The Belfry is up for sale

[kevinmarkham]

Hard to believe that a golf resort which has hosted the Ryder Cup on 4 occasions (and hoped to host it again) is up for sale, at half the price paid for it six years ago. So, if your granny gave you a nice Christmas cheque for £90 million, now's the time!

 

[gripitripit]

It is owned by the Quinn Group. They are proper in the poo. Company I work for was/is looking to buy a different part of Quinns. I was hoping they would buy the lot and get staff discount at The Belfry.
Quinns also own the Crown Plaza hotel in Cambridge which is also up for sale.

 

[thecraw]

Hard to believe that a golf resort which has hosted the Ryder Cup on 4 occasions (and hoped to host it again) is up for sale, at half the price paid for it six years ago. So, if your granny gave you a nice Christmas cheque for £90 million, now's the time!

No thanks. There's only so much that a bulldozer can successfully do. I,d rather buy a string of granny retirement homes, better investment from your investment.

 

[CMAC]

I went there once and was very unimpressed, tired and a tad shabby (the place not me), course was pretty average IMO, nice course but not a Ryder cup venue standard in my view and not a course you lust after wanting to play if you get my meaning.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I thought it was nice and good to tick off the must play list to say you've done it but I wouldn't rush back. I think the whole Belfry experience is showing its age a little and was a little underwhelmed by it all. Even as a hotel/golf resort there are many better offering better courses at better prices inclding St Pierre and the Forest of Arden (both hosted top pro events and the Solheim Cup in St Pierres case)

 

[Captainron]

I agree. I have ben twice and both times left me feeling like I had overpaid. I think that the PGA is actually a better course. The hotel needs alot of work and they are dining pout on past glories.

 

[mattdeeks]

Played there when GM went a few years ago. As Homer has said it was good to tick off courses to play. Would have enjoyed it more if I played better! Think I found every bit of water!

 

[fat-tiger]

wow times must be hard, never played it so dont no to much about it apart from what you see on tv

 

[Jaymosafehands]

wow times must be hard, never played it so dont no to much about it apart from what you see on tv

it's very tired. Played earlier in the year, and all 3 courses were in greg condition, but the hotel was expensive and shabby. Could be much, much better than it is. PGA is definitely the best of the courses.

 

[DavidO]

Would be a great purchase if the Euro lottery comes up (with the massive jackpot...)

 

[McilroyFan]

I don't think i will be able to afford it with my paper round money. My dad played the PGA course and said the price of the green fee was only as much as it was because the fact its the belfry so a bit over rated.

 

[MetalMickie]

I thought it was nice and good to tick off the must play list to say you've done it but I wouldn't rush back. I think the whole Belfry experience is showing its age a little and was a little underwhelmed by it all. Even as a hotel/golf resort there are many better offering better courses at better prices inclding St Pierre and the Forest of Arden (both hosted top pro events and the Solheim Cup in St Pierres case)

Speaking as a local & someone who has played both on a number of occasions I can only say that to compare Forest of Arden with The Belfry is like comparing Doncaster Rovers with Man City.
Also if you are not impressed with the Brabazon as a course I wouldn't suggest you play PGA Centenary at Gleneagles or the2010 at Celtic Manor.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I thought it was nice and good to tick off the must play list to say you've done it but I wouldn't rush back. I think the whole Belfry experience is showing its age a little and was a little underwhelmed by it all. Even as a hotel/golf resort there are many better offering better courses at better prices inclding St Pierre and the Forest of Arden (both hosted top pro events and the Solheim Cup in St Pierres case)

Speaking as a local & someone who has played both on a number of occasions I can only say that to compare Forest of Arden with The Belfry is like comparing Doncaster Rovers with Man City.
Also if you are not impressed with the Brabazon as a course I wouldn't suggest you play PGA Centenary at Gleneagles or the2010 at Celtic Manor.

Metalmicky, my point was, the FoA in particular was a top quality hotel where the food and service were top notch and you weren't made to feel you were being overcharged for the priviliege. The Belfry just seemed to have this weary air about it from the staff to the decor. The course was in better nick than the Brabazon and so I think it was a fair comparison. Both have staged PGA events and whilst I grant you the Belfry has the history through the RC I don't think it was a superior course. In fact, either of the other two courses were probably as good if not better.

Of course I've only played the FoA and the Belfry once and so I can only judge on what I saw and if you play it a lot more often then perhaps it grows. I do fail to see why I wouldn't be impressed with the PGA at Gleneagles or Celtic Manor. I haven't played them so don't have any pre-conceived ideas about what they'd be like and can only call it as I see it based on my own experiences

 

[MetalMickie]

I have played them & with regard to the PGA at Gleneagles I can only agree with the journo who described as "barely the fourth best course in Auchterarder!"
The back nine on the Arden course is decent, the front nine still immature despite being older than the Brabazon. The Aylesford course is, in my opinion, very poor. The merits of the two hotels I cannot comment on as, due to their proximity, I have no need to stay there.

 

[HRC99]

The Belfry has traded on the back of hosting Ryder Cup for many years and the problem it has it that, as the memories of those Ryder Cups diminish with time, so the allure of the course fades and it stands and falls on the quality of the course and facilities. Both of which are not as good as they should be.

The venue is in need of serious investment and has been for some years now. The problem is that, in this economic climate, where is that investment coming from?

 

[HRC99]

I have played them & with regard to the PGA at Gleneagles I can only agree with the journo who described as "barely the fourth best course in Auchterarder!"
The back nine on the Arden course is decent, the front nine still immature despite being older than the Brabazon. The Aylesford course is, in my opinion, very poor. The merits of the two hotels I cannot comment on as, due to their proximity, I have no need to stay there.

FoA is a much nicer hotel that the Belfry and the Arden a nice track. But that's the problem, the Belfry and FoA are "nice" tracks but no more. Certainly not worth special trips (unless you get a really good deal).

The PGA at Gleneagles is a decent track but just not a patch on the Kings or Queens. Celtic Manor is a nicely maintained field for me. Nothing particularly special about it other than the fact that it has hosted the Ryder Cup. But that's why these courses pay so much to get the Ryder Cup. It brings in revenue for years to come. The problem is what happens when that revenue starts to dry up.

 

[Andy]

A D11R and Iraq's red diesel reserves would knock it into shape.