Sara Keatingstays at Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club
WE ALMOST didn’t stop. We almost drove all the way back to Dublin after our accidental circuit of the Connemara coast. We had been looking for a more scenic route back from Westport than the N5 through Longford offered and when we finally hit the M6, the new smooth Tarmac really was so tempting after the boreens and back-roads. It would take us the 200km home in only two hours.
But I had been behind the wheel for more than nine hours, and somewhere near Athlone hit the wall (not literally). One short phone call to a relative and we received a variety of accommodation options by text. From the layby, we were palmed off by our top choice (a Blue Book lakeside dwelling that seemed unwilling to give us a room unless we had dinner). But they recommended the Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club, which sits on Lough Ree, minutes from the motorway, a short walk to the picturesque village of Glasson, and 10 minutes by car from Athlone, the much by-passed capital of Co Westmeath.
How very American, we thought. A country club! But it fitted the bill. We were offered a pretty unbeatable offer of €50 euro each BB in a Lakeview Room over the phone, and were greeted warmly at reception when we arrived half an hour later.
Set back from the road up a shaded, gravel drive, the hotel was built in 1997, a tasteful extension of an old manor house, which unfortunately seemed reserved for kitchen staff on the night that we were there; a pity as it is the most attractive part of the building. The rest is inoffensively modern, sitting back from the lake and the sweep of the golf course. The bedrooms were quietly decorated in white, khaki green and light brown, an organic blend of natural cotton sheets, and wood and leather furniture. The bathroom was large with a walk-in shower and separate bath.
Toiletries by Natural Essences were basic and smelled like carbolic soap.
It was a Monday night but the hotel was packed with local golfers – almost all women. But the green had been emptied for dinner and drinks so we went for an illegal walk across the fairways towards the lake, where a jetty proved a perfect spot for a late evening stroll. Afterwards we retreated to the restaurant/bar area, a bizarre 1970s airport-type cafeteria setting, with a formal restaurant upstairs and floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. We were interested in a quiet relaxing drink and quick snack, and asked a passing waiter where the bar was. He scowled at us, like we were having a laugh at his expense, and assured us that this uncomfortable formal area was indeed the bar.
The two starters that we ordered for our late evening snack were vile. Rubbery “Chicken Satay Skewers” that appeared to have never been near a chicken nor a peanut, served on a salad doused with speckled mayonnaise.
The “Chicken Liver Pate” had the colour and consistency of ketchup and mayonnaise combined and was served on a single sliver of melba toast. Daring each other to actually taste it, we asked for bread, and our waiter gave the same “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding” stare, but he did bring some homemade brown bread, the saving grace of our non-meal.
When we retired for the night and asked at reception for an early breakfast we were treated with such warmth and professional charm that we had to wonder whether the restaurant was under different management: evil aliens with a penchant for mayonnaise, say.
At 6am, there was an alert and friendly porter ready with basic continentals and newspapers. We checked out (another smiling receptionist) and set off rested and refreshed.
- Go Overnights are reviewed anonymously and paid for by The Irish Times
WhereGlasson Golf Hotel and Country Club, Glasson, Athlone, Co Westmeath. 090 6485120, glassongolf.ie
WhatRural golf hotel and country club.
Rooms65 bedrooms, including deluxe rooms and suites.
Best ratesBed and breakfast mid-week from €50 per person sharing.
Restaurant and barKillinure Bar and Lakeside Restaurant.
Child friendlinessChildren welcome.
AccessibilityThere are three wheelchair accessible rooms.
AmenitiesFree wi-fi in bedrooms and cable TV.