Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel - Red Course

We normaly have coffe and a bacon roll before we play most courses but a simple bacon sandwich was not available at first. the only option offered was a bacon, flat mushroom, tomato and cheese roll price £7.75. The VERY helpful lady went to see the manager on our behalf and then offered a simple bacon roll at £3.50, great, until it went in the till it became £5.50! (They went up this week, inflation?) FORGET IT we are golfers not corporate people on company accounts

The staff were helpful and the course was in very good condition. Better sand and more of it in bunkers would help.

Went to the local pub for a beer as food prices made us think the drinks would be too expensive!

First time here. Hellidon lakes would appear to be actually three 9 holes courses that can be combined in different ways. We played "Lakes" and then "Valley" which seemed to be the golfing equivalent of a "game of two halves". Starting at hole 10 for the Lakes course we were impressed by the overall quality of the course, beautiful surroundings, challenging greens, clearly maintained to a high standard with a number of cunning features that gave the impression that this had been well designed. It also became clear pretty quickly that we were going to get fit on this course, to say it was "up hill and down dale" would be an understatement, a swiss passport and some crampons would have not gone amiss at times. The last par three hole, across the valley and water to a green on the side of a hill, was challenging to say the least, providing much entertainment to the guests in the hotel complex bar above overlooking one's vein attempts to get a ball over and for it to remain in the same postcode without rolling down the hill.

The valley course, holes 1-9, was a stark contrast, whilst by no means unacceptable it was clearly maintained to a different standard. Noticeably the signage and maintenance of the course was completely different. An on course guide, similar to those provided on the Lakes course, as to the water feature in front of hole three (Marston) would have been useful for example. Hole 7 was entitled "Fecknoe" which is presumably what a golfer of Irish decent might say when driving the ball slightly right and thus into the water. There is another nine hole course called "Hellidon" here and I would like to experience that next time along with the lakes and leave out "Valley". If Lakes and Hellidon are at the same standard, this will provide an excellent days golf.

Lovely welcome in pro shop from friendly staff, enjoyed the course, quite hilly in places. Some interesting holes. Greens are very challenging and excellent short game is needed to score very well. Course management is important. After the round had a drink in the terrace bar. Members very friendly and warm and the captain even came over and asked how we found the experience - a very nice touch as too many cluba in my humble opinion are too "stuffy".