Macdonald Hill Valley Spa, Hotel & Golf - Emerald Course

The course has a nice variety of drives and lengths. The greens are very well kept. the course is undulating and very attractive with lovely trees.

This course gets an average rating for only one reason, the bunkers are quite simply in the worst condition imaginable. Everyone was either unraked or badly raked, filled with stones and gravel, rock hard and sprouting several tufts of grass. If you can't find a way to look after them chaps then for reasons sake just fill them in and have them as depressions in the fairways. Away from the bunkers the course is a real challenge, tight, long, tree lined and lots of water. You really need to think it through and it's well worth playing - but those bunkers!!! All in all it's a great shame.

I love the Emerald, such a tough course. The 10th seems to be my nemisys, so very tight.

Great course as usual, but the bunkers are shockingly poor. I don't want to pay a fortune for my clubs to only have them scratched and pitted by bunkers that are covered with stones and grit. I expect sand and from a Championship course, fine sand, imported from a beach in Dubai.

If I want to play out of a stone filled bunker, I'll chuck some balls on my driveway.

Not acceptable, sort it out, it's really poor.

Other than that, great day out.

HCP 28, GS HCP 21; score 103

This course is set up beautifully it's so tricky needing precise shots from tee to green, greens was perfect had a great roll, only thing that lets it down it needed abit of looking after grass was fairly long in fairways and bunkers wasn't very nice other than that a great course with great facilities

Hill valley Emerald course is well known throughout the golfing community
We played on a Sunday afternoon and although there were a lot of four balls on the course pace of play was good
The course itself was in fantastic condition we normally play this course early and late in the year so it was nice to play on a sunny day
The greens were superb considering the amount of traffic All in all a fantastic day

We had a great round of golf a little bit marred by a four-ball that would not let our two ball through even when they were looking for la lost ball. Apart from this the course was in very good condition and the greens were excellent. All of which contributed to a challenging days golf at a reasonable price.
Many thanks and we look forward to playing the course again in the future.

This is the second time we have played this course and found it just as interesting.
Looking forward to our next visit.

Played the course in both the winter and summer and even though you would expect summer to be better the difference is very marked. In the winter it holds the water but summer the course is super with very good greens. Value for money is up with best. Will be deffinatly going again.

Booked to play at 1.30 and on my own - the tee had been booked right up to my time. To avoid waiting at every hole was allowed to rebook for 3.00. Course in good condition although some greens a bit bumpy. Overall enjoyed the course, played well in would return when in the area

Top class course with some excellent views, would like to play it again as there are quite a few blind drives, lush fairways.
The greens where still recovering from a wet winter but in a few weeks will probably very good.
Nice pro's shop.

Excellent service from pro shop. Good breakfast from Hotel before start. Course in excellent condition, fairways cut short, but need to stay on them. Greens very good although bunkers need better sand. Needed a course layout as we were unaware of streams and ponds. Fully recommend course.

Tee off on time course in good condition pace a little slow.
Practice putting green dreadful was worried in case it represented the greens, but the greens were ok ive Saying that i have played here many times before the greens have been much better.

Course in v/good condition considering time of year .greens v good and true we both enjoyed our day.

Played on 27th Dec course ok for time of year but of mats every hole
Shame about 4 ball of members in front who were so slow and never offered to call my 2 ball through and seemed ok for them to play of the tees and not the mats
Spoiled the day really so slow

This is a top course with panoramic views of the Llandrillo mountains and picturesque fairways full of mature trees. Beautiful parkland with carefully planned holes, superb greens and a good mix of 3's, 4's and 5' pars. Tight raised par 3 greens, doglegs and some decent long 5's. Has a great day at this quality facility. No hesitation in recommending this place.