About
Joan Dudok van Heel was among the first golfers to represent the Netherlands at the Eisenhower Trophy, and later became a member of both the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Pine Valley Golf Club.
Joan Frederik Dudok van Heel was a distinguished Dutch golfer and prolific golf course architect, born in Naarden in 1925. He enjoyed a celebrated amateur golf career, representing the Netherlands in international tournaments for 25 years starting at age 21, and achieving 15 national and international wins. Van Heel was among the first to compete for the Netherlands in the Eisenhower Trophy in 1958, 1960, and 1964, and won multiple national championships in both matchplay and strokeplay formats. At 40, he shifted his focus from banking to golf course architecture, going on to design over fifty courses primarily in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Turkey. His first course opened in 1968. He was a member of the prestigious Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Pine Valley Golf Club. Van Heel is recognized for leaving an indelible mark on European golf through his designs and dedication to the sport.
