For those who want to go on a golf and spa break where golf is a more prominent feature, an 18-hole golf course is just the ticket. Providing a full day of activity, avid golfers have the chance to enjoy a full weekend of activity, getting in a round one day and relaxing in the spa with a restorative massage, swim and sauna the next. It's also a chance to get those 10,000 steps in - in case you were counting. Here, golf pro turned spa expert, Chris Beeson, recommends some of the top spa hotels with 18-hole golf courses.
The Belfry is a well known and prized destination amongst the UK's golfing community, famed for its heritage as well as its courses. The hotel is vast, with 319 rooms and suites. There are also multiple options for food and drink, ranging from The Ryder Grill, to the Brabazon Bar, pizza and pasta at Rocca’s, healthy options in the Leisure Café, and their own clubhouse - Sam’s.
There are three famous golf courses at The Belfry. It has hosted the Ryder Cup four times and has state-of-the-art golfing facilities. The three courses include The Brabazon, the PGA National and The Derby. They all stand at 18 holes, and each has its own unique features to enjoy and explore.
Simply THE Spa at The Belfry has three clear components. There's a gym and fitness area with classes and space to work out. There's an extensive Fire and Ice thermal suite, which takes you on a 90-minute journey through hot and cold zoned areas, relaxing the muscles and preparing the skin for a massage or treatment. Then there are 12 treatment rooms, a dual treatment room, and a contemporary manicure and pedicure centre.
East Sussex National Golf Resort and Spa is an immaculate, modern hotel, spa and golf destination. Everything is geared around the golf course, with views from rooms and the AA Rosette awarded Pavilion Restaurant, taking in the greens and fairways before stretching across 1000 acres of rolling Sussex countryside.
There are two championship golf courses at East Sussex National. The East Course is a 7,081 yard stadium layout, designed for tournament play. The par 72 West Course meanders through ancient oak trees, alongside quiet pools, and rippling streams.
The Horsted Spa then has everything you need to help you relax and unwind after a day on the course. Workout in the gym, soothe tired muscles in the 20-metre pool, spa pool, sauna, steam room, monsoon shower and Jacuzzi. Then relax with a choice of spa treatments using the ESPA product line.
The Oxfordshire Golf & Spa Hotel is a relaxed and welcoming hotel and golf destination in the heart of the beautiful Chilterns. The hotel has 50 rooms and suites, all decorated in contemporary style, as well as the popular Sakura restaurant serving dishes with Mediterranean and European influences. There's also the Spike Bar for lighter dishes.
The golf course at The Oxfordshire is arguably the main attraction. A former European Tour venue, it hosted the Benson & Hedges International for four years, the Andersen Consulting World Championships as well as the Ladies English Open. Designed by course architect Rees Jones, it has 135 bunkers and four lakes, even attracting the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Darren Clarke.
The Tempus Spa at The Oxfordshire is ideal for relaxing after a day on the course. Facilities include a gym, fitness studio, 15-metre indoor swimming pool, a sauna and steam room, as well as three treatment rooms for a range of face and body therapies.
Rockliffe Hall is an unquestionably impressive and luxurious destination, where every element has been created to five-star standards. Surrounded by 375 acres on the banks of the River Tees, the property dates to 1774, and the hotel, while modernised, retains its elegance and gravitas, from the marble pillars and stained glass to its celebrated Orangery restaurant with its walk-in cellar. There is, of course, a clubhouse restaurant as well, not to mention Nu Sana for healthy dishes in the spa.
Rockliffe Hall's golf course takes you round 18-holes of parkland, enjoying countryside views and five tee positions for each hole. It is one of the longest golf courses in the UK from the gold tees and is immaculately maintained, allowing play all year round.
The spa is a full weekend's worth of experiences all on its own. Purpose-built, it blends indoor and outdoor for optimal modern wellbeing. Standing at 50,000 square foot, it includes a full array of facilities, including but not limited to a hydro pool, 20-metre leisure pool, a thermal bathing suite, and a spa garden an outdoor infinity edge pool, warmed loungers, glass fronted sauna and sumptuous daybeds.
Drive in through a grand entrance and arrive at The Mere Golf Resort & Spa, an impressive, red brick property that combines a warm welcome with a sense of occasion. The hotel itself has 81 bedrooms and 10 suites, as well as multiple popular restaurants - not least 11th Green snack and drinks bar in the health club.
The golf course at The Mere is one of its most prized attractions. Standing at 18 holes, the 6,882-yard, par-71 course covers 150 acres of Cheshire parkland, with holes flanked by mature trees, flowering banks and views over the Mere Lake. Water, ravines and thick vegetation have been incorporated into the landscape, demanding care and accuracy whilst navigating the course.
The spa sits in a separate building to the hotel accommodation. It boasts a range of fitness and leisure facilities, ranging from a gym and all-weather flood lit tennis courts, to a 20-metre swimming pool and a heated vitality pool as well as a thermal zone with a Himalayan salt room, sauna, aroma steam room, ice fountain, caldarium and a Hammam.
Surrounded by the magnificent beauty of the Vale of Glamorgan, the eponymous Vale Resort is embedded into 650 acres of Welsh countryside. Surrounding the four-star hotel and its multiple award-winning restaurants, the estate has two PGA Championship courses. They have hosted both the PGA and European golf championships. Their Wales National Course is award-winning, woodland-fringed and surrounded by some of Wales’ most idyllic views. For those who want to try their hand with tricky water features, there's also the Lake Course, where water comes into play on 12 of its 18 holes.
Furthermore, The Vale is home to a spa that's an experience of its own right. It has five blissful relaxation zones inviting you for a restful and indulgent afternoon snooze, as well as a gym, squash and tennis courts, a 20 metre pool, sauna, steam room and a spa bath.
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