Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Luxury down to a tee
JULIE BAYLEY enjoys three days of great golf, fantastic food and family fun in Surrey
SOME weekend breaks live long in the memory and, for me, a two-night stay at Foxhills Club and Resort in Surrey will be one of them. From superb gastronomy and elegant rooms to exceptional service and glorious golf courses, everywhere there’s a laid-back sophistication and sense of instant relaxation.
The resort, situated in Ottershaw, near Chertsey, is surrounded by a 400-acre estate.
The tone is set for what you can expect from the moment you sweep off the main road into a winding driveway with tantalising vistas of the 19th century Victorian manor house visible through the trees. You also get your first glimpse of the golf offering.
Hotels don’t get awarded four silver stars by the AA for four years running by accident.
There are 70 guest rooms and suites, all finished to exceptionally high standards. We stayed in a spacious, two-storey family duplex with a living area downstairs complete with its own bar plus a shower room. Upstairs had a twin room with its own balcony and large bathroom plus a double bedroom.
The accommodation is finished with all the mod cons you’d expect from a top class resort including air conditioning. The White Company products in the bathrooms, fluffy robes and slippers are great finishing touches.
The style of rooms ranges from a standard (around £150 a night with breakfast) to deluxe suites. Ours was set in a cobbled courtyard within feet of a heated swimming pool.
Many people come here for the golf – Foxhills boasts two of the best courses in the UK and the PGA EuroPro event was hosted here in May.
I’ve been playing golf for three years now and have been lucky enough to play on some amazing courses including some of the finest in Florida but Longcross, one of two 18-hole courses at Foxhills, is one of the best I’ve encountered. The view from the first tee is breathtaking. You can see why it has been named in the Top 100 golf courses in England by Golf World.
Whizzing around on a buggy, we had one of the most enjoyable rounds we can remember, the sun beating down on a pristine and challenging course. The fairways are almost all fairly narrow and there are pine trees absolutely everywhere. Thankfully, the ground under the trees has been kept clear in many places so if you’re not driving straight you’re in with a chance of finding your ball.
The signature 14th, which stretches out in front of you for a little over 500 yards from an elevated tee, is one you won’t quickly forget. The carpet-like greens are immaculate. Golf doesn’t get much better than this.
As well as Longcross, there’s the 18-hole Bernard Hunt course and the Manor, a fun-but-tricky par-three which gave us great short-game practice.
You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy this place, however. The resort has four swimming pools, an award-winning tennis complex, cycling facilities and a blissful spa.
The spa is spotlessly clean. You’ll find the usual facilities inside including a pool and steam room but outside is wonderfully quirky. There’s a traditional red phone box from which you can order drinks and spa treatments and one of England’s first natural swimming pools.
They do things a little bit differently here and I love the approach. There’s not a white towelling dressing gown in sight. Instead you’ll find luxurious black velvet robes.
Rather than try to remember your locker number each one is named after a British seaside town, a theme which is repeated in the artwork.
I was keen to try a treatment and spent 45 minutes with Tracey who has 20 years of experience as a masseuse. You could certainly tell – my all-over body massage was heavenly.
If you’re bringing younger children, by the way, they’ll love the youth club which includes a den with air hockey, table tennis and video games plus a soft play area and teen gym. Thorpe Park is 15 minutes away if you can bring yourself to leave the complex.
Dining at Foxhills is memorable, too. We enjoyed an evening meal in XIX, a relaxed brasserie-style restaurant popular with golfers. But real foodie magic awaits at The Manor restaurant which has been awarded two AA rosettes for culinary excellence. Every mouthful of food we were served was exquisite; every ingredient and dish felt considered.
We enjoyed starters of crab, carpaccio and chicken. For mains we were served pedigree lamb with boulangere, broccoli and spelt; sirloin beef with oat groats, Alexanders, crispy heritage and Jersey royals and an unforgettable salmon dish. For desserts we polished off Baileys cheesecake and pear and chocolate fondant.
Breakfast, also taken in the Manor restaurant, was a pleasure. Eggs Benedict and Belgian waffles with maple syrup emerged from the kitchen and tasted as good as they looked. I had to resist the urge to have a second helping of the sublime Icelandic Skyr yoghurt, sprinkled with granola, honey and compote.
Facilities at Foxhills are plentiful and all within a short walk of your room, yet never once did the resort feel crowded or cramped. The whole place feels relaxed and peaceful.
Managing director Marc Hayton, whose family have owned Foxhills since he was just nine, says staff should go home as happy as the guests. What a great ethos.