Stay & Play – near the airport

A good way to start any continental golf break is to book a stay at an airport hotel the night before…and to play a relaxing warm-up round before flying out.

It’s a win-win scenario; not only do you catch a few more hours of sleep before a long day of travelling ahead but get the opportunity to get an extra game in which should stand you in good stead for the serious action in foreign climes…

And to help you choose, award-winning airport parking operator and retailer Airport Parking & Hotels (APH.com) has compared the facilities of 19 golf clubs near 21 of the UK’s airport hotels.

The research is available in the ‘Know Before You Go Section’ of the APH website at www.aph.com/golf and compares the facilities, course offerings and green fees for clubs situated within a 20mins drive from an airport hotel serving 10 airports in the UK, including Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester.

If you’re seeking a quick game before catching a flight, three of the clubs located near airport hotels are home to nine-hole courses with 14 offering a full 18-hole layout while Stonebridge Golf Club near Ibis Birmingham Airport and Woodspring Golf & Country Club near Hampton by Hilton Bristol Airport are both 27-hole venues.

In addition, three of the golf clubs located near airports also boast driving ranges, including Styal Golf Club, just a 10mins drive from Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport.   

Tech-savvy golfers travelling from London can book a session at the indoor golf simulator centre Lets Golf Horley, just a 5 minutes’ drive from the Holiday Inn Gatwick, while you can get a kick from footgolf – a fun combination of football and golf – at Stockwood Park Golf Centre near the Holiday Inn Luton Airport.

Off-course facilities include some splendid clubhouses including Manchester’s Ringway Golf Club which aboasts two full-sized snooker tables.  

Green fees vary with the lowest priced option costing £11 for a weekday tee-time after 3pm at Stockwood Park – within a 10mins from Luton Airport. The highest priced is at Bishop Stortford GC (£58), just 5mins from Novotel Hotel Stansted Airport.

It makes sense to make tee-time bookings at courses near your chosen airport in advance. Indeed Gogaburn Golf Club near the Holiday Inn Express at Edinburgh Airport requests that bookings are made at least seven days in advance and this increases to 16 days for those lookign to who play at Stockley Park near Heathrow.

*For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) visit www.aph.com
or call 01342 859515.