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Standing in giant metal ring at least twice her height while wielding a long wooden stick, this was not quite what my nine-year old daughter had expected from her half-term holiday in Spain.
Waving the pole around her head in flailing circular motion, she dissolved into giggles as she worked on trying to perfect her swing.
For her – and her three older siblings – this was their first real foray into golf, and quite the introduction it was too.
As a family of six, we were staying at Grand Hyatt La Manga Golf & Spa, a hotel oasis in Murcia, between Alicante and Malaga in southern Spain, designed specifically for golf, padel, swimming and outside living.
La Manga – for the uninitiated – is a very special place for golfers. In the 70s it hosted the Spanish Open, with greats such as Arnold Palmer and Bernard Gallagher battling it out on the 18th hole. Forty years on, it has had a complete facelift, and the hotel reopened in 2023 with revamped rooms, a brand new spa, a thriving golf academy and a keen eye to regaining the rights to host some of the most prestigious competitions on the tour.
With its perfectly manicured greens, well-tended palm trees and immaculate paths, it is a beautiful spot – and a far cry from the more rustic activities we normally do.
Trying to work out where to go and what to do with four children – two girls and two boys – aged between 9 and 13 during half term can be tricky. Something for everyone, not too far to travel – and not breaking the bank.
Happily, my four have something in common – a real love of sport and keenness to try something new. For us, the draw was golf and padel, the sport belatedly taking the UK by storm long after the rest of Europe worked out how fun it was.
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On arrival at La Manga, via a thirty-minute drive from the airport, we were ushered into our inter-connecting family rooms. As a family of six, it is always hard to find rooms that can accommodate us all. But here, it wasn’t a problem – the four children in one, and us in the other, linked by an adjoining door, all equipped with large and comfy beds.
We arrived in the late afternoon, with long enough for the children and my husband to explore the sunny grounds, while I snuck off to the wonderfully serene spa. The hotel has been done up beautifully, with colonnades, polished marble, sloping lawns and four restaurants offering a mix of cuisine.
The next morning, we started the day with the most enormous breakfast which involved multiple trips for waffles, fruit, bacon, omelettes, pastries, orange juice – all overlooking the last hole of the South Course, one of three first class courses available to guests. The feast was the highlight of the day for everyone – and still talked about at home, several weeks later.
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It wasn’t until about the third trip to the buffet that I realised that everyone was in “active wear”. From seven to seventy, there were serious golfers and tennis players, loading up for a serious day of sport. Luckily, we were up for the challenge.
First stop was the golf academy, where under the care of the hugely patient and friendly Scottish golf pro Craig Donnelly, we were taught all about the sport. His office – a three walled room with an entire fourth side open to the elements – made me instantly jealous and it was here he put us through our paces.
The idyllic setting, set off by picture perfect bright blue sky, was meant to inspire us to greatness. But our first efforts were, frankly, a little feeble.
Aided by Trackman, the technological genius which checks your angle, where you hit the and how hard you hit the ball, it was clear we needed a little help. We were then shepherded into training ring, which felt ridiculous but actually gave you a proper sense of what you should be doing. This time, we were able to connect with the ball and struck more than with a satisfying “thwack” (I’m still working on the golf lingo).
After our lesson ended, we were unleashed on the practice greens to work on our putting. There, the serious players warmed up for their rounds, but didn’t seem to mind the novices bumbling around next to them.
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Here we happily whiled away the time, pottering round in the warm breeze. I spent much of it nervous that we would hack apart the perfect greens, but Craig had taught us well.
La Manga – despite its heritage and serious golf – was very relaxed. Everyone was there to do something they loved.
If it wasn’t golf, it was tennis and padel. A five-minute walk from the hotel were the 28 courts which make up La Manga’s racquet club, run by British husband and wife team Nick and Sally Munns who took it over in 2021 and spent two million Euros refurbishing the lot.
Embarking on another new sport, we descended en masse to meet Xavier, our cheery and patient – yes, there is a theme – coach. Telling us to forget all we knew about tennis, he explained the simple rules and dos and don’ts of padel, where to hit, how to score, how to play.
As very part-time tennis players, it took a little bit of getting used to for me and my husband, but the kids took to it straight away, flicking the ball off the back wall in a way that I simply couldn’t.
By the end of the session, we were all converts, keen to do more, but also torn between the courts and the lure of the hotel pool with its giant inflatable swans.
This slice of sunshine, sport and fun was exactly what we needed to escape timetables, lessons, commuting and day to day life.
And the verdict from the four who loved every minute was simple – can we go back next half term?
Caroline Gammell was a guest of Grand Hyatt La Manga Golf & Spa.
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