Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel

We played the main course, Hellidon plus Lakes, on a hot June day and regretted not hiring a buggy. It’s a long round over undulating holes, so choosing clubs can be tricky. The rough is knee-high in places and gives little room for error. There’s water everywhere, though it isn’t too dangerous, plus plenty of doglegs and some short par 4s you can drive. The 18th is a grand finish. I hit a 7 iron to 6 feet to applause, then missed the birdie putt 😭 Great layout, but it needs more investment. The greens vary and are challenging, and should be more consistent. There were also lots of greenkeepers out in the middle of the day. I’ll play again because it’s well priced. The pro shop is about average and drinks are expensive.

After the round, sitting with a beer on the balcony overlooking the 18th green was a nice touch, and there are some good views. The hotel itself is pleasant, the staff were nice, and our evening meal was fine. Breakfast was an okay buffet, though I’d hoped for a lot better. When we chose to eat out one night, they helpfully changed our package to include lunch instead of dinner. Getting checked in and setting up and paying for a tab, though, was like pulling teeth because of poor processes. The pool, spa and driving range were closed without warning. Taxis are available to Daventry or Southam for a change of scenery. The course is built on very hilly land and is devilishly hard. It’s so tight that it didn’t feel fair or fun. Some pins on the tiny greens were on slopes that were almost unplayable, and everyone in our society, from scratch golfers to 28 handicaps, struggled. Most holes are short and quirky, sometimes just strange and a bit rubbish. Conditions were fair at best. The uncollected cut grass in the first cut made it easy to lose a ball. Book a buggy ahead if you can; thankfully they’re not expensive. The 18th is a great finisher. There’s real potential here, but without significant improvements we’re very unlikely to return. I’d pay a little more to go elsewhere. This was October 2023, six men, two nights and three rounds with breakfast and dinner, booked through Your Golf Travel for £300 each.

The course has three different 9-hole loops in rural Warwickshire: Hellidon, Valley and Lakes. Hellidon is the hardest. My only real gripe is the lack of clear direction on where to aim your drive. I’m fairly new to both this course and golf, so that made things a struggle. Otherwise, it’s great value for money and I’ll be back.

I was there to collect and return the bridal party while the hotel was being used as a wedding venue. Everything was very well organised, and the staff and coordinator knew what they were doing.