The English Lake District Hotel With 11 Golf Courses Within 30 Minutes, Including Delightful Windermere

The golf

Windermere: par 67, 5,122 yards

Cumbria's only entry in Golf Monthly's UK&I Top 100 course rankings lies in the north-west of the county on the coast at Silloth on Solway.

But there is much more hugely enjoyable golf to savour throughout the county, including several beauties in the southern half. Laid out on rolling, and at times, rocky terrain a couple of miles from Bowness, Windermere is a particularly beautiful place to play.

Don’t be fooled by the scorecard for there are some strong tests here, such as the rollercoaster 4th, which makes a mockery of its modest 380 yards, and the 17th and 18th on the final climb, an ascent that begins on the 16th, the course’s solitary par 5.

My notes for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th read simply “tough”, “real chance” and “very tough” and that is the beauty of this lovely course – interspersed among the challenges are genuine chances to score via potentially drivable par 4s like that 3rd hole plus the 9th and 11th.

Above all, any round here is enormous fun with views to die for.

The hotel

Crooklands

Crooklands, on the A65 close to the major south Cumbria routes of the M6 and A590, is the perfect base for golf trips to this area. It’s a family business under new ownership, with both the inn and bedrooms extensively refurbished in recent years.

It cleverly mixes the feel of an old Cumbrian inn with the modern amenities and accommodation many are looking for, with comfortable, spacious rooms, a lively and friendly bar, and dining either in the older-style inn or more modern dining room with its contemporary decor. There are six dog-friendly rooms, too.

Best deal

There are 11 courses within 30 minutes of Crooklands: Kirkby Lonsdale, Windermere, Carus Green, Bentham, Silverdale, Kendal, Casterton, Ulverston, Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham.

Stay and play at Crooklands with Golf Lake District (golflakedistrict.co.uk) on a one-night B&B package with rounds at Windermere and Kirkby Lonsdale from £214.99pp based on two sharing on a Friday or Saturday night.

Sunday night B&B packages start from £189.99pp based on two sharing to include two rounds from a choice of Kirkby Lonsdale, Silverdale and Bentham. Tailor-made packages are available to suit all budgets, golfing abilities and tastes.

(Prices correct at time of publication in January 2026)