D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
Our Swindle went here over the last couple of days
It was all a bit last minute so we struggled at first to find a venue that was in the middle as we have mates from the NE who join us but we finally managed to get two rounds dinner bed and breakfast at Portal for £109
Had a quick look at reviews and they weren't inspiring but it's with mates so should be a good time
On the Sunday we turned up to play the Premier Course - we were early so we had a bit of lunch at the Hotel , pretty good food and well priced and it didn't seem too busy
Drove down the road to the course , it look a good venue at first glance , nice big clubhouse, the little pro shop didn't have much stock but enough to get food and drink for the round
Onto the course - it looked very hilly and being a pretty windy day it was going to be a tough day. All the tees and fairways were in very good condition but the greens had been hollow tinned recently and hadn't fully recovered yet so they had let the grass grow a bit so they were very slow with the odd bobbles. The layout of the course though is very good , some really tough holes , big par fives and very testing par 3's. The loop down the bottom with the water was very good and it had a testing final stretch. Overall it's a very good course for a resort second course - would have been even better if the greens had recovered
After a night of food and drinks in a very nice hotel with drinks being well priced ( certainly not fleecing you like Marriott and Q do )
Next day we played the Portal Champ course - the Pro Shop told us the greens were in better condition but they had been full of diseases a while back but were recovering. It was a very windy day but the course started with two gentle Par 4's and you could see the greens were in better nick. You then went behind the hotel to play a loop of holes at the bottom of the course - some testing par 5's with ponds and streams weaving their way around - then back to the hill side of the course and into a brutal wind. Overall again another very good layout Course , it was in better conditions especially the greens which were very tough - lots of 3 or 4 putts happening during the day.
I would say as a two day package with all the food included and for £109 it was a lot better than all the others I have been too recently - Forest of Arden , Forest Pines , Hill Valley
It was all a bit last minute so we struggled at first to find a venue that was in the middle as we have mates from the NE who join us but we finally managed to get two rounds dinner bed and breakfast at Portal for £109
Had a quick look at reviews and they weren't inspiring but it's with mates so should be a good time
On the Sunday we turned up to play the Premier Course - we were early so we had a bit of lunch at the Hotel , pretty good food and well priced and it didn't seem too busy
Drove down the road to the course , it look a good venue at first glance , nice big clubhouse, the little pro shop didn't have much stock but enough to get food and drink for the round
Onto the course - it looked very hilly and being a pretty windy day it was going to be a tough day. All the tees and fairways were in very good condition but the greens had been hollow tinned recently and hadn't fully recovered yet so they had let the grass grow a bit so they were very slow with the odd bobbles. The layout of the course though is very good , some really tough holes , big par fives and very testing par 3's. The loop down the bottom with the water was very good and it had a testing final stretch. Overall it's a very good course for a resort second course - would have been even better if the greens had recovered
After a night of food and drinks in a very nice hotel with drinks being well priced ( certainly not fleecing you like Marriott and Q do )
Next day we played the Portal Champ course - the Pro Shop told us the greens were in better condition but they had been full of diseases a while back but were recovering. It was a very windy day but the course started with two gentle Par 4's and you could see the greens were in better nick. You then went behind the hotel to play a loop of holes at the bottom of the course - some testing par 5's with ponds and streams weaving their way around - then back to the hill side of the course and into a brutal wind. Overall again another very good layout Course , it was in better conditions especially the greens which were very tough - lots of 3 or 4 putts happening during the day.
I would say as a two day package with all the food included and for £109 it was a lot better than all the others I have been too recently - Forest of Arden , Forest Pines , Hill Valley
