We'd rather be playing... Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire
Stoke Park is an iconic place. The huge Palladian mansion sits in 300 acres of parkland, lakes and formal gardens. It is the quintessential English county house retreat yet lies just 35 minutes from London.
The Course
You might recognise the course from one of the most famous golf duels in cinema history between James Bond and Auric Goldfinger. Stoke Park was the setting for the fictional Royal St Marks’s (itself a thinly veiled version of Ian Fleming’s own club, Royal St George’s), where Goldfinger’s trick ball would not have impressed the committee. The 27-hole Harry Colt-designed course is a classy affair; three loops meander through beautiful, undulating parkland and lakes, offering glimpses of the magnificent mansion.
The Accommodation
The five-star hotel is the model of refinement and polish. Bedrooms are stylish and spacious and the Stoke Park Spa is exceptional, with stunning indoor pool and a huge range of treatments. The perfect weekend retreat.
Rooms from £220.
www.stokepark.com
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