The Pursuit Of Perfection - A Stay And Play Review Of Gleneagles

In my experience, when somebody or something gets to number one in their field, one of two things happen: they either spend a lot of time telling everyone how good they are and then end up resting on their laurels, or else they take stock of what’s got them to the top and start making plans for what they can do to be even better. Gleneagles, most definitely falls into the latter camp. 

I first visited this glorious slice of Perthshire back in 2005 to cover the Grand Final of the Volkswagen Masters, an international event for amateur golfers. I’d read a lot about Gleneagles over the years, starting with my favourite golf book of all time - Play the Best Courses: Great Golf in the British Isles by Peter Allen - where the author’s verdict that, “on a fine day in early autumn there is no more beautiful place in the word to play golf, not any” immediately put it on my bucket list, and then in later years through write-ups in Golf Monthly and other magazines. They’d all built Gleneagles up into being something special, and when I got there it certainly managed to live up to, and indeed exceed, my expectations. I was blown away by the grandeur of the hotel, the brilliance of the golf courses and the warm welcome from the staff. 

In the 18 years since my first visit I have been back to stay five times and have visited to play golf on many more occasions. Each time there has been something new or improved to see or do, whether that’s been renovation work to the golf courses, upgrades to hotel rooms, new restaurants to eat in or new activities to try. 

Not only has Gleneagles never stopped striving to improve the visitor experience, but in recent years they have totally refreshed the way in which they market themselves: ‘The Glorious Playground’ is a fitting description of what’s on offer and the beautiful illustrations by the Ennismore Agency that feature on everything, from its website to the map of the resort that you are given on arrival, captures the essence of ‘the Glen’ - a sophisticated but playful place to spend time. 

Like any visit to somewhere special, the journey to Gleneagles is a key ingredient serving to build anticipation and excitement. It was perhaps fitting that for this trip we were fortunate to have been able to take advantage of a Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo for the ride.

In my email exchanges with the Porsche press office before the trip, they assured me that the car would ‘eat up those motorway miles’; and they weren’t wrong. All 445 of them were exceptionally relaxed. I’d been lucky enough to drive a Macan T for a trip to Devon last year, so I had prior knowledge of what sensational cars Porsches are but, as a saloon, the Panamera provided a totally different driving experience to the Macan.

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The Panamera sits low to the ground in the style of Porsche’s famous sports cars, with the curved lines reminiscent of the iconic 911. It also performs and handles like a true sports car, especially when you select the Sport and Sport Plus and press the ‘Drive Mode’ button that sits temptingly to the right of the steering wheel. 

As a saloon it offers significantly more space than a two-seater, if not quite as much as the Macan. That said, it still managed to accommodate three airline-style carry-on cases and my golf clubs in the boot, albeit I did need to take my driver and 3-wood out of the bag to make everything fit. But if you had a small Sunday bag and packed lighter than I do (not hard), then I think you could use the space more effectively. 

As with the Macan, the interior of the Panamera is where function meets luxury. The quality is superb. As a passenger, you feel cocooned in a world of leather and brushed aluminium and as a driver everything is at your fingertips with just the right amount of driver assistance and technology to make the driving experience safe and enjoyable with the car taking the right amount of control and giving a reassuring amount of prompts.

The hybrid engine delivered some really impressive economy when driven at motorway cruising speed and as we made our way towards Gleneagles on the A9 we still had nearly half a tank of fuel remaining. The whole journey from Berkshire to Scotland has many beautiful stretches, but the best is saved to the last 30 miles when the Perthshire countryside opens up and the excitement reaches a crescendo as you turn off onto the A823 for the final few miles and make your approach to the hotel, weaving your way through the PGA Centenary Course and up to the grand entrance itself. 

GOLF

Golf isn’t the only reason to come to Gleneagles - in fact non-golfers could easily spend a week here and not run out of things to do. But for us enthusiasts, no visit would be complete without at least one round on one of the three main courses (there’s a great academy course - the Wee Course - and a fun pitch and putt outside the hotel, too).

On this trip I was to play the PGA Centenary. I have to confess that I’d always seen it as very much number three of the three courses there, preferring instead the two famous James Braid creations - The King’s and The Queen’s - ranked 36th and 50th in Golf Monthly’s UK&I Top 100. However, after having thoroughly enjoyed my round on the course that famously hosted the Ryder Cup in 2014 and five years later the Solheim Cup, I felt I’d been a little harsh in my initial view. Sure, the King’s and Queen’s are more charming and intimate, but the PGA Centenary offers a brilliant modern test of golf. Off the tee you are encouraged to open your shoulders at all bar the tight 5th hole, ‘Crookit Cratur’, and second shots feel both enticing and dramatic, especially those that play down to greens below the fairway - most notably the 8th and 15th where the almost infinity backdrop towards the Ochil Hills means it’s hard to engage your golf brain and focus fully on your intended target! 

If I had to pick a favourite course at Gleneagles it would be The Queen’s, which at 5,956 yards from the white tees and a par of 68 is all about strategic thinking and doesn’t demand the big hitting that The King’s and PGA Centenary does which suits my game and, I suspect, the majority of other golfers too.

Away from the courses themselves there’s a superb driving range, fitted with the latest TopTracer technology and a fantastic golf shop stocked with an amazing range of apparel and accessories. If, like me, you like your golf clothing and a memento of a special trip, then you’ll find it almost too tempting for words. 

ACCOMMODATION

There are 233 rooms at Gleneagles, split between the main hotel and the adjoining Braid House, which is linked seamlessly from the main hotel by the Gleneagles Arcade (more tempting shopping opportunities) and a leisure area that includes restaurants, The Garden Cafe and the gym, pools and spa. 

I’ve stayed in both the main hotel and Braid House and it’s hard to have a favourite. We were in Braid House this time which has a more contemporary feel and more space than the main house but the rooms are styled similarly and are decorated using a palette of muted greens and blues and reds and a rich variety of sumptuous fabrics and soft furnishings. Go for the Main House if you want charm and a country house feel, go for Braid House for a modern feel and proximity to the spa, gym and pool.

A tour of our room in Braid House...

FOOD AND DRINK

The handy guide to Gleneagles that you receive on arrival sums your dining choices up perfectly when it says you can be as laid back or as luxurious as you like. There are seven distinct options and two fabulous bars, all of which offer a genuine taste of Scotland using fresh produce wherever possible but with menus slanted towards different styles of cuisine from the ultimate fine dining experience of Andrew Fairlie (Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant) through to Auchterader 70, where you can enjoy a pre- or post-round drink accompanied by some Scottish tapas. Whisky lovers and cocktail connoisseurs will be in their element at Gleneagles with either a trip to the Century or American Bars for a pre- or post-dinner drink. 

On this trip, we ate in The Birnam, a buzzing Italian-American style grill in the main hotel building and The Dormy, down by the golf courses where we enjoyed a delicious modern Indian meal cooked in a tandoor oven. 

Breakfast at Gleneagles is a highlight of any trip. The Strathearn restaurant is transformed from its sophisticated and formal evening sitting into a relaxed and glorious morning hubbub where you can graze from a spectacular array of delicious food on the buffet including locally caught wild smoked salmon and choose from some classic Scottish breakfast options cooked to order. 

OFF COURSE

Gleneagles stands head and shoulders above its competitors in many areas, but arguably none more so than in its range of activities you can take part in during the day. On previous visits my family and I have enjoyed falconry, horse riding and clay shooting, plus trips to the spa and croquet on the lawns. This time we added a ride on mountain bikes around the grounds and the gun dog experience to our list, which was terrific fun. As long-time owners of a very wilful wirehaired dachshund whose recall can only be described as selective, it was amazing to see highly trained dogs follow commands even from complete strangers like us. 

A quick look at the A to Z of pursuits on the Gleneagles website shows that we’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of what it is possible to do during a stay. From off-roading in Land Rovers to fly fishing and padel tennis - there is plenty to keep everyone entertained. 

GLENEAGLES - MY VERDICT

My 48 hours at Gleneagles… in 90 seconds...

Our trip to Gleneagles underlined just why it is ranked by Golf Monthly and countless other publications as the #1 place to stay and play in the UK and Ireland, if not the world. It is no exaggeration to say that Gleneagles really does have it all and I can’t imagine anyone would go and not want to return time and time again to keep on finding new things to delight in. My personal view is that it’s a place that is best suited to families and couples as opposed to groups of golfers but I am confident that anyone who goes will have the time of their life. 

As with all the best things in life, they do come at a cost and staying at Gleneagles will require some degree of financial planning to either save up for or pay back on what will be a memorable few days. However if you avoid school holidays and peak times, there are some very good deals that can be found in the offers section of the Gleneagles website. Be warned though, one visit will not be enough!