The Heritage - A name in the making

As Ryder Cup fever continues to grip Ireland ahead of next September's matches at The K Club, a five-star resort and championship course has opened in Port Laois. The Heritage is situated just outside the village of Killenard.

It boasts a championship course designed, fittingly, by the godfather of the modern Ryder Cup, Seve Ballesteros, a state-of-the-art ultra-modern hotel and even its very own Irish country pub. But apart from these highly-impressive facilities, what truly sets this complex - little over an hour's drive inland from Dublin - apart from the rest is the quite exceptional spa facility.

While gyms and swimming pools are common fare at luxury hotels these days, the Heritage Spa Experience really is out of the ordinary. It comprises a self-contained area where guests can relax for as long as they desire while experiencing a range of treatments guaranteed to sooth aching muscles and de-clutter stressed minds.

From an outdoor Jacuzzi to a Rustic Sauna Cabin, a Roman Caldarium to an Ice Fountain, the body is cooled and heated until your aches and pains simply float away. Based on ancient rituals married to modern science, highlights include the 'tropical rain' shower and the Tepidarium, in the comfortable environs of which you may just doze off.

Taking the advice of one of the friendly assistants or simply following your own programme, you can spend anywhere between three quarters of an hour and an entire afternoon in blissful relaxation. It is quite simply the perfect way to follow a round on Seve's 18-hole design, which stretches to a massive 7,319 yards from the back tees, but can be played at a much more manageable 5,700 yards - or somewhere in between.

In fact, water can be a common theme during your stay at the Heritage because no fewer than 10 holes here involve agua, not least the 9th and 18th, which run parallel and are separated by a long lake. This imaginative design, while not yet fully mature, calls for clear thinking and precise execution. Not least on the large, quick and undulating putting surfaces, where three-putting is more likely than not if you fail to find to correct portion of the green with your approach.

After your round you can enjoy the luxuries of the stunning clubhouse. The Heritage is also well equipped when it comes to evening entertainment. It has its very own pub where you can eat as well as enjoy a drink, or alternatively you may head for the hotel's main restaurant, which specialises in contemporary French Mediterranean cuisine.

To complete the experience, the bedrooms at The Heritage are of the highest quality, with wireless Internet access just one of many nice touches.