How to meet other people, learn new things and have fun in the green environment around Brussels? Answer is quite easy and we discovered it ourselves while attending the 3rd Expat Golf Trophy at Golf Club d’Hulencourt near Brussels.

Many expats came to play and compete for the Trophy and this was also an opportunity to meet new people and spend a wonderful afternoon in a sunny green fields. Hulencourt’s annual Expat Golf Trophy takes place on the golf courses around the beautiful 17th century building. Located in Vieux-Genappe just 30 minutes away from Brussels, the club prides itself on maintaining the highest level of Anglo-Scottish golfing tradition: from the club etiquette right down to the stately home decor. This golf club has more than 400 members with a considerable percentage of expats.

This year’s Expat Golf Trophy, sponsored by BNP Paribas Fortis, in collaboration with partners such as BNP Paribas Fortis, gained leverage through the participation of the British, Dutch, French, and Chinese Chamber of Commerce. “We are happy to take these steps to help strengthen the bonds between expats and the locals” says Salvatore Orlando, Head of Expatriates at BNP Paribas Fortis. (read more in Brussels Express article)

It is worth noting that newbie players (including our team!) got a chance to participate in the initiation session and learn the basics of the game. To non-golfers, the game can seem like an endless depth of rules, etiquette and lingo that often frightens them from joining. But the game, whether you hit it straight into the hole or right into the river, has some obvious bonuses. The Expats Golf Trophy is a neatly organized event for both experienced and new golfers with plenty of opportunities to meet new people (great buffet lunch, open bar networking time + awards ceremony cocktail at the end of the program). Diego Tasso, organiser of the Expats Golf Trophy shared his observation –  “Since the first time we’ve run this competition, the number of people attending the Expat Golf Trophy has greatly increased each year. They come once, and they’re impressed by either the course or the club, and then next year they bring their friends.”

Simply said, we really had lots of fun learning to play golf and making new friends along the way. Take a look at our photo story!

Photos (c): WeLoveBrussels/Maziar Mansoori