Time for Tee
Golf is one of the most popular past times in the UK, with 1,872 courses in England alone. With its undulating hills and sheep-filled fields, the Cotswolds is perhaps not somewhere you would automatically consider for a golfing break. The region is however home to several excellent courses suiting golfers of all abilities. You’ll be able to play surrounded by beautiful scenery and maybe the odd sheep or two!
Below you’ll find a few of our favourite courses along with some handpicked cottages to match, meaning you can plan a golfing break and explore the delights of the Cotswolds at the same time.
Broadway Golf Club
The Broadway Golf Club lies on the Cotswold escarpment and offers 18 holes with stunning views over the Vale of Evesham to the Malvern Hills and Black Mountains in the distance. The par 72 course over 6,184 yards features holes with natural and artificial hazards. The course is characterised by undulating fairways, drystone walls and has been a sheep walk over the centuries. There are three superb par 3’s but the 5th stands out as the signature hole. When the elements are against you, Broadway can be a challenge.
Box Cottage is a pretty retreat that sleeps four guests in Broadway itself, whilst Sundial Cottage in nearby Weston-Subedge is a traditional stone cottage on a working farm. If your party is larger, Colebrook Cottage in Blockley is a fabulous 18th-century former police station that can sleep up to eight.
Manor House Golf Club
Bordering the village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, the Manor House Golf Club is a championship 18-hole course tucked into 365 acres of countryside. Mature oaks and beech trees line the fairways, whilst the River Bybrook meanders through the middle of the immaculate greens. Expect dramatic drives, holes that amble through a pretty valley and a water hazard or two. Manor House is often regarded as being home to the prettiest 18th hole in England. When you reach the halfway point, take a breather in style with refreshments at the converted Airstream trailer.
Just six miles from the Manor House is Candlemaker’s Cottage, a beautifully furnished Georgian townhouse that sleeps six. Candlemaker’s is perfectly placed for exploring Castle Combe, Bath and the Cotswolds as well as playing golf. Bull Pen is a fabulous retreat for two in the village of Dyrham. This converted barn has exposed stone walls with natural textiles and colours, whilst outside you can explore the 500-acre farm and 70 acres of private woodland. Larger groups can stay on the same farm in Middle Barn, which sleeps six.
Cotswold Edge Golf Club
Cotswold Edge Golf Club is one of the most scenic in the Cotswolds, it lies on the edge of the Cotswold Escarpment with far-reaching views over the historic wool town of Wotton-under-Edge to the Gloucestershire Severn Vale, the Brecon Beacons, Malvern Hills, and Wales. So, even if the golf isn’t going according to plan, you can still soak in the magnificent views. The course is a challenging par 71 measuring just over 6,000 yards. The front nine holes follow an open, traditional parkland layout; the back nine are shorter but a good test.
Couples can stay close to hand in the charming Cotswold town of Tetbury, just 8-miles from the golf club. Hayloft at Walnut Farm is an immaculate holiday home with oak beams and a wood-burning stove in peaceful countryside. Alternatively, Matara Lodge is the original gatehouse to Kingscote Park House and has been converted into a cosy hideaway for two. For something truly special, Grindstone Mill is a stunning 6-bedroom Cotswold home close to Wotton-under-Edge that sleeps 12 in a magical setting.
Cleeve Hill Golf Club
Cleeve is a heathland golf course that uses the natural contours and undulations of Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds. The views are breathtaking, stretching to the Forest of Dean, the Malvern’s and beyond to the Brecon Beacons, with the Regency spa town of Cheltenham lying in the bowl below. Sheep freely wander the course, often hiding in the lee of the hill when the weather changes, which it can do in an instant. This is not a course of pristine greens and immaculate fairways; it can be challenging and on occasion frustrating but will certainly provide a memorable round of golf.
Lying close the Cheltenham Spa there are plenty of places close by to stay including the collection of cottages at Sudeley Castle in nearby Winchcombe. Whether you are a party of 2 or a family group of 14 there will be something to suit. Steeped in a thousand years of history including its place as the final resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s last wife, Sudeley is a fascinating place to discover and guests staying the Sudeley cottages enjoy free access to the castle and gardens (during open season).
Feldon Valley
This charming 6,230 Par 71 golf course lies in the heart of the Cotswolds and has been designed to suit all abilities. The greens and fairways run through the beautiful countryside where the wonderful views change with the seasons. The Kitchen offers a menu of local and seasonal ingredients and is a lovely spot for dinner after a few holes of golf.
Just five miles from Feldon Valley is the beautiful period property Thatch Cottage. This delightful home has a thatched porch, a pretty garden, and a farm shop within a short stroll. Thatch Cottage sleeps six guests and is a great base from which to explore the attractions of the north Cotswolds.
Bay Tree Cottage is a pretty Cotswold stone cottage that sleeps six in the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, which is just 8-miles from Feldon Valley. After a day on the golf course, you can leave the car behind and walk into town with a selection of shops, pubs, and restaurants.
