:rant:
Well, where do I start, I was playing and staying at the above named resort and I won't be hurrying back!
I wasn't due to play until 14.15hrs on Sunday, but due to meeting many people I'd not met before of which some had flown in from Norway, Sweden & Denmark, and knowing they had stayed the night before, I wanted to arrive in good time, have a breakfast and be well prepared for a round with plenty of fuel in me due to the hot weather.
I went straight to the restaurant on arrival just before 10am Sunday, I was duly sat down in the reception whilst they prepared a table for me, I was then called through after about 10 minutes. I was then asked if I wanted toast along with tea/coffee and a cooked breakfast, after confirming my order I went down to the buffet for cereal, fruit juice etc. I returned to the buffet area for a second visit due to the wait for some more juice and on return to my table my tea & toast had been left on my table, but, I had to wave down a waiter to get me some butter, and then a teaspoon along with some sugar all of which was missing from my table!
The cooked breakfast then arrived which consisted of the smallest sausage I've even seen, unless it was on the end of a cocktail stick, a desert spoon of beans, a cremated black pudding, a poached egg and a mini rasher of bacon, again I had to ask for some salt & pepper as it was missing off my table, they then put the bill in a nice leather wallet on my table and duly charged me £21.50
I then drove the small distance (5 minutes) to the Premier course which I didn't realise was actually at another site with its own clubhouse away from the main resort. On arrival some of the people I'd played with before 2 years ago in Chepstow were there along with some newbies, I ordered a drink and asked for my 20% pre-arranged discount but was informed that only applied at the main hotel/course and not at the Premier course! Why? it's 1 hotel/resort and 1 booking
2pm was looming so I popped into the Pro shop and there's no water, just a few sugary bottles of pop left which I didn't want! 2 of the big lads asked about a buggy and were firmly told with a "I don't really care attitude" that there were none available, although there were about 8 outside that had been returned from the morning rounds and not even put back on charge!
I was now at the 1st tee, I'm in the last group so I wasn't expecting a quick round to be fair but there was far too much flaffing about going on in front of me at times, and it didn't take long to realise that the Premier course was the runt of the litter!
The greens were possibly the poorest I've ever played on, they pushed Mentmore for the title, they were that slow and bobbly I needed to use my putter like a croquet hammer, the fairways needed a shave, no sorry, they needed a serious cut, in the middle of the fairway and it felt like 2nd cut with patches and clumps of grass here and there!
It was very rowdy out on the course, people shouting from the tree's and nearby fairways from other groups (not ours) with no thought that you were teeing off only 25 yards away!
There were some interesting holes to be fair but with it being quite hilly, which felt even tougher and longer because of the 5 hours we were out in the sweltering heat, who wants to finish with a par 5 all uphill when you're flagging & knackered!
Anyway, off the Premier course and headed straight back to the main hotel to book-in and then meet in the bar.
My room was excellent, superb big bed and excellent ensuite facilities, quick shower and then headed to the bar for the stories to be told of the day.
After a few beers we all then headed to the restaurant for our pre-ordered meal, we ordered some wine as we sat down and had to chase it at least 3 times as we had finished our starters and still had no wine, only then to be told they had no glasses!! It's a hotel FFS, where's the wine glasses?
The wine eventually arrived as I just started my main meal, I had pre-ordered Beef Bourguignon with seasoned vegetables, what I actually got was some flaked beef put in a round cup and turned upside on my plate, dry, and with 2 shavings off a carrot and a shaved parsnip placed on some creamy mashed potato, so they can shave the veggies but not the fairways My Banana Parfait was nothing to shout about either, so a very disappointing experience in the restaurant again!
A late night ensued, fines (by drink) were issued out for various things and it was very unusual for me but I was the last to go to bed at 02.30hrs :cheers:
A good night's (few hours) sleep and up for breakfast with a slightly sore head, as I was sat down again I was asked if I wanted tea and toast, I went and got my cereal & juice from the buffet, my cooked breakfast arrived about 20 minutes later, I'd finished everything before my toast & tea arrived which was just as I about to leave the restaurant and duly told the waiter & waitress it's a bit late, isn't it?!
I was in the first group on the Monday morning at 09.20hrs so at 08.30 I went into the Pro shop for some water, but there was none, nothing, not a drop! again it was going to be a very hot day and they couldn't supply any water to take out with you, so we were scrapping about for empty bottles to fill up with tap water! We were told that there were vending machines in a halfway house that should be full though so we only had to make it there with our initial water supply, but they lied, why say that if you can't back it up, the vending machine was empty and we were out early, not late in the day, luckily we spotted a tap and topped our water up otherwise I think some of us could have walked in because it was bloody hot and I was starting to struggle and run out of gas myself, even though I was having a great front 9 being 2 under handicap!
I started to walk to the 1st tee on the Championship course at 09.00hrs for our 09.20 tee time and there were 4 groups of 4-balls queuing up already and counting how many there were, we weren't going to be teeing off on time or before 09.30!? No starter so no control
Immediately I was far more impressed with the Championship course, the greens were much better, quicker with no bobbles, the early greens still had a lot of dew on them so they don't swish them first thing so you had to allow for a few speed boat putts early on but they were miles better than the Premier. The course was a bit more open but I liked the general layout and some of the views were stunning because of the hilly terrain and there was some nice on the eye holes standing on some tee's, but like all courses you play for the first time you were a little blind at times and with a lot of our overseas players not having course planners, because the Pro shop didn't have any, and the GPS not telling the whole story of what was ahead of you or the best side of the fairway to be, you could constantly find yourself blocked out by a few stand alone trees in the middle of some blind fairways! Some nice par 3's with water as a defence and overall I enjoyed the Championship course, but, due to the fiasco at the hotel, which wasn't isolated and the very poor Premier course, the damage was done and I wouldn't hurry back!
OK, for £130 for bed, breakfast evening meal and 2 rounds of golf you can say it's very good value, although I paid £170 as I had a single room, but, I'd have paid more to not have all the issues I experienced in the Pro shops, out on the courses and in the hotel, it has the ability to be great, but quite simply it isn't managed from the ground level up and so you're left with more stories of disappointment than positives!
:rant:
Well, where do I start, I was playing and staying at the above named resort and I won't be hurrying back!
I wasn't due to play until 14.15hrs on Sunday, but due to meeting many people I'd not met before of which some had flown in from Norway, Sweden & Denmark, and knowing they had stayed the night before, I wanted to arrive in good time, have a breakfast and be well prepared for a round with plenty of fuel in me due to the hot weather.
I went straight to the restaurant on arrival just before 10am Sunday, I was duly sat down in the reception whilst they prepared a table for me, I was then called through after about 10 minutes. I was then asked if I wanted toast along with tea/coffee and a cooked breakfast, after confirming my order I went down to the buffet for cereal, fruit juice etc. I returned to the buffet area for a second visit due to the wait for some more juice and on return to my table my tea & toast had been left on my table, but, I had to wave down a waiter to get me some butter, and then a teaspoon along with some sugar all of which was missing from my table!
The cooked breakfast then arrived which consisted of the smallest sausage I've even seen, unless it was on the end of a cocktail stick, a desert spoon of beans, a cremated black pudding, a poached egg and a mini rasher of bacon, again I had to ask for some salt & pepper as it was missing off my table, they then put the bill in a nice leather wallet on my table and duly charged me £21.50
I then drove the small distance (5 minutes) to the Premier course which I didn't realise was actually at another site with its own clubhouse away from the main resort. On arrival some of the people I'd played with before 2 years ago in Chepstow were there along with some newbies, I ordered a drink and asked for my 20% pre-arranged discount but was informed that only applied at the main hotel/course and not at the Premier course! Why? it's 1 hotel/resort and 1 booking
2pm was looming so I popped into the Pro shop and there's no water, just a few sugary bottles of pop left which I didn't want! 2 of the big lads asked about a buggy and were firmly told with a "I don't really care attitude" that there were none available, although there were about 8 outside that had been returned from the morning rounds and not even put back on charge!
I was now at the 1st tee, I'm in the last group so I wasn't expecting a quick round to be fair but there was far too much flaffing about going on in front of me at times, and it didn't take long to realise that the Premier course was the runt of the litter!
The greens were possibly the poorest I've ever played on, they pushed Mentmore for the title, they were that slow and bobbly I needed to use my putter like a croquet hammer, the fairways needed a shave, no sorry, they needed a serious cut, in the middle of the fairway and it felt like 2nd cut with patches and clumps of grass here and there!
It was very rowdy out on the course, people shouting from the tree's and nearby fairways from other groups (not ours) with no thought that you were teeing off only 25 yards away!
There were some interesting holes to be fair but with it being quite hilly, which felt even tougher and longer because of the 5 hours we were out in the sweltering heat, who wants to finish with a par 5 all uphill when you're flagging & knackered!
Anyway, off the Premier course and headed straight back to the main hotel to book-in and then meet in the bar.
My room was excellent, superb big bed and excellent ensuite facilities, quick shower and then headed to the bar for the stories to be told of the day.
After a few beers we all then headed to the restaurant for our pre-ordered meal, we ordered some wine as we sat down and had to chase it at least 3 times as we had finished our starters and still had no wine, only then to be told they had no glasses!! It's a hotel FFS, where's the wine glasses?
The wine eventually arrived as I just started my main meal, I had pre-ordered Beef Bourguignon with seasoned vegetables, what I actually got was some flaked beef put in a round cup and turned upside on my plate, dry, and with 2 shavings off a carrot and a shaved parsnip placed on some creamy mashed potato, so they can shave the veggies but not the fairways
My Banana Parfait was nothing to shout about either, so a very disappointing experience in the restaurant again!A late night ensued, fines (by drink) were issued out for various things and it was very unusual for me but I was the last to go to bed at 02.30hrs
:cheers:A good night's (few hours) sleep and up for breakfast with a slightly sore head, as I was sat down again I was asked if I wanted tea and toast, I went and got my cereal & juice from the buffet, my cooked breakfast arrived about 20 minutes later, I'd finished everything before my toast & tea arrived which was just as I about to leave the restaurant and duly told the waiter & waitress it's a bit late, isn't it?!
I was in the first group on the Monday morning at 09.20hrs so at 08.30 I went into the Pro shop for some water, but there was none, nothing, not a drop! again it was going to be a very hot day and they couldn't supply any water to take out with you, so we were scrapping about for empty bottles to fill up with tap water! We were told that there were vending machines in a halfway house that should be full though so we only had to make it there with our initial water supply, but they lied, why say that if you can't back it up, the vending machine was empty and we were out early, not late in the day, luckily we spotted a tap and topped our water up otherwise I think some of us could have walked in because it was bloody hot and I was starting to struggle and run out of gas myself, even though I was having a great front 9 being 2 under handicap!
I started to walk to the 1st tee on the Championship course at 09.00hrs for our 09.20 tee time and there were 4 groups of 4-balls queuing up already and counting how many there were, we weren't going to be teeing off on time or before 09.30!? No starter so no control
Immediately I was far more impressed with the Championship course, the greens were much better, quicker with no bobbles, the early greens still had a lot of dew on them so they don't swish them first thing so you had to allow for a few speed boat putts early on but they were miles better than the Premier. The course was a bit more open but I liked the general layout and some of the views were stunning because of the hilly terrain and there was some nice on the eye holes standing on some tee's, but like all courses you play for the first time you were a little blind at times and with a lot of our overseas players not having course planners, because the Pro shop didn't have any, and the GPS not telling the whole story of what was ahead of you or the best side of the fairway to be, you could constantly find yourself blocked out by a few stand alone trees in the middle of some blind fairways! Some nice par 3's with water as a defence and overall I enjoyed the Championship course, but, due to the fiasco at the hotel, which wasn't isolated and the very poor Premier course, the damage was done and I wouldn't hurry back!
OK, for £130 for bed, breakfast evening meal and 2 rounds of golf you can say it's very good value, although I paid £170 as I had a single room, but, I'd have paid more to not have all the issues I experienced in the Pro shops, out on the courses and in the hotel, it has the ability to be great, but quite simply it isn't managed from the ground level up and so you're left with more stories of disappointment than positives!
:rant:
