The Spa at The Grove

The Grove in Hertfordshire is one of the clearest luxury Spa & Golf combinations within easy reach of London. Sequoia Spa brings together a 22-metre indoor pool, thermal facilities, Bamford and Natura Bissé treatments and serious fitness space, while Kyle Phillips’ 18-hole championship course runs through the resort’s 300-acre estate. For couples and groups with different priorities, both sides of the stay have enough depth to stand on their own.

Why The Grove works as a Spa & Golf break

The Grove solves a problem that many luxury resorts do not: the spa is not simply something for the non-golfer to do while somebody else plays. Sequoia is a substantial wellness environment in its own right, while the golf course has enough tournament pedigree and architectural interest to justify the trip for serious players. The resort hosted the 2016 British Masters and has previously welcomed leading international players, yet the course remains open to everyday visitors rather than operating as a members-only club.

That makes the property especially useful for couples. One guest can spend four or five hours on the golf course while the other has a genuine spa day, then both can use the wider hotel, dining and grounds together. Equally, a golfer can combine both: play in the morning, then use swimming, heat, cold and treatment time to make the second half of the day about recovery rather than simply adding another activity.

Sequoia Spa facilities

The centrepiece is the 22-metre indoor black-mosaic swimming pool. Alongside it are a bubbling Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, while the spa terrace now includes hot-and-cold thermal experiences with sauna and ice-bath options. The hotel also lists a Tranquillity room for treatment guests, a women’s wellness pool and heaven shower, plus Sequoia Kitchen for lighter food and drinks without leaving the spa environment.

The fitness studio is far more substantial than a token hotel gym. Current facilities include Technogym cardio and resistance equipment, free weights, Peloton bikes and dedicated training equipment. Outside, the 300-acre estate creates room for walking, running and cycling. In warmer months the resort also operates a heated outdoor pool in the Walled Garden, although seasonal access should always be checked before travel.

Treatments and recovery

Sequoia currently works with Bamford and Natura Bissé. The signature massage combines techniques drawn from Swedish, Thai and Shiatsu traditions, making bodywork one of the more natural ways to pair the spa with golf. A sensible golf-recovery plan is to avoid aggressive deep-tissue treatment immediately before an important round, particularly if you are not used to it. Instead, play first, rehydrate, eat normally, allow the body to settle and then choose a treatment intensity that supports rather than disrupts recovery.

For a two-round stay, the first afternoon is a good time for gentle pool, sauna or steam use; the evening should prioritise hydration and sleep. A treatment after the final round can be more relaxing because there is no need to worry about temporary soreness affecting the next day’s swing. Travellers with cardiovascular conditions, pregnancy, recent surgery, injury or other relevant health concerns should discuss heat, cold and treatment suitability with an appropriate professional and the spa team.

The Grove golf course

Kyle Phillips designed the course through mature woodland and open parkland, with strategic bunkering, shaped fairways and greens that reward good positioning rather than simply raw length. The resort publishes four tee sets, allowing the course to be scaled substantially. From the Grove tees the 18 holes add up to approximately 6,332 yards and par 72; the back tees stretch to approximately 7,152 yards.

Practice is taken seriously. The Grove currently promotes a TrackMan Range for shot analysis and warm-up, and the golf operation offers tuition and fitting services. The Halfway House provides food and drink around the turn, while The Stables overlooks the putting green and is useful before or after play.

Hole-by-hole: The Spa Traveller playing notes

1. 1st – Follies, par 4: Start conservatively. The dogleg tempts you to challenge the corner, but the better percentage play is to find the middle of the fairway and leave a straightforward opening approach.
2. 2nd – Alcove, par 4: The fairway drops away and the green can repel indifferent approaches. Prioritise position from the tee and commit fully to the second shot rather than trying to manufacture distance.
3. 3rd – Hoggery, par 4: One of the strongest holes on the card. Favour the right side from the tee to create the best route into a demanding approach where water becomes a genuine factor.
4. 4th – Boathouse, par 3: Club selection is everything. Short brings the stream into play, so err towards enough carry rather than becoming too defensive with a tentative swing.
5. 5th – Eggshell, par 4: The fairway presents competing routes around rough and bunkering. Choose a clear target from the tee and accept a longer approach if that keeps the ball in the correct section of fairway.
6. 6th – Scotch Hut, par 5: A positional three-shot hole for most golfers. Use the tall tree and pond as visual references, then leave the final approach from a comfortable yardage rather than forcing the second.
7. 7th – Pyramid, par 3: It plays gently uphill and back-right pins can require more club than they appear to. Trust the measured distance instead of relying on the view from the tee.
8. 8th – Rustic Seat, par 4: Do not over-cut the dogleg. A hidden bunker punishes the ambitious line; a safer drive towards the left-side reference bunker gives a cleaner uphill approach.
9. 9th – Ruined Tower, par 5: A strong drive can be rewarded. Aim just left of the distant cedar and then decide whether the green is realistically reachable; the main trouble tightens on the left near the target.
10. 10th – Statue of Neptune, par 4: Shorter on the card but very positional. Find the correct part of the fairway at the turn of the hole to open the view into a green protected by bunkers.
11. 11th – Green House, par 5: The second shot creates the decision. If the green is not comfortably reachable, lay up to a number and use the safer short-right area rather than bringing unnecessary trouble into play.
12. 12th – Portico, par 4: One of the tougher par fours. Avoid being squeezed by the right-side bunker from the tee, then make sure the approach carries the front contours; anything under-hit can be rejected.
13. 13th – Praeneste, par 3: A long par three whose visual framing makes it look shorter than it is. Trust the yardage, take enough club and use the right side as the more forgiving route if you cannot fly it all the way.
14. 14th – Tuscan Seat, par 4: The hole looks extremely wide, but the right-side bunker influences the preferred landing area. Choose a line deliberately rather than simply swinging hard because there appears to be space.
15. 15th – Temple of Pan, par 4: The tee shot needs to fit between the left-side hazard line and the cedar. On the approach, commit to carrying the ball onto the putting surface because the front-right ground can punish a timid shot.
16. 16th – Mausoleum, par 3: Ignore the optical trick created by the front bunker, which sits well short of the green. Use the actual yardage, select the club decisively and trust the number.
17. 17th – Malayan Hut, par 5: Length off the tee can open a chance to attack, but the left-side bunker complex and contours make a miss short-left particularly awkward. Only go for the green when the lie and yardage genuinely justify it.
18. 18th – Clock Towers, par 4: The final drive looks more generous than the hole plays. The real test is the approach: take enough club to land and hold the green rather than drifting into a defensive finish.

How to plan the golf and spa together

For a one-night stay, an afternoon round followed by a lighter spa session can work, but golfers who want a treatment should avoid creating a rushed timetable. The course deserves proper warm-up time, and Sequoia is better when there is enough space to use the pool and thermal facilities slowly. For two nights, the most comfortable sequence is usually spa or light activity on arrival day, golf on the full day and a final treatment or recovery session afterwards.

Non-golfing partners should book spa days and treatments early, especially at weekends. The spa has age and access rules: it is primarily a tranquil adult environment, with limited family swimming arrangements for hotel residents and members. Treatment-only bookings do not automatically include full spa-facility access, so check the package carefully before paying.

The Spa Traveller view

The Grove is one of the strongest examples of the “dual-benefit weekend” because the golf and wellness propositions are independently credible. Golfers get a serious championship course with excellent practice infrastructure; spa guests get a substantial pool, thermal and treatment environment rather than a token hotel spa. For couples or groups trying to satisfy different interests without splitting the holiday in two, that is exactly the combination The Spa Traveller wants a Spa & Golf resort to deliver.