The whole complex is set in over 200 acres about 40 minutes from Edinburgh in the Scottish Borders. It is an area very popular with tourists, particularly in the summer months, and not surprisingly the golf resort is very popular too.
Dave Thomas Design was commissioned to build a golf course around a new housing development on the banks of the River Tweed. The course opened for play in 2001 and then subsequently a 99-bedroom hotel was built, which is part of the Macdonald Hotels group.
The four-star hotel is perfectly positioned to serve the needs of the golfers and the many tourists in this beautiful part of the borders in southern Scotland. There is a gym and an 18-metre swimming pool along with an elegant spa offering a great selection of treatments. This mixture is particularly useful for those who wish to golf and pamper. There are two very good restaurants at the hotel which provide quality dining and also fast-food snacks for golfers eager to grab a bite before or after play.
The course itself is a par 72 and measures 7010 yards from the back tees. It is a beautiful parkland setting, with the course twisting along the meanders of the River Tweed taking advantage of the flatter ground found on the floodplain. Occasionally the River Tweed floods and then the course is far too wet for golf, however luckily, this is a rare occurrence – even in the winter. The Tweed Valley itself is utterly beautiful with stunning scenery as the perfect backdrop to this excellent golf course. The high sweeping sides of the valleys and smooth features of the hills in general make for a perfect area to enjoy the Scottish scenery and wildlife.
The seventh hole in particular offers a true challenge: at 402 yards this par 4 requires real focus to avoid the bunkers to the left and the trees on the right, whilst producing the perfect approach shot into the raised and well-protected green.
The course is in fabulous condition and has hosted Euro Pro and European Challenge Tour events: most recently it was the venue for the PGA Super 60s tournament (in which the editor played with modest success). The greens are fast and undulating and there are fiendish run-off areas married with bunkers with varying degrees of kindness. Some nasty pot bunkers must be avoided at all costs!
The fairways are generous and are edged with a wide section of semi rough before thick rough and some wooded areas – the thicker rough is penal and will ruin any scorecard. When the course was first conceived over 25 years ago, there were major considerations for ecology and so the River Tweed does not come into play on many of the holes, but it’s a beautiful visual backdrop from many points of the course.
The practice facilities are also very good, with an excellent golf range which measures only around 200 yards so cannot be used with drivers. Most of the time in the summer months golfers are allowed to use the grass teeing area, rather than the mats which are in operation during the winter months. There is also a large short game area ideal for sharpening your skills from around the green and also on the putting surface.
There is a fleet of golf buggies available for golfers and, despite the course being flat, buggies are popular because there are often considerable walks between green and tee. Building the course was a difficult affair and Golf Features caught up with Paul Thomas who was responsible for the design with his late father, Ryder Cup legend Dave Thomas:
“We were appointed to design and develop the golf course in conjunction with a housing development on part of the land. The areas around the River Tweed are utterly beautiful and provide a lovely opportunity for golfers to enjoy this glorious part of Scotland. However, to construct a golf course in this setting wasn’t completely straightforward as the available pockets of land suitable for golf were not all neatly laid out together. The course is therefore very linear and for the main part follows the River Tweed. In the area is closest to the river we used very little bunkering, as this work would’ve been ruined on the few occasions when the river floods.
“My father and I did a considerable amount of work in this area around the turn of the century and we are particularly pleased with how Cardrona turned out. It is very playable and a good test for golfers of all abilities.”
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts have seven courses in total across five spectacular locations in the UK, from the rolling hills of the Cairngorms (Championship Spey Valley Golf Course) to the beautiful Cheshire countryside (Macdonald Portal Resort), so they certainly have plenty of experience of running big golf operations. Their golf packages for Cardrona start at a very competitive £199 per person for two nights of dinner, bed, and breakfast, along with two rounds of golf. Membership is also great value at Cardrona, starting at £550.
The whole area is completely stunning and it is well worth visiting. There are a number of beautiful historical towns locally including Hawick, Selkirk and Jedburgh, along with great opportunities for walking and cycling across the gorgeous and distinctive rolling hills, blanketed in purple heather. The area really takes some beating.
For further details, please visit: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk