Going for Golf

Heythrop - not your usual park

Heythrop Park

So when he said the prospect of working on Heythrop Park was “a dream come true” it underlined the huge potential of this 440-acre site near Chipping Norton, in in the delightful Oxfordshire countryside.
Before its opening in October 2009, the fact he went on to describe the £50m project as having been a “formidable challenge” stressed how much hard work went into trying to fulfill that promise.

Mackenzie is a strong believer in using the natural landscape and with the help of parkland experts and English Heritage, he’s successfully avoided spoiling more than 300 years of history. The parkland layout has been replanted in the same style as it was centuries ago, while the outside appearance of the clubhouse remains untouched.

Although the Bainbridge course circulates around the splendid 17th century Heythrop Park house, which doubles up as a hotel and wedding venue, two holes were specifically designed not to interfere with the views. The feature holes are in the middle of each half. The wall down the right and a deceptively undulating green make the fourth a good test, before the path takes you through Foxberry Wood to a couple of drivable dog-leg par fours over water. Having a crack at the green on hole five is easier but the sixth offers the better incentive for anyone who can find the dance floor in one – the club will waive the joining fee on your membership fee. All four of the short holes are also good challenges, with water gobbling up anything wayward on the ninth and 13th holes.

In places, it looks like a new course, especially with the drainage and the sapling trees, but it can resemble older, more established tracks at other times. This is the case with the 14th hole. It’s a long, undulating par five which sweeps around the trees away to the left – a bit like the 13th hole at Augusta.

Many courses like to leave their best until last and the most memorable hole at Heythrop is almost certainly the 18th. In a strange way, it could also be described as the dullest hole. It’s just so straight forward. You tee the ball up and go straight… forward… and a couple of club lengths less than 600 yards later you’re on the green in front of the main house. No bunkers. No water. There are trees on either side of the fairway, but they’re exactly the same distance apart all the way from tee-to-green. At the end of a marathon round, it’s the golfing equivalent of playing down The Mall towards a mini Buck Palace. So boring… it’s brilliantly memorable!

It’s a fair course but with some long walks between tees, it could be advisable to use a buggy, although that might not be possible during the winter. The driving range, where a player can hit balls from either end, is positioned within a wedge’s distance of the clubhouse, while the putting, chipping and bunker areas are also close by.

Although the clubhouse doesn’t look anything special from the outside it has a 21st century feel once you get inside, including a health club, infinity swimming pool, gym, spa and sauna, plus all the trimmings. There are separate changing rooms for the golfers, the club shop has the basics, while the bar and restaurant are the ideal sizes to cope with all types of events.

For those wanting to stay overnight, the resort can offer accommodation in the existing Heythrop Park Hotel, which boasts an impressive selection of 154 bedrooms. But, if that’s not enough, this autumn will see the grand opening of the new 197-bedroom, Crowne Plaza Hotel, which will be the first to be built outside a city centre or an airport location.

This resort can cater for all types of groups and the management are keen to stress they are aiming at just that: golf members, corporate groups and also those players who just want to have the occasional round.

Unlike some other golf resorts which are being forced to cut their prices to pull in the punters, Heythrop Park is hoping to increase its price in the future, because it’s currently too cheap. At just £50 a round in the week and £70 at the weekend until the end of March 2010, it’s probably best therefore to get in now, as this is no ordinary golf resort.