THE ULTIMATE GOLF AND SPA GETAWAY
ith its spectacular coastline, mountains and valleys, Wales is a country renowned for natural beauty and a healthy lifestyle. For keen golfers, it has a massive amount to offer, and for those seeking either invigorating or relaxing complementary therapy, its burgeoning spa offerings are hard to beat.
The southern coastline, with its excellent and easy motorway links, is home to a terrific selection of hotels and golf courses, with more than enough to please the most demanding visitor. Indeed, there are no fewer than four top-flight golf and spa resorts situated within an hour of the River Severn, with the first of these being the Marriott St Pierre at Chepstow. The venue has a long-standing reputation
Wfor its two fine parkland courses, with its Old course having hosted many leading professional events, including the British Masters and the Solheim Cup. The hotel is situated in and around a characterful 14th-century manor house where there are excellent spa and fitness facilities.
Not far away, Celtic Manor is widely regarded as the most comprehensive golf resort in the country. The 2010
Ryder Cup course is one of three full-length and surprisingly varied layouts, and offers excellent value for golf at this level. The expansive hotel is home to not one but two spas, and with all manner of health and leisure activity on offer on the 1,400-acre estate, it’s an ideal base for a stay of any duration.
For something perhaps a little more homely, Bryn Meadows has 42 rooms and a tree-lined and testing par-71 parkland course where straight hitting is key. Away from the golf, the Fusion Spa boasts a warm indoor pool, hydrospa, jacuzzi and several treatment rooms, and the Blas Restaurant receives rave reviews. This quartet of sumptuous spa and golf destinations is completed by the Vale Resort, just to the west of Cardiff. Here there are two excellent and again remarkably contrasting courses,
the Lakes and the Wales National, and the award-winning spa has 19 treatment rooms and five relaxation zones where you can choose from a range of holistic Ayurvedic therapies.
Perhaps the first venue to combine links golf with spa treatment is the extremely well appointed Machynys Club, whose course is a modern links/ parkland hybrid from the Nicklaus stable that runs alongside marsh and estuary. In the American-style clubhouse, Monk’s Health Club offers a gym, wet spa facilities that include a large jacuzzi, a Scandinavian sauna and much more. For those perhaps seeking a break from the golf course and a more intimate therapy experience in a stunning location, St. Brides Spa Hotel at Saundersfoot is a clifftop hotel blessed with an idyllic setting. And for anyone suffering from withdrawal symptoms, the excellent links at Tenby is only just down the road!
The unspoilt, dramatic and vast landscapes of Mid Wales are happily a great deal less developed than the south and north coastlines, but there is still plenty for the travelling golfer. Llandrindod Wells has one of the most achingly attractive courses in the whole of the UK with wonderful panoramic views, while the town itself is home to the Metropole Hotel with its Rock Spa which describes itself as “the Welsh antidote to modern living”. There are several other quite beautiful courses in the area including Cradoc, which is gently sloping and runs along the side of a hill completely encompassing a beautiful Georgian mansion, and Builth Wells, which is both charming and unusual.
For something different yet again, a stay at Portmeirion is hard to beat. This unique Mediterranean-style village is packed with architectural wonders, ornate gardens and an eclectic mixture of accommodation. This also makes for an excellent centre for golf in the north-west, with the chalk and cheese two nines at Porthmadog making for a rollercoaster round, especially through the spectacular dunes coming home. Abersoch is a very enjoyable links, while Royal St David’s at Harlech is a tip-top championship course. Another truly wow-factor course in the region is Nefyn & District, with the holes out on the peninsula being as photogenic as they come.
The north coast of Wales is packed with interesting golf, including several excellent links courses such as the very fine test at Conwy. Next summer it will host one of the world’s leading amateur events, the Curtis Cup. Over the river, the contemporary and nautically-themed Quay Hotel and Spa is a lovely place to stay. Here, the Marina Spa has a tempting selection of treatments, while the Ebb & Flow Restaurant offers mouth-watering cuisine. Close by, the course at Maesdu is a James Braid classic that is full of interest and memorable holes.
With its wealth of excellent and extremely varied golf courses, along with its terrific array of top-drawer spas and accommodation, wellness in Wales is very much on the up.
“Wales is renowned for natural beauty and a healthy lifestyle”