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Macdonald Hill Valley Spa, Hotel & Golf - Sapphire Course
Rating Snapshot
About
Established in 1975, Hill Valley Golf and Country Club has a wide range of golfing and recreational facilities and welcomes visitors and members alike. Its boasts two fine courses and is proud to have employed Ian Woosnam in his early days as a professional.
Pro-shop offers a wide range of golfing equipment, tuition and buggy hire. Practice putting green and driving bays are available. Unwind in the a la carte restaurant or visitors bar. There is a separate bar for members.
Additional facilities include 28 ensuite bedrooms, gym, sauna, solarium, jacuzzi and snooker room. Hill Valley Golf and Country Club also offer a conference / function room for parties up to 200.
Shorter but no less demanding the Sapphire course at 4765 yards presents quite a different test for Golfers of any standard, with an abundance of water careful and skilful club selection and equally competent execution are paramount and make this course the ultimate challenge for exponents of the short game. Sharpen up this, the most important aspect of playing, and you will undoubtedly reap the benefits which will show in the improvement of your scoring.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 66 | 4765 yards | 64.0 | 124 |
| Yellow | 66 | 4449 yards | 63.1 | 122 |
| Red | 66 | 4079 yards | 65.0 | 455 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White M: 64.0/124 | 388 | 157 | 360 | 123 | 326 | 166 | 314 | 149 | 323 | 2306 | 104 | 288 | 301 | 190 | 308 | 477 | 310 | 169 | 348 | 2495 | 4801 |
| Yellow M: 63.1/122 | 379 | 150 | 345 | 114 | 262 | 155 | 298 | 136 | 310 | 2149 | 90 | 250 | 293 | 169 | 302 | 466 | 297 | 132 | 306 | 2305 | 4454 |
| Red W: 65.0/122 | 288 | 150 | 345 | 114 | 250 | 152 | 298 | 127 | 275 | 1999 | 90 | 250 | 293 | 105 | 294 | 466 | 297 | 95 | 244 | 2134 | 4133 |
| Handicap | 5 | 15 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 4 | |||
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 32 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 66 |
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Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
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Bar, RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet Facilities, SpaAvailable Activities
Swimming, Billiards
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
Very enjoyable round!
For the price it’s excellent value. Not overly long but a good test especially for the higher handicapper. The course does need a bit of TLC on the greens. Played on 4th August 2021.
Greens and tees shocking
Teeboxs were rock hard, almost impossible to get a tee in, fairways were very good, greens awful, reminded me of a municipal course in the 90s, various shades of brown scorched earth and the one green that had been watered was flooded for half the hole. Will not be returning any time soon.
Treacherous course.
Hill Valley Sapphire was a nostalgic visit as my wife used to be a member there not long after the golf courses opened. Then the Sapphire was only a 9 holes course and it was on that she first learned the game. 40 years on the trees have grown up and another 9 holes have been added. It is a pity the course has been a bit neglected. The bunkers were not in play and we could see why with almost no sand and full of weeds. The greens left a lot to be desired, although the fairways were very good. It is a very testing course and could be so much better after a bit of TLC. The hills and valleys were tiring for us in our 60's and a wee bit treacherous underfoot. My wife tripped and fell in a rabbit hole on the 13th fairway (I think) and hurt herself that she could not finish the round. Thankfully she was OK later on.
Re the bar service: As much as the food at the bar was good, the wait for service was too long. Fully 40 minutes from order to getting the food and drinks on our table and twice I had to remind the staff about drinks I had ordered and not received. So in a few ways Hill Valley needs to smarten up.
Greens
Played the courses at hill valley many times. It’s in a lovely location fantastic views, the course was in great condition it was such a pity the greens did not match up
Greens in poor condition. Chunks missing. Looks like the poor man's course, compared to other course on site
Sapphire course McDonald valley
Some greens were a bit tatty buggy tyres across one some scorched brown patches with no grass.and the bunkers were all gur they need new sand in them and to be made playable but always good game here
Poor greens
Poor greens, mostly moss and burnt... tee's need addressing, entire course needs tlc
Sunday golf
Variety of interesting holes , not an easy course as narrow openings to some of the par 3 holes . Fairways were good , greens need a little work .
Will definately play here again .
Hill Valley
Albeit the weather was great the course was just as enjoyable and the staff extremely helpful and friendly
It was a nice walk
Lovely setting but sapphire is not the main course at resort and wasn’t that well looked after
Lots of par 3’s
Poor condition
Played this course a few times before and it's a nice course normally... Went today and it's in poor condition greens shocking and not sure what's going on with the bunkers but full of mounds of soil.... When a course is in such poor state refunds should be given
Greens where awfull
Not played the sapphire course for a while and wont be any soon the green where awfull big holes in them and not cut
Such a shame
Lovely lay out and could be a great little course but the state of the fairways and greens is appalling the greens are worse than most fairways why they have let this course go so bad and the other course looks in perfect condition
Tee off
Think in the winter this need winter tee boxes as we were sliding all over the place trying tee off also needs the bunkers sorting out apart from that good course will be back in the summer
Sapphire course
A little gem. Wet weather weeks before made it a little less enjoyable but that’s not the course fault. Nice little test.
Neglected and Scruffy
Seems the Sapphire has been forgotten and neglected by Hill Valley GC.
Tees were a mess.
Fairways unkempt.
Greens patchy.
Discarded cider tins and litter aplenty.
A real shame on what is a lovely layout.
Poor.
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