Macdonald on leader board with golf offering
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has reinforced its status as one of the UK’s leading networks of golf venues after its five golf resorts featured in a prestigious ranking list by Golf World magazine.
The magazine has published its first ranking of the Top 100 Golf Resorts in the UK and Ireland, which was compiled by an international panel of experts. Venues were rated based on the quality of their golf course(s), accommodation, amenities and setting.
Macdonald saw all five of its golf resorts feature within the new list, including European Challenge Tour venue Macdonald Aviemore Resort. Located in the Highlands of Scotland, the resort underwent a £1 million investment programme to develop its new clubhouse in 2013, and was the highest ranked Macdonald venue, finishing 23rd in the inaugural classification.
Other resorts on the list were Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa, Cheshire (53rd), Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa, Peebles (64th), Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa, Shropshire (73rd) and Macdonald Linden Hall Golf & Country Club, Northumberland (86th).
Keith Pickard, group director of Golf, Leisure & Spa at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, said: “Our prominence in this influential Golf World listing is the ideal endorsement of the significant investment we have completed over the last four years to further enhance the quality of our golf resorts and ensure we are able to meet the exacting demands of today’s modern golfer.”
Investment programme
The success in the Top 100 ranking follows a major investment programme by the UK’s largest independent hotel group. This included a course renovation project across the five venues and the refurbishment of the hotels as part of a wider £10 million project in 2015.
Chris Bertram, Golf World’s Top 100 editor, said: “The UK undoubtedly has some of the best golf resorts in the world and this inaugural list, which was compiled by a panel of Golf World readers, aims to provide a definitive classification.
“The five Macdonald Hotels & Resorts golf venues all offer golfers the opportunity to play consistently good and varied courses, as well as provide a number of accommodation options designed to ensure a first-class golf break.”
