February 18th, 2010
The best spas from around the world
Is the spa calling time on the bar as the traditional post-round relaxation? Mark Russell tells how the next generation of elite golf clubs are taking their lead from the wellness industry. Prepare to detox.
The 19th hole has got a rival. The explosion in the wellness industry is purveying the clubhouse, as top end golf clubs seek to broaden their appeal to members by creating havens of calm as antidotes to the clubhouse bar.
Earlier this year Gleneagles, in Perthshire, Scotland unveiled the latest addition to its venerable resort in the shape of a “destination spa”, built in collaboration with skincare brand ESPA. Costing £8m, the sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, treatment rooms et al are a key part of Gleneagles’ preparations for 2014, when the Ryder Cup arrives at the club, 93 years after it played host to the first transatlantic golf competition. The new addition is an essential part of the club’s redevelopment, with as much attention being paid to the spa as other clubhouse facilities.
The new spa is also, perhaps, a nod towards a necessity to provide golfers with another haven away from its notoriously unforgiving climate, as it’s spa team proudly boasts: “‘Enjoying a spa experience is the perfect antidote to a windswept day on the golf course. At The Spa at Gleneagles, we have designed a range of treatments specifically with the golfer in mind,” One example of this is its Golfer’s Tonic treatment, costing £90.
Just up the road from Gleneagles at Loch Lomond Golf Club, the emphasis on treatments for golfers has gone even further, its spa team having devised a massage that actually utilises golf equipment. As the club’s spa manager Leon Trayling explains, the Hot Golf Ball Massage, which was introduced last year, uses balls specifically to ease the tension brought about by a round on its Championship Course. “The Golf Ball Massage not only relaxes the muscles but relaxes the mind, too,” he says. “The golf balls are heated like hot stones and used on your feet at the beginning of the treatment to relax you, and by the end of the treatment the golf balls are chilled and used around the eye area to leave you feeling refreshed.”
“The golf balls are heated like hot stones and used on your feet at the beginning of the treatment to relax you, and by the end of the treatment the golf balls are chilled and used around the eye area to leave you feeling refreshed.”
It may sound gimmicky but there is science behind it, as the warmed balls provide a similar function to hot stones used in massage, by targeting deep under the skin’s surface to ease tension on specific muscle groups. Thanks to the greater surface area on a golf ball, the warmth can be distributed more evenly. Whatever the merits, the club has reported more golfers than ever making the trip to its Walled Garden spa. “We have found that over the past couple of years the amount of men who use the spa, who would never have come down before, is definitely increasing,” says Trayling.
As well as being tempted by treatments aimed squarely at players more traditionally at home at a bar table rather than a massage table, many golfers have been inspired to take the spa option by the professionals, who are already aware of the advantages of post-round pampering. “During the Scottish Open all the players use the facilities; Graeme McDowell was down here every day,” says Trayling. For the professional player, the physiological benefits are obvious - tension release, aches soothed and injury prevention - but the more subtle, psychological aids can be equally as critical.
“You are telling yourself that it’s important that you look after yourself. Either to relax and chill-out in a hot environment and think and reflect about things on your own or with friends, and you’re generally in a less rowdy, quieter space,” says Dr Victor Thompson, a sports psychologist who works with a number of golfers. “Also, if you’re in a spa it could be more relaxing, as you’re not taking in any more toxic chemicals while you’re there, you’re not adding to the stress of what your body has to process and metabolise, so that’s a positive.”
‘Enjoying a spa experience is the perfect antidote to a windswept day on the golf course”
Whether you’re Tiger Woods or a pussy cat on the fairways, there’s no reason why the mental side of your game couldn’t benefit from a bit of detoxification rather than intoxication. “It’s not like a switch, you can’t just step off of the 18th hole, get into the clubhouse and be exactly what you were before you stepped on to the greens,” says Dr Thompson. This process, he adds, could be eased by some quiet time rather than a session in the clubhouse. During a golfing break spread over several days, or a weekend tournament, this me-time could provide the edge in the following day’s competition - or even just save your head for the final night’s celebration.
However, all this talk of luxuriating at a spa isn’t to say the psychological benefits of the more traditional 19th hole should be ignored. Few places compare to a warm clubhouse for camaraderie, particularly if it’s been a tough day on the course - whether mentally or elementally. “There’s a lot of sharing of war stories, about how you got on, what you did; seeking a bit of reassurance or a bit of common ground,” suggests Dr Thompson. “You can digest your performance, discuss it, get tips, or just get commiseration or congratulations, or just have a chat and move on. That can be as important as escaping if you have played well, you might want to go to the pub to get congratulations on that rare day.” So unless your masseuse knows her golf, you may miss out on this key aspect.
Perhaps, then, rather than replacing the clubhouse entirely as the new 19th hole, the future of post-round relaxation lies somewhere between the spa and the bar. Loch Lomond’s Leon Trayling hints at the answer lying in the best of both worlds: “The spa is a social environment and, well, we do serve drinks, you know…”