If you picture the quintessential English village in your mind, there’s a good chance it resembles the idyllic Castle Combe in Wiltshire. The village takes its name from a 12th century castle and it lies within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. No new houses have been constructed since the 1600s and it’s often referred to as the prettiest village in England. I must admit I was taken aback when I walked through it for the first time.
The Manor House Hotel sits right in the heart of the village and is a majestic five-star property adorned with multi-coloured foliage on the outside. The 14th century structure is set in 365 acres of parkland and its 21 bedrooms and suites are complemented by 29 sumptuous cottages.
Castle Combe is an incredibly pretty village
(Image credit: The Manor House)
The Golf
The Manor House Golf Club – one of Golf Monthly’s Top 50 UK&I stay-and-play venues – is situated about a three-minute drive from the centre of Castle Combe. I’m struggling to think of a layout where fun is more to the fore – a product of the risk-reward nature of the course and the many changes in elevation, which are particularly prevalent on the par 3s. One word of advice, though: get a buggy (and this is coming from someone who loves to walk). The distances between some greens and tees are extreme.
After a relatively gentle opener, the par-3 2nd is the first taste of those elevation changes. It’s only a pitching wedge or a 9-iron, but shots are hit from a raised tee over a stream to a green site overlooked by hills and giant trees. It’s an incredibly pretty spot with the autumnal shades out in full force. It clearly inspired me, as my tee shot landed two inches from the cup and spun back to a foot.
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)
As a side note, Manor House GC enjoys fantastic drainage, making it an excellent year-round golf destination. I played after days of torrential rain when many courses up and down the country were closed – including ones in the vicinity of Manor House – but only one green was partially affected. I couldn’t believe it was in such good condition.
The stretch from the 3rd to the 5th is tough – you face the narrowest of drives on the par-5 3rd, before a long, uphill par 3 and a fiendish dogleg-right par 4 played to a green flanked by water. On paper, the 6th and 7th holes present good scoring opportunities – two par 5s coming in at less than 470 yards. However, there’s water to deal with on both. Over…
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