Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa

Hotel was comfy and had a good atmosphere

a make over would be good

Disappointed with the value allowance on evening meal. Very disappointed limits on the hot food at breakfast. A snooker or pool table would be an advantage

On the information that I received from Your Golf Travel, it said that each person would get a free 3 course evening meal but in actual fact we were told that we could have anything on the menu up to a price of £25 and if we had more than that then we would have to pay the extra, with their prices being high, it was impossible to have a three course meal or even a two course meal for £25. The food was very good and at Breakfast there was an excellent selection on offer.

The Golf experience was great, friendly staff and all very helpful. Only one point to raise which was not clear on my booking, whereby the evening meal had a cap of 25.00pp for 3 courses. The prices on the menu were quite expensive and there was no way the choices for 3 courses would be £25.00. needless to say we had to pay slot more to get some decent food.

The hotel is quite tired and dated, the room was poor and hadn't been cleaned properly, cobwebs on the ceiling and walls, shower was dirty, carpet hadn't been hoovered, skirting boards full of dust, all the staff were great, food was average and expensive as was the bar, wouldn't stay again

All staff were very professional but personable from reception to bar/ catering staff to the golf shop. Very nice room, well equipped and clean. Evening meal and breakfast both excellent with a good choice and very good service.

Hotel was as you would expect, comfortable enough, bit tired in places, staff were very good though.

We had a fantastic weekend and were well looked after by the staff of the hotel and golf shop. Everyone so friendly and made it a special memory for my Captains Weekend, thank you Hill Valley

Had a very enjoyable golf break at Hill Valley. Both courses were fun to play and in good condition overall, though the greens could be better maintained and signage around the course could be clearer. The hotel was great — the evening meal had plenty of choice and was very good quality. I had a full English breakfast which was also spot on. Only downside was the price of drinks at the hotel bar, which were a bit steep and meant we ended up heading into town in the evenings. Overall, a very good stay and I’d happily come back.

No Beer first day No senior staff to make decisions Bedding, winter quilts in summer !!

Excellent value for money overall. Restraunt £25 dinner allowance rather than inclusive menu was a dissappointment and could cause problems with groups. Although overall a decent choice and range of options the main hot meal portions were on the small side.

The best experience we have had with Macdonald. Staff very friendly and the food was tremendous. Course was excellent. A venue we will be adding again to our future golf itinerery.

Excellent service from the moment we got there until we left. Had a great weekend 👍

Rooms excellent. Bar very expensive. Staff great . Food limited choice and expensive.

Hotel needs a make over, as it feels quite outdated. We were charged an additional £75 on the 1st night as they never gave us the golfing menu, so we ordered off the main menu. Food on the golfing menu on the 2nd night was very poor, as a result we ate out on thd 3rd night.

Spacious bedrooms and comfy beds. Food and drink very expensive and make sure you order in plenty of time. We (just 2 of us) waited an hour at lunchtime for 2 sandwiches and an hour in the evening for the main course. The all inclusive package isn`t what it seems with the dinner allowance only being £25.00 against the meal prices which were extortionate so your £25 goes nowhere. We actually tried to get out of the evening meal sitch via a taxi to Whitchurch but there were absolutely no taxi companies available to do business with.

Good value for money, rooms nice, and spa facilities included in the rate are nice. Golf guests are kept separate from other guests for dining and have a separate menu which is basic at best, but not exactly a surprise given the price of the weekend overall. Would be nice to offer a choice of paying to upgrade to the full menu.

All the staff at the hotel and around the courses could not do enough for you, extremely friendly and helpful. The rooms were extremely spacious and we overlooked the first tea. Only negatives there was no set menu available as we have had at previous accommodation so despite the fact we were on a dinner inclusive deal there was no way of not having to pay a supplement for this. Also 4 gin's and 2 tonics cost £55 which was pretty steep.

The hotel is dated, dirty and poorly maintained I would suggest. We booked 4 single rooms but when we arrived YGT had only booked 2 doubles. The staff saved this trip as the receptionist was fantastic and sorted the room problem we didn't know we had. staff The most expensive drinks and food. £4.50 for a small diet coke, ridiculous. The food was poorly presented and the breakfast food was cold.

Wonderful place to stay , very pleased with everything

Room was spacious and clean. Bathroom with level access shower was perfect for us. Food both at dinner and breakfast was plentiful and tasty. Staff were friendly and helpful too. Reception staff were very welcoming and friendly too. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Me and my friends have just had a great time here, would definitely recommend it.

We had a party of 9 playing both courses, meal and Bed and Breakfast. All 9 of the party were thoroughly impressed with the courses, accommodation and food, for the money, it was exceptional value for money. Bar prices in the evening were a little steep, but that was to be expected. We will definitely be booking this weekend away again.

For what we paid you could not be disappointed. A good cheap golf trip!

Found hotel and staff excellent especially Helen on reception. But found bar prices a bit pricey.

Reception staff were really nice and friendly. Hotel was very cold throughout. Food was a let down

We were a group of 20 seniors,the only large party so maybe that was why we received such good service.All the staff were friendly and keen.The only complaint was,the hot water in the rooms was not hot enough.

OK overall. Younger inexperienced staff let it down a bit.

Very nice room, with all the facilities

Our stay was a bit spoiled by a 45 minute wait for food after ordering. There was a large table being served ahead of us but the hotel would have known that in advance and clearly failed to have enough staff available. Don’t think I’d ever return for stay but will definitely come back for the golf.

hotel very run down and could do with a facelift!!

Hi I have spoken with Angus re the below 1. Why are double rooms booked for 4 guys, I know in this era that we can't assume anything but.....The hotel was able to change these to twin and said it was a common occurrence with Your Golf Travel 2. The booking confirmation clearly states that the evening meal will be a 3 course table d'hote. When seated we were advised that we were allowed £25 each per the Borders menu. If you view this menu it is impossible to have 3 courses for £25, and evening meal such cost our party circa £75. Either McDonald hotels are not communicating with YourGolfTravel, or YourGolfTravel are not communicating with the customer. Whichever way we were left out of pocket. Your thoughts would be appreciated. 3.Staff at the hotel were excellent and very attentive.

The hotel was lovely. Easy to get around. The bedroom was very comfy and spacious

Had another fantastic stay at Hill Valley. The staff are amazing and work above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable. We have been going there for the last 8 years and it's great to the staff retention and the warm embrace when we arrive. Noted that the drinks in the bar have become cheepaer this year (£8 a pint last year!) but now they have intoduced a 10% service charge in the restaurant. It's also dissapointing that the prices have increased dramatically the last few years but the set dinner allowance is not enough to cover a starter, main and dessert. Big shout out to Helen & Beth on reception, Jenny, Kaylee & Colin in the restaurant, Brian the manager on nights. A massive thank you for making our stay so enjoyable

Breakfast not as good as other hotes. Even with 10% bar discount prices were too expensive.

The hotel itself was fine. The food and drink are massively overpriced though! £16.50 for a club sandwich was one of the laughable prices. The pro shop has very limited drink options and massively overpriced too. The buggies were £40 each which is the most I’ve ever paid too! Think twice if you’re staying here and plan on going into town as taxis are non existent! I would come here again but probably bring my own food and drink lol

Having been here a few years ago, I realise that the accommodation block needs updating. The stairwell smells dreadfully. The shower cubicle needs a good clean. Not a lot of choice on the menu, if you are on a golf deal. The bottle of water placed on your table when you arrive, isn't complimentary. They don't tell you that, but charge you for it. We won't be going back.

we have been coming on this golf trip for the last ten years so that speaks for its self 5 star!!

Helen, the receptionist was fantastic all through our trip. As we're a couple of the wait staff but I do think that generally the bar and restaurant staff are lacking a little polish. The choice to use the conference rooms to house the golf groups seems odd to me given the restaurant was quiet most of the time and presumably should have capacity to serve the guests they have rather than the "type of guest".what should have felt like a per actually felt exclusionary. The bar was very expensive. When arriving for breakfast we were greeted with a "room number" rather than a "good morning" which rubbed me up the wrong way and at dinner, when asking for some extra bread I was told "we will have to charge you for it". Gym and Spa staff were very good. Rooms were lovely and we had fantastic views of the 1st tee. Overall, the hotel has everything you might need but for some reason it didn't all quite come together and I put that down to the staff.

Not enough staff. Took half an hour to get the main meal and over half an hour to get the sweet. My booking said inclusive of 3 course meal, the hotel said no it wasn’t. It was £25 towards the al la carte menu. The 3 course meal appeared to be only for groups. The courses were excellent.

Staff told to limit food, given out at Breakfast

Hotel was very comfortable, although a few minor points detracted from the overall experience, 1 room no towels, 1 room no fridge, etc Value for money us a tricky on the package put together by YGT was definitely good value, but £24 for a full English breakfast, the bar prices and contact or card only payments were not.

Hotel not bad, needs an update in parts of hotel as reminds of an older folks home. Also smells of damp in certain parts

Supposed to have an Evening meal and breakfast included in the price, unfortunately almost all of the meals carried a supplement which defeats the object, extra costs were unavoidable - joke

Hotel was great rooms very good size and well equipped staff on site friendly and helpful through stay drinks and bar was as expected on the more expensive side. Evening meal was really good however only fault on the weekend hotel wise was the wait for food in the evening we pre booked food on arrival for 20:00 but starters didn’t arrive untill 20:55 then main was again an hour wait. Staff were apologetic but the wait was far too long for pre ordered meals. Breakfast and service was good

Everything was fine except the bar prices the food was very good and the staff were helpful and friendly

Although the package price of the break was excellent value for money, the food & bar prices where massively over priced.

Rooms were nice size with comfortable beds, good selection of evening meals,bar was a bit expensive,lounge was a bit dated but had sky sports.

It’s difficult to give a true rating as course was so wet with all the resent rain which made the going difficult, ball constantly plugging ect, will go again in better weather for a more realistic round, there were some really nice holes

Good overall, very welcoming, bar prices high even with the 10% discount

I had a single room and it was lovely

Very good clean hotel with excellent facilities and the food was very good too Staff were extremely helpful and courteous

Me and and my mate Sean stayed here for the August Bank Holiday week (same for last 7 or 8 years) playing 6 rounds of golf, 3 rounds on each course. The Emerald course was in superb condition as usual and it was great to see the condition of the Sapphire had greatly improved over the years, with greens in best ever condition. Both courses offering a great challenge for all handicaps!! The reception staff were brilliant and welcoming as usual, thank you Helen & Beth! The rooms were usual standard with a minor complaint of a blocked sink on the first day easily resolved by Martin in maintenance after less than 5 minutes of making the complaint!!!! The meals we found excellent from the included meals with the golf package, and the food and beverage team went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable, so thank you to Brian the F&B Manager, Jenny, Alexa, Zoe, Charlie and last but not least Kayla. We just hope next years stay is as enjoyable as this years.........a tall order but they have a great team there at Whitchurch :)

Good size rooms large bathroom with shower and separate bath all very good

The hotel is very tired and in need of a refurb,restawise the food was fine but clearly they have a problem with staff firstly not enough and secondly the level of service was faulty towers esk,we was not give n the set dinner menu on the first nite and on the second was from the previous week…. So our main courses arrived and non was what we ordered,have to say it was completely unacceptable, ordering a drink was even worse taking nearly 30 mins on one occasion eventually we gave up and got them ourself like most people in the restaurant. Whilst I understand a lot of restaurants are struggling with staff this to be honest was beyond a joke I can’t tell you how many times any member of staff said “sorry for the delay”.

We wanted to visit the Open,play some golf and have a spa treatment so this ticked all those boxes. The only real negatives were the fact that they were so obviously short staffed and that the food options were very limited. All of our first choices were unavailable !!

Rooms & staff golf staff very good , food excellent

Room was comfortable and clean. Food good and breakfast served which we prefer,rather than a buffet.

A warm welcome,comfortable rooms, friendly Staff. A very enjoyable visit for our Golf Society. Thank you Hill Valley.

My family party have visited every year for many years and have always loved the friendly comfortable facilities and staff but in general things don't seem to be since covid. The hotel seems extremely under staffed and this has had a massive impact on the services provided. For instance this year we found we had been given double beds and we insisted we had booked twin bedrooms. They in turn blamed Y.G.T.stating this is what you booked for us. This was changed and then we had problems with the evening meal. There was just one young girl dealing with our restaurant and we waited a full hour before we got our starter, making it a very prolonged and late meal. The girl worked tirelessly and would not blame her one bit. In fact I told her so as well as letting he know the service, through no fault of hers, was unsatisfactory. A dire shortage of staff very evident. The food was good both in the evening and following morning. Very disappointed to see this happening to one of our favourite venues.

Sadly this golf hotel has slipped standards since we were last there (2018?). All needs a refresh. As with so many, staff are scarce and not very efficient. Slow to clear away tables etc. A shame.

Paid for an upgrade,nice room and view. Only 1dressing gown in the room! On our arrival 10.40am tee time 12 noon, there was nowhere for us to get a coffee or any food as they didn't open until 11am, and service was so slow on the food, the 2 vho ordered rolls had takeout. Used our food allowance towards al a carte menu, which we felt was expensive relative to quality, service was slow, and was also slow at breakfast

Very good can't fault it

Staff were really good. Food an Drinks were nice. Room was clean and tidy. Steam Room was out of order, but didnt affect the stay. Would stay again

Short staffed but those that were there were great

Everything was just brilliant and value for money

When I got to the room There was only a double bed even though I did ask for a twin room. They did place a camp bed in the room which I slept on. Shower was cold most of the time, Electric sockets in the room were coming away from the wall and was hesitant to use it. Booking stated a 3 course meal but this is only true if you pay above your £25 dinner limit. Food was very good though and cooked to your liken. Some of the beer prices extortionate, £7.40 for a Peroni. Geez. Honest opinion don't think ill be going there again.

Very expensive for drinks... But saying that I can't fault the food and service

Excellent golf trip and would return. Breakfast and evening meals are really nice. Rooms are great and powerful shower

The accomodation was brilliant, lovely rooms, everybody was happy with their rooms.

Rooms good clean facilities great , Breakfast good , dinner not the best , drinks expensive London prices for a pint.

The hotel was clean and the rooms were excellent. Reception was efficient and the bar staff provided excellent service but the bar prices were extortionate. Plenty of choice for food and but the quality was ok.

Good quality is poor. Two guests had tummy upset and pulled out of Monday golf. No bread roll served with Soup and when requested no offer was made. Chicken Pie didn’t have pie on the top. Meal portions were small.

Generally very good apart from the bar prices!!! Unfortunately because we were a party of only 8 apparently we were not eligible for any golfers' discount at the bar.

There wasn’t enough room for our party to sit in any bar area we had to stay seated in the dining room. And also the bar closed at 11pm?

Staff were very young and inexperienced behind the bar, could not change barrels etc. glasses weren't collected resulting in long waits to purchase drinks. no-one seemed to be supervising. We ordered steak as a supplement and no-one asked how we wanted it cooked, so it all arrived medium. food was average quality with small portions, barely warm at times. overall very dissappointing

Comfortable and clean and no problems

Unfortunately the bar area was very poor, had to queue and lengthy waiting for drinks all the time, also running out of beer, bar shut at 10:00pm on Saturday, not the staff’s fault, just not enough staff, also looked like the hotel was overwhelmed with golf society’s, l have been using Your Golf Travel for a number of years and never known it as full of society’s before, hence the late tee times we were given on Saturday

Our stay was very disappointing, there was only one staff member behind the bar so the queues very long and it closed at 10 pm. The food portion were very small so after a day of golf not ideal. Breakfast, same person behind the bar was serving breakfast, one at a time. Wouldn't go back to this hotel. They will blame staff issues but you had 3 people clearing tables that weren't going to be re-used for breakfast?

Had the best weekend lovely staff lovely food class hotel thanks alot👍

Always enjoy the atmosphere of the hotel but this year we sensed that there was a staff shortage and the fixed menu was extremely limited and unacceptable. We eventually got them to agree to us taking the ala-carte menu and the meals were very good. Couldn't understand why they were reluctant to cash in on extra money which was nearly £100 they took from us. Can only be something to do with staff who, incidentally, worked very hard and extremely kind.

Hotel is clean, staff are very friendly and rooms are comfortable. Had a nice view over the 1st tee and could see the 18th green of the Emerald course which was nice. Pool facilities were good and looked like plenty was going on with the gym and spa. Only issue for us was the cost of food and drinks when in the hotel. £5 to have chips on top of already paying £30 for a steak?!?!

The staff were so helpful the room was clean and comfortable everything was fantastic fantastic

Nice Hotel,but most of staff were incompetent and in a couple of cases rude. Two members of our party left due to the catalog of disasters,one didn’t even stay for the evening meal.

The overall experience of our stay at Macdonald hill valley hotel and spar was excellent and all the party was very impressed so much so we will be returning the same time next year.

The hotel is set in lovely surroundings of hills and countryside the town is only a ten minute walk away for extra entertainment if you wish to go to defo be going back

A Little disappointing in truth, the party of 6 could not fault the rooms what so ever, they where spot on and the check in desk staff where so helpful and so where the waiters at dinner service - could not do enough to help with any needs we had. The bar where the opposite, the staff where in hiding all weekend, we ended up being so frustrated we got a 20 min taxi into Crewe. The course's where really let down by the pitch and putt greens, very poor. Plus we didn't get chance to test out the spar.

Excellent service from start to finish, hotel rooms food really good standards,

O. K

Food and Reception excellent but Bar and Restaurant staff where appalling. Made a official complaint to duty manager who will discuss this with General Manager on his return and will come back to me I have also updated your John McGuffie

Our 1st visit to a Macdonalds hotel last year was disastrous and this wasn't much better. Wasn't enough staff, drinks were extortionate over £20 for a double rubarb gin and tonic, had to queue 20 mins for a drink at the bar and the same for breakfast. They tried to charge for bread with starters, which had arrived after we had finished the starters. We were put in a conference room for all our meals, we had to pull 2 tables together so we could eat together.

clean comfortable rooms excellant food nice people .

Very pleasant welcome and early access to our room! The housekeeping staff then surprised us by letting themselves in as we unpacked!

Another excellent visit to this outstanding venue. From our arrival greeting at reception,to friendly & knowledgeable Golf concierge to check out on departure everything perfect will return soon

Clean spacious good value for money

Rooms were good but we thought that the drinks and bar food was expensive and poorly stocked eg no snacks for hungry golfers. Plus the service was generally rather slow and inefficient. For example, we pre ordered our food for 7.30 each evening and took our seats on time and after waiting ended up going to the bar to get wine and wine glasses ourselves so we could share a drink! No one had come to check if we wanted drink or to explain that they were struggling to staff our table and apologise. The food was late coming out and we dad to remind the staff to bring us bread. There seemed to be lots of staff on but they had no idea how to look after their customers. Fully appreciate difficulties with staffing after Covid 19 but surely the odd experienced member of staff could ensure customers were updated re delays. After 4 trips here I will be looking to take us elsewhere next year.

Great couple of days away with the lads. Everyone enjoyed the break. No moans!

Very tired hotel,no tea,milk in room had to ask.all staff were brilliant.food looked like on a tight budget,small portions,short staffed waited an hour for dinner,wine came after we had our starters,the room,it was only ok,the bathroom radiator was held together at socket with gaffa tape,hooks had come off the back of bathroom door.no toiletries available. The courses,emerald we played first.mens tees were a very very old mat,small and tatty.greens were good.buggy had 90*rule,wasn't too wet though,tees not been cut for 2 weeks,especially the ladies tees which were sometimes behind the mens.the sapphire corse was very wet,tees not been cut for a long time,greens were not good on this championship course. For the package price we paid it certainly wasn't good enough or value for money.so we will not return.that was our second visit.

We were greeted at reception by friendly staff who had menus ready for our evening meal.rooms were very clean and spacious overlooking the 1st tee.food was good and bars were busy but staff worked hard even though they looked down in numbers.overall very good

Reception staff great. Karen in pro shop fantastic. Some staff need more training and need table service. No availability for spa treatments and no jacuzzi in spa. All together a very good break

Rooms comfortable, slow service at the bar, food ok

Short staffed but it was understandable as all hospitality places are experiencing the same. We were made very welcome?

Good value for money for the DBB stay, weather was good which was a bonus, the staff were helpful and friendly.

The hotel was clean and well kept and all the staff were friendly and helpful

Superb stay at Hill Valley. Best ever in 5 years. Staff friendly, helpful. Yes we had some problems with the room but these were resolved quickly to our satisfaction. Only real gripe was the bar running out of Becks for a few days.

The room was spacious and well kept, the bed was very comfortable. Very small portions for the evening meal. Bar staff often ignored the golfers to attend instead to Spa guests often in the middle of serving yourself.

Food was great really enjoyed Beds were uncomfortable The rooms were not ready when we went to check in but offered a complimentary drink at the bar while we waited

Great place staff good but we're short handed communal bar areas looking a bit tired need freshening up rooms very good but a bit too warm and no heating controls we could find?

Rooms were spacious had tea and coffee kettle etc juliet balcony comfy beds.Breakfast was very good as was evening meal .Service was quite good although it wasn't very busy so hard to judge.

Excellent hotel and food was very good. The bar gases were not working for 3 days during our stay, so no draft beers were available. We reverted to purchasing our own drinks from a supermarket and consuming them in our rooms. Spoilt the overall experience some what.

The hotel is adequate but nothing special, the bar and prices are really disgraceful. 4 glasses of wine £60 4 poor quality beers £22. None of our rounds of drinks were the same price! apparently we were given a discount when we wernt entitled. We were told we got away with it??? we didn't even know! The food was good.

Awful experience. Staff were rude, food was just edible and it felt very much like eating in a school cafeteria The bar had no draft beer on and out of the four rooms we had booked one had a coffee machine that didn't work and another had no kettle. Any requests were ignored. We didn't feel welcome at all and I would advise anyone thinking of staying here to avoid.

Lovely course. Great staff and food was ok.

Paid for upgraded room and did not get one left me and my playing comrades feeling cheated it was £10.00 per person and we got nothing for it and no refund or apologies were forthcoming, very very disappointing, will definitely not be going back there anytime soon.

Huge disappointment this year as there was no draught beer or lager due to gas problem. Left with only very expensive bottles which I understand had to be purchased from a local supermarket and which they charges £4 a bottle for. The hotel was very busy and I know of many complaints about how a first class hotel could find themselves in this situation. As usual the staff were very good - clearly short staffed I believe - and the rooms and other services were good.

Room could have been cleaned to a higher standard. Limited staff serving Sunday evening causing lengthy wait for food and drink. No draught beer available. Food reasonably priced and well cooked

Accommodation was good , considering the the times we are at moment the hotel staff were brilliant 5 star !!!!

Accommodation comfortable, with expected amenities. The staff were very pleasant and helpful but unfortunately the service was not good. This maybe because of Covid but we stayed at this hotel a number of years ago and the service was not good then. Could be that more staff training is required and we do appreciate the current situation is causing staff illness (isolation) The food was good and overall we would consider staying again.

Hotel staff were marvellous and hard working. The service was sometimes quite slow but understandable considering the COVID situation.

The hotel was very well appointed and very comfortable. Food was lovely altho our breakfast got taken to 2 separate tables and not to us therefore causing a wait. The one disappointment was that maintenance was carried out on the cellar mid afternoon and consequently there was no draught beers or cider for the rest of the day. We had one round of drinks and before we could order another the cellar was closed...surely a staff member could have asked if we'd like a second drink before closing it. We we're the only two people on the terrace at that time so not difficult to do! The only thing wrong during a lovely stay.

Despite all the Covid restrictions still being in place the hotel as brilliant and the staff could not be faulted despite it being very busy

Rooms where clean and comfortable. A little tired in some places. Staff where polite however they seemed a little stressed. They forgot two dessert and it took 30mins before we got them, Food was nice.

All ok really but very difficult for everyone with the covid restrictions Nice tho’

Lovely rooms, staff doing their best to make everyone safe. Bar food is very expensive, that’s the only criticism.

Excellent

Very organised in the current Covid situation, food, drink, rooms and staff all excellent

Nice hotel, friendly welcome, good food!

Food was amazing, staff were just as good

staff where excellent , great value food was good

Hotel clean and bedroom spacious and comfortable. Breakfast had plenty of choice, hot food was served by Staff so long queues formed. The meal in the evening was ok and reflected our package price. Wine list very expensive. Understaffed throughout the Hotel though Restaurant Staff very pleasant. We received a free bucket of beers courtesy of Your Golf travel but no bottle opener accompanied the beer, my husband asked for an opener but non was forthcoming, we found our own bottle opener in our car.

The hotel was very good. Clean welcoming staff very friendly and helpful. The only let down was the food quality breakfast and our first evening meal ( avoid the beetroot salad ) The spa and pool facilities first class

Great hotel

Staff have been excellent throughout. When we started to arrive at a busy breakfast, staff quickly sorted us out with coffee, etc. No problem. All requests were dealt with promptly. Rooms were very well appointed. Hotel is modern and comfortable. We had a separate room for our group of 40 which was a good bonus. Drink and snack prices are a bit steep, but profits have to be made and the 20% off bar drinks helped. It didn’t hold anyone back!

Hotel was bery clean, nice rooms and great facilities. The restaurant seemed a bit short staffed at times however which prolongued times btween courses but bothing too bad. Would definitely be returning

Went on a very busy bank holiday weekend. There was also a large wedding reception underway as well. The rooms were roomy and very well appointed. The staff did an amazing job in looking after even though we could see they were under real pressure .

Very accommodating and helpful

Really good value and this place has huge potential to be much better. The hotel and facilities just require some updating.

Hotel staff were friendly and helpful and offered excellent service. Breakfast was delicious and cooked to order. Dinner menu was limited and could have been better although it was acceptable. The room was comfortable and had windows which opened which made a pleasant change.The plumbing needed some attention to bring it up to full working order.

Everything excellent

Really well looked after, nothing was too much trouble, the food was outstanding. Thank you

Macdonald hill valley is definitely worth a visit, the hotel was very nice, food excellent and with a lovely view of north Wales from some parts of the golf course.

Rooms were bright and airy with views out on the course. Beds were very comfortable and warm. Bathroom was clean and big enough for two people sharing.

The gold course and the hotel were excellent. The staff were very attentive and did everything they could to make our stay first class. We will certainly return.

When we arrived the hotel manager took my to one side and explained that there was a problem with one of the single rooms that we booked. She first asked if one the gents would mind sharing with 2 from one of the twin rooms. He wasn't happy with this as he paid extra to be in a single reason and due to health problems didn't want to share. They managed to keep him in his single room for the first night but on the second night needed to move. We sorted it out between ourselves and myself and the lad I was sharing with moved into 2 separate twin rooms to make our room free so the gent could have his single room. This was fine for us but really wasn't on from the hotels point of view. On the Saturday afternoon I got a phone call to go to reception. On arrival I was asked to go and move the luggage from the single room as someone had ALREADY been checked into that room and given access!! When I went to move the luggage I was greeted by a guest that was already in the room amongst the luggage. Surely this is against the rules as there were valuable and personal belongings in the room?? This was totally unacceptable and the gent who got moved out the room went and questioned the decision to move another guest into his room without giving him time to take his belongings. The girl on reception just said sorry but he was really miffed off. We asked why our single room had to be given up for another guest but didn't get a clear answer? Why did someone from our group have to move and make way for another person to take his room? We got some bar vouchers and a voucher for the pro shop as "compensation" but being honest this wasn't enough. It brought unnecessary stress on our trip and just complicated things. We are really not happy with how we were treated and unfortunately won't be returning or recommending Hill Valley to anyone else in future.

I have a complaint in with the hotel. The sapphire course was a disgrace and I would not recommend that you ask your customers to play this course. The hotel was not good with there service we had to wait for ages for tea and coffee to be served and there was a mix up with the payment of acup of tea and they argued with us that we had not paid.

Hotel was fine and staff polite and friendly. Football acceptable. Room good and excellent shower

Excellent will definitely recommend also will be booking again soon thank you Peter.

All good

staff were fantastic. room was good and food tasty. However food choice was very limited on the DBB deal. £25 allocation and no choice for any red meat. Two vegetarian, 1 fish and 1 chicken option!!! Very unusual

Give star based on what we paid which for dinner bed breakfast 2 rounds of golf was tremendous It was an unexpected stay as we were booked to stay st hawkstone park but when we arrived the course was shut They had snow up north The hotel couldn’t inform us as only had your golf travel unmanned tel no That they were calling at 7am Your golf travel should give hotels the emergency tel no Fortunately we got relocated to hill valley that opened at 11 and had a great Sunday saver

Whilst it was comfortable and staff friendly we thought the price of a cup of coffee and pre dinner drinks was very excessive compared to similar hotel chains.

Just wanted to thank you for the trip you arranged for me and my mates to Macdonald Hill Valley Golf and Spa. The hotel was magnificent with the members of staff being very friendly and helpful indeed. The evening meal and breakfast were super too.

The location was only 50 minutes from my home and extremely easy to find as it was well signposted.

Both golf courses were immaculate and very well maintained and the pro shop staff were very helpful and friendly. The only downside was the weather but on the whole, a fantastic weekend was had by all and I will be returning in the summer.

I have now recommended this location to many of my friends and also recommended You Golf Travel as the service you provided personally was excellent, making booking my first golf trip easy.

Thank you for your very efficient organisation of our very "last minute" golf break to Macdonald Hill Valley.

The hotel was great, the weather fantastic and the courses were very interesting and in good condition too.

It couldn't have been better and we will be back.

We had a great time at Hill Valley which is a great location for a golf tour, being very easy to find.

The hotel staff were very welcoming and could not do enough to help. The rooms were spacious and well equipped, and the meals were excellent. All round, it was very good value for the money.

We all enjoyed the golf too. The courses were very well maintained; not easy, but very enjoyable. The shorter Sapphire course was very pretty but you had to be very accurate to get a good score. There appeared to be a bit of a discrepancy on the tee-times, we were due to go out at 9.30 each day, but on the Monday our tee-times encroached on the lady members tee-times, so we had to go out about 40 minutes late, also on Thursday we had to go out at 9.00 instead of 9.30, but it was not a problem as the staff in the pro-shop were so helpful. There was also a shed available to leave our clubs overnight which was very useful.

The weather was great too, so we were able to enjoy a drink on the terrace after each game and watch everyone putt out on the last hole.

The drinks in the bar were a little bit expensive, but the 20% discount helped.

Overall, it was a very successful event, we will all be looking forward to the Vale next year. 

We would rate this holiday 9/10 – everything you could wish for on a golfing break.

We really enjoyed our break at Hill Valley. 

The hotel room was large and comfortable with all the facilities expected of a 4 star resort. There’s plenty of choice at dinner but the breakfast buffet was very sparse if you didn't want full English!

The staff seemed a bit stretched and the bar prices were high, but we expected that in a hotel.

We played both courses and enjoyed our golf. Daisies and dandelions on the fairways but the grounds staff were out in force on Monday sorting that out. Overall the quality of the courses was fine.

Hill Valley was easy to find and we passed signs for a few other places which we might try next time.

What a fantastic venue! Lovely hotel where the staff were friendly and helpful, good food and reasonably priced drinks (especially with our 20% discount), as well as beautiful bedrooms; what more could you ask for?

There were two great golf courses too. We were fooled by the Sapphire which on paper looked simple, however although quite short, it was very tight and a good test of accurate golf. And what a killer of a par 5!

The Emerald was in a class of its own and very challenging...perhaps a little too much for some of the higher handicaps in the group!

We were lucky enough to be able to present prizes in the sunshine on the lovely patio too.

I would certainly recommend this venue and also booking through Your Golf Travel as you made the whole process very easy.

We had a great time at Macdonald Hill Valley.

It’s a very good hotel, with lovely rooms...large and immaculately presented. The service in general was excellent.

Everybody was very enthusiastic about the beautiful golf course too.

Overall would give it 8/10 with the only complaint being that things like coffee and some of the drinks were "over the top" expensive.

Thanks for your excellent service, and we would thoroughly recommend yourgolftravel.com.

We only played the Emerald course during our stay at Hill Valley but for a course using the natural terrain of the ‘Hill Valley’, you cannot fault it. Every hole is different, with great views and the tree lined fairways screening you off from the other holes; a great test of golf and very rewarding for our mixed ability group. Perhaps the quality of the greens didn’t fully match the rest of the course and if I were to note an area for improvement, this would be it.

The bar prices in the clubhouse were silly for tea or coffee at £4.70. A pint of beer was slightly expensive too at £4.20 and the choice was limited, especially the upstairs bar. The atmosphere was fine though.

The rooms in the hotel were great; well maintained and relatively spacious. The showers merit special mention being the best I have experienced across many hotels I use for work and pleasure. 

The evening meal and breakfast were both of an excellent quality. The bar snack prices were, again like the bars prices, very high and would add a lot to the overall price of the break if you snacked every day. 

The members of staff were great; efficient, helpful and with a smile plus good informal conversation.

Our overall verdict would be 9 out of 10. The bar prices were a slight dampener and made us look elsewhere for our evening entertainment. Hill Valley is better than most of the golf break venues we have been to over the last 10 years and if they improved the greens, then only Celtic Manor, Le Touquet and Hardelot would beat it.

Would I recommend YGT to a friend? For sure...and the same was true  last year and the year before that from other organisers in our group.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to McDonald Hill Valley this weekend so thanks to you and all your staff for help in organising our trip.

The hotel staff were, I think it is fair to say, the most helpful we have encountered in our dozen or so golf trips away and were most accommodating.

Rooms and food were all also as good as you would expect from this type of hotel and again quite satisfactory.

The price of a pint is expensive – but again what you would expect that of a large hotel chain.

We made our own entertainment in the local town of Whitchurch, but recommend booking in advance taxis for the round trip.

The Emerald course was long, challenging and in good condition. Sadly, the Sapphire was in not so good condition with several poorly kept greens and tees. However we did play in March after a particularly wet winter so maybe no better than could be expected.

All in all a good weekend.

Thank you for organising our golf and spa break at Hill Valley; everything went like clockwork, the men enjoyed the golf on the Emerald & Sapphire courses and the ladies really enjoyed their spa treatment.

The Emerald course was in good condition and gave a reasonable challenge for our party with handicaps at the higher end of the scale. The course was not over burdened with golfers and on occasions we felt like we had the course to ourselves.

The Sapphire course is a different challenge, not as long and with more par 3's, but tighter, which made you think a lot more about your shots. It makes for an enjoyable change from the Emerald course too.

The bar prices are on the high side but that’s what you expect at these type of hotels! The food overall was good, with the exception of the sandwiches we had in the bar which were expensive and nothing special.

We were lucky with the weather and sitting on the terrace watching the golfers and enjoying a few drinks was very enjoyable. Overall the package and venue were very good.

Our golf trip to Hill Valley was excellent. The course was a fantastic challenge and in superb condition. The hotel rooms and staff were all fantastic too, and I would recommend it to any standard of golfer. The help we received when booking via Your Golf Travel was first class. All in all it's a massive A+ for all concerned from us!

We were very fortunate to play on two such splendid courses, The Sapphire and The Emerald, at the Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Country Club. 

The layout of both courses was excellent. The Sapphire, a shorter and narrower course, proved an excellent test of accuracy, with the greens and fairways in very good condition.

The Emerald, a longer, tougher and in places more forgiving course, pushed our golfing ability. The condition of the fairways was very good but the greens weren’t quite as good as the Sapphire course. The bunkers were in good nick as well and were tricky traps on some occasions.

Both courses were suited for different abilities. I consider myself an OK golfer whose handicap used to be 12, but haven't played consistently for about ten years, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing both courses, considering them both a decent challenge. My golfing partner only began playing golf consistently over the past two years and he thought the course was a good challenge for him too. 

The clubhouse was welcoming, with comfy chairs, sky sports and a laid back atmosphere. We enjoyed a sandwich before our evening meal which was delicious. The barman looked after us all very well but the price of a pint and a bottle of beer was expensive. 

The hotel was very welcoming too with good cleanliness and everything you needed. We didn't use the spa facilities but as we walked passed them they looked very tempting. The restaurant was very nice, the food tasted great and there was enough choice on the menu. The room was spacious, clean with a lovely shower!

The staff were welcoming and caring for our needs and created a good impression on me; very chatty which made you feel at ease with them. 

My overall verdict for the weekend was: Experience 10/10, Courses 9/10, Hotel 9/10.

The hotel at Hill Valley was brilliant and exceeded our expectations. The staff were very friendly and helpful; nothing was too much trouble. Rooms were spacious, clean and very comfortable so no complaints at all.

Food was delicious and there were good choices available on the menu included in our package. Drinks were a little more expensive than in your average pub, but no more than one would expect in such surroundings and the cost was mitigated by a discount for our party members in one of the bars.

We thoroughly enjoyed our golf too. The two courses provide a great experience for golfers of all handicaps and the Emerald in particular was a delight to play.

The other facilities in the complex are lovely – I can vouch for the swimming pool – a fantastic extra to relax the body after a day on the course.

I would thoroughly recommend Macdonald Hill Valley (luxurious surroundings at a very reasonable price) as well as yourselves at YGT to anyone organising a golf trip.

Many thanks for your help – I dare say we will be planning something for next year in which case your voucher will be much appreciated!

The hotel at Hill Valley was very good and we all enjoyed it. Food and staff were both excellent and the only blip was that the lifts were out of order and as we were an older party, those on the higher floor did struggle.

Unfortunately the golf course was not on good condition, with the areas around the trees had not been cut and the long grass made it impossible to find balls. The bunkers had very little sand in them and the water hazards were not in view, due to lack of yellow stakes. The Emerald course was very difficult and only when we played from the red tees was it suitable for us.

We would not return as the golf courses here were much too hard for our party. We will find an easier course next year!

Some of the greens were not in the best condition and signage could have been better. The course itself had plenty of challenges which provided a lot of fun

Course was good but would like to visit again in the summer when a little less muddy.

i won again

i won

Tees and greens were very poor...a pity really because if the course was looked after it could be nice however short it is but it has obviously been neglected

Tees poor condition and some greens had bald patches of soil..

The course has not changed from the last time i was here about 3 months ago, it was in terrible condition and the greens were very bumpy and not good at all, i would rate as 2 out of 10 overall.

The course was in very good condition

Golf was overall challenging but fun.

Only slightly better than the Saphire course with a bit more greenery on the fairways, but still in need of maintenance and watering as again the fairways are rock hard and in poor condition

The course is in shocking condition, fairways have no grass on them they are brown and rock hard and clearly in need of maintenance, the greens are only slightly better, very disappointing

This course is an absolute disgrace, in the worst condition I have ever seen! It’s embarrassing to say the least that this venue even charges money for this substandard course.

In complete contrast to the previous round on the Emerald Course we were round in 3 hours. Nice little course and a good test of golf but the greens had burned off in places. Would definitely play again though.

Nice course in good condition, like everywhere the fairways have suffered due to the dry weather but the greens were very good. Stuck behind a large society so took us 5 and a half hours to get round so would have been nice to see a Marshall moving play along. On saying that we still enjoyed the round.

Quirky course, some holes virtually unplayable as fairways slope so much the ball runs off into trouble. Greens are appalling, like thick carpets were there is any Grass, bare earth cracked in the sun on others. Played better pitch and putt courses in local parks, don’t bother with this one!

Nice holes But greens extremely slow, like putting on your lounge carpet.

Enjoyed this smaller course, some tricky holes

The recent shortage of water lead to the course not being in the best condition, as it’s a well used course, with the dry weather it takes longer to recover properly. That’s not the course’s fault so the greens staff have done well to keep the greens!

greens and signage were poor in places

Signage was a bit confusing and greens were not in the best condition

Well presented and a good challenge for the standard of our party. Wish they'd told us that they were sanding the greens before our last day.

Course showing signs of wear, especially the greens. Very tight fairways and little relief from the rough. This is a significant issue with so many blind shots and rock hard fairways resulting in great difficulties in tracking your balls resting place. Need a few more signs for the next tee boxes.

Our only real problem was the speed of play when stuck behind a large group

An excellent and challenging course. We normally do not pick venues with just one course but glad we did with Hill Valley. We will be booking again very soon.

Greens not very good

Course was in great condition

Long course very forgiving. Greens good

Layout excellent. Greens very poor

Great course, absolutely fantastic, with some challenging holes.

Greens were absolutely terrible snd the course in general was in s poor condition. One of the worst courses I've played on. Even the staff were embarrassed at how bad the course was.

The dry weather has taken its toll (same everywhere to be fair) so the greens were patchy. Lots of blind shots which I`m not a fan of when playing for the 1st time. Interesting layout with some very attractive holes. As ever with these types of venues there were plenty of golfers who, shall we say, didn`t have a clue about etiquette and didn`t let a 2 ball through. Met some of the members who were really nice and understanding. Played Emerald twice and enjoyed it better the 2nd time

Some greens need attention. What should be GURs (ground has sunk - drains) on and around some greens are not marked as such and do not look as if any repair work is being attempted. Fairways are in good condition given time of the year and dry weather.

Having spoken with staff after the round, we were advised they’ve had an irrigation problem with this course recently so the greens are struggling - lots of bare patches and quite bobbly. Interesting technical course but greens were nearly unplayable. Sounds like it’s a short term issue and if resolved would be a great second course combination with emerald.

Great course, only knocked stars off for facilities as could do with a proper driving range, and the half way house wasn’t open on a busy summer Saturday. Pace of play was slow 5.5 hours but to be expected Saturday at this time of year

Wow!! what a difference to the Sapphire course, greens were in excellent nick as was the rest of the course with something for every ability of golfer. Glad we played this on our second day as would have been even more disappointed to go from this to the sapphire course. All in our group agreed if we came back we would happily play the Emerald course a couple of times over playing both courses.

This could be a brilliant little course but sadly the greens are in an awful conditions! I've played on better greens at seaside pitch and putt courses which is a real shame as these massively let down what is otherwise a quirky little course! As it was our group wouldn't come back to play it again.

Great challenging course

Absolutely loved this course

Beautiful course absolutely loved it

Less hilly than the sapphire. Still some challenging holes though. Work to cut down a tree just before the 18th green hampered the last hole as we couldn't approach the green. Our tee time was again NOT booked. Luckily again th⁹e pro shop were able to arrange a new tee off time.

Some tricky holes and a very steep course in places. Some signage could help to direct to the next tees. Not all holes had these. Our tee time that was confirmed by your golf travel was NOT booked at the hotel course. Luckily the pro shop could fit us in with a new tee time.

Again this is a hilly course with some very steep gradients, tee boxes could do with better signage as well.

Very hilly all over the course, we all walked however anyone needing assistance, I’d definitely recommend a buggy.

The poorer relation to the emerald, more like a municipal, the condition of the course was not brilliant but could be much better

Unfortunately for us they had top dressed the greens, but they have to do it at some point, other than that the course was in good condition for this time of year

Bit long for our age group

Found it a bit long for our age group

Course was nice, but a three ball jumped on the 10th tee in front of us and played very slow holding us up all the way round the back 9.

Considering the recent weather and our trip having been rescheduled twice everything was good.The fallen leaves were abit of a problem,so a few drops on the fairways for lost balls,(Common sense,it was social friendly golf. The only complaint was the condition of the winter tee mats, they were to small and should have had better holes for the tee pegs.We were the only visiting party but they opened the halfway house for us,great hot sausage rolls. We will return to play in better weather,it's a great course.

Not sure why this course was much better prepared compared to the Sapphire.

No buggies allowed on course, but in good condition

Course full of leaves, found about 10 balls on fairways, lost about 5

Course looked good through the rain but we decided not to play as it had poured down all night and the days forecast was more of the same.

My second time on the Sapphire course, it’s quite hilly, fairly short and full of character.. Altogether a fun and at times challenging way to spend an afternoon. Maybe just luck but both times I’ve played it it’s been very quiet, almost had the place to ourselves.

Again hard to fully review in view of the rainfall - course was very wet but playable and enjoyable. Must variety in the holes in a well thought out course. Pity most bunkers have been removed which would have added to course. Would play and visit again

Very hard to give a very accurate review due to the very inclement weather which meant some of the course was under water and we only played 9 holes. But overall seemed a good course with variety and chance to score well

This course is good but very tiring as it's very hilly. It takes a lot of concentration

This course was very good and the views were amazing. It takes a lot of concentration

We played the course 3 times and loved every round. The greenkeepers have a done a fantastic job to keep this course in great condition and over the last 2 years it has imporved massively considering the amount of play that it gets. A really good challenge for any golfer with some superb holes on pars 3's, par 4's and par 5! We were also very lucky with the weather not having any rain!

We played the course 3 times and loved every round. The greenkeepers have a done a fantastic job to keep this course in magnificent condition with the amount of play that it gets. A really good challenge for any golfer. We were also very lucky with the weather only having about 30 mins of drizzle in the 6 days we were there!

Enjoyed this course. Some really challenging par 3 holes and some short par 4s where club selection is key. The condition of the course was poor in parts, especially compared to the emerald. Overall it’s decent though and would like to play again

Course is very nice. A lot of blind holes so I would suggest they put a map on each tee box to try and point out hidden hazards etc. only major criticism was no signposts to the 15th hole I think it was. We were driving round in circles trying to find the tee

Took 5 hours to complete 18 holes. Ridiculous. Behind a group of 26 ladies. Some couldn't hit the ball 5 feet.

We have been coming to this venue for last ten years so that speaks for itself

Although this is a shorter course. It's actually really challenging both in terms of golf and physically. Lots of up and down with some very big hills (I'm late 30s and relatively fit) and after 2 days playing it I was goosed! Some of the greens were quite poor and they clearly don't maintain this course as well as the emerald but it was certainly a very testing course, so many trees to cause trouble. Really enjoyed the rounds.

First time here, emerald is a fantastic course, perfectly maintained and challenging enough without being too hard. Wonderful views, brilliant

Only did 9 holes. The course was physically difficult without a buggy

Not a very good golfer so this course was challenging. The cost of the buggy made this a very expensive trip. However, really enjoyed the experience.

Lovely course challenging to all levels of golfers.

If greens had been in better condition, Then it’s definitely worth playing

Played midweek and 'millionaires golf' Very quiet and a lovely parkland course. Plenty of ditches crisscrossed the fairways catching us out at times but a great golf experience.

Another tight challenging course But it lacked care and maintenance, very little in the way of signage expecially at the 1st Tee.

A challenging course enjoyed by all 26 players to varying degree.

Can tell this is their main course,greens could do with work but probs bit behind with all bad weather we've had. Changing rooms are real bad, damp, smells and things don't work

Greens were very poor. Ooked like hadnt been cut for a while. Almost like this is their 2nd course and least priority

It was ok, few of the holes were playing 200 yards shorter due to closure and greens were in poor condition however were dry

Due to adverse weather conditions on day we’re very poor. Greens were mainly wet through and slow fairways were like farmers fields. Actual layout of the course is good and I can imagine potential being a good course but on the day I’d say it was basically unplayable

Due to recent weather conditions the course wasn’t at its best main observation was the size of the winter tee boxes they were far to small one member of the group couldn’t physically stand on them as his feet were off the edge. Greens were fine happily play again especially when weather is more settled

The wetness spoilt what is a well looked after course but that is the same everywhere at the moment

The first day the greens had lots of worm casts on the greens which them disappointing. They had been cleared by the second day and then the greens were fine. The staff were very helpful.

Great course challenging

Greens are very good over all the courses. Alright, just need did work in the winter

The round took over 5 hours to play and the course was extremally wet and muddy.

Course was wet and boggy in parts but understandable with the recent weather but we was lucky with a mixture of cloud and sunny spells.

Lovely staff and all you could want for a golf break

Played this course on the 2nd day and was far superior to the Sapphire

Overall a challenging little course, let down by the conditions of the greens

Excellent course, everything that the sapphire wasn't.

I am afraid that this golf course has been neglected and is not for for purpose. Poor condition of greens and tees, unable to work out fairways from the rough, no rakes in bunkers etc etc

A short course but very challenging. Don’t be put off by the length of the course. It’s one of the most interesting courses I have played

Excellent course in very good condition and absolutely no hold ups apart from our own poor golf

Me and and my mate Sean stayed here for the August Bank Holiday week (same for last 7 or 8 years) playing 6 rounds of golf, 3 rounds on each course. The Emerald course was in superb condition as usual offering a great challenge for all handicaps!! The reception staff were brilliant and welcoming as usual, thank you Helen & Beth! The rooms were usual standard with a minor complaint of a blocked sink on the first day easily resolved by Martin in maintenance after less than 5 minutes of making the complaint!!!! The meals we found excellent from the included meals with the golf package, and the food and beverage team went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable, so thank you to Brian the F&B Manager, Jenny, Alexa, Zoe, Charlie and last but not least Kayla. We just hope next years stay is as enjoyable as this years.........a tall order but they have a great team there at Whitchurch :)

Me and and my mate Sean stayed here for the August Bank Holiday week (same for last 7 or 8 years) playing 6 rounds of golf, 3 rounds on each course. It was great to see the condition of the Sapphire had greatly improved over the years, with greens in best ever condition offering a great challenge for all handicaps!! The reception staff were brilliant and welcoming as usual, thank you Helen & Beth! The rooms were usual standard with a minor complaint of a blocked sink on the first day easily resolved by Martin in maintenance after less than 5 minutes of making the complaint!!!! The meals we found excellent from the included meals with the golf package, and the food and beverage team went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable, so thank you to Brian the F&B Manager, Jenny, Alexa, Zoe, Charlie and last but not least Kayla. We just hope next years stay is as enjoyable as this years.........a tall order but they have a great team there at Whitchurch :)

Nice course ot quite as good as the emerald very hilly.

Great course fantastic views not to busy either.

Really nice course with not a bad hole on there Look forward to playing it again some time

Beautifully designed course. More space than the Sapphire with wider fairways but slopes and hollies everywhere. Another gem of a course.

An amazing little gem of a course. They should play the Open here !!

Apart from the weather we enjoyed the course mind have coming her for the last 8 years so it must be good !!!

Much better coarse,better maintained,and greens faster than Sapphire.

Could do with money spending on it. Badly signed and greens very slow.

Shorter course well maintened despite dry conditions.

The Emerald Course was enjoyed by all players. Considering the dry spell well looked after.

We always play the Emerald on the 2nd day and thoroughly enjoyed it. The course was in good condition but the greens, whilst good, not up to their usual standard - probably because of the long dry spell of weather. Despite our disappointments this year my group will wish to return next year - does that make sense?

Once again we found the course in poor condition, the greens in particular extremely poor. We have come to expect that the Sapphire doesn't receive the same attention as the Emerald and this year was no different. Always appears to be badly maintained but never the less we always enjoy playing it.

Course in desperate need of some serious tlc. As with the hotel, more staff required to bring it up to standard. Tees and greens just about okayish, but fairways, rough and adjacent areas need mowing and manicuring. We think that Macdonald Hotels have forgotten about the whole place.

All enjoyed the course, felt greens were very slow,but played the course twice as we were told by locals Sapphire was in poor condition Pro shop staff were happy to help and accommodate our request

Liked the course but condition wasn't the best.greens and fairways need some TLC.

Golf in a great setting course was good condition could of been better.

This course felt more forgiving then the Sapphire course. Really enjoyable course and well kept.

I really enjoyed the Sapphire course, This was narrower then the Emerald with a few challenges. We played a 3 ball of average standard and took us around 4 hours.

We were a party of 6 and we all enjoyed the course Due to the time of year the fairways were muddy and the greens iffy I am sure in the coming months the course condition will improve

We were a party of 6 and we all enjoyed the course Due to the time of year the fairways were muddy and the greens iffy I am sure in the coming months the course condition will improve

Greens could do with heavy roller was a little uneven causing ball to bounce on putting

Greens could do with a heavy roller was a little uneven causing ball to bounce on putting

Played the course on Saturday and while you cannot control the weather, the course was very very very wet with water raising up above your shoe line on most greens. We were allowed to use a buggy which was a surprise and shouldn't really have been allowed as very slippy underneath the wheels. Will say though proshop staff especially the lady were wonderful.

Played this on first day Friday and again while soft it was playable and the greens were in not bad condition for all the rain they had seen recently. Would be a lovely course to play when dried out and fairways cut.

Not bad for this time of year. Million times better that the sapphire rubbish over the road.

The course was in a disgusting state and should not have been allowed to play it. 2 buggys were just abandoned half way round due to be stuck in mud. Shambles

Played at the end of November so the fairways was long and leaves but it’s to be expected this time of the year. It’s never rained for both days which helped

The boys really enjoyed this course, thank you.

Greens were awful, weeds growing on them and bunkers were in poor condition. Fairways were ok for this time of year.

Tee to green worst condition weve ever seen , unplayable in most parts.

Tee boxes terrible. Greens poor. Was due to play on the Friday aswell but we cancelled and paid to play on Hawkstone park again.

A much better & challenging course. The overall layout was excellent although the back 9 needed a little more TLC. Unfortunately there was a root protruding on one of the greens but the rest were good.

It was a short course & the layout was good. Conditions of the greens were poor which let the course down.

Green conditions were atrocious. None of us enjoyed the course. Sign posting is poor.

No starter provided this time around. Leaves everywhere. Bunkers needs sand, very poor for a championship course.

The highlights were the 2 holes in one on the same hole, 17th, by 2 different party members on different days. What would the mathematical odds of that happening been?

Short, tight and tricky to score on. The general condition of the tees, fairways and in particular the greens was poor. We were reluctant to play the course twice as planned but were fortunate to be able to play an extra round on the vastly superior Emerald course.

A little bit better condition than the emerald course

Generally in poor condition

the course lacked TLC on tee boxes and greens. excellent layout but just needed additional care. it was very much the poor relation to the Emerald

excellent course, very impressed.

Tough but fair

Loved the course, but found it very slow, didn’t tee off until 12:00pm, leaving very little time to chill before evening meal

Enjoyed the golf as always

A few flags on in pins and missing

Lovely course a few flags missing

Always enjoy the Emerald course and the course in general was extremely good. The greens completely the opposite to the Sapphire course and in very good condition. A most enjoyable morning to finish our short stay.

As usual it was very quiet and we had an extremely comfortable afternoon. The course has always played second fiddle to the Emerald and this year was now exception. Several bunkers had been grassed over and the greens were very poor.

Challenging course. Some very nice holes and overall in good condition. However, the greens all had sand on which made putting very difficult and ruined the round

Course is nice enough. Played it twice (day 1 and day 3) Day 1 we had issues with the greens as at least 5 of them had visible standing water which made putting through it difficult. Day 3 they had put sand down which once again ruined the overall putting experience as it was impossible to read speed etc. Course is nicely designed with some interesting holes but we were slightly held up by a group in front

The greens were having sand put on them as we were going round making putting hard to judge but fairways were in good condition

The fairways and greens were in magnificent condition

Good course,interesting and challenging.

This is one of the most challenging courses we have played all of us agreed and one of the most scenic. We cant wait to return next year.

Our first days golf was so good the weather was fair and the golf fantastic .A very good challenge.

Had to walk the course because the buggies that we requested were not booked by YGT !!

Would of been fantastic if we would of had the buggies which we requested (no fault of Hill Valley !)

This course is the small of the two and a bit easier than the other one the greens were poor this year on this course but still a lovely course to play lovely views from both courses

This course is the hardest out of the two it was a slow round only because the group in from were slow the course is kept in tip top condition but love the course very challenging

Stated above, the greens where shocking and ruined the day really, like a dog track was the common comment. The phone app and setting of the course where really nice touches.

Stated above, the greens where shocking and ruined the day really, like a dog track was the common comment. The phone app and setting of the course where really nice touches.

Again greens need attention this course was little more challenging but enjoyed both courses

Greens need a bit of attention but overall two really good course

Will never pay to play at Hill Valley again, totally embarrassed for my group, one overcharged for our 4th bottle of wine at the meal, buggy ran out on the 12th/13th hole got another one on the 14th which emptied on the 17th had to get.other buggia to push us on the 18th, ruined whole 2 days. Never again.

O. K

Again,as with the sapphire course the greens and the tees were not the best.

Greens and tees were of a poor standard. There was a two ball in front of us only using 1 set of clubs and pulling a golf trolley across the greens and taking an age to play

better greens a bit different on the holes

good green a bit sraight

There had been a lot of tree damage due to recent high winds. The tees needed cutting and the red tee markers need improvement.

The early greens were damaged due to fusarium? As such the grass height was greater than normal. The other greens were fine. There was too much rubbish, beer cans and bottles, around the course.

Similar experience to Sapphire lots of repair work ongoing but the overall appearance was good. The golf was enjoyable and again the greenkeepers were working hard.The WIP (work in progress) was much more visible than the Sapphire understandable with possible Covid restrictions being responsible for the delay/shortages of labour!

Again a challenging course has been subjected to the recent wet weather plus the high winds/storms encountered during the winter months. WIP (work in progrees) is visible and some holes maybe improved by removal of trees!

Great to be playing golf in November. The fairways were wet and the grass long but not unusual for the time of year. That said, many of the greens were being treated and very very sandy and no warning of this. Plus the lady in the pro shop told us we were playing at 12.20 on the Saturday despite the email from you saying it was 11.40 and me checking with her colleague earlier in the day that we were off at 11.40. She treated me like a difficult customer and i think was raising her eyes about me to other customers that i do not think is acceptable as the error seemed to be hers. Alternatively if something had happened that morning and the club needed to move our slots, surely there should have been an apology and explanation.

Great golf experience on a testing course. Better in summer when less leaves on the course. Will be back.

Did not play this course as the Emerald was offered to us to play twice.

Tees scruffy not cut in a while greens weren't good,a couple had fuseriam

Good greens.tees very bad.mens had a very very old mat

The course was in decent condition for October.some of the tees were of poor standard but overall was very good.would probably give it 8/10

Bunkers are poor with compacted sand and a bit untidy in places. Some trees need to be trimmed. Greens were great and recovery after rain was good

Better condition than Sapphire course but surprised all 18 tees were off mats at beginning of October when the main tees are so big

This could be a great little course but let down by lack of maintenance, all tees had no grass on them

Okay.

Been there three times and know what to expect. Overall it’s okay.

Too difficult for my standard, lost more balls than I could count! It would appeal to low handicappers who enjoy a challenge.

We had a lovey game, not having played here before made it interesting. Hit into the water on the 18th but took a drop and redeemed myself with with a nice chip not far from the hole.

Poor relation to emerald course if we go again would give it a miss and play emerald twice

Well kept easy to find your way around some of the par 3 were difficult

Course was in fantastic condition all week. We've played this every year in August for the last 5 years and it was the best we have ever played. Could not fault it. The greenkeepers have done the course proud this year!

Very challenging for a short course but really rewarding when you play the holes well. Quite tight and with some challenging par 3's. I always look forward to this course every year, and it does get some stick on the reviews. Yes, the greens and tees aren't as well manicured as the Emerald but it was the best it's been in 5 years at this time of year. Credit to all the greenkeepers!

In 45 years of golfing, the worst greens i have ever putted on, the 14th green had mushrooms growing on the surface. many bunkers had been allowed to be grassed over with no GUR in place. Very poor condition all round.

Sadly we were behind a very slow society and our round took 5 hours to play having to wait on every shot we played.

Is a lot better than the saphire This is a great golf course Unfortunately there is no driving range and the practice putting area is small So no chance to loosen up

Wouldn’t even bother the greens are terrible my local council course have better greens then this absolutely avoid playing this course will ruin you golf break

Great potential course but needs a lot of work on the greens sort this and it's probably more of a challenge than the emerald tight interesting course some tees have trees that need a trim as they hang into tee box would play again

Great course would play again needs a better driving range and a chipping area would be great

A lot of blind shots greens were neglected compared to the Emerald course very tight

Course was in very good condition excellent greens tough test with trees collecting any wayward shots.

Very hard course albeit a short course. Greens left a lot to be desired. Some of the holes with carries over water and trees were extremely difficult as the gap to go through them was very tight. We are all accomplished golfers and we struggled with it.

Very good test of golf. Some greens were not up to their usual standard.

Lot better than the sapphire but still should be in better condition especially the greens.

The greens are appalling, full of weeds and patchy. my lawn is better! bunkers the same.

Should not be open the greens and the course overall were the worst I have played on. It has the making of an excellent little track with the views and layout however it has been neglected and as a result is below par with a communal pitch and put.

Average course. Greens and tee boxes were okay but with a bit more care it could be excellent. The views were exceptional. We rented out 4 buggies over 3 days at £90 each. one out of group had to push the buggy back to the club house after the 14th as it had a dead battery. No apology or offer of a few quid off.

Compared to the other course it was tired and scrappy. It did the job and was quite challenging

Beautiful course. Quite tough. But greens brilliant

This course was a disgrace and should not be in play, asked for a refund but as with the rooms nothing forthcoming, if there was a No star rating that is what it would have got, as the organiser of this trip I was left feeling embarrassed. Something should be done about this they should not be sending players out on that course and expecting them to pay it spoiled the whole trip not just for me but for everyone who attended al 56 of us, absolute worst course I have ever played was the most common remark I heard, diabolical.

Very good course needs a little attention on greens and in some others areas but in general very good, but no Marshall’s on course to keep play moving, over 5 hours for a round of golf not acceptable.

Once again we had a very clear and trouble-free round on the this course which was well maintained and very enjoyable. Despite my comments we do enjoy this venue very much and will be returning next year.

As usual the course appeared completely neglected with all bunkers out of play. It did, however, suit our standard of play and we did enjoy a quite and uninterrupted round. At one stage we felt we were the only ones on the course so it was millionaires golf as far as we were concerned.

Course in tired condition with lack of regular maintenance very evident

5 hour round due to no course marshalling thereby allowing 5 and 6 ball groups

There was 16 of us all different categories but we enjoyed the course ( we should be we have been coming here for the last 12 years !!!

Inadequate signage re direction of next tee. Most bunkers out of action (GUR) Some challenging holes, overall a good course.

The greens were in poor condition. As were the tees. The layout of the course is fantastic and could be a real pleasure to play but for the condition.

Really enjoyed this. Great layout and kept interest all the way around.

The greens had all been treated with sand do making putting quite difficult. We felt the course was not as well kept as the emerald. Poor relation really.

It was very quiet so it was basically millionaires golf!

The tees and greens need some TLC as they were in not great condition which is a shame because some of the holes, with their 2 level greens are better designed than those on the Emerald course. A little TLC and this would be a proper challenge

Great golf course with some really challenging holes in excellent condition even in the rain

This is a lovely course. Speed of game was a little slower than normal, Some greens had brown patches. But the overall experience was excellent. Will go back again.

This was probably the worst condition I have ever seen on a golf course. However the course was very challenging.and had some lovely holes, the 15th has a complete dogleg to the left, can be a little confusing if you don’t know the course . I’m taking COVID may have played a part in the condition of the course. We will revisit in a year let’s hope the course is in better condition.

Good greens, nicely cut fairways a very good lay out The only thing was the bunkers had been left to go to grass due to the covid and unable to rake Overall tho’ Very good

Cracking course, it was autumn though so the amount of leaves on the course made hitting a wayward tee shot interesting. Other than that, lovely greens and good speed of play.

Don’t be fooled by the small yardage, some of these holes are card wreckers if you don’t hit your tee shot right.

Slow play, poorly maintained

Nice course

Greens not good, bunkers terrible, course layout good but lots of leaves made finding balls even on the fairway was sometimes difficult. Many holes had Tee shots where you couldn’t see the group in front, we had several holes where we were nearly hit as the group behind played before we were out of range. There were bells to ring but nothing on the tee’s to tell people to wait until they heard it.

Lovely layout, greens and tees poor, some really nice holes. Real shame about some of the greens!

Course should of been shut due to how wet it was. But pro advised he was really sorry he couldn’t move us onto other course as a convo was on all day.. even though it prob should of been shut anyway but couldn’t they couldn’t turn that sort of money away. Electric trolleys wouldn’t even work on the fairways/paths as it was so wet, after trying to push them up the first with no joy we had to retire after 1 hole.. not impressed. Ruined the weekend 0 value for money. Had we been informed before we arrived we would of gladly rescheduled as the whole weekend was a waste of money. Managing only 9 holes in 2 days. 👎

Course was unplayable due to recent rain. Only managed 8 holes. Should of been shut, but couldn’t as “ can’t turn down the money generated from a am am comp on the sun”. Very disappointing as we would of reached had we been informed, even though phoned earlier and was told course would be playable.

the weather was bad and course wet but fully understandable - but the greens held up well and the course just about was playable

Hired a buggy, used the pathways as the course very wet and boggy, so the game obviously took longer to play than expected. The course was challenging in places. The greens were quite fast but held some moss and previous players had not repaired greens from divot marks. Would play again in better weather.

Great condition the better if the 2 courses by far Beware the 17th green Definitely require a buggy fir this one

Considering the amount if rainfall tbe previous col day the course was in really good condition greens true and fast

We were offered another round on the Emerald on our second day. I suspect this was because the Sapphire was not well maintained. Very little effort had been done on the greens which were patchy and sandy. The fairways were quite long grassed and the course condition was poor.

The better maintained course of the two

Judging by the results from our group of40 seniors, this was a challenging course, but it was in very good condition and looked superb. After quite a lot of rain, the ground was rather greasy in places and the ball did not run as it might but the greens were fast. Everyone enjoyed the course and all reactions were positive regardless of results. As tour organiser, I was very happy to have brought my group to Hill Valley.

This shorter course is quite challenging and was the correct choice as a warm up before two rounds on the Emerald. However, as the pro shop admitted, the course is in need of improvement. It is a tight tricky course with only one par 5. There are too many trees and they are too large, narrowing a tight course even further. Too much searching for balls in trees and undergrowth. The greens are patchy and do not run evenly which further frustrates. My members came in from this round with moans and criticism. However, I understand that plans are afoot to sort things out over the winter and it could be a much better prospect by next summer. Having said all this, a course is a course and you have to play it as it stands.

Yhis is a fantastic course and just because it is shorter, doesn't make it easier! A few signature holes where carefull golfing of the ball is needed. It was quite windy at the time we played making it more of a challenge but no less enjoyable. This course is only let down by the poorer quality of the tees and greens compared to the Emerald. Get these right and the course would be brilliant!

Course was hard to play as we chose to play off the white tees and is a great test of golf. However, we found that if straying from the fairway the rough was penal and several balls lost. It was 6-7 inches deep in places. Other groups complained about this too while we were there. Would love to play the course again but trimming back the rough a bit more would make it more enjoyable and speed up play.

Didn’t play this course as time at the resort didn’t allow . Had a walk round and it looked fairly tatty by comparison to it’s big sister. Still great value though.

Cracking course, lovely set up with lots of variation including ponds, ditches and some interesting approaches. Too many people on the course resulting in a 5 hour plus round. Would like to play again when less busy.

Very enjoyable

This course has been poorly maintained. Pathways and course guidance is nonexistent in places. That said, what a course this could be. One of the most amazing hillside courses I have ever played. If brought up to the standard of Emerald, this would be a way better course. The variation in each hole is incredible, it reminds of las ramblas in Alicante, but this is better.

Beautiful course, great weather and a good round. Bunkers are poor, but the course is otherwise beautiful.

Again it isn’t possible to give a helpful review as the weather was awful and we plodded round in the rain.

Very difficult to give fair review of the course as the weather was diabolical and we played for 4 hours in torrential rain. Were we wise to do so? Well we enjoyed ourselves.

Poor greens and tee beds

Very testing

The greens on the first day were a little woolly and could do with a cut, the bunkers were not brilliant, but otherwise the course was really very good. Second day the greens had been cut and probably would have been good however the weather was very very wet, and many had standing water on them. I think if this had been a private club the course would have been closed, the rest of the course was draining reasonably well.

The course was tight and tricky, nowhere near as good as the emerald course or in the same condition.

The course was very enjoyable, played very tough but with the venue being used for the Euro pro tour you would expect that.

The Emerald course was fab, big wide fairways challenging greens and just enough water hazards to keep you sharp

Fairways were quite narrow and accuracy off the tee box was essential. Greens were quite slow and you really had to hit the ball.

The settings are beautiful. The course is a good test of golf

All in all a very good testing course

Really nice layout of the course but the tees and greens let it down massively.

"Wait for the bell" signs needed!! Unfortunately due to not knowing the course and there being NO signs regarding teeing off after a bell we nearly hit the groups in front of us and nearly got hit ourselves. This is not acceptable and really dangerous. It needs sorting out ASAP before someone gets injured.

The quality of the course was disgraceful and I would recommend that you do not sell this to your customers. We were given the option to play on the Emerald course on the second and third day at a much later t time so some of our ladies couldn’t play as they had to get home. The emerald course was very exceptable for the ladies that did play.

Same as the Emerald but greens very poor and uncut until some done halfway round.

Disappointed with fairways grass quite thick not really been able to distinguish fairways from rough. Some greens not cut either. Understand it was a bank holiday but other courses were in top condition.

Very good apart from the heavily spiked greens on the first game next day was better.

Great course but busy

an interesting layout, difficult for first time due to unknown hole configuration. Fairways long, wet and soft. Bunkers were in poor condition but better than Sapphire course. Greens had been hollow-tined so putting was a lottery. Probably good to play in middle of summer but definitely not in Winter or Spring

A very short course but very interesting layout. Really good test of golf. However the fairways were like deep rough, the bunkers were full of weeds and didn't look like they had been raked for weeks and the greens were more moss than grass. Disappointing to say the least

Weather was awful and under circumstances course very playable Hardly anyone but us on it

Not so long as the Emerald but good scoring is very dependant on where you put the ball. Played regularly or at least more often would have helped. We were blocked out so many times.

Due to the weather being slightly wet and windy, we, like loads of others, had trouble with leaves on the course and finding balls, hence slow round. Was a long and difficult course for a woman with a high handicap. Very tiring.