TA Hotel Collection, owners of Thorpeness Hotel and Golf Club in Suffolk, are seeking to attract more golf tourists to the county with the launch of a new trail combining real ale tours and classic seaside golf courses.
The first-ever Suffolk Ale and Golf Trail will see visitors stay at Thorpeness Golf Club’s 36-bedroom golf hotel, play golf at Thorpeness and nearby Aldeburgh golf clubs and visit Adnam’s Brewery and Distillery at Southwold or the Green Jack Brewery in Lowestoft.
Grahame Tinnion, managing director of TA Hotel Collection, said: “Golfers are discerning people and the UK is one of the most popular golf destinations in Europe and the World.
“It’s important to stand out in a busy crowd and we believe that Suffolk is somewhere that should be on the must-play list for golfers in the UK and Europe. What better way to achieve this than by talking about two of our greatest assets, our ale and our seaside golf trail?”
Thorpeness Golf Club is already one of Southern England’s leading stay-and-play golf break destinations thanks to its 36-bedroom golfer’s hotel, James Braid designed 18-hole coastal heathland course and location in the picture-perfect holiday village of Thorpeness; a Suffolk tourist hot-spot.
Golf: Seaside classics without the hefty price tag
Chris Oldrey, PGA Professional and golf operations manager at Thorpeness, said: “Suffolk’s seaside courses are a well-kept secret in golfing circles because they are slightly off the beaten track.
“They don’t carry the hefty price tag of Open Championship courses, or big name trophy links, but share the same beautiful settings, firm sandy turf, gorse and sea breezes that epitomise golf played in its most natural form.”
Thorpeness Golf Club, designed by famous Scottish architect James Braid opened in 1922, and is bordered by Suffolk’s famous “House in the Clouds” – a water tower converted into a private residence that appears to float in the skyline.
The course also borders Thorpeness Meare, a man-made boating lake with romantic connections to author J.M Barrie and part of the inspiration for his fictional hero Peter Pan.
The trail then takes golfers to Aldeburgh Golf Club, which dates back to 1884 and is Britain’s second oldest heathland golf course with views over the Alde Estuary.
It is a traditional private member’s golf club and one of only a handful of “two-ball” golf courses left in Britain that promote foursomes as the main format for golfers playing the course.
This quicker version of the game leaves golfers with more time free to enjoy the county’s ales which are traditionally bitters and milds with a “hoppy” character, made from locally malted wheat and barley.
Suffolk Beer – Real Ale Heaven
According to the Suffolk branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) there are around 800 public bars across the county, of which 700 serve real ale.
Add to this 24 breweries, including its most famous 100-year-old Adnam’s in Southwold, 400 village pubs and a claim to Britain’s smallest pub, The Nutshell in Bury St Edmund’s, and you have the perfect place to enjoy a pint at the 19th hole.
Golfers booking on the Suffolk Ale and Golf Trail enjoy either an exclusive tour of the Green Jack Brewery in Lowestoft or a trip to the Adnam’s Copper House Brewery in Southwold.
Golfers on the tour will learn about malts, grains and hops and the brewing process, and receive a complimentary pint and hand raised pork pie at Green Jack’s Stanford Arms pub afterwards.
Prices start at £228 per person for two nights, two rounds of golf, full English breakfast, evening meal and a choice of brewery tour between the Green Jack Brewery and Adnam’s.
Suffolk Ale and Golf Trail Package www.thorpeness.co.uk