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The Vale Resort

The Vale Resort Awards
The Vale Resort is another of South Wales' stunning resorts and boasts a number of unrivalled facilities. With 36 championship golf holes on offer, any golf fanatic will be at home at The Vale Resort as both courses provide players with both a unique and equally impressive golfing experience.

On top of the golf, the resort is also renowned for its fantastic accommodation, luxurious spa and delightful restaurants, meaning that even the non-golfers among us are able to enjoy a stay at The Vale.

Found just outside of Cardiff, the lavish resort is easily accessible and more than warrants a trip down to South Wales.

The Vale Resort
The Vale Resort

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Golf Courses at The Vale Resort

Wales National Course

The Vale is among a select few golf resorts in the UK to offer guests two high quality courses. The parkland layouts that encircle the superb four-star resort hotel are a joy to play, giving wonderful variety to every stay.

Stay and play at The Vale and you and your group of golf society will have the chance to tackle what is a genuine tour standard championship course – the Wales National. A par of 73 and a full length of 7,433 yards give insight into the challenge of this monster layout, but that’s by no means the end of the story. The Wales National is superbly conditioned, thanks in part to its USGA specification greens, and its collection of water hazards and acres of sand mean that trouble is never too far away. Long and challenging, yes, but the Wales National is a wonderful treat that every golfer will enjoy.

Course Information

Par 73
Designed by Peter Johnson
Opened in 2003
Previously hosted Several European Challenge and Senior's Tour events plus Euro Pro Tour events have taken place on the Wales National Course

Tees

Blue 7,433 yards SSS 75
White 6,987 yards SSS 73
Yellow 6,617 yards SSS 71
Red 5,863 yards SSS 74

Lake Course

As its name suggests, the Lake Course is dominated by water; in fact, a 20-acre lake comes into play on no less than 8 of its holes, creating plenty of drama and no little challenge. The signature 12th hole and its island green will make nerves jangle and will be a highlight of any round – many a tale to be told in the bar!

Signature Hole:  The 12th hole on the Lakes course is the signature hole with an island green, just like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. The 12th hole is seen as one of the best holes in UK Golf. 

Course Information

Par 72
Designed by Peter Johnson
Opened in 1990
Previously hosted Wales and West PGA National Championships

Tees

White 6,304 yards SSS 72
Yellow 5,986 yards SSS 70
Red 5,754 yards SSS 74

Accommodation at The Vale Resort

The four star hotel is built on ground that was once part of historic Hensol Castle estate - a 17th century stately home, set in an area of outstanding beauty. In spite of this, the resort itself is only a few minutes from the M4, and offers easy access into Cardiff city centre.

Every aspect of the Resort has been designed to maximise comfort and convenience for every type of golfer. All rooms are air-conditioned, have lavish en-suite facilities and a large number of them afford spectacular views of the golf course and surrounding countryside.

Food & Drink

Good wholesome food is available in the Clubhouse bar or for larger group bookings private dining in La Cucina can be arranged (set menu ) For an alternative dining experience the Vale Grill offers a best of Welsh menu and has recently been awarded an AA rosette.

Leisure Facilities

In addition to the luxurious accommodation, guests are welcome to take advantage of the first-class leisure facilities.

The exceptional leisure facilities available include:- a large-state-of-the-art-gymnasium with the very latest computer-aided fitness equipment, a luxury 20 metre indoor pool, fitness studios (offering a variety of classes including Yoga and Pilates), plus squash and tennis courts, sauna, steam room and whirlpool bath.

For a more indulgent experience, you can visit Wales’ largest spa to take time out, chill and treat mind, body and soul in an atmosphere that stimulates the senses.

Friendly, welcoming and informal is the standard order of the day. A large modern and bright lounge area provides the perfect setting to discuss that "missed putt" or 300 yard drive.

How to get to The Vale Resort

The Vale Resort is located a mere 15-minute drive from Cardiff City Centre, a 20-minute drive from Cardiff International Airport, and just three minutes from Junction 34 off the M4.

Address: Hensol Park, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan, Cardiff, CF72 8JY

Features

  • Jacuzzi
  • Squash
  • Tennis
  • Gymnasium
  • Solarium
  • Sauna
  • Steam Room
  • Spa
  • Indoor Swimming Pool
  • Conference Facilities
  • Private Dining
  • Family Rooms
  • Family Suites
  • Creche
  • Late Night Bar
  • Golf Buggies
  • Driving Range
  • Tuition
  • Putting Greens

The Vale Resort Reviews

Overall rating: 8.8 / 10

Hotel reviews

9.0 9 / 10

Bar / Restaurant
8.6 / 10
Facilities
9 / 10
Location
9.4 / 10
Room comfort
9 / 10
Staff
9.2 / 10
Value for money
9 / 10

8 / 10

Nice hotel which is functional and met the requirements of our stay.

Andrew Reviewed 27 Jan 2020

8 / 10

The room was lovely and really enjoyed the breakfast but our evening meal was not so good , a lack of choice and quality for the subsidy paid.

Karen Reviewed 25 Sep 2019

8 / 10

Very tidy and clean staff polite. Disappointed we had to dine in the golf clubhouse we were expecting to be in the main dinning room as in previous years. The impression was they did not want groups of male golfers in the restaurant.

Dave Reviewed 4 Sep 2019

10 / 10

Superb food, lovely rooms

Craig Reviewed 16 Aug 2019

8 / 10

Adrian Reviewed 14 Aug 2019

8 / 10

Lovely rooms, one annoying thing was the noise in restaurant.

Carolyn Reviewed 14 Aug 2019

10 / 10

Very well appointed hotel with excellent facilities

Paul Reviewed 12 Aug 2019

10 / 10

hotel,room,bars,staff all excellent.restaurant and food top notch

Steve Reviewed 11 Aug 2019

8 / 10

As ever the rooms are generous, clean and well equipped. I did ask for a wake-up call which didn't come. The food was cooked and served well on the 3 course menu with good choice and breakfast was comprehensive. Staff were attentive but by 8.30pm staff number dropped. The main complaint was that the larger societies in the restaurant were very noisy, and despite complaining, as it was difficult to hold a conversation, the staff member did not have the command to ask them to quieten down. We did leave a complaint on booking out, and, as expected, the staff said that she would report it to the Duty Manager... all too late. The staff and food at the Clubhouse were also good.

Sarah Reviewed 5 Aug 2019

10 / 10

The three course meal & food were outstanding. Rooms perfect & staff so friendly. Would not hesitate in going back.

Nicola Reviewed 23 Jul 2019

8 / 10

Paul Reviewed 1 Jul 2019

10 / 10

Michael Reviewed 13 Jun 2019

10 / 10

Great hotel, food really good and lovely staff very friendly.

Kevin Reviewed 4 Jun 2019

10 / 10

This has to be the best kept secret in the UK. The staff were very professional,nothing was too much trouble, the food was well above average quality and excellent value. The only let down was the outdated bar. Spotless room with a view over the lakes course from a balcony. WiFi was intermittent probably due to large outage.room facilities were very good.our third visit and never had a bad one.

Mike Reviewed 29 May 2019

8 / 10

hotel and rooms are really comfortable and beautifully located. Bathroom is fully equipped, clean and comfortable as well. When you book an early round of golf in the weekend be advised that breakfast starts later than during the week.

Ton Reviewed 20 May 2019

4 / 10

Hotel in general was superb. Unfortunately the restaurant and bar staff are very unhelpful and on or last night they decided to close the bar at 1015pm. Found that very strange as we hadn’t even finished dinner so drinks were not available at the table.

Daniel Reviewed 20 May 2019

10 / 10

Our expectations were exceeded, the room was extremely spacious and comfortable. Our dining experience was really good in the evening. Breakfast was a really nice start to the day. I particularly liked the chef on hand ensuring the food was topped up and freshly cooked were required.

Barry Reviewed 8 May 2019

10 / 10

Cannot fault a single thing during our stay at The Vale Resort, extremely happy and a very satisfied customer. Will be returning again 100%

Ryan Reviewed 7 May 2019

8 / 10

Hotel was very nice only problem was I booked two twin rooms only got one and one double that was the only let down

Glenn Reviewed 30 Apr 2019

10 / 10

Traveled over the Easter weekend, weather was fantastic which definitely help make the long weekend The hotel is one of the best we’ve been to - room size is very good for people sharing and the decor is fresh and modern The gym and spa areas are also good, and we didn’t have a problem booking treatments even though the hotel was quite busy and we where a group of 33 Both golf courses are worth playing - the National is a long demanding course, buggy’s required unless your up for a stiff walk The Lakes course is very picturesque, considerably shorter but still worth playing - plenty of water and elevation changes All in all we where very impressed with the courses, facilities, food, service and one of the best resort pro shops we’ve encountered Will definitely be returning !!

Bob Reviewed 23 Apr 2019

8 / 10

Four of us having been going to the Vale for the last 6 years. So the hotel side was a little disappointing this year. Our booking included a £10 drinks voucher for each of us. The hotel said they knew nothing of this so had to fight to get it. The two rooms where in the main part of the hotel and where not as good as the ones normally given to golfers. The dinner menu is now very limited and had to pay extra £5 extra for a steak and another £2.95 if you wanted a sauce.

Dennis Reviewed 15 Apr 2019

10 / 10

Had an overnight stay arranged with John Paul. No issues what so ever. Tee times were perfect and all of the details were immediately available to front desk staff at hotel, dinner bookings and room book in were very efficient. Thank you JP and your golf travel!

David Reviewed 28 Feb 2019

10 / 10

Superb room, great cooked breakfast, welcoming staff and more than enough bars!

Gareth Reviewed 16 Dec 2018

8 / 10

Kevin Reviewed 26 Nov 2018

8 / 10

As a resort - it was okay. Perhaps a tad bit on the stale side, there were more couples on romantic weekends than chaps on a golf weekends. Bars are a bit "functional" for my liking. As a comparison, I thought St Pierre resort in Chepstow is a better all-round venue for golfers. Rooms were pretty decent. The quality of the food was outstanding - far and away the best food we've had on a golf weekend. And probably the best pint of Guinness I've tasted in a long time as well. Overall score - reasonable. Good value for money. I'd probably return at a warmer time of year. As an added bonus, it was nice bumping into a few lads from the Welsh Rugby squad who were training at the resort.

John Reviewed 30 Oct 2018

10 / 10

Great golfers break, and the deal was exceptional for the price.

Peter Reviewed 14 Oct 2018

10 / 10

Lovely Hotel, good food, great facilities, very clean and tidy. Everything worked as it should. We got lucky and had a room overlooking 9th, 18th greens and 10th hole. We paid extra for the steak and it was worth the £5.00 supplement.

Mike Reviewed 3 Oct 2018

10 / 10

Stephen Reviewed 2 Oct 2018

6 / 10

Carlos Reviewed 2 Oct 2018

10 / 10

Excellent

Neil Reviewed 27 Sep 2018

10 / 10

good quality & value for money

Jez Reviewed 24 Sep 2018

10 / 10

We have just returned from our first hosting of a company event at The Vale Resort, organised by Your Golf Travel. On behalf of Corr Recruitment we would like to extend our sincere thanks to YGT for a superb weekend which was flawless in every detail...apart from our golf of course! From the pre-event organising, arrival welcome and all the way through to the final 19th hole cold beverage on the last day, the weekend went very smoothly and the service at The Vale was superb throughout.

A particular mention to the clubhouse Bar Manager Ann, who looked after us all weekend and was impeccable with her customer service.

There was a distinct lack of active wildlife during the weekend, very few birdies or eagles were seen, however the makers of any branded ball did exceptionally well and have probably seen profits rise in the last 4 days!

In fact the only endangered animal would have been the poor ducks relaxing on the water that seemed to encroach on many of the holes and unsociably destroy a potential sub 70 round!

Thank you again for everything you’ve done to make our weekend as enjoyable as it was and we look forward to booking our next event with you soon.

Andy Reviewed 18 May 2016

10 / 10

Thank you for organising our golf trip to The Vale Resort. It all went very smoothly and here is my review of the venue itself.

Having just returned from two days of golf at the Vale Resort, I can report there are two great courses, both in good condition, and with very welcoming staff throughout.

The hotel rooms, food and leisure facilities are all fantastic too.

This golf break was great value for money and we will return.

Charles Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

We travelled to the Vale Resort over the Easter break (a group of four with handicaps between 21 and 28) and what a great venue it turned out to be. The resort has two golf courses; The Lakes and Wales National. Both were challenging, even off the yellow tees we played off. Beautifully presented with fast greens, blind brows and doglegs, as well as stunning scenery, both courses were a joy to play. The length, water and sand made things tough for our handicap range but it was very rewarding when you played well! The only negative worth mentioning was that the half way huts were mediocre for golf courses of this standard. Not a big issue. 

One key tip – do buy the course guides (£5 each) to give you a clue as to how to play the hole whilst on the tees for the first time.

The clubhouse was great, with friendly staff and beers costing approx £4 a pint. A decent bar menu was available too.

We also used the driving range and practise putting greens which met expectations.

The hotel, its rooms and the members of staff were as you would expect for a four star establishment. The a la carte grill was a great place to eat in the evening and the breakfast buffet really hit the spot with all types of breakfast available.

This was the first time I've booked a golf holiday for a group. YGT made the process easy even when we changed dates and added a person very late. Even before we settled on the Vale Resort, YGT came up with a series of very suitable options for our dates, budget and preferences. I was surprised how much effort they put in to getting it right for us.

In the end it was a near perfect trip so 9/10 is fair. We would certainly consider The Vale again and I've already recommended YGT to friends.

Adam Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

Apart from the shocking weather, our trip to The Vale was excellent. The staff at the hotel and the golf complex were very amenable and made our stay very enjoyable. The meals at the hotel were far better than we expected too and we would certainly recommend this resort to friends, but perhaps in the summer.

Many thanks for your help in organizing a very enjoyable golf break and I am sure we will contact YGT for any golf weekends in the future.

Barry Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

The golf courses at The Vale are in excellent condition, each offering a different test. The Lakes Course is shorter but accuracy is the key, whereas the National Course is much longer than your average course, but with some really interesting holes. Our 3 ball of 15-18 handicappers all shot sub 100 which really felt like an achievement!!

The Hotel is excellent too. Food in the Grill was of a high standard and the Health Club is a great facility. Members of staff are friendly and helpful.

Overall we’d give the trip a 9/10 - A great way to spend my birthday celebration and will definitely think about returning in the near future.

Barry Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

We returned from our golf trip to The Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort just over a week ago and the fact that we are already planning a return trip in September (hopefully with larger numbers) should tell you how much our group enjoyed it.

We have a mixed range of abilities amongst our group (between 6 and 25 h’caps) and there is no doubt that for mid to high handicappers both courses are very difficult, with plenty of water, plenty of trees and plenty of blind shots. However, they are also very enjoyable and the conditioning of both courses is fantastic.

The service at the hotel was exceptional and they literally couldn’t do enough for you. One of our group (that would be me!) managed to leave his phone charger in the room on departure. A couple of days later whilst still deciding whether it would be worth the hassle to contact the hotel to get it back, the postman knocked on the door with said phone charger. Great stuff!

The food was great and the room was fantastic. I’m sure they don’t all have great views but mine had a balcony overlooking the 18th green which was great. 

The price of a pint was expensive as were snacks if you wanted them, but having visited similar establishments, this was no more expensive than the norm.

As always Yourgolftravel provided a great service and after just getting back from our 4th trip organised by them, I can guarantee a 5th will be following shortly.

Steve Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

We had an enjoyable golf trip to The Vale where everything was first class except the weather with rain on day 1 and a washout on day 3!

It was disappointing that the weather put a dampener on the visit but that cannot be controlled. We still enjoyed the two rounds though.

Otherwise everything was as expected - ease of booking, check-in, accommodation, food, pro shop, golf courses and service all of high standard.

Apart from the weather, the only negative was that on the first day buggies were not available for our 13:15 start as these had not been returned by the morning players. They were brought out to us as we reached the 2nd green though.

We had a bonus in that the British & Irish Lions squad and coaches booked into the hotel on our second night!

Brian Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

I want to thank you for recommending this venue as an alternative to Celtic Manor as we couldn’t get in there. 

It was absolutely great and far exceeded our expectations in every area. We were even upgraded in the hotel to a wonderful room with a view over the 1st, 9th, 10th and 18th greens! Fresh fruit in the room was lovely and there was plenty of tea and coffee available too. The rooms were very clean on the whole and the bed was very comfortable.

The restaurant was really good – we were given an allocation of £29 each to choose from the menu for our evening meal – and this was sufficient to have a starter, main and dessert. We both had sirloin steak and chips and it was probably the best steak either of us has had. The breakfast the next day was also excellent with plenty of choice and all very hot.

The staff at the hotel from the reception to the restaurants were so very polite and helpful that we could not fault them at all.

Now to the golf...again this was of the highest standard. 

There were a couple of temporary greens on the Lakes Course but it was all main greens on the Wales National. The Lakes is a long and sometimes quite narrow course which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Wales National is simply huge and was certainly a challenge compared to the Lakes!

Some of the par 4s are massive and the chances of us getting a couple of Stableford points were slim! That being said...we still loved it! The back 9 has a particularly pretty section with water, and the red dogwood at this time of year (February) was stunning.

In addition, we spoke to several of the members all of whom were really friendly which is sometimes not the case when you visit such a resort. The Clubhouse was very good, the menu was not overly expensive and the quality of the food we were served was good.

I would highly recommend this venue. It is also the training base for the Welsh rugby team so seeing the players was an added bonus!

My rating would be 10/10.

Gillian Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

Well what can I say? What an excellent venue with two great golf courses, both superbly kept and presented. The clubhouse was excellent too; very welcoming and the service was excellent. The beer was great and well priced...food was great also.

The hotel was great, with superb food and a nice atmosphere.

If I had to have one gripe it would be the buggy situation. On arrival on Sunday we were offered buggies after being told during the booking process that they were not available on the Sunday. And yet there were none booked out when we got there! On the Monday, whilst we had 7 booked, they would only let us have 5 as there were nine of us and they expected us to play in 3 balls.

That was the only damper on what was described as 'superb weekend - great choice' by members of my party.

Many thanks to your golf travel - we'll be going again!

Paul Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

10 / 10

I will never forget our golf trip to the Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort.

This was our second annual golf trip that we booked with YGT. You guys are so easy to use and would recommend you to anyone looking to book a golf break. I emailed them a few months ago asking where they thought would be good for 10 guys to play a weekend of golf but also have the nightlife for the evening. They recommend The Vale and it did not disappoint!

The resort was easy to find, just off the M4 near Cardiff.

We started our first round on the Friday and unfortunately the weather made it very challenging, with rain and wind howling in our faces! The course was immaculate though, and good for our range of handicaps. Luckily the weather improved over the next two days. 

The hotel’s facilities were great too. Spacious, modern rooms, which are just a walk away from the 2 golf courses. We used the gym and swimming pool, but unfortunately didn’t have time for the spa.

Breakfast and dinner were amazing, we all agreed with a buffet for breakfast and 3 course dinners. The staff were so attentive and friendly and the whole trip was great value for money.

Freddie Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

The golf courses at The Vale were both very good layouts. The conditioning on both was very good; the National greens had been hollow tined before our last round but the green staff had done a good job and they continued to run pretty well. The National is a tough course...not for beginners I would suggest! Overall, the courses at The Vale were, in my opinion, better than other complex's I have been to including Tracy Park, Carden Park and Celtic Manor (exc 20 10).

The staff at the Clubhouse were very good and very welcoming. 

The hotel rooms were excellent too; of a very good size, with large TV and an excellent shower...again better than other such resorts.

If there was a disappointment about the golf break, the meals were it. The lunchtime bar meals were fine but the meals on the whole were not as good as other places mentioned above.

Overall, The Vale offers excellent value for money.

Dennis Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

8 / 10

Most of the scores I would give are 9/10. Bar prices etc are what you would expect from a hotel of this standard. 

The National course is long and would suit the more competent golfer in my opinion. 

The only issue we had with the whole trip is that we had two double rooms and two twins instead of the four twins.

Apart from that it was very good indeed.

Mac Reviewed 2 Dec 2014

The Vale Resort Frequently Asked Questions

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in from 3pm | Check-out from 11am

What time is breakfast?

7-10am on weekedays, 7:30-10:30am on weekends

What is the dress code for dinner?

Smart Casual

What restaurant do I need to book for dinner?

The Vale Grill

Is there a range on site?

Yes

Are there buggies available to hire?

Yes

How much is the fee for the caddies?

No caddies available

Are there any weekend golfing restrictions?

Lake Course only available 12-2pm on weekends

How many bars are there?

There are 3 bars on site

Is there a charge for car parking on site?

There is complimentary parking

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