AsiaSpa - July-August 2017

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is what men want – whether it’s helping

them perform better at work or on the golf

course,” explains Rickett.

BALANCE RESTORED

Many golfers start playing in later life. Bad

posture and repetitive stress injuries can

mean, by then, players already have pains

and strains. Shoulders and lower backs

commonly cause problems. Those issues

have tendencies to be exacerbated by the

mechanics of the golf swing. As a matter of

course, Ricketts asks spa guests where their

muscles feel tight, often recommending that

golfers begin with a full-body massage. Use

of the sauna, pool, water jets and igloo room

can help alleviate niggling muscle pains.

Analysing an individual’s stance and

looking at their strength, stability, flexibility

and power can help identify issues that

need to be addressed. The result can be

recommending spa treatments and exercises

to build strength and restore muscle

balance. “People think golf is low impact

and they’re not going to hurt themselves

playing this sport, but if they’re standing

wrong even before they pick up a club,

that’s when injuries and strains will start to

happen,” says Robin Dale who carries out

C.H.E.K. Institute-approved biomechanical

assessments on golfers at Rockliffe Hall.

Golf was introduced only recently into

Bulgaria. St Sofia Golf Club & Spa, the

country’s oldest 18-hole course, opened

in 2004. A high proportion of the country’s

clubs feature quality spas. The challenging,

clifftop course of Thracian Cliffs Golf and

Beach Resort, at Kavarna in Bulgaria, was

designed by Gary Player and opened in

2011. It hosted the 2013 Volvo World Match
      Play Championship. Overlooking the Black
      Sea, the undulating, spectacular course is
      physically challenging.
      That makes the hammam, Jacuzzi,
      hot steam room and ice corner in the

Golf and spas treatments for men

The New 19th Hole?

Writer Stuart Forster

AsiaSpa July/August 2017

SpaMen

It’s now by no means unusual to see

leading golf resorts listing a spa in addition

to facilities such as a driving range and

a training academy with state-of-the-art

swing analysis. Those spas were originally

conceptualised as a space for non-playing

partners, usually women, to relax and

enjoy treatments while the golfers they

were accompanying played the course.

Increasingly, women are taking up golf and,

simultaneously, spas are growing in appeal

among men.

SERVING A PURPOSE

Rockliffe Hall Hotel Golf & Spa is a five-star

rated leisure resort set among 375 acres of

countryside by the River Tees in County

Durham, England. It opened in 2009 and

was named Visit England’s 2016 ‘Large Hotel

of the Year’. Its 7,205m Championship-

standard golf course, designed by Hawtree,

is rated among Europe’s most challenging.

The 4,645sqm spa and wellness centre

features a 20m indoor swimming pool and

treatment area with a twin room designed

for couples.

“We often find that the first time men

come for a treatment here is when they’re

with their partner. It’s perfect for men to have

their first experience of a spa treatment with

their other half as they feel more relaxed.

Then often they’ll return for treatments on

their own,” says Victoria Rickett, the spa

manager. Rockliffe Hall’s range of packages

encompasses the Couples Retreat Spa Break,

which includes the use of the spa and

wellness facilities, a cleansing mud Rasul

ritual plus a 45-minute back, neck and

shoulder massage for two people.

Treatments aimed at men include

the De-Stress Total Body Performance

Massage and Pure Performance Facial.

“Even the names tell our male guests that

the treatments will serve a purpose, which MALE GOLF PLAYER PUTTING AT SUNSET./THINKSTOCK