Great golfing in Bath and beyond
27 October 2006
Golfing enthusiasts are able to play great golf all day and enjoy the delights of the city of Bath in the evenings. With hotels and guest houses to suit every budget and a wide choice of restaurants Bath makes a good base to explore the excellent courses nearby. For golfers on a budget there is a good supply of self-catering accommodation in the countryside around Bath and plenty of welcoming village pubs and inns.
A visit to Bath or a stay in the countryside nearby can mean different things to different people. Couples might wish to pursue their own interests during the day and there are many options to choose from. The World Heritage City of Bath offers architectural gems like the Royal Crescent and a world class attraction in the Roman Baths. The city’s fascinating history is portrayed in a number of small museums that tell the story of the Building of Bath and its Georgian heyday. The latest exhibition at the Assembly Rooms in the Museum of Costume demonstrates that Bath was as fashionable two hundred years ago as it is today, a retail haven packed with independent shops. Outdoor enthusiasts can discover walks and bike rides further afield in some of the most picturesque scenery in the UK.
Full information of what to do and where to stay in the area can be found at visitbath.co.uk. A range of local golf courses are listed below but pre- booking is recommended in all cases to avoid disappointment.
CUMBERWELL PARK GOLF CLUB
Located just six miles from Bath and one mile from the lovely wool town of Bradford-on-Avon, Cumberwell Park Golf Club offers 27 holes, a ten acre practice ground with target greens, bunkers and putting greens. The ten bay driving range includes a teaching bay with state-of-the-art video swing analysis. Individual visitors and societies are very welcome and tee times can be reserved online. The website cumberwellpark.com includes a full description of the course and even gives daily playing conditions and weather forecast. Designed by Adrian Stiff just eleven years ago, the course takes full advantage of the variety of terrain it covers with the first nine holes on open parkland and rolling fairways, the next nine in tranquil woodland with established trees and a further nine offering some challenging water features. The course is recognised as one of the best in the south-west with a four star rating and is included in Golf World’s Top 25 Courses in Britain. Booking ahead is essential to avoid disappointment with lower green fees and packages available midweek.
THE PARK
Located just four miles north of Bath, this 240 acre estate boasts 400 year old trees, challenging water hazards and magnificent panoramic views. There are 36 holes of golf, a thirteen bay driving range and a practice ground. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the courses benefit from mature historic parkland. The 6252 yard, par 69 Crown Course is an easy walking course rich in features which presents a challenge to all levels of player. The Cromwell is 6249 yards long, par 71 in a glorious setting with mature trees, streams and lakes in gently undulating terrain with fine panoramic vistas across the Cotswolds.
The Park adjoins Freezing Hill which in, July 1643, became the site for one of the bloodiest Battles on British soil, the Battle of Lansdown. Spilling over onto what is today the fairway of the Cromwell Course, Charles I’s Royalists fought Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians. The King dispatched additional troops to his commander, Sir Ralph Hopton, bolstering his forces to 4000 foot soldiers, 2000 horsemen and 300 dragoons, finally forcing the outnumbered Parliamentarians to withdraw.
The Park has been developed on the Tracy Park Estate which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. At the heart of the estate stands a fine Jacobean Mansion dating from 1808. The hotel’s Oakwood Restaurant opened in late 2005 under the direction of Mark Treasure, a chef with Michelin star credentials. The stables have been converted recently into 17 stylish and contemporary bedrooms so golfers can enjoy a two night break with three rounds of golf, full English breakfast and dinner for £210 per person, based on double occupancy. Meeting and banqueting rooms are also now complete in the first phase of an ambitious plan to build a full health spa.
Golf tuition can be arranged with the pro and clubs, trolleys and buggies are available to hire.
tpresort.com
BOWOOD GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Set in Capability Brown’s 2000 acre Great Park, this championship course was designed by Dave Thomas, architect of the Belfry. Making best use of the majestic rolling parkland and mature trees and lakes, he created a course that challenges even the most experienced golfer competing on length as well as difficulty. Less experienced players can take advantage of the range of tees on every hole. The course is well drained and playable in even the harshest of British winters and during winter months there are attractively priced packages. Advance booking of tee times is essential and clubs, trolley and buggies can be hired from the Pro Shop. Handicap certificates are not required although golfers are invited to review the clubs advice on golfing etiquette. Voted among the top 50 golf destinations in Europe by Golf Monthly, the course attracts corporate golf days and societies as well as individual members. Facilities include an under cover floodlit driving range, three hole academy course, two practice putting greens and a chipping area.
bowood-golf.co.uk
BATH GOLF CLUB
Bath Golf Club, established in 1880, was only the sixth golf club to be formed in the UK. Laid out on Hampton Down, the course occupies a prominent position on the Bath skyline with stunning views of the city and the surrounding countryside. The 18-hole, 6442 yard, par 71 course uses the natural contours to create undulating fairways. The springy downland turf over shallow soil on limestone drains exceptionally well so it is a good year round course.
Alongside the clubhouse is “Sham Castle”, which looks like a castle from the front elevation, as seen from the city below, but is in reality only two-dimensional. This extraordinary folly was commissioned by the Eighteenth Century entrepreneur Ralph Allen, to showcase stone from the quarries he owned at Combe Down. Located just a mile from the city centre, Bath Golf Club welcomes visitors subject to tee reservations but a valid handicap certificate is required.
bathgolfclub.org.uk
THE MANOR HOUSE AT CASTLE COMBE
This eighteen-hole, par 72 course designed by Peter Allis is set in the estate of the Manor House at Castle Combe. Built in ancient woodland there is a proliferation of natural and manmade water features including the signature waterfall on the eighteenth hole. Club hire and golf shoes are available from the Pro Shop. Tee times should be booked two weeks ahead and a handicap certificate is required.
exclusive.hotels.co.uk
BATH PUBLIC GOLF FACILITIES FOR THE “UNDISCOVERED” TIGER WOODS
Bath & North East Somerset maintain two public golf courses in Bath which are ideal for anyone who wants to try their hand at golf without having to join a club. Bath Approach Golf Course with two par three courses is situated in Royal Victoria Park. Beginners are welcomed, professional lessons and tuition can be arranged and there is a pitch and putt course nearby.
Entry Hill is a picturesque pay and play nine hole course on the southern slopes of the city with stunning views. The basic fees are just £7.50 for a round of nine holes with discounts for juniors and seniors. There is no need to wear fancy golf shoes, trainers are acceptable and professionals are on hand to guide and encourage. There is a practice driving net, chipping area and putting green as well as a shop selling equipment and a refreshment area. Pre booking is recommended for both courses.
If you are visiting the area with the kind of teenagers who like a new challenge, their first round of golf might well be the highlight of the trip and a chance for their parents to uncover a budding Tiger Woods. A number of hotels in Bath offer free golf at Entry Hill.
bathpublicgolf.co.uk
For further information on sporting activities in and around the city of Bath please consult visitbath .co.uk. With its glorious architecture and historical heritage, vibrant restaurant and retail scene and wide choice of accommodation, Bath is among Britain’s favourite destinations for a city break. The beautiful countryside around Bath is an added bonus and can be explored on foot or bike or even on horseback for those who like some fresh air with their exercise.
