woman to compete in a Senior Tour event.

Between these headline events, the club also hosted the Danish Open on the European Challenge Tour from 1994 to 1997 — meaning Simon's has, across three decades, welcomed elite professionals from every tier of the European tour ecosystem.

Location and the North Zealand Golf Scene

Situated in Kvistgård, Simon's Golf Club sits at the heart of one of the finest concentrations of golf courses in Denmark. For golfers exploring golf courses in North Zealand or planning a wider tour of golf courses in Zealand, the area rivals anything Scandinavia has to offer.

A golf trip to North Zealand can easily combine Simon's with rounds at Rungsted Golf Klub, Hornbæk Golf Club, or The Scandinavian Golf Club — all within comfortable driving distance. For visitors researching golf courses near Copenhagen, North Zealand is the obvious starting point — and Simon's is the natural anchor of any itinerary.

The region itself is one of Denmark's most scenically rewarding: royal palaces, the UNESCO-listed Kronborg Castle (Shakespeare's Elsinore), the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and long stretches of coastline along the Øresund are all on the doorstep.

For international visitors planning a golf holiday in Denmark, North Zealand offers the compelling combination of world-class golf infrastructure and a density of cultural and culinary experiences that few European golf regions can match. Copenhagen's international airport is under an hour away, making logistics straightforward whether you are arriving from London, Frankfurt, or further afield.

Facilities and Hospitality

The clubhouse overlooks Ladehøj Lake and houses the Lakeside Restaurant, the Albatross Bar, a well-stocked pro shop, sauna, and changing facilities. The adjacent Hotel Nybogaard — set in buildings dating to 1688 — offers on-site accommodation for golfers who want to stay close to the first tee. For corporate events and MICE groups, Simon's has dedicated meeting and conference facilities, making it a natural choice for business golf days in the greater Copenhagen area.

Simon's is also one of the venues that draws consistent praise in our international golf media roundup — a course that European golf writers return to again and again.

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