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The UK’s largest golf resort operator offers a choice of eight unique four-star resorts, each with fabulous golf complemented by relaxing spas and fabulous dining options.
When National Club Golfer magazine published its new list of top 100 UK golf resorts recently, the UK’s largest golf resort operator was able to celebrate seeing all eight of its properties make the cut.
Six QHotels and two Doubletree by Hilton resorts featured, highlighting the depth of quality in the portfolio. For years the eight resorts have been immensely popular with golf groups, but, increasingly, the resorts are proving equally attractive to couples and families following investment in off-course facilities such as the bedrooms, dining areas and the all-important spa.
So it’s no surprise to see the resorts – Aldwark Manor Golf & Spa Hotel, in York; Belton Woods, in Grantham; Dunston Hall, in Norwich; DoubleTree by Hilton Forest Pines Spa & Golf Resort in Broughton; Oulton Hall, near Leeds; Slaley Hall, in Northumberland; Telford Hotel & Golf Resort, in Shropshire; and Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow Westerwood Spa & Golf Resort – rated so highly.
They are not ‘identikit’ hotels, however, and range from contemporary builds to historic mansions and grand country houses, but the one thing they all have in abundance is a friendly smile and warm ambience.
Host to no fewer than 18 European and Senior Tour events, Slaley Hall (pictured above) was the highest ranked – hardly surprising given it was ‘best golf hotel/resort in the north of England’ in the 2019 Today’s Golfer Travel Awards for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year.
Located in Hexham – England’s favourite market town, according to Country Life – the elegant 141-room Edwardian mansion boasts 1,000 acres of moorland and forest grounds, home to two excellent, genuine championship courses: the Hunting and the Priestman.
Belton Woods is one of the UK’s most popular venues for groups, who enjoy the challenge of its 45 holes, spread across three picturesque courses, one of which, the Lakes, is the home to the oldest PGA tournament in the world, the Midlands PGA Championships. With its long holes, thin fairways and abundance of water hazards, this is an enjoyable challenge for any golfer.
The recently re-branded DoubleTree by Hilton Forest Pines Spa & Golf Resort, in Lincolnshire, has benefited from its consequential refurbishment. Its 27 holes meander through majestic pines in three loops of nine – and it is as challenging as it is beautiful. Located a short distance from junction four of the M180, yet nestled in 190 acres of peaceful woodland, its position makes it as easy to access as it is to enjoy.
Click for slideshow of other properties
The group’s only property north of the border is, also, the only one in which Seve Ballesteros had a design input: Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow Westerwood Spa & Golf Resort. Working with the equally revered designer Dave Thomas, the legendary Spaniard created a course that will linger long in the memory, as it meanders through silver birches, firs and heather, offering stunning views towards the picturesque Campsie Hills.
In East Anglia, the Elizabethan-style Dunston Hall, dating from 1859, is just five miles from the historic city of Norwich. Its 6,275-yard, par-71 USGA-rated course is beautifully contoured around the 150-acre estate and features magnificent parkland fairways dotted with trees and strategically placed bunkers. It also features a nine-hole Footgolf course if you fancy a kickabout …
The Telford Hotel & Golf Resort is unique in the group in that it is the only resort to sit within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enjoys some spectacular views over the Ironbridge Gorge. It sits in 170 acres and its 18 picturesque holes measure 6,741 yards, along tree-lined fairways, through open greens and over strategic water hazards.
Featuring 27 holes designed, again, by Dave Thomas, and featuring many of his trademark design elements, the ever-popular Oulton Hall enjoys as its centrepiece a 152-room hotel in a wonderful 18th-century mansion, which looks out across the golf courses and 325 acres of Yorkshire parkland, hills and dales. It also boasts landscaped gardens, imposing statues and fascinating period pieces to enhance one’s visit.
Also in the White Rose county is Aldwark Manor Golf & Spa Hotel, in the breathtaking Vale of York. Set within 120 acres of parklands, it is a delightful mix of the old and new with a contemporary wing attached to the 17th-century manor house. The beautiful River Ure meanders through Aldwark’s easy-to-walk course, creating a par-72 layout that may prove as testing as it is aesthetically pleasing.
Whichever resort you choose will also have a spa to relax tired bones, and each comes with a friendly, homely feel you’d normally associate with a high-end B&B. For a golf break for two, or a dozen lads or lasses, you won’t be disappointed at any of the four-star properties.
