European Tour professionals sing the praises of The Grove

Competitors in the European Tour event consistently heaped praise on the conditioning, preparation and layout of the golf course during the week of tournament play, which eventually saw Swede Alex Noren claim the 2016 title with an 18 under par total.

The golf course, designed by Kyle Phillips, is already acknowledged in a number of influential Top 100 rankings lists, and rated ‘England’s Number One Pay-and-Play Golf Course’ by Golf Monthly. It forms an integral part of a 300-acre country estate located less than 20 miles from central London.

Headlining the stream of positive comments, the 2007 winner of The British Masters, Lee Westwood, said: “Visually, The Grove is a spectacular golf course. If you are hitting the ball well, it gives you a lot of birdie chances and certainly on the few times I have been here, the course has been in fantastic condition. This week is no different.”

England’s Robert Rock added: “The greens are probably the best greens we’ve had so far on The European Tour, bar the Middle East. For England at this time of year, they’ve done an amazing job.”

Winning 2012 Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal was returning to The Grove for the first time since playing in the WGC-American Express Championship in 2006, an event won by Tiger Woods.

He said: “I have to say that the course is in pristine condition. The fairways are firm, the greens are firm and the ball rolls really well. The playing conditions couldn’t be better.”

Ireland’s Shane Lowry summed up his experience: “The hotel is great, it’s the best players’ lounge we’ve had this year on The European Tour. The hotel rooms are amazing and everyone’s been great. I really enjoyed it.”

Anna Darnell, Director of Golf & Resort Experiences at The Grove, added: “Preparing The Grove for the tournament was a huge team effort and it is rewarding to hear the players’ positive comments throughout the week.

“We have also received many positive comments from the 53,000 spectators during the week and we look forward to hopefully welcoming back as many as possible over the coming months to experience the hotel and its facilities, and play our championship golf course.”

Golf construction experts MJ Abbott Limited carried out the original construction of the golf course at The Grove and have carried out a number of subsequent projects over the years, including a new practice tee and a training pitch for NFL and football, and were delighted to be contracted to renovate all 90 bunkers on the golf course and carry out drainage improvements on 13 holes in preparation for the British Masters.