Travel&Vacation

It's hard not to think of Norman when you're spending the weekend at The Vintage. His craggy, hatted features are festooned on posters throughout the development in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine district.

The Queenslander, who notoriously blew more majors than he won, designed the course a decade ago. Today it is regarded as one of the finest golf courses in Australia.

Friends will vouch for the fact that I'm a pathetic golfer. But the A$39 ($48) nine-hole dash after 4pm (including an electric buggy) is too attractive to miss. Especially as I've got two caddies on hand, not one.

My six-year-old, no sports fan, loves being the scorer because he can practise his maths (though my embarrassing score isn't helped by the three or four shots he adds to each hole). Meanwhile, the four- year-old has taken to shouting "terrible shot, Daddy," even before I've hit the ball.

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy staying at the clumsily named Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley but obviously it helps. It's an apartment-style, two- storey complex clustered around a swimming pool and is a five-minute walk from the clubhouse, the practice ground and the first tee.

Our two-bedroom apartment is certainly swish in that minimalist, muted, modern manner. The king- size bed in our room lives up to its "luxury" billing, although the little luxury we value most is our own LCD television screen so we can sit back and watch something grown- up, while the boys focus on cartoons. First-release in-house movies are available but, surprisingly for such a new hotel, there's no cable television.

The rest of the apartment has everything we could need. Bathroom and separate toilet are stylish and amply sized. There's a gas fire for winter, air-conditioning for summer, mini hi-fi, DVD, broadband connection (for a fee), in-room safe, washer-dryer, steam iron and ironing board.

Then, of course, there's that luxury no Norman-influenced resort should be without: a garage with remote-controlled door and enough room for our car and our golf buggy.

The gas barbecue on one of our two balconies and a kitchen mean we can easily fend for ourselves. But on Friday evening we take the short walk up to the clubhouse, having booked a table at The Legends Grill, overlooking the 18th green.

Understandably, the children's menu isn't cheap ($14.90 for chicken nuggets, chips and ice- cream) but our meal – scallops and timbale for starters, barramundi and trevalla for mains, washed down with a bottle of Bimbadgen sem-sauv – is splendidly relaxing, with comfortable surroundings and welcoming staff. Par for the course.

Our Saturday experience, however, leaves us bunkered. We'd planned a quiet night in, knowing the hotel offers a room-service menu, with food prepared by The Legends Grill. When we phone, however, we're told the kitchen is closed for a wedding. To me, that's unacceptable in a hotel that bills itself as four-and-a-half stars. At the very least, apartment guests should be informed the restaurant will be closed when they check in. Thankfully, there's no shortage of dining options in the Hunter and we dash off for tapas at the Brokenback Bar at Arrowfield Estate.

We don't let that one problem spoil our experience of The Vintage. Indeed, there are probably weekend guests who haven't left the complex: there are two swimming pools, a gym and a floodlit tennis court. If all that tires you out, massage and beauty treatments can be arranged in your apartment.

So many of the Hunter Valley's highlights are within a 15-minute drive. Bimbadgen Estate winery, with its award-winning restaurant Esca, is the neighbouring property. Hunter Valley Gardens, about 24 hectares of floral adventure, is just up the road.

Would we recommend The Vintage Hunter Valley to Norman and Chrissy Evert? Yes: it's a fairway to heaven.

Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley, Rothbury, New South Wales, a little over two hours north of Sydney is stylish but slightly anonymous accommodation. Prices range from $299 a night midweek to $499 a night on weekends (two-night minimum stay). more at grandmercurehuntervalley.com.au.