I would like to thank YourGolfTravel and the staff at Macdonald Portal Hotel for making our recent stay most pleasurable. From our arrival until departure we were made most welcome and comfortable by all members of staff. The golf was very good, considering the time of year and the evening dinner was excellent. Overall the stay was excellent value for money, we would not hesitate to return.
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Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa
is rated 4.5
out of 5 based on
6
verified reviews
from YGT customers.
Macdonald Portal is a fabulous resort that boasts two of the very finest courses in the North West. Terrific resort facilities match the courses to provide one of the most sought after golf break destinations.
Following the completion of an ₤11 million investment, the hotel at Portal is a real delight, and is a golf break destination where you can truly relax and unwind.
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Golf courses
With a choice of three great golf courses, and facilities including the largest indoors-golfing academy in Europe, and a fantastically well stocked pro-shop, The Portal Hotel has established itself as a world-class championship venue, ideal for all standard of player.
Championship Course
The Championship Course at Portal is relatively unknown to a wide audience, but having opened in 1990, it is one of the best courses to be completed in England in the modern era. In fact, it was named ‘Golf Course Of The Year' in 1995, and is the star of Portal's golfing complex. Designer Donald Steel has created a challenge that is characterised by unique and distinctive holes; expansive water hazards and cascading waterfalls are among the tests. The signature is typical of Steel's magnificent 7,037 yard layout - the long third tips the scales at 607 yards, with a green guarded by a beautiful lake.
STATS
Par: 73
Designed by: Donald Steel
Opened for play: 1990
Awards: Named 'Golf course of the year' in 1995.
TEES
White: 7058 yards, SSS 74
Yellow: 6577 yards, SSS 72
Red: 5928 yards, SSS 74.6
Signature hole- No. 14: Par 3, 136 yards (White), SI 17 (Men), 4 (Ladies)
The Championship signature hole plays to almost an island green, with water around the front, side and back of the green and a couple of waterfalls too. The best entrance would be straight down the middle, as this would avoid two large trees which overhang either side, and could easily rebound your ball back into the water.
Premier Course
While the Premier Course at Portal will always be in the shade of its award-winning sibling, it is a cracking course in its own right. Overlooking the Cheshire Plains, the par-71 parkland track is shorter than the Championship Course, measuring 6,538 yards, but benefits from the same stunning water and woodland backdrop. Both courses are consistently maintained in immaculate condition, and together form the basis that has made Portal one of the best destinations for a golf break in the north west.
If you're feeling strong, have a crack at the 607 yard third hole on Donald Steel's Championship Course.
STATS
Par: 71
Designed by: Tim Rouse
Opened for play: 1990
TEES
White: 6582 yards, SSS 71
Yellow: 6293 yards, SSS 71
Red: 5688 yards, SSS 74.1
Signature hole-No. 15: Par 3, 205 yards (White), SI 11 (men), 17 (ladies)
The 15th on the Premier is a breathtaking hole. Playing very high up, the elevated tee is almost on a cliff face and the approach has to be judged well, due to a sheer drop to the low-down kidney shaped green. Accuracy is paramount on this hole as there are trees which overhang on both sides and bunkers to the left and right of the green.
Arderne Course
The Arderne Course at the Macdonald Portal Hotel is a 9 hole par 30 golf course and is a fantastic test of your short game. The course comprises of 3 par 4’s and 6 par 3’s and has a total yardage of 1724. There are two sets of tee’s so this course can be played twice. The Lee Westwood Golf School use this course for practicing so you never know who you might catch a glimpse of!
STATS
Par: 30
Designed by: Donald Steel
Opened for play: 1990
TEES
White: 3472 yards, SSS 30
Yellow: 3248, SSS 30
Accommodation
The accommodation consists of 85 rooms and 6 executive suites, all of which are complete with a mini-bar, internet access, tea/coffee making facilities, en suite bathroom, satellite television and a work area. The suites boast private balconies, which afford fantastic views of the beautiful estate surrounding the hotel.The investment scheme encompassed the entire property, and as such, the public areas are equally as plush as the deluxe bedrooms, ensuring that your golf break at Potal will be comfortable from the first moment to last.
Indulgence is the buzz word in Portal's state-of-the-art Spa, which opened in September 2007. The relaxing tranquil environment will soothe mind, body and soul, and is complemented by the sauna, rock sauna, aroma steam bath, salt infusion suite and ice bath. In addition to the 18-metre swimming pool, the complex offers a fantastic range of beauty treatments.
The Ranulf Restaurant is among the region's best - choose from the finest Scottish-bred beef and lamb, or the fish, sourced from the famed Loch Fyne Oyster Company.
For something more laid back, unwind with a drink or snack in the lounge, overlooking the beautiful Cheshire Plains.
Features
- Indoor Swimming Pool
- Spa
- Sauna
- Beauty Salon
- Gymnasium
- Conference Facilities
- Private Dining
Golfer reviews
I recently enjoyed a short golf break at the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf & Spa with three fellow golfers who were new to the venue. We played the Championship course on the first afternoon and the Premier the following morning which despite the hangovers and generally inclement weather, got the consensus as the more interesting and varied of the two. Both are scenic woodland courses with great views and fairly undulating. Consequently many of the tee shots and approaches to the pin are quite sharply up or downhill. A memorable example of this is the vastly elevated tee on the 15th on the Premier course which coupled with a strong wind when we played made club selection pretty awkward but it is a fantastic par 3.
The hotel rooms are of a good standard and there are the requisite pool and leisure facilities which we basically ran out of time to take advantage of. Having stayed previously I found the food to be of a good standard however we didn't eat in the restaurant at the venue on this occasion. The bar is nicely situated with views overlooking the Championship course and the draught beers and cider are reasonably priced but at between £6-£12 a shot, the impressive selection of spirits are probably out of bounds for a lot of visitors apart from those charging them to an expenses account.
Would recommend a buggy for the second round though whatever course was being played if feeling fragile from the night before as both courses involve quite a strenuous jaunt. Two quality courses with fantastically kept greens made it a really enjoyable weekend of golf and overall the venue represented decent value for money. Great service once again by Your Golf Travel.
My party and I really enjoyed our weekend at Macdonald Portal Golf & Country Club.
The Premier course was a really interesting layout in very good condition and very enjoyable for both the men and the ladies. The Championship Course was also excellent, a little demanding for the ladies but nevertheless they all enjoyed it.
The hotel was top class as well. Superb rooms were backed up by friendly staff members and great food. I would rate the whole weekend at 9 out of ten, the only drawback was the cost of the drinks which is becoming a common feature at the best golf resorts in modern times. As usual your service was first class, friendly and efficient and I would recommend YGT to anyone looking to book a good value golf break.
Joan and I are 76 and 78 years of age respectively and our wonderful golfing years all over England, Wales and Scotland, in Spain, Portugal, France, Florida, Tenerife and Canada are unfortunately drawing to a close. Having said that, our friends would like us to arrange another golf break next September and we will certainly be in touch to do so.
Kind regards and many thanks for your excellent service.
The Macdonald Portal Hotel is a great hotel for a weekend golf break. It was very easy to find and checking in was no problem. The rooms were luxurious and much improved since our last golf break here thanks to a large investment in the entire facility. We went into the lounge on arrival and ordered lunch which was presented very attractively and the food was enjoyable.
The Championship Course was right by the Hotel and we were escorted to the first tee by the starter. The golf course was good to play but the ground was very muddy after all the rain which was a pity.
The Spa facilities were very good and towels were provided for the pool along with a locker key. In fact while in the Spa it dawned on us how good the service had been since we arrived.
The Premier Course was a short drive from the hotel and its clubhouse was well equipped. Again the staff were very helpful and we managed to get a tee time 30 minutes earlier than originally booked.
This course was a delight to play. Well sign posted, beautifully manicured and lovely scenery was visible from some raised tee areas. There were wide fairways, lots of trees and strategically placed water to catch the errant shots.
We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and we were so lucky to get good weather. We will definitely book through Your Golf Travel again and we’ll be recommending “YGT” to other members of our golf club.
Our recent golf break to the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Country Club was a raving success and we would like to thank everyone at Your Golf Travel for the hard work that goes into organising the golf trips so professionally.
We knew we were in for a good weekend when the heavy rain stopped literally as we were approaching the 1st tee to make way for brilliant sunshine that went on to last the rest of the day. We really enjoyed both of the golf courses at Portal but the Championship Course just edged it. This was one of the most picturesque golf courses I have played in recent years.
The hotel was great as well...the rooms were comfortable and well equipped and the facilities throughout were top notch. To put the finishing touches on the golf trip one of the lads got a hole in one during the closing stages of the second round. We will be back for more in the future and will definitely be booking our future golf breaks through YGT!
Four excited golfers set off to the Macdonald Portal Hotel and Golf Resort and none of us had ever been before so we were pleasantly surprised with the overall quality of the golf and the hotel. The hotel was extremely busy when we arrived but there was still a member of staff there to greet us none the less. We played the Premier Course after having a couple of bacon butties and a coffee and thought the course was lovely. The weather was a little wet and cold but that failed to detract from the golf, such was the quality of the course. Following our round of golf we checked into our rooms, which were excellent. Everything you could wish for from a five star hotel was there and in general the rooms were extremely comfortable. We had our evening meal in the Ranulf Restaurant and the food was delicious so would thoroughly recommend eating there. Our second round was on the Championship Course which was much more difficult than the Premier Course but still very much enjoyable. Even the single figure handicapper found this course testing! Overall our weekend golf break in Manchester was a great success and we are very much looking forward to our next golf trip, which we will certainly be booking with Your Golf Travel.