Set in the rolling Shropshire countryside near the Wales border, Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa is a strong shout for a straightforward, good-value UK golf break. You've got two on-site championship courses, a recently upgraded four-star hotel (following a £10 million investment) and a well-equipped spa set-up for post-round recovery.
Hill Valley is home to the Emerald and Sapphire courses, both opened in 1975 and now well established, with enough difference between them to keep a weekend interesting. It's also an easy one for travel, less than an hour from Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent, with Whitchurch station only two miles away.
Off the course you'll find 81 refurbished bedrooms, two bars, The Borders Restaurant, a 20-metre pool and a thermal suite. For groups and societies, the big win is convenience. You can play, eat, have a drink and get back to your room without needing taxis or a long drive between rounds.
Who is this for?
Golfers or groups looking for a well-rounded UK break that pairs two quality courses with four-star facilities, a spa, and easy access from the Midlands and North West.
Who is it best for?
Societies, couples and small groups who want variety in their golf, comfortable accommodation, and the option to relax properly between rounds without travelling far from the hotel.
Featured offer
Book with confidence - Best Price Guarantee
From£115
per person
1 Night, 2 Rounds
Free Places for Groups
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
1 round at Emerald Course
1 round at Sapphire Course
FREE! 12 TP5 Golf Balls (RRP £50) when you Book Online. Must use code HISTORY. (Groups 4+)
Top Offers at Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa
We found 3 offers that match your search.
If you can't see the package you want, simply call
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From£115
per person
1 Night, 2 Rounds
Free Places for Groups
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
1 round at Emerald Course
1 round at Sapphire Course
FREE! 12 TP5 Golf Balls (RRP £50) when you Book Online. Must use code HISTORY. (Groups 4+)
From£199
per person
2 Nights, 3 Rounds
Free Places for Groups
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
2 rounds at Sapphire Course
1 round at Emerald Course
FREE! 12 TP5 Golf Balls (RRP £50) when you Book Online. Must use code HISTORY. (Groups 4+)
From£299
per person
3 Nights, 4 Rounds
Free Places for Groups
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
2 rounds at Emerald Course
2 rounds at Sapphire Course
FREE! 12 TP5 Golf Balls (RRP £50) when you Book Online. Must use code HISTORY. (Groups 4+)
Golf Courses at Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa
Emerald Course
The Emerald Course is named as such in a tribute to its lush, green environment, and is an excellent resort course, being suitably challenging for skilled players, whilst remaining playable for the average visitor. The natural undulations of the landscape work in harmony with the strategically positioned water hazards and sand traps to create many challenging holes, while the superb greens are expertly maintained to ensure that they putt beautifully throughout the year.
The Sapphire Course may be considerably shorter than the Emerald, but it is no less entertaining. At 4,801 yards, you would not expect to be unduly challenged, but the abundant hazards, particularly the water, make matching the par of 66 extremely difficult. A deadly short game is priceless around the Sapphire, where those with a good grasp of the ‘scoring shots' - from within 100 yards - will no doubt reap the rewards.
Hill Valley's two golf courses and excellent facilities make it an ideal host for a corporate golf day.
Signature Hole
Hole 18 (Emerald Course), Par 4, 401 yards (White Tees), SI 9
The 18th on the Emerald contains an exciting approach shot over a pond. The green is small, and contains bunkers left and right, with trees behind ensuring that any mishit shots will be punished accordingly. A fantastic closing hole requiring a sustained concentration to score par.
Accommodation at Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Spa
The hotel at Hill Valley reflects the £10 million investment clearly, from the moment you walk into the reception through to the 81 guest bedrooms that now sit comfortably at four-star standard. Each room comes with the sort of touches you'd expect, plasma screen televisions, quality linens, and enough space to unpack properly after a round. The layout is straightforward, the décor is contemporary without being flashy, and the rooms are genuinely restful, which matters when you're planning to play 36 holes the next day.
Service across the hotel is attentive without being overbearing. The team knows the rhythm of a golf break, when to be visible and when to let you get on with things, and that understanding runs through everything from check-in to breakfast service. After 36 holes, it's easy to wind down with dinner, a swim and a comfortable night's sleep.
Food & Drink
For dining, The Borders Restaurant is the main evening option, with the chef's Shropshire Cheese beignet a standout on a menu that leans into local produce and classic British cooking done well. It's a relaxed, golfer-friendly set-up, ideal after a day on the courses. If you're after something lighter, the Denby Lounge Bar handles lunch and casual bites throughout the day, while the Masters Bar does exactly what a 19th hole should: cold drinks, comfortable seating, and enough space for a group to settle in and replay the round.
Leisure Facilities
The spa and wellness complex is a genuine asset, particularly the 20-metre pool and thermal suite, which get plenty of use from golfers looking to ease tired legs after a hilly round. The treatment menu covers the usual face and body options, all delivered in a calm, well-designed space that feels separate from the busier parts of the hotel. There's also a Technogym-equipped fitness suite for anyone who wants to keep up their routine, though most guests are here for the golf and the recovery rather than extra cardio.
Hill Valley works well for mixed-ability groups because the facilities give non-golfers or lighter players plenty to do, while serious golfers get two full championship courses and the kind of hotel that understands what you need after 18 holes.
Macdonald Hill Valley is just north of Whitchurch in Shropshire, around two miles from Whitchurch train station. Chester is 20 miles away, Shrewsbury 24 miles and Crewe 17 miles, so it's straightforward by car or rail. The location works particularly well for English golfers wanting a quick escape or those combining Hill Valley with courses over the border in Wales. Parking is ample, the grounds are well kept, and the whole setup feels designed around making a golf break as straightforward as possible.
Hotel clean and bedroom spacious and comfortable. Breakfast had plenty of choice, hot food was served by Staff so long queues formed. The meal in the evening was ok and reflected our package price. Wine list very expensive. Understaffed throughout the Hotel though Restaurant Staff very pleasant. We received a free bucket of beers courtesy of Your Golf travel but no bottle opener accompanied the beer, my husband asked for an opener but non was forthcoming, we found our own bottle opener in our car.
8 / 10
The hotel was very good. Clean welcoming staff very friendly and helpful. The only let down was the food quality breakfast and our first evening meal ( avoid the beetroot salad )
The spa and pool facilities first class
8 / 10
Great hotel
10 / 10
Staff have been excellent throughout. When we started to arrive at a busy breakfast, staff quickly sorted us out with coffee, etc. No problem. All requests were dealt with promptly.
Rooms were very well appointed. Hotel is modern and comfortable. We had a separate room for our group of 40 which was a good bonus.
Drink and snack prices are a bit steep, but profits have to be made and the 20% off bar drinks helped. It didn’t hold anyone back!
10 / 10
Hotel was bery clean, nice rooms and great facilities. The restaurant seemed a bit short staffed at times however which prolongued times btween courses but bothing too bad. Would definitely be returning
8 / 10
Went on a very busy bank holiday weekend. There was also a large wedding reception underway as well.
The rooms were roomy and very well appointed.
The staff did an amazing job in looking after even though we could see they were under real pressure .
10 / 10
Very accommodating and helpful
8 / 10
Really good value and this place has huge potential to be much better. The hotel and facilities just require some updating.
8 / 10
Hotel staff were friendly and helpful and offered excellent service. Breakfast was delicious and cooked to order. Dinner menu was limited and could have been better although it was acceptable.
The room was comfortable and had windows which opened which made a pleasant change.The plumbing needed some attention to bring it up to full working order.
10 / 10
Everything excellent
10 / 10
Really well looked after, nothing was too much trouble, the food was outstanding. Thank you
10 / 10
Macdonald hill valley is definitely worth a visit, the hotel was very nice, food excellent and with a lovely view of north Wales from some parts of the golf course.
10 / 10
Rooms were bright and airy with views out on the course. Beds were very comfortable and warm. Bathroom was clean and big enough for two people sharing.
10 / 10
The gold course and the hotel were excellent. The staff were very attentive and did everything they could to make our stay first class. We will certainly return.
6 / 10
When we arrived the hotel manager took my to one side and explained that there was a problem with one of the single rooms that we booked. She first asked if one the gents would mind sharing with 2 from one of the twin rooms. He wasn't happy with this as he paid extra to be in a single reason and due to health problems didn't want to share. They managed to keep him in his single room for the first night but on the second night needed to move. We sorted it out between ourselves and myself and the lad I was sharing with moved into 2 separate twin rooms to make our room free so the gent could have his single room. This was fine for us but really wasn't on from the hotels point of view. On the Saturday afternoon I got a phone call to go to reception. On arrival I was asked to go and move the luggage from the single room as someone had ALREADY been checked into that room and given access!! When I went to move the luggage I was greeted by a guest that was already in the room amongst the luggage. Surely this is against the rules as there were valuable and personal belongings in the room?? This was totally unacceptable and the gent who got moved out the room went and questioned the decision to move another guest into his room without giving him time to take his belongings. The girl on reception just said sorry but he was really miffed off. We asked why our single room had to be given up for another guest but didn't get a clear answer? Why did someone from our group have to move and make way for another person to take his room? We got some bar vouchers and a voucher for the pro shop as "compensation" but being honest this wasn't enough. It brought unnecessary stress on our trip and just complicated things. We are really not happy with how we were treated and unfortunately won't be returning or recommending Hill Valley to anyone else in future.
2 / 10
I have a complaint in with the hotel. The sapphire course was a disgrace and I would not recommend that you ask your customers to play this course. The hotel was not good with there service we had to wait for ages for tea and coffee to be served and there was a mix up with the payment of acup of tea and they argued with us that we had not paid.
8 / 10
Hotel was fine and staff polite and friendly. Football acceptable. Room good and excellent shower
10 / 10
Excellent will definitely recommend also will be booking again soon thank you Peter.
8 / 10
All good
8 / 10
staff were fantastic. room was good and food tasty. However food choice was very limited on the DBB deal. £25 allocation and no choice for any red meat. Two vegetarian, 1 fish and 1 chicken option!!! Very unusual
10 / 10
Give star based on what we paid which for dinner bed breakfast 2 rounds of golf was tremendous
It was an unexpected stay as we were booked to stay st hawkstone park but when we arrived the course was shut
They had snow up north
The hotel couldn’t inform us as only had your golf travel unmanned tel no
That they were calling at 7am
Your golf travel should give hotels the emergency tel no
Fortunately we got relocated to hill valley that opened at 11 and had a great Sunday saver
6 / 10
Whilst it was comfortable and staff friendly we thought the price of a cup of coffee and pre dinner drinks was very excessive compared to similar hotel chains.
8 / 10
We had a great time at Macdonald Hill Valley.
It’s a very good hotel, with lovely rooms...large and
immaculately presented. The service in general was excellent.
Everybody was very enthusiastic about the beautiful golf
course too.
Overall would give it 8/10 with the only complaint being that
things like coffee and some of the drinks were "over the top"
expensive.
Thanks for your excellent service, and we would thoroughly
recommend yourgolftravel.com.
8 / 10
What a fantastic venue! Lovely hotel where the staff were
friendly and helpful, good food and reasonably priced drinks (especially with
our 20% discount), as well as beautiful bedrooms; what more could you ask for?
There were two great golf courses too. We were fooled by the
Sapphire which on paper looked simple, however although quite short, it was
very tight and a good test of accurate golf. And what a killer of a par 5!
The Emerald was in a class of its own and very challenging...perhaps
a little too much for some of the higher handicaps in the group!
We were lucky enough to be able to present prizes in the
sunshine on the lovely patio too.
I would certainly recommend this venue and also booking
through Your Golf Travel as you made the whole process very easy.
10 / 10
The hotel at Hill Valley was brilliant and exceeded our
expectations. The staff were very friendly and helpful; nothing was too much
trouble. Rooms were spacious, clean and very comfortable so no complaints at
all.
Food was delicious and there were
good choices available on the menu included in our package. Drinks were a
little more expensive than in your average pub, but no more than one would
expect in such surroundings and the cost was mitigated by a discount for our party
members in one of the bars.
We thoroughly enjoyed our golf too. The two courses provide a great experience
for golfers of all handicaps and the Emerald in particular was a delight to
play.
The other facilities in the complex are lovely – I can vouch for the swimming
pool – a fantastic extra to relax the body after a day on the course.
I would thoroughly recommend Macdonald Hill Valley (luxurious
surroundings at a very reasonable price) as well as yourselves at YGT to
anyone organising a golf trip.
Many thanks for your help – I dare say we will be planning something for next
year in which case your voucher will be much appreciated!
8 / 10
We only played the Emerald course during our stay at Hill
Valley but for a course using the natural terrain of the ‘Hill Valley’,
you cannot fault it. Every hole is different, with great views and the
tree lined fairways screening you off from the other holes; a great test
of golf and very rewarding for our mixed ability group. Perhaps the quality
of the greens didn’t fully match the rest of the course and if I were to note
an area for improvement, this would be it.
The bar prices in the clubhouse were silly for tea or coffee
at £4.70. A pint of beer was slightly expensive too at £4.20 and the
choice was limited, especially the upstairs bar. The atmosphere was fine
though.
The rooms in the hotel were great; well maintained and
relatively spacious. The showers merit special mention being the best I
have experienced across many hotels I use for work and pleasure.
The evening meal and breakfast were both of an excellent
quality. The bar snack prices were, again like the bars prices, very high
and would add a lot to the overall price of the break if you snacked every
day.
The members of staff were great; efficient, helpful and with
a smile plus good informal conversation.
Our overall verdict would be 9 out of 10. The bar
prices were a slight dampener and made us look elsewhere for our evening
entertainment. Hill Valley is better than most of the golf break venues we have
been to over the last 10 years and if they improved the greens, then only
Celtic Manor, Le Touquet and Hardelot would beat it.
Would I recommend YGT to a friend? For sure...and the
same was true last year and the year before that from other organisers in
our group.
10 / 10
Just wanted to thank you for the trip you arranged for me
and my mates to Macdonald Hill Valley Golf and Spa. The hotel was magnificent
with the members of staff being very friendly and helpful indeed. The evening
meal and breakfast were super too.
The location was only 50 minutes from my home and extremely
easy to find as it was well signposted.
Both golf courses were immaculate and very well maintained
and the pro shop staff were very helpful and friendly. The only downside was
the weather but on the whole, a fantastic weekend was had by all and I will be
returning in the summer.
I have now recommended this location to many of my friends
and also recommended You Golf Travel as the service you provided personally was
excellent, making booking my first golf trip easy.
8 / 10
Thank you for organising our golf and spa break at Hill Valley;
everything went like clockwork, the men enjoyed the golf on the Emerald & Sapphire
courses and the ladies really enjoyed their spa treatment.
The Emerald course was in good condition and gave a
reasonable challenge for our party with handicaps at the higher end of the
scale. The course was not over burdened with golfers and on occasions we felt
like we had the course to ourselves.
The Sapphire course is a different challenge, not as long
and with more par 3's, but tighter, which made you think a lot more about your
shots. It makes for an enjoyable change from the Emerald course too.
The bar prices are on the high side but that’s what you
expect at these type of hotels! The food overall was good, with the exception
of the sandwiches we had in the bar which were expensive and nothing special.
We were lucky with the weather and sitting on the terrace
watching the golfers and enjoying a few drinks was very enjoyable. Overall the
package and venue were very good.
8 / 10
We really enjoyed our break at Hill Valley.
The hotel room was large and comfortable with all the
facilities expected of a 4 star resort. There’s plenty of choice at dinner but
the breakfast buffet was very sparse if you didn't want full English!
The staff seemed a bit stretched and the bar prices were
high, but we expected that in a hotel.
We played both courses and enjoyed our golf. Daisies and
dandelions on the fairways but the grounds staff were out in force on Monday
sorting that out. Overall the quality of the courses was fine.
Hill Valley was easy to find and we passed signs
for a few other places which we might try next time.
10 / 10
Our golf trip to Hill Valley was excellent. The
course was a fantastic challenge and in superb condition. The hotel rooms
and staff were all fantastic too, and I would recommend it to any standard of
golfer. The help we received when booking via Your Golf Travel was first class.
All in all it's a massive A+ for all concerned from us!
6 / 10
The hotel at Hill Valley was very good and we all enjoyed
it. Food and staff were both excellent and the only blip was that the lifts
were out of order and as we were an older party, those on the higher floor did
struggle.
Unfortunately the golf course was not on good condition,
with the areas around the trees had not been cut and the long grass made it
impossible to find balls. The bunkers had very little sand in them and the
water hazards were not in view, due to lack of yellow stakes. The Emerald
course was very difficult and only when we played from the red tees was it suitable
for us.
We would not return as the golf courses here were much too
hard for our party. We will find an easier course next year!
10 / 10
We had a great time at Hill Valley which is a
great location for a golf tour, being very easy to find.
The hotel staff were very welcoming and could not do enough
to help. The rooms were spacious and well equipped, and the meals were
excellent. All round, it was very good value for the money.
We all enjoyed the golf too. The courses were very well
maintained; not easy, but very enjoyable. The shorter Sapphire course was very
pretty but you had to be very accurate to get a good score. There appeared
to be a bit of a discrepancy on the tee-times, we were due to go out at 9.30
each day, but on the Monday our tee-times encroached on the lady members
tee-times, so we had to go out about 40 minutes late, also on Thursday we had
to go out at 9.00 instead of 9.30, but it was not a problem as the staff in
the pro-shop were so helpful. There was also a shed available to leave our
clubs overnight which was very useful.
The weather was great too, so we were able to enjoy a drink
on the terrace after each game and watch everyone putt out on the last hole.
The drinks in the bar were a little bit expensive, but the
20% discount helped.
Overall, it was a very successful event, we will all be
looking forward to the Vale next year.
We would rate this holiday 9/10 – everything you could wish
for on a golfing break.
10 / 10
We were very fortunate to play on two such splendid courses,
The Sapphire and The Emerald, at
the Macdonald Hill Valley Hotel, Golf & Country
Club.
The layout of both courses was excellent. The Sapphire, a
shorter and narrower course, proved an excellent test of accuracy, with the
greens and fairways in very good condition.
The Emerald, a longer, tougher and in places more forgiving
course, pushed our golfing ability. The condition of the fairways was very good
but the greens weren’t quite as good as the Sapphire course. The bunkers were
in good nick as well and were tricky traps on some occasions.
Both courses were suited for different abilities. I consider
myself an OK golfer whose handicap used to be 12, but haven't played
consistently for about ten years, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing both
courses, considering them both a decent challenge. My golfing partner only
began playing golf consistently over the past two years and he thought the
course was a good challenge for him too.
The clubhouse was welcoming, with comfy chairs, sky
sports and a laid back atmosphere. We enjoyed a sandwich before our evening
meal which was delicious. The barman looked after us all very well but the
price of a pint and a bottle of beer was expensive.
The hotel was very welcoming too with good cleanliness and
everything you needed. We didn't use the spa facilities but as we walked passed
them they looked very tempting. The restaurant was very nice, the food tasted
great and there was enough choice on the menu. The room was spacious, clean
with a lovely shower!
The staff were welcoming and caring for our needs and created
a good impression on me; very chatty which made you feel at ease with
them.
My overall verdict for the weekend was: Experience 10/10,
Courses 9/10, Hotel 9/10.
10 / 10
Thank you for your very efficient organisation of our very
"last minute" golf break to Macdonald Hill Valley.
The hotel was great, the weather fantastic and the courses
were very interesting and in good condition too.
It couldn't have been better and we will be back.
8 / 10
We had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to McDonald Hill Valley this
weekend so thanks to you and all your staff for help in organising our trip.
The hotel staff were, I think it is fair to say, the most
helpful we have encountered in our dozen or so golf trips away and were most
accommodating.
Rooms and food were all also as good as you would expect
from this type of hotel and again quite satisfactory.
The price of a pint is expensive – but again what you would
expect that of a large hotel chain.
We made our own entertainment in the local town of
Whitchurch, but recommend booking in advance taxis for the round trip.
The Emerald course was long, challenging and in good
condition. Sadly, the Sapphire was in not so good condition with several poorly
kept greens and tees. However we did play in March after a particularly wet
winter so maybe no better than could be expected.
