Tee break! Searching for the best halfway house in the United Kingdom
Hope you have had better luck than me!
You can’t beat a cup of tea or hot soup and maybe a piece of cake ‘to-go’ mid-round on a winter’s day.
If you’re playing poorly, the halfway house offers a chance to re-group and re-charge the batteries. Even if you’re on your game, no harm in taking the time to relax and focus.
A shame then that while experiencing the heathland delights of Hollinwell Golf Club recently, we were advised that the refreshment centre we spotted on the horizon as we approached the eighth green, had just closed!
Our group of green fee-paying customers, desperate for a swift cuppa on a bitterly cold and wet afternoon, was told that it was closing 'as the final group of members had already passed through' the drinks and feeding station.
Draw your own conclusions from that stark message.
It got me thinking where in the UK and Ireland are golfers best served by a halfway house and what delights might be found within as long as they’re open for business.
Off the top of our head, we would have to throw the one at Nairn Golf Club to the top of the pile, pictured above.
We also love the wooden chalet beside the ninth tee on Wentworth’s West Course, where the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, Anton du Bec and Russ Abbot have all been known to entertain with a soft-shoe shuffle on their way to the next hole.
A similar cabin you can spot from the dramatic tenth tee at Sunningdale Old will offer hot soup with a dash of sherry on a frosty December morning, while the views of the Lighthouse and Ailsa Craig from the elegant balcony behind the tenth at Turnberry bringing added value to a hot pasty.
Lough Erne’s halfway house, where Rory McIlroy is attached, even has its own chef!
I’m not a fan of the mobile cafeteria some clubs engage during the summer months - it never seems to arrive when you’re cold, thirsty or hungry – or a combination of all three.
In the US they call them ‘drinks carts’ but only because the term ‘halfway house’ has a less than attractive meaning across the pond – most know it as a name given to places for those in recovery from drugs or alcohol! Then again what better place to overcome cold turkey than on the golf course!
These carts are often driven by attractive young ladies offering the pleasures of an ice-cold beer, Diet Coke or club sandwich together with a little flirty conversation to take your mind off the triple bogey you’ve just recorded as she was spotted on the horizon.
At Golfmagic Towers we’re intrigued to learn where are the best mid-round refreshment stops can be found at home and abroad.
GolfMagic is in the hunt for the UK's best halfway hut. So tell us about your favourite halfway hut on our Facebook page. You can also tweet us @Golfmagic. We'd love to see your pictures!
