Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf and Spa

Lime street golf society played here Sunday 22nd March 2015 on arrival our Bacon Barms were cold and there was some discrepency about what our final bill was. the facilities are brilliant but the course was shabby ,the fairways had not been cut even though we had not really had much rain ,the greens were awful bare in places and bumpy they seemed neglected . When we confirmed our numbers five days before we added a pudding on to our meal which we did'nt get,although the Lamb meal afterwards was fantastic . overall golf societies seem to be a burden for Hill Valley our society will not play here again

I played on 29th July (on a voucher but will asess value) on the basis of a £15 green fee. This is typical of many courses attached to hotels/spas with some water trees and was in good condition. There are several changes of elevation on the holes (with few doglegs) but the grrens were some of the flattest I have seen. Apart from a run of dull holes from 9 to 14 there is a fair challenge (2,5,8,16 and 18 are good holes)but I would not rush to play here again.

Me and 11 year old son played the courses as part of a £95 one night dinner bed and breakfast and unlimited golf package (thats in total not each), FANTASTIC VALUE played the emerald champonship course on the first day and 9 holes off the shorter sapphire and a full emerald course again on day two Getting the "grumbles" out of the way first. didnt really care for the sapphire course which had suffered from being wery wet (although it was sunny when we played) and a bit short and tight so we switched back to the emerald. Practice facilities are also limited with a 6 hole practice putting green by the first but the pitching and driving area near the 11th tee which is nowhere near the first !!!!! a really good 36 holes on the championship course,first day had had heavy rain but fortunately when we got on the first tee the rain stopped and it was dry for the rest of the round, the course itself had excellent drainage although the greens certainly at the start of the round suffered from being quite wet (understandable) day two was glorious sunshine (didnt even need to play in a sweater considering its late october) and the course much much drier. the course has some great holes particularly the last a 380 yard par 4 with a shot over a pond to the green. some difficult par threes which all required long straight shots. and the par 5 5th hole was also difficult with a dog leg left which didnt come into play unitil 300 yards from the tee one note of caution. virtually all holes on this course are lines with trees and as a result the fairwaya are covered with leaves which left ball spotting very difficult at times, but thats a minor point. If a great deal like this is on during the February half term we make a return trip for certain !!!

I played Emerald course on 17th June 2010 Good layout. Some tree lined fairways. Ponds and ditches. I liked it because the greens were not bumpy and the holes were not flat. A lot of the bunkers were terrible - not enough sand and too many weeds and/or footprints.

Played the Sapphire course this week and was pleasently surprised. I had been told that it was very much the poor relation of the Emerald course,which I have played with a society earlier in the year. To get the negatives out of the way, the bunkers aren't good as they all seem to have a shallow layer of sand in them. Also, for those who enjoy a big hitting game it is not ideal. No practice facilities is a drawback too. That out of the way, the fairways were well maintained and the greens were very good. The course was challenging and each hole required a bit of thought. Full use has been made of the terrain and natural features. Some great scenery as well!! Particular mention has to be made regarding the staff. One of our party was feeling unwell and the staff were on the scene in minutes to convey him back to the clubhouse. Thanks guys. Much appreciated. Oh, and by the way. The round cost £10. This was not a special or a society rate either. Great value.

cracking course, but quite a challenge with the narrow fairways and fast greens. We went there on a golf breaks Sunday driver deal which was £80 2 rounds bnb and evening meal. Hotel rooms were very nice and food was excellent. The only bad point was the lack of practice facilities especially the putting green. Overall a great deal for the money.

great hotel facilitys,top quality food and staff.playemerald course a good test of anyones game,course just lacked practice facilitys very good greens and fairways

Our society visited at the beginning of September 2006. The service in the hotel/clubhouse was abysmal - most society members didn't receive their lunch-time snack. Two members could not play on the day due to one being hospitalised because of a severe heart condition . The Macdonald Hotel organisation has since refused to offer any refund! Generally the two courses were a bit scrappy between green and tee; not up to the standard you would have expected for the green fees. There are however, some excellently designed holes that wind through the trees and the local geography has been used to its full potential. Unfortunately,I can not recommend this course if you are after a pleasant days golf in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

Played at the end of July , greens were good,fairways were average due to hot weather,(practice putting green was awful), bunkers did not have enough sand in and were rock hard underneath. Meals were good - but the overall impression our society were left with was that the course was a bit scruffy, the money spent at the venue seems to have been spent internally and to promote internal functions- rather than enhancing the whole golfing experience, outside the changing rooms(which were average at best for this type of venue) had a run down feel to it and a bit of a walk to the 1st tee. The fact they allowed a bouncy castle at the back of the 1st tee and a bbq at the edge of the practice putting green (ladies in stillettoes putting on it- etc)seemed to say it all. Can't see our society back there for a while, although the course itself was okay and the meal excellent.

A party of 28 of us played the Emerald course on 21/6. The greens were tremendous, slick as you like but very hard with little chance of staying on the green with a mid to long iron, The bunkers were poor. A very thin layer of sand and concrete underneath.Many of then had been attacked by rabbits or something bigger as there were holes in many of the faces that had obviously been there some time. Fairways great except 18. Tees need a lot of work as they are bone hard and its difficult to get a tee peg in. As a challenge it cannot be faulted and the setting is superb. They say that McDonalds have spent a million on the facilities. They need to spend a lot of money on the course. Food adequate. Drinks- take out a mortgage. Two lagers and two diet cokes just short of £10. A glass of wine with the meal £3 and a bottle of ordinary Rioja £23!!!!!

Played it two days ago in nice conditions and found the greens to be rather poor, considering it's such a nice course you expect better. It's not somewhere you can expect to play to your handicap on your first (or even second) attempt as quite often a long fairway drive isn't good enough, it needs to be on the correct side of the fairway to avoid trees on the second shot. There are many blind tee shots which make this even more relevant. I must have played at least 6 shots 20 yards sideways to give myself a shot and of them only half were my fault as they were poor drives. It's good to have 100, 150 & 200 yards markers that are accurate which will definitely assist you but don't bother asking the locals for advice as they think they are too posh for the likes of society golfers. Still I had a good day but if it was raining I might have been a bit disappointed. Don't carry your bag as it's a long trek and as the name says it's rather hilly. £3.70 A PINT IN THE CLUB HOUSE!!! and £2.90 i think it was for an awful bacon butty which took 25 minutes to arrive. Someone was complaining about their food as I ordered mine so maybe I should have just got a bag of crisps instead.

Just spent 2 days having 'fun' on the Emerald course. I have only been playing for 3 months and normally play on a very forgiving, wide course in Burnley. I found this course very difficult but entertaining. My Partner had the worst game of his life and if like him your balls have tree magnets in them you will become very frustrated as there are billions of trees all over. He did go on to beat me the following day. The course is very well kept, not a boggy patch in sight despite rain for a few days previously. The greens were fast and full greens were in use the week before Christmas. Had a decent lunch in the clubhouse and it was reasonably priced. If you want a good weekend away without the expense and time of traveling I would strongly reckomend this club. I liked it that much I even bought the T-shirt.

i have only played it once can not wait to play it again can not fault it one of best courses i have been to wonderful.

I have played at this course on about 5 occassions during this year and have thoroughly enjoyed every time even though I have not scored highly on it. The front nine I find is much more forgiving than the latter and I usually score quite well on this but always ruin my score on the back. I have played numerous courses over the years as I enjoy different challenges rather than being stuck at one club and this ranks in the top 3 for having a bit of everything i.e water, doglegs, hills, valleys etc etc. As far as value for money goes this is second to none as everytime time I have been there has been a 2 for 1 offer on. Greens are superb even after a lot of rain they are still quick and are always receptive. Fairways are in the best condition I have come across in this country on par with Ireland. I cannot fault this club at all apart from it is to far away from my house to join!

This is a testing track, that plays all year round & that never lets you off the hook, the par 3's are a joy especially the 177yrd 4th up-hill over a valley & entrance road to the club. If you are a hole behind going into the 18th keep your nerve & lay up in front of the small pond protecting the green, you could walk into the 19th honors even, as we did. We played last on Christmas eve and there was'nt a temporary green in site.

I am a bit bemused as to why the smaller course is not kept to the same high standards as that of the larger course. If people are parting with hard earned cash, then they should be able to enjoy their golf whatever the standard/length of course. This is very nearly a perfect golf complex.

THE SAPPHIRE IS A REEL TOUGH AND TESTING COURSE. WITH A LOT OF WATER, BUT THE GREENS ARE IN NEED OF SOME WORK TO GET THEM RIGHT URGENTLY.

A very formidable golf experience on the longer course, the longish opening hole requires a nice straight drive down a small corridor of trees with out of bounds on the left awaiting the second shot if you are short! The shorter course has some tricky hazrds to negotiate and makes full use of the steep slopes to ensure that the holes seem long even if they are not. Accomodation on course and also where I stayed (Terrick Hall Hotel) just a couple of minutes walk are well worth the extra £££s for those wanting a couple of days excellent golfing!

The smaller course is a real challenge that belies its sss - the greens are tortuously uneven at times. The larger course is a very difficult and enjoyable ! experience. Both courses are beautifully situated and kept. A truly enjoyable golfing day out - and, no. I don't work for the club!