The Springs – Stay and Play
- Location Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
- Founded 1998.
- Architect Brian Hugget and Tim Lobb.
- GF Monday – Thursday £50. Friday – Sunday & Bank Holidays – £60.
- Par 72 – 6,481 yards.
- Contact The Springs (opens in new tab).
Situated in the Chiltern hills in Oxfordshire, The Springs Golf Resort and Spa is a newly refurbished golf club that is the perfect destination if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of London. Built on a 133 acre plot of land that was once owned by legendary guitarist Ian Gillan from the band Deep Purple, the resort is surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful farmland that provides a picturesque backdrop to your round. It is just over an hour’s drive from the capital, and while golf is the main attraction here, there’s plenty on offer at The Springs for the non-golfer, too.
(Image credit: Azalea)
The Golf Course
The first thing that struck us when we arrived was just how quiet it was. While Deep Purple were once considered one of the loudest bands in the world, we were greeted with the serene sounds of the countryside when we first pulled up, as well as the occasional thwack of someone’s driver off the first tee.
The course first opened back in 1998 and was initially designed by former Ryder Cup Captain Brian Huggett. The estate was subsequently bought by Darwin Escapes in 2017 and has undergone a significant renovation since. Renowned course architect Tim Lobb has updated the layout of the grounds, notably improving the shaping and height of the many bunkers that adorn the fairways, raising several greens, while also re-building and improving the waterways around the site. The work has resulted in the course now being one of the finest in the south-east and hosted the British Speed Golf Championship in 2022.
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t hold out during our first round. We got soaked. But that gave us a great chance to see what the course played like in wet conditions, and I have to say, I was very impressed. A lot of courses in the UK can struggle to cope when the rain is pouring, but having been built on the banks of the River Thames, the course seemed to drain well, didn’t become too saturated and the greens held on nicely considering the downpour.
(Image credit: Azalea)
There are tees to suit all abilities and you’ll start your round on a pretty interesting first hole that shares a double green with the 6th. Flighting the ball around the trees and bunkers located in centre of the fairway…
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