1 Night, 2 Rounds
If you are after a Hampshire golf break where everything is in one place, Old Thorns makes life easy. You have got a well-regarded Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas design, plenty of room for groups, a strong spa and enough dining options to keep the whole trip on site without anyone feeling short-changed.
Set across 400 acres near Liphook, this is a proper resort setup with a bit of pedigree behind it. Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Rogers and Isao Aoki were on the tee for the inaugural event, and the course has carried that identity well ever since.
On the practical side, the 4-star hotel, self-catering residences and the Good Spa Guide five-bubble spa make it a solid pick for mixed groups. Golfers can play, non-golfers can spa, and everyone has somewhere to eat and drink without needing taxis into town.
Who is this for?
Golfers who want an easy, all-in-one Hampshire base with golf, spa and dining under the same roof.
Who is it best for?
Mid-handicappers, society groups and couples who like a well-conditioned parkland test plus proper facilities for the non-golfers in the group.
* Where applicable, the relevant promotions will be applied during the booking process. T&Cs may apply.
1 Night, 2 Rounds
2 Nights, 3 Rounds
3 Nights, 4 Rounds
From the elevated tees, the Hampshire countryside opens out in front of you in a way that focuses the mind before you have even taken the club back. The layout threads through tree-lined corridors, drops into valleys and rises again, offering a different visual and strategic challenge on almost every hole. Lakes and creeks come into play at various points, introducing genuine risk-reward decisions that reward the patient golfer and punish the overambitious one. The greens are well-defended and require reading with care, particularly on the trickier downhill putts where the pace can catch you out if you are not paying attention.
It is a layout that has stood the test of time and the design still gives the course a clear identity today. As a parkland layout, it is a solid option for much of the year, particularly for golfers looking for a more sheltered round than some of the region's more exposed tracks. The tree cover provides useful protection on windier days, and the turf holds up well through the cooler months.
For many groups, that balance is the big selling point. It is a course that better players can enjoy for the strategy, while mid-handicappers still feel they have a fair chance if they keep it in play. There are holes where you can take on the water gaining an advantage and holes where the smarter play is to take your medicine and leave yourself a full shot in. That variety keeps the round interesting from the first tee to the last green.
Practice facilities have been upgraded with Toptracer technology on the driving range, where you can compete against friends on virtual courses from around the world, track your shot data or simply warm up properly before heading to the first tee. For societies, the well-organised golf operation, the option of multiple rounds and the resort facilities beyond the 18th green make this a strong group destination in Hampshire. If your society is weighing up options in the south of England, Old Thorns is worth putting near the top of the shortlist.
Signature hole- No. 5: Par 4, 357 yards, SI 14
From the elevated tee, Old Thorns' 5th hole gives spectacular views over the beautiful Hampshire Countryside. However, there is a much greater reason for the hole's signature hole status. The par 4 also provides much in the way of risk reward and at 357 yards from the tee, it is tempting to drive the green. Though, with a narrow fairway this may stir a thought in your mind as to whether to play a safe iron down the fairway. A magnificent hole, leaving a great feeling of anticipation before a shot is even played!
| Par | 72 |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas |
| Opened for play | 1982 |
| White | 6,461 yards | SSS 71 |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 6,016 yards | SSS 69 |
| Ladies | 5,380 yards | SSS 72 |
Old Thorns offers 150 hotel rooms across its 4-star property and the range of accommodation styles means there is something to suit most types of visit.
For a straightforward golf break, the hotel rooms do the job well. They are comfortable, modern and easy for a one or two-night stay, especially if you want the convenience of having breakfast, the bar and the golf facilities all close by. Rooms are well-maintained and designed for guests who want a clean, contemporary base after a full day on the course or in the spa. Think good beds, proper showers and enough space to actually unpack and settle in rather than living out of a bag for the weekend.
For those who want more room to breathe, the residences and apartments are the real draw. These self-catering options are positioned on the estate with views across the golf course and several of them overlook the 9th and 10th tees, so you can watch the action from your own terrace with a coffee in hand before you head out yourself. That kind of setup works particularly well for groups who want a base to come back to between rounds, or for couples who want the flexibility of self-catering without giving up the resort experience around them.
The apartments are spacious and well-equipped, with enough room to spread out properly. If you are organising a society trip or a group weekend, that extra living space can make a real difference. You get somewhere to gather before dinner, somewhere to debrief after the round and somewhere that feels like your own corner of the resort rather than just a corridor of hotel rooms. For longer stays, the self-catering setup also means you are not tied to restaurant hours for every meal, which suits groups who want to manage their own schedule.
Right, the dining offer at Old Thorns is one of the things that separates it from golf resorts that treat the restaurant as an afterthought.
Kings Restaurant is the main event for dinner, ideal when you want a proper sit-down meal rather than something functional. The menu is built around well-executed cooking and the room has enough warmth and atmosphere to make a group dinner feel like a proper occasion.
The Atrium Cocktail Bar is the spot for pre-dinner drinks or a nightcap, with a light-filled setting that works just as well for a quiet gin and tonic as it does for a livelier group gathering. The Sports Bar is more your pace if the plan is post-round drinks, live sport and something easy to share with the group. Needless to say, it is the natural 19th hole and it does that job well.
Oties Cafe handles the lighter end of the day, from morning coffee and breakfast through to mid-afternoon snacks and Afternoon Tea adds a properly British touch for those who want to slow the day down entirely.
The spa at Old Thorns carries a five-bubble certification from the Good Spa Guide, a strong independent endorsement and a standout feature for a golf resort break. The facilities are built around a 20-metre swimming pool, hydrotherapy relaxation areas, sauna, steam room, ice fountain and heated beds. It works well after 18 holes, and it also stands up as a spa break in its own right for non-golfing partners.
The relaxation lounges add a thoughtful touch. The Garden Lounge is bright and airy, while the Ocean Lounge is darker and more cocoon-like, with ambient lighting, reclining loungers and blankets that make it a genuinely good place to switch off. Guests on spa days and breaks also have access to the spa terrace, which looks out across the golf course and is a pleasant spot to wind down on a warm afternoon.
Beyond the spa, the health club offers a full fitness programme with classes, personal training and gym facilities. For groups with mixed interests, that combination of spa and health club means Old Thorns works just as well for a recovery-focused break as it does for a golf trip. Non-golfers are well looked after here, which takes the pressure off when you are trying to sell a golf weekend to a partner who would rather not spend two days watching you chunk it out of the rough.
Old Thorns is located close to Hindhead in Hampshire, just off the A3, less than 30 minutes from the M25.
Address: Griggs Green, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7PE
Jacqueline
✓11 Mar 2020
Karl
✓25 Feb 2020
Had everything needed for a great weekend- football/ rugby on TVs in Spirts Bar with a good food choice
Derek
✓23 Jan 2020
Enjoyed our stay but some of the restaurant staff need further training! We were taken to our table on both days but then nothing! There seemed to be no supervision. All youngsters.
Peter
✓4 Nov 2019
Good quality spacious room comfortable beds powerful shower very clean fantastic restaurant great food
Lawrence
✓25 Oct 2019
Reminiscent of a motorway service station or an airport departure lounge. I miss match of styles and interior design. Food resembled a Wetherspoons pub. Never going back
Patrick
✓24 Oct 2019
Overall the rooms and service were very good however the dining experience just was not up to expectations. The Chinese option was not available at all due to Wedding bookings, they offered dining in the sports bar but it was very noisy. On Sunday we could not have fine dining due to a chef injury therefore had to use the carvery for the 3rd night running. Not what we expected and below par due to lack of choice!!!
Gavin
✓17 Sep 2019
The apartment we stayed in was excellent and the facilities were good. The food was ok but limited in choice given it was a cavery.
Paul
✓22 Aug 2019
Good comfortable rooms, good food. Bar was a bit noisy. All in all a pleasant stay
Len
✓17 Jun 2019
Was great rooms were clean and comfortable
John
✓15 Jun 2019
The accommodation was very comfortable and the staff were helpful and friendly
Jacqueline
✓11 Mar 2020
The course was quite mucky which is to be expected this time of the year, there was no proper cleaning equipment working for shoes and trolleys, but the staff in pro shop and around the course were excellent very friendly and helpful
Karl
✓25 Feb 2020
Great views and considering the rain we had previously Course was in good Nick. We all enjoyed the 2 rounds we played with no hold ups.
Derek
✓23 Jan 2020
Guys in golf pro shop excellent, especially Jason. Really looked after us.
Lawrence
✓25 Oct 2019
Ridiculously slow due to the management money grabbing policy. Waited every single tee and approach shot. Numerous times on pars 3s there were 3 groups waiting. Halfway hut was a joke we had a kettle boiled for us and had to make our own tea two chocolate bar to choose from and no hot food. Complex is set in hundreds of acres but the range is so short you can only hit short irons. There was a net but impossible to put s tee peg in. Couldn’t face another four and a half hour round so we left early. Never again
Patrick
✓24 Oct 2019
The course was extremely wet on Friday but remarkably improved by Saturday. The game on Saturday was very slow taking over 5 hours which is unacceptable. Although course rangers were around they were not very effective at speeding up the pace of play!!
Gavin
✓17 Sep 2019
The fairways were burnt and we were not told on the first day that winter rules applied due to the condition of the fairways. There was no Marshall on the 2nd day, which meant that play was so slow we ended up walking off after 9 holes!
Paul
✓22 Aug 2019
The greens had just been hollow tuned when we played on Sunday, so were very bumpy, when we played again on Tuesday they were Verti Cutting and seeding them, so were again bumpy I don’t think places should be taking bookings when they are working on the greens
Len
✓17 Jun 2019
John
✓15 Jun 2019
Unfortunately, the weather was wet for both rounds but l was very disappointed in the condition of some fairways, which were poor
Richard
✓1 Jun 2019
We had bad weather which slowed the round. Some areas were in need of improved green keeping in my view. Bare patches on fairways and greens all could have been attended to under GUR
