GLENEAGLES ACTIVITIES:
Equestrian:
Gleneagles is every horse rider's dream. The Equestrian Centre is one of
the best equipped in the world and provides facilities for every discipline of
horsemanship, and at every level of experience. From the beginner to the expert,
riding at Gleneagles offers a new level of instruction, of experience and of
enjoyment.
Shooting: There is no-one, novice or crack-shot, who would not enjoy,
or benefit from time spent at The Gleneagles Shooting School.
If you want to learn to shoot, there is every help and assistance.
Falconry: Falconry is one of the oldest and most aristocratic sports.
As a beginner at the British School of Falconry at Gleneagles, under expert
tuition, you will be introduced to the centuries-old traditions and pleasures of
flying hawks, delighting in the varied character of each bird and being guided
in the art of handling and flying hawks.
Fishing: Salmon or Trout? The big silver fighting fish of the Tay,
Scotland's great salmon river, or Gleneagles' trout loch. Our ghillies provide a
fisherman's knowledge of the water and some wry local humour as well as advice
on the best tackle, flies and strategies for an unforgettable day.
Off Road Driving: Off Road Driving - Leave the manicured lawns of one
of The Leading Hotels of the World and test your skills in handling a
four-wheel-drive vehicle over two of Britain's most challenging off-road
courses.
The Club & Spa: Not everyone wants to spend their time on the end
of a golf club, fishing rod, gun barrel, riding rein or falconer's glove. For
some, a holiday is a chance to have a break from the everyday routine, to relax,
to be pampered. You can swim in one of our two pools, exercise in the Gym or
Squash Court, enjoy a Sauna, sun-bed or Massage in The Spa, or just let the
world go by.
Children: Gleneagles provides an array of activities for
children as well as a website just for them.
For fun in the water, splash about in the pool or dip in the outdoor hot pool!
Every Saturday and Sunday between 14:00 and 15:00 meet up with new friends for
an hour of fun and games for the Splash Hour. Outside explore the grounds by
mountain bike - helmets are provided. Or borrow a junior tennis racquet and get
into the swing of things on one of the four courts found next to the pétanque
and football pitches. You can even test your flying skills on a windy day by
borrowing a kite. The Playroom: Kids up to 10 years are welcome to
pop into the Playroom during their stay to paint, draw and play. The Playroom is
open between 09:30 and 17:00 daily. Stay for up to five hours, with the first
two hours being free of charge. Thereafter there is a flat fee of £10 per for
each child. Parents are required to remain within the grounds of Gleneagles
when leaving their child.
Babysitters are also available at an
hourly rate. Just inform resort sales of your requirements when making your
booking. Alternatively if you are resident our housekeeper, with advance notice,
will be delighted to arrange this for you.
GOLF AT GLENEAGLES:
Gleneagles'
golf courses are open to visiting players seeking a deluxe golfing experience.
The three championship courses, golf academy and extensive clubhouse facilities
will be available for use by companies and private individuals alike. Hotel
guests will continue to have priority. However regular visitor users of the golf
facilities will benefit from additional exclusive services and facilities.
Golfers have access to the 11-acre
academy with covered practice facilities and the clubhouse which includes luxury
locker rooms with showers, sauna and steam rooms. Twilight Golf will be offered
from 16:00 during the months of May to September on the PGA Centenary Course,
Queen's and King's courses.
Courses:
Golf at Gleneagles is a blend of natural experience and golfing adventure
on three championship courses set in the splendour of the Perthshire hills. The
courses were the inspiration of two of the world's most famous golfers, James
Braid, five times winner of the Open championship who designed the King's
and Queen's, and Jack Nicklaus, Golfer of the 20th Century, who designed
the PGA Centenary Course.
The PGA Centenary Course,
designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic.
Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, the PGA
Centenary Course was a challenge. It had to be a great course and, set as it
is in the heart of Scotland, the country that gave the world Golf, Nicklaus
describes the course as "The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever
been given to work with". It had to be unique in its challenge, a course in
the modern design ethos that at its fullest stretch tests the greatest players,
while, in the immortal phrase of Bobby Jones, "offering problems a man may
attempt according to his ability... never hopeless for the lesser player nor
failing to concern and interest the expert."
From the back tees, the PGA
Centenary Course measures 7,088 yards, the longest inland course in
Scotland. However, the tees are graded at each hole in five stages, including a
challenging 6,558 yards from the white markers down to 5,072 from the red.
Fittingly, the PGA Centenary Course begins by playing southeast towards
the famed glen of the eagles sweeping up the Ochil Hills to the summit of the
pass below Ben Shee that joins it to Glendevon.
A feature of the PGA Centenary
Course is the feast of views of the spectacular countryside in which
Gleneagles is set. Putting on the two-tier second green, you are distracted by
the lush panorama of the rich Perthshire straths. As you move westwards over the
next few holes, the rugged Grampians come into view on the right then distantly
purple ahead, Ben Vorlich and the mountains above the Trossachs.
The King's Course,
opened in 1919, is a masterpiece of design that has tested the aristocracy of
golf, both professional and amateur. James
Braid's plan for the King's Course was to test even the best players'
shot-making skills over the eighteen holes. When they play the King's the
worlds greatest golfers admire the cunning and craft with which he achieved that
goal.
You find out all about it with your
first approach shot. If you have driven straight and long from the tee, you will
have what looks like a simple pitch to the elevated green. But you must be sure
to select the correct club, because the shot is always a little longer than you
think, with the wind over the putting surface often stronger than you can feel
it from the fairway. And if you do not make the severely sloping green, a bunker
yawns twenty feet below. Selecting the right club for each approach shot is the
secret on the King's. It is certainly one of the most beautiful and
exhilarating places to play golf in the world, with the springy moor land turf
underfoot, the sweeping views from the tees all around, the rock-faced mountains
to the north, the green hills to the south, and the peaks of the Trossachs and
Ben Vorlich on the western horizon.
All the holes have evocative and
pithy Scots names. For example, the fifth, Het Girdle (Hot Pan), is a
challenging par 3 with trouble every-where except on the green, while l7th's
name, Warslin’ Lea (Wrestling Ground), reflects the difficulty so many golfers
have had with this long, sweeping par 4.
The Queen's Course,
in its long history, has played host to some of the world's golfing greats. The
beautiful settings and the challenge of the golf have attracted such top golfers
as Johnny Miller, Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, and Lee Trevino, as
well as great names from the entertainment and sports worlds including Sean
Connery, Burt Lancaster, Bing Crosby, Jackie Stewart, and astronaut, Alan
Shepard (the only man to hit a golf shot on the moon).
Threading through high ridges on the
north and west sides of the estate, the Queen's offers lovely woodland
settings, lochans and ditches as water hazards, as well as many moor land
characteristics. At 3,192 yards long, the challenge of the first nine can be
deceptive, with even some of the best players finding it a test to make par into
a fresh southwesterly breeze. Do not be lulled into a sense of false security as
you stand on the first tee. The Trystin’ Tree or Lover's Meeting place, after
which the hole is named, is a challenging opener. The ground falls away at your
feet, the fairway swings round to the left and slopes towards the trees, and
there are a couple of cunningly-placed bunkers testing your approach into the
miniscule green.
Other Courses & Practice
Areas
The fun, Par 3 Wee Course is
a light alternative for both beginners and experts. It recalls the original
nine-hole course at Gleneagles, constructed in 1928 by the head green keeper,
George Alexander, and staff from the hotel.
The Golf Academy, which opened in
1994, enshrines the philosophy that improving a player's performance improves
their enjoyment of the game. The Academy, which includes a covered
320-yard double-ended driving range with capacity for 40 golfers, provides an
important focus for developing a player's short game in addition to improving
play from the tee.
There is an eleven-acre championship
standard practice ground designed for play behind or into the prevailing wind
and for practice of all aspects of the golf game. Gleneagles provides
several putting greens on the estate including a championship putting green at
the practice ground. The resort has a nine-hole pitch and putt course in front
of the Hotel.
The Golf Academy:
Those who love the game want to get better at it: every player, no matter what
their handicap, has one or two areas they'd like to improve. It could be
correcting that kink in your swing, curing an attack of the yips on the putting
green or developing the perfect draw. At the Golf Academy at Gleneagles,
you will find the sort of help and advice that will have you thinking, 'If only
I'd had access to it years ago, I'd have a lower handicap by now.'
Digital Video Lessons
Using the latest golf technology
tuition software, the Interactive Frontier V1 system, The Golf Academy can offer
these incredible features:
- All
lessons recorded using a digital camera
- All
lessons are kept on hard disk for future analysis
- Model
your swing to that of a touring golf pro
- Overlay
your swing with a pros swing for comparison
- Every
lesson includes a video to take away
Golf clinics are available for the
individual or the corporate guest. Our golf professionals offer expert advice on
every aspect of your game, guiding you through techniques that you can build
into it, now and in the rounds to come.
You can choose one-to-one tuition or
learn our professionals' secrets in a group format in your own private area of
the Academy. Either way, with our digital video lessons, swing photographs and
The Golf Academy Manual, we make sure the advice you receive benefits your game
long after your day with us has ended.
The Golf Shop:
If you are looking for a club to
give you that extra couple of yards or a ball that'll fly long and true, then
The Gleneagles Golf Shop is the place for you.
And, with our exclusive clothing
range, including names like Bobby Jones, Lyle & Scott, Cutter & Buck,
Hugo Boss and Sunderland of Scotland, we will make sure you look good on the tee
as well. You can even wear your heart on your sleeve with your company's logo on
Gleneagles branded sweaters and shirts.