Dinner and tee
RICHARD BACHE visits one of the most spectacular golfing destinations in the South West
STEVEN Spielberg was transfixed by the beauty of Castle Combe when he filmed War Horse there. Arriving in the southern Cotswolds on a sunny afternoon for two days of golf, the Manor House feels like the sort of place where nothing could possibly go wrong.
Well, until a nasty hook into the trees from the first tee with a swing more wooden than the War Horse puppet that thrilled theatre audiences before Spielberg’s movie that is ....
While my golf might not have the wow factor, the Manor House certainly does.
Castle Combe, loved by Hollywood location scouts and regularly voted as England’s prettiest village, has scarcely changed in 500 years.
And, if anything, the views get even better as you turn from the picture-perfect high street into the drive of the five-star hotel.
It is as though the 14th-century architects had built the hotel and its 365-acre grounds with Instagram in mind.
It is a stunningly spectacular setting – filters very much not needed.
The golf course has its own entrance a short drive away at the upper end of Castle Combe.
Judging by a car park containing a beautiful Ferrari and several Porsches that wouldn’t have been out of place at the nearby Castle Combe racetrack, it seemingly attracts a well-heeled clientele.
Certainly, few golf courses in England are directly linked to a five-star hotel with a Michelinstarred restaurant.
The clubhouse menu contains simpler fare, of course, but a pre-round club sandwich was top notch.
The golf course itself is rated as one of the finest in Wiltshire and provides an excellent test for all abilities.
Having four tees on each hole allows an enjoyable experience for mid to high handicappers, while the black tees at the back looked fairly daunting for all but the best players.
The course was designed by the BBC’s long-time ‘voice of golf’, the late Peter Alliss. It opened in 1992 and was carved out of the majestic parkland of the Manor House estate.
Several jawdropping holes make full use of the Bybrook stream from which the hotel’s Michelinstarred restaurant takes its name.
The short par three 2nd and 17th holes both involve tee shots from elevated positions down to greens nestled in the valley, protected by the gently rippling Bybrook.
They are so pretty you don’t mind (too much) that you’ve plonked your tee shot into the water.
Other notable holes include the 8th; a beautiful drivable par four which modesty should prevent me from mentioning I eagled on day two, the 12th; a shortish par five that belies its length with a series of fiendish hazards and the 18th; a fitting finale with a green well protected by water. The course is reasonably hilly and many may choose to take a buggy, but it is definitely walkable, with an electric trolley perhaps providing the best of both worlds.
Back at the hotel the comfort level is through the roof, so weary limbs can be rested before dinner.
I was staying in one of the Cotswold stone mews cottages next to the main hotel.
The spacious room mixed original touches – such as an oak beamed ceiling, chandelier, wooden shutters and a pair of winged-back armchairs – with all the modern conveniences one would expect of a five-star hotel.
A man with my hairline wouldn’t make much use of the Dyson hairdryer, but the quality espresso machine and decadent truffles were appreciated.
The huge bathroom had dual
basins, a truly magnificent shower and a large bath that even had a built-in television.
As well as the Michelin-starred Bybrook restaurant the Manor House also owns the Castle Inn, a two-minute walk away in the village. The quality of the food is excellent – I enjoyed some fabulous Wiltshire venison after a very fine black pudding terrine starter.
And – Covid restrictions permitting – the pub atmosphere may be what many groups of golfing friends are after rather than the refinement of the Bybrook.
At breakfast in the latter the following morning, it was clear that the Manor House attracts as many golfing couples as single-sex groups.
Perhaps not surprising, it is one thing to persuade the other half that you are off for a weekend of golf without them, it is another thing altogether to do so when the surroundings are quite so plush.
With the quality of the hotel and dining options available, the Manor House is certainly a clear cut above many of the typical golf weekend destinations. As indeed was the breakfast in the Bybrook – a full English from a Michelin-starred kitchen was every bit as good as one could hope for.
If only it was possible to say the same about one’s own golf...