UK TRAVEL: Hill Valley GC

A GOLFING break can fail to live up to expectations for a number of reasons. The course itself is not up to scratch, the food poor, the service ordinary or the price leaning on the high side. None of these will enter your mind after a visit to Hill Valley.

Macdonald hotels and resorts leave little to chance in terms of service and the industry recognised this with two notable awards last September – the title of AA Hotel Group of the Year was landed, and the National Customer Services Award followed. There are also two cracking courses at Hill Valley to get stuck into.

The Emerald and Sapphire tracks, set in 300 acres of stunning countryside on the Cheshire/ Shropshire border, represent a challenge to suit all golfers. The first, designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, is the championship version and measures 6,700 yards while the latter is easier, on the feet at least, at nearly 5,000 yards.

To get the most from an outing on The Emerald bring your straight game. The emphasis here is to weave your way through the tree-lined fairways while avoiding a number of natural water hazards and well-placed bunkers. However if the card does take a bit of a battering there are five par fives which are all reachable following a solid drive to get your score back on track.

All the short holes, of which there are four, require very precise club selection to avoid the humps and hollows that surround the greens and any threes on the card will have been worked for. The final piece of water guards the 18th and any match going down the last is guaranteed an exciting climax with two oaks adding extra protection short of the green. All of this adds up to a par of 73 and four hours of superb golf.

Whether you are looking to lick your wounds or bask in the glory of your round, the Vital Health and Wellbeing Club awaits. Any aches and pains can be eased with a variety of massages, steam rooms or a dip in the 20-metre pool while your better half can take advantage of the top-to-toe treatments on offer.

The final pleasure awaits in the cuisine. Whether you are looking for light snacks, room service or formal dining in the main restaurant all the produce is local or organic wherever possible and lives up its four-star billing.

Much like everything else in the resort.

Macdonald Hill Valley
Tarporley Road, Whitchurch
Shropshire, SY13 4JH
Tel: 0844 879 9049
Email: general.hillvalley@macdonald-hotels.co.uk

Special offers
Two nights’ DB and B + three rounds of golf
Sunday-Wednesday: £175 pp
Thursday-Saturday: £199 pp

One night DB and B + two rounds of golf
Monday-Thursday: £119 pp
Friday-Saturday: £129 pp

His and hers spa and golf packages
One night DB and B, one round of golf for the gents and a half-hour beauty treatment and lunch for the ladies: £99 pp