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.
Read more: What to do with kids on a family holiday in Rome
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…
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