The best halfway houses in golf

The best halfway houses in golf

10. Camberley Heath

Surrey, England

Halfway houses come in all shapes and sizes but there’s much to be said for the homely, comfortable variety that offer a cracking butty and a mug of tea strong enough to stand a spoon up in. The Camberley Heath version is very much of that nature, which makes it the perfect place to pause for 10 minutes.

9. Gleneagles

Perthshire, Scotland

Gleneagles excels in most things and this wonderfully well-equipped halfway house is no exception. You can have pretty much anything you want here – from a freshly brewed coffee to a full meal. Better still, it’s equally accessible from both the King’s and Queen’s.

8. The Carrick

Loch Lomond, Scotland

You can enjoy your refreshments from what used to be a Thames riverboat, the Highland Laddie. The speciality is Scotch Pies. The only catch is that, having placed your order, you’ll have to conquer the tough, uphill 9th before gaining your reward.

7. Goodwood

Sussex, England

By the time you have reached the 7th green at Goodwood you are ready for refreshments. And you’ll get them in style with genuine home-cooked fare at this unassuming halfway house that is packed with tasty treats. A bonus is that you pass this way again after the 15th should your sugar levels be dropping even slightly.

6. Nairn

Highlands, Scotland

The Bothy, a stone cottage, dates back to the 19th century and was built to store freshly caught salmon. Now it serves up refreshments to flagging golfers. It’s ideally situated on your way to the 10th tee on this Highlands links.

5. Turnberry

Ayrshire, Scotland

Now part of the iconic lighthouse by the 9th green, Turnberry’s halfway house is all that you would expect from a luxury resort. It’s less a halfway house and more of a restaurant really. You can enjoy your repast while sitting on the decking outside and gazing out to sea.

4. Skibo Castle

Highlands, Scotland

As far as halfway houses that have everything go, this specimen simply cannot be beaten. For a start, it’s big enough to live in. Secondly, there are enough supplies to see you through a low-level nuclear incident. Thirdly, it contains golfing memorabilia from around the golfing world. Finally, it’s more stylish and more solidly built than your average house. Take me there now please.

3. Royal Cinque Ports

Kent, England

Legend has it that many Deal members, as well as those on the wrong end of what is shaping up to be a dog licence in the Halford Hewitt, leave this halfway house with a little bit of a glow in their cheeks. If you don’t fancy challenging your host to add a bit of pep to your game for the closing stretch then the food is pretty good too.

2. Sunningdale

Surrey, England

Most of the great and the good of golf have at one time or another sunk their teeth into a sausage sandwich and slurped a coffee in this comfortable retreat. It actually comes slightly after the halfway point – it’s en route to the 11th tee of both the New and the Old courses. Bursting with history, for some it’s the highlight of their way to dwell here for a few moments and reflect on the beauty of the Sunningdale surroundings. Legendary.

1. Ardglass

County Down, Ireland

Ardglass, on the coast south of Belfast on the way to Royal County Down, is bursting with character. From the outside, this looks like a ruined cottage. Manage to find your way in, and what else would there be inside apart from a Guinness pump? Needless to say, it’s always perfectly poured. You can have a butty to go with it but as we all know, Guinness is a meal in itself as well as drink so you probably won’t need it.

What’s the best halfway house you’ve had the pleasure of visiting mid-round? Tweet us and let us know…

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