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Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa

Situated in the lush English countryside, close to the border with Wales, Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa has both first-class accommodation and outstanding golf, the ideal spot for a UK golf break.

Hill Valley is fortunate to be the home of two excellent championship courses, the Emerald and the Sapphire, which have matured nicely since their inauguration in 1975 and are integral to Hill Valley's reputation as a fantastic golf resort.

Located less than an hour’s drive from Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent, Hill Valley can be easily accessed by car from most of the UK. The hotel at Hill Valley has recently undergone a £10 million investment programme, now a truly opulent four-star hotel, with the highest level of customer service. Two bars, a pool, a spa and The Borders Restaurant complete this fantastic golf hotel.

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Golf Courses at Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa

Emerald Course

The Emerald Course is named as such in a tribute to its lush, green environment, and is an excellent resort course, being suitably challenging for skilled players, whilst remaining playable for the average visitor. The natural undulations of the landscape work in harmony with the strategically positioned water hazards and sand traps to create many challenging holes, while the superb greens are expertly maintained to ensure that they putt beautifully throughout the year.

Course Information

Par 73
Designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas
Opened in 1975

Tees

White 6,714 yards SSS 72
Yellow 6,304 yards SSS 70
Red 5,509 yards SSS 71

Sapphire Course

The Sapphire Course may be considerably shorter than the Emerald, but it is no less entertaining. At 4,801 yards, you would not expect to be unduly challenged, but the abundant hazards, particularly the water, make matching the par of 66 extremely difficult. A deadly short game is priceless around the Sapphire, where those with a good grasp of the ‘scoring shots' - from within 100 yards - will no doubt reap the rewards.

Hill Valley's two golf courses and excellent facilities make it an ideal host for a corporate golf day.

Signature Hole

Hole 18 (Emerald Course), Par 4, 401 yards (White Tees), SI 9

The 18th on the Emerald contains an exciting approach shot over a pond. The green is small, and contains bunkers left and right, with trees behind ensuring that any mishit shots will be punished accordingly.  A fantastic closing hole requiring a sustained concentration to score par.

Course Information

Par 66
Designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas
Opened in 1975

Tees

White 4,801 yards SSS 64
Yellow 4,454 yards SSS 62
Red 4,145 yards SSS 64

Accommodation at Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa

The dedicated team of staff at Hill Valley prides itself on providing a level of customer service matched only by the beauty of the surroundings.

This commitment is complemented by the 81 outstanding guest bedrooms, whose quality is testament to the £10 million investment programme that has recently been completed. The bedrooms are all a good four-star level, featuring luxury extras like plasma screen televisions, and guarantee visitors a truly relaxing and comfortable experience.

Food & Drink

In the excellent Borders Restaurant, the chef's speciality is the Shropshire Cheese beignet while the Denby Lounge Bar is perfect for light lunch and a quiet drink and there is always the well-stocked Masters Bar, a perfect 19th hole venue.

Leisure Facilties

Macdonald Hill Valley now boasts a newly completed spa and wellness complex, complete with a 20 metre pool and a thermal suite. In the tranquil spa, indulge yourself with one of the luxurious face and body treatments. The health and leisure centre also has a superbly equipped Technogym.

How to get to Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel and Golf Club

Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel and Golf Club is located north of the town of Whitchurch in Shropshire, just 2 miles from Whitchurch train station, 17 miles from Crewe, 20 miles from Chester and 24 miles from Shrewsbury.

Address: Tarporley Road, Whitchurch, Shropshire, England, SY13 4HA

Features

  • Conference Facilities
  • Banqueting Facilities
  • Private Dining
  • Golf Buggies
  • Pro Shop

Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa Reviews

Overall rating: 7.8 / 10

Hotel reviews

8.6 8.6 / 10

Bar / Restaurant
8.2 / 10
Facilities
8.8 / 10
Location
9 / 10
Room comfort
8.8 / 10
Staff
9.2 / 10
Value for money
8.6 / 10

8 / 10

Food was amazing, staff were just as good

Marc Reviewed 4 Mar 2020

10 / 10

staff where excellent , great value food was good

Derek Reviewed 26 Feb 2020

6 / 10

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.

Anne Reviewed 10 Dec 2019

8 / 10

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

Alan Reviewed 29 Sep 2019

8 / 10

Great hotel

Tod Reviewed 20 Sep 2019

10 / 10

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!

Bob Reviewed 19 Sep 2019

10 / 10

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

Paul Reviewed 2 Sep 2019

8 / 10

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 .

Ian Reviewed 28 Aug 2019

10 / 10

Very accommodating and helpful

Philip Reviewed 17 Aug 2019

8 / 10

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

Stephen Reviewed 4 Aug 2019

8 / 10

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.

Jennifer Reviewed 20 Jun 2019

10 / 10

Everything excellent

Craig Reviewed 19 Jun 2019

10 / 10

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

Mark Reviewed 14 Jun 2019

10 / 10

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.

Stuart Reviewed 4 Jun 2019

10 / 10

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.

Bernard Reviewed 25 May 2019

10 / 10

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.

Terry Reviewed 24 May 2019

6 / 10

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.

Josh Reviewed 14 May 2019

2 / 10

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.

Jean Reviewed 2 May 2019

8 / 10

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

Doug Reviewed 24 Apr 2019

10 / 10

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

Peter Reviewed 15 Apr 2019

8 / 10

All good

Royston Reviewed 10 Apr 2019

8 / 10

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

John Reviewed 27 Mar 2019

10 / 10

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

Kay Reviewed 13 Mar 2019

6 / 10

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.

Roger Reviewed 25 Oct 2018

8 / 10

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.

Lorraine Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

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.

Christine Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 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!

Gerald Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

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.

Philip Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

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.

Joe Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

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.

Philip Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

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.

Linda Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

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!

Garry Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

6 / 10

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!


Frank Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

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.

Jackie Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

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.

Rhys Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

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.

Jane Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

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.

Ian Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

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