While The Belfry’s legendary Brabazon Course – scene of four Ryder Cups and multiple stagings of the British Masters – is without doubt the jewel in the Warwickshire-based resort’s crown, there are two other golf courses and an abundance of excellent leisure and hospitality facilities that have transformed it into something more than the sum of its many parts, says Nick Bayly
There are few golfing destinations in Britain that carry the same sense of occasion as The Belfry. Mention its name to any golfer over the age of 50 and the conversation will inevitably turn to Ryder Cups, Seve Ballesteros, Sam Torrance, Christy O’Connor and Nick Faldo and some of the most iconic moments in European golf history.
While the memory of the venue’s hosting of golf’s greatest team event four times between 1985 and 2002 will still resonate with ‘boomers’ like me, there is a new generation of golf fans who will have made their connection with The Belfry while watching the DP World Tour’s British Masters, which has been held no fewer than eight times since 2006 – with the 2026 renewal taking place this week.
Yet after spending a couple of days at the Warwickshire resort last month, I came away feeling that its greatest achievement hasn’t been its ability to hang onto the coat tails of its remarkable past, but the impressive way in which it has reinvented itself as a thoroughly modern leisure destination where die-hard golf fans can rub alongside spa lovers and family groups without feeling like their needs are not being catered for.
A RESORT FOR ALL
Set within 550 acres of North Warwickshire countryside, the scale of the operation is immediately obvious as you pull through the entrance gates and drive past many new buildings that have sprung up in recent years. Trying to find a parking space amid the massed ranks of executive saloons and SUVs is a challenge in itself.
Being at the centre of the country clearly has it benefits, with the motorway network ensuring that 90% of England’s residents can reach its doors within a three- or four-hour drive – traffic permitting, of course.
Three championship courses, 468 bedrooms, multiple restaurants and bars, extensive leisure facilities and a destination spa combine to create a resort that comfortably extends beyond the traditional definition of a golf hotel.
Despite recent impressive upgrades and additions to the event spaces, accommodation offering and leisure facilities, The Belfry’s storied history is impossible to ignore, but it never feels overwhelming. Instead, it’s woven naturally into the fabric of the hotel through carefully displayed memorabilia and subtle reminders of the property’s Ryder Cup heritage.
Following a significant expansion, the resort now offers 149 additional bedrooms within the Brabazon House wing, including balcony rooms overlooking the golf course and the resort’s first two-bedroom suite. It’s an investment that reflects The Belfry’s ambition to appeal to a wider audience, particularly families and groups looking for more flexible accommodation options.
TOP-NOTCH ACADEMY
After checking into my room – which was in the older block that overlooks the first tee of the PGA National Course – I headed to the PGA National Golf Academy for a quick warm-up session ahead of a tee time on the Brabazon. Equipped with five custom-fitting studios, a 34-bay Toptracer-equipped driving range, and a short game area for bunker, wedge and putting practice, there are few facilities to in the UK to rival it and is well worth a visit whether you’re playing the golf courses or not. If you have an eye for a bargain it also has a small retail outlet where end-of-line Belfry-branded apparel can be snapped up at a discount.
RYDER CUP RECOLLECTIONS
Having nailed down a new swing thought, I walked over to the first tee of The Brabazon full of nervous expectation. There are golf courses that test your ability, and there are golf courses that connect you emotionally to the game’s history. The Brabazon, for me, does both.
I was fortunate to attend the 2002 Ryder Cup in a working capacity, and it feels like only yesterday that I was craning my neck over the packed galleries surrounding the 18th green to see Paul Azinger crush my hopes of a massive betting payout when he holed out from the bunker to halve his match with Niclas Fasth. And then moments later Paul McGinley holed out from 10 feet in his match against Jim Furyk to secure the half-point that gave Europe the win. Magical moments that will stay with me forever.
With the construction of the grandstands for the British Masters in full flow, there was plenty of activity around the first tee for my first round in here in 20 years, but thankfully none of the site workers were paying much attention to my ropey pre-shot routine as they went about their work.
DIVIDED OPINIONS
Ryder Cups aside, the Brabazon has often divided opinion over the years, with question marks surrounding some of the lesser-known holes on what was a former flat piece of Warwickshire farmland, but extensive renovation work completed in the 1990s, and then again 2017 – along with 30 years of maturation – has raised its game on all fronts, and it was a far more enjoyable – although challenging – experience than I remember from past visits.
The par-four 10th and 18th holes have become part of golfing folklore and experiencing them in person only reinforces their reputation. Yet reducing the Brabazon to just two famous holes does the course a disservice.
Well located fairway bunkers and engaging green complexes add intrigue to course where changes in elevation are not much of a factor. Good use of water is made at several holes, although it could be argued there is a bit too much of the wet stuff at times as it makes an appearance on at least 11 of the holes and quite often it must be avoided twice on the same hole.
After a fairly bland start, the 4th and 5th are both more-than-solid par fours, while I particularly enjoyed the sixth, a superb 385-yard two-shotter wrapped around water. The 409-yard 8th and the 402-yard 9th are also strong holes to complete the front nine.
BACK-NINE DRAMA
The real drama, of course, begins on the back nine. The 301-yard, par-four 10th combines risk and reward in a way that encourages aggressive play from big hitters yet is only a hybrid and a wedge for those who don’t possess a 275-yard carry with a driver off the tee. A 3-wood down the left side and a 9-iron to the edge of the green to a back-left pin set me up for 25-feet look at birdie and I was more than happy to walk off with a par.
While the demanding 405-yard 16th remains a formidable challenge that still carries echoes of Phil Price’s famous Ryder Cup victory over Phil Mickelson in 2002, the par-4 18th remains one of the finest finishing holes in British golf. At 473 yards off the back tee (441 from the whites), with water threatening both the drive and approach, it demands complete commitment. Play too conservatively and the hole becomes an exhausting grind; attack it with confidence and you begin to understand why so many unforgettable Ryder Cup moments have unfolded here.
I erred on the side of caution and flared a drive into the right-hand bunker before laying up just yards short of the water, leaving still over 170 yards to the front of the green. A thinned mid-iron into the water, a hasty reload and three more putts left me with no points on the board, and my dignity destroyed, but I still had a smile on my face.
EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONING
The conditioning of the course was exceptional. Despite challenging weather conditions across much of Britain, the course was presented to a tour-quality standard, with lush fairways, perfectly maintained bunkers and impressively consistent greens. The greens were running at around 11 on the Stimpmeter, creating enough pace to keep putting interesting without becoming unmanageable for resort golfers.
What ultimately makes the Brabazon so enjoyable is while it of courses allows ordinary golfers to immerse themselves in extraordinary sporting history, it does so without making you fill weighed down by it. If you’d never seen a single clip of the Ryder Cup on YouTube you could still enjoy the theatre that the design creates.
DINING OPTIONS APLENTY
Following a long afternoon on the course, we’d built up quite an appetite, so thankfully a booking at The Belfry’s Ryder Restaurant came to the rescue. This is a treat for all taste buds, with an impressive a la carte menu backed up by an extensive buffet option which offers a wide choice of pasta, pizza, and meaty options, along with a range of vegetable curries and salads.
The wide range of options makes it particularly well suited to families, larger groups and fussy eaters. There were also a lot of starter options. including smoked salmon, spicy marinated chicken and roasted vegetables, as well as a soup of the day, while there was also an extensive dessert selection, so you won’t leave here feeling hungry!
There are several other dining options for guests, including Sam’s Bar & Kitchen, which provides a more traditional post-round atmosphere for golfers, combining classic clubhouse dining with large screens showing live sport throughout the day. Rocca’s, an Italian restaurant which is open Wednesday-Sunday, is also popular with golfers, spa users and families alike, while the Brabazon Bar remains the social heart of the hotel, where guests gather for cocktails and cream teas in the spacious open-plan central lobby of hotel.
The Belfry’s iconic nightclub, The Bel-Air, sadly closed four years ago to make way for the resort’s new ballroom, so those in search of high-octane nightlife now must take an Uber into central Birmingham or take the party back to their room.
OFF AND RUNNING FOR THE DERBY
The next morning, following a good night’s sleep – no flaming sambucas and clubbing for me – and a hearty full English breakfast, I headed for the pro shop to do a bit of light retail therapy – which stretched to buying a Belfry-branded pitch mark repair tool and ball marker – before jumping on the shuttle bus that takes you to the first tee of The Derby Course.
For many years, the Derby has occupied an awkward position within the resort hierarchy. Overshadowed by both the Brabazon and the PGA National, it is often viewed as the supporting act at best. And following its recent renovation, that perception won’t change dramatically, but its transformation is significant and makes it far less of a poor relation for those what have booked the complete 54-hole experience, or mixed and matched a 36-hole package with the Brabazon (see below for package options).
HEATHLAND CHALLENGE
Originally designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, and first opened in 1977, the Derby – which plays to 6,099 yards and a par of 70 off the back tees – has been reimagined as a heathland layout, creating a third and distinctly different golfing experience within the resort’s portfolio.
More than 60 white-sand bunkers now provide dramatic visual contrast, while raised tees improve sightlines and reveal views that were previously hidden. The fairways have been reshaped and approaches widened, creating a course that rewards thoughtful strategy without intimidating less experienced players. New teeing options, including dedicated junior tees, allow everyone from complete beginners to experienced golfers to enjoy the course.
Several holes stood out for me. The short third is visually spectacular, the par-four fifth demonstrates the quality of the landscaping work, while the downhill par-five 13th delivers one of the most memorable views on the property. With the fairways running fast and firm following months without rain I managed a 380-yard drive on this 498-yard hole that left a mere wedge in. Sadly, I still only just scraped a par after thinning my approach.
Heather planting throughout the course strengthens the heathland character and creates a more distinctive visual identity. The improvements extend beyond aesthetics however, with significant investment in maintenance infrastructure serving to enhance both playing conditions and presentation, ensuring the course now feels every bit as polished as its more famous neighbours.
OFF-COURSE ACTIVITIES
The leisure facilities have been bumped up several notches since my last visit here in 2018. The Club represents a substantial investment in health and wellness, with an expansive Technogym overlooking the PGA National course, dedicated studios for yoga, spin classes and Pilates, and a large indoor sports hall.
The spa and aquatic facilities are equally impressive. A 25-metre lap pool sits alongside indoor and outdoor bubble pools, a sauna, steam room and feature showers designed for relaxation and recovery. A ‘Fire & Ice’ journey takes guests through 12 hot and cold Biothermal rooms. The spa also offers an impressive list of treatments from different massages to Dermalogica and ESPA facials, manicures and pedicures.
Families are particularly well catered for. A separate swimming pool with a flume, a children’s climbing wall, an interactive woodland walk, a new playground and the Ryder Legends mini-golf course ensure that younger guests remain entertained throughout their stay.
A HOTEL WITH GOLF OR A GOLF HOTEL?
Perhaps The Belfry’s greatest achievement is that it has managed to preserve everything golfers love about the venue, while simultaneously transforming itself into a genuine all-round leisure destination. Throughout my visit, I was constantly reminded that this is no longer simply a golf resort attached to a hotel. It’s a luxury hotel that happens to be home to three golf courses, one of which is a globally-renowned championship layout.
I arrived expecting a nostalgic pilgrimage to one of Britain’s most famous golfing venues, but I left appreciating a resort that continues to evolve while never losing sight of the moments that made it legendary. Few destinations in British golf strike that balance quite so successfully.
BOOK YOUR BELFRY BREAK
3 nights, 3 rounds – B&B, plus 18 holes on the Brabazon, PGA National and Derby Courses, and full use of The Club facilities. From £499 per person.
2 nights, 2 rounds – Includes a two-night stay, two rounds of golf and a full English breakfast. From £269pp (PGA National/Derby), £299pp (Brabazon/Derby) and £319pp (Brabazon/PGA National).
1 night, 2 rounds – Includes an overnight stay, two rounds of golf and a full English breakfast. From £169pp (PGA National/Derby), £229pp (Brabazon/Derby) and £249pp (Brabazon/PGA National).
1-night, 1 round family break: Overnight stay in family-friendly accommodation, 18 holes on the Derby Course, dinner & breakfast in the Ryder Restaurant; Ryder Legends Mini Golf round; 1.5 hours on the driving range; full access to The Club, including the family flume pool & kids’ activities. £365 per night.
For more information or to make a booking, visit thebelfry.com or call the hotel direct on 01675 238600.
2026 Husqvarna British Masters
The 2026 Husqvarna British Masters presented by Sir Nick Faldo takes place at The Belfry from August 27-30. General admission tickets start from £40 for adults on Thursday, rising to £60 for the final round on Sunday. Weekend tickets cost £110. There is a Pro-Am on August 26, entry for which costs £40.
For tickets, click here or buy on the gate on the day.
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