Stay and play review: The Grove, Hertfordshire

The Grove, the best golf resort in England.

Disneyland meets golf and gastronomy at The Grove, the No.1 golf resort in England.

The Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bentleys hint at the kind of company you keep in this playful corner of Hertfordshire. A popular haunt among the rich and famous, Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Kylie Minogue have all set foot on the 300-acre estate in Watford at one time or another.

Tiger Woods famously won the WGC at The Grove in 2006, though in recent years it has played host to to the England football team, as well as stars of the DP World Tour for the British Masters, hosted by Luke Donald in 2016.

Being less than 10 minutes from Warner Bros. Studio also means they cater for lots of families who are taking a tour of the Harry Potter sets. Everyone else comes here to be spoilt and treated to the full tour player experience. We were one of them.

The hotel

Just 18 miles from London, the 18th-century mansion sits on the crest of a mile-long driveway which takes you past huge swathes of parkland and away from the noise of the M25. There are 214 rooms and 12 suites in total, squirreled away down endless corridors across the old house and west wing.

We stayed in a king-size ‘deluxe’ room, which was tastefully decorated in a calming palette of neutral tones, with a small balcony overlooking the garden and golf course. Luxe touches came in the form of a free-standing bathtub, a 42-inch plasma, and a touch sensor to operate the lights and air-con. The complimentary wine and handmade chocolates were an unexpected bonus.

The golf

Opinion varies on where The Grove sits among the pantheon of good and great parkland courses. Our Top 100 Courses Editor refers to it as one of the best inland layouts in Britain, while others – myself included – argue that some holes are a little too featureless and open to be particularly memorable.

After playing it for a second time my opinion still stands, but with the caveat that it’s actually far more enjoyable than most championship courses.

With so much space off the tee, it’s not the kind of place where you’re going to get beaten up or lose a ton of golf balls. You can even get away with hitting a few low scuttlers up and onto the green. That was my approach, anyway.

Off the Grove/gold tees it plays to 6,332 yards, which is far more manageable than the 7,160-yard slog off the blacks. The greatest test undoubtedly lies on and around the greens, which are as slick and true as anything I’ve ever putted on. The smallest sliver is used on the par-3 4th, where even the slightest miscue with a wedge will send your ball spinning into the lake or hopping over the back.

Par salvaged, I bogeyed the next five holes due to several three-putts and a woeful attempt at replicating one of Tiger’s approach shots on the par-5 9th (you can find three Tiger plaques within 15 yards of each other).

After building my own bap at the halfway house, I finally used something other than a driver on the par-4 10th – a 90-degree dog-leg – which set the tone for a fiddly stretch of holes hemmed in by trees, brooks and two par 5s under 500 yards.

Short game well and truly tested, I took another four to get down on the 18th and searched for some excuses as I handed over my clubs and shoes to be cleaned. The immaculate condition of the course meant I couldn’t find any.

Service & facilities

This is the closest thing you’ll get in the UK to a private club experience in America. The staff went above and beyond to give me and everyone else the VIP treatment.

It started in the car park where, despite declining the free valet service, my clubs were whisked off to the clubhouse and placed on a rack outside, ready to be placed on a GPS buggy with built-in speakers. A very nice touch indeed.

Inside the clubhouse, I was given my own personalized locker for the day, as well as a goody bag and an invitation to take as many muffins as I could carry. Offer accepted, I was then reminded to download the Trackman app so I could track my stats while warming up on the range.

The fact you don’t have to pay for the balls or technology makes it just that little bit better!

Food & drink

The Stables Bar & Terrace is The Grove’s take on a golfer’s bar and offers a laid-back atmosphere and a wonderful Sunday lunch. But if it’s choice you’re after, The Glasshouse is the place to go for a bountiful breakfast of all things fried, fresh, baked and juiced.

Come evening, the buffet transitions into an assault course of global eats, with live cooking stations, trains of sushi, salads and seafood, and some of the best dumplings and roast potatoes I’ve ever tasted.

Completing the theatrical feast is a colossal chocolate fountain and an endless variety of delicate desserts that look like they have come straight out of Willy Wonka’s factory. Add in the £80 tasting menu at their fine-dining Indian restaurant, plus the Asian-themed broths and poke bowls in the intimate Sequoia Kitchen, and you really are spoilt for choice. It’s the main reason we plan to go back.

Things to see and do

In the summer, the Walled Garden opens out to reveal a heated outdoor pool, as well as an urban beach (complete with sun loungers) and an open-air cinema at night.

After passing up the opportunity to try axe throwing and laser clay pigeon shooting, I worked up a sweat on a Peloton bike in the impressive fitness studio and left my partner to enjoy the sauna, steam room and the black mosaic-tiled pool and Jacuzzi in the Sequoia Spa.

She didn’t return for three hours, which gave me enough time to work my way through a second pyramid of range balls. The food coma that followed was probably inevitable after all that!

Stay and play deal

A Golf Escape package starts from £387 per person and includes one night’s B&B, 18 holes of golf, a three-course dinner at The Stables and access to all facilities. The offer is based on twin occupancy in a classic West Wing Room, subject to availability.

To book, call 01923 296010 or visit thegrove.co.uk/offers/ golf-escape