The great mystery of the United Kingdom can come as both a blessing and a curse, and a relative lack of proper due. Its cultural symbols are, to the uninitiated, annotated in the same script as all things in the British Isles are -- glorious, earthen, romantic, and bearings the marks of times medieval. Rolling moorlands, glacial valleys and fissures, gravelly country roads pocked the affects of summer rains, framed by the rainbows of the sea that emerge from the storm’s passing. Sharing a principal island with England (to the east) and Scotland (to the north and east), Welshness is less a nationality and more a spirit and character, authentic without being independent, genuine without being distinctly unique. It is a difficult place to explore, if only because stepping into Welshness demands a great metaphorical leap across the Bristol Channel that divides Wales from England. For some time after the destruction that industrialization sowed on the Welsh heartland, the grass on the other side of the channel was nowhere near greener. Today, one of the beckoning icons on the horizon is the Celtic Manor, a stunning conference resort built with an eye for the romance and mystique of Welsh traditions. As a gateway into Wales, and just a 90-minute trip by car from London, the resilient charm of Wales is more accessible than ever before.

Insofar as the game of golf is concerned, the one-dimensional association of Wales and Woosnam is also being discarded by the climate of the Celtic Manor. Featuring three championship golf courses, the best of which, Wentwood Hills, hosts the EPGA Wales Open and will play host to Europe and America’s best in the 2010 Ryder Cup, is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that has been lauded as one of the best modern parkland courses in Europe. Ballesteros has called it “fantastic” and “beautiful,” and the praise can be shared by the entire 1,400-acre parkland estate. Combining rugged knolls of windswept dunes, open plains running through highland grasses, and dense stands of forest in the Usk Valley, the landscape borrows from points all over the globe. Resembling Florida at one turn and New England at the next, the resort is a testament to the character of the Welsh landscape.

Within the grounds, the highest standards of care and hospitality are maintained from the moment guests enter through the main gates of the property. The Manor House, the stately old Victorian mansion that serves as the resort’s centerpiece, harkens back to a simpler time. While the country estate has very much been annexed by the expanded resort, the product of a 100-million pound expansion and renovation completed in 1999, the Manor House stills stands as a symbol of classic Welshness and heritage. Once a maternity hospital for nearly a century before being converted to a hotel in 1982, the building’s sandstone exterior and sweeping wooden staircase is a reminder of a peaceful English country estate. With 66 rooms and a fireplace in the lounge and sitting room, the olde country is well-preserved.

Nevertheless, the resort’s main draw can be found in the new 400-room, 32-suite luxury hotel, complete with a soaring atrium and walls adorned with classic Celtic-inspired artwork. Balancing the luxury of a modern hotel with the region’s heritage is a tall task, but the contemporary and the timeless meld without fault. Rooms are patterned in bright plaids and plush interior decors, and each offers tranquil views of either the golf course or the Severn Estuary that runs alongside the property. Washrooms are spacious and decorated exclusive in marble, featuring bath and separate shower, while deluxe rooms and suites offer state-of-the-art entertainment amenities, data ports and fax service.

Cuisine at the resort prides itself on the allegiance to regional ingredients and a medley of culinary styles. With four feature restaurants, cravings of any sort and texture can be duly satiated. At the Olive Tree, the Celtic Manor’s contemporary dining room, guests enjoy international buffets or orders from the a la carte menu in an exquisite, cherry wood-paneled room. At Owens, exciting 21^st-century Celtic fusion creations are the order of the day, with fresh Welsh ingredients and international flair featured in each dish. The restaurant’s four RAC dining awards are a testament to the quality and culinary craftsmanship of the executive chef and staff. For the casual meal, relax in Merlin’s, an elegant bar setting with an adjacent lounge, perfect for a cocktail or a light afternoon snack. Dishes such as organic farm chicken with red cabbage and sage fondant, cannon of salt marsh lamb and a medley of seafood are features on each of the menus at the Celtic Manor. As an aperitif, defy the martini habit and try the 20/10 Ryder Cup cocktail, a drink commemorating the resort’s hosting of the event. Stiff like the competition is expected to be, it includes Galliano, bison Vodka and rye whiskey chilled on ice and garnished with a mint sprig and lemon wedge. Enjoy it in any of the main restaurants, or in the golf clubhouse or Leisure Café, where the atmosphere is best described as luxurious country-Welsh—wood beams, deep furnishings, and soft decorative tones create a casual but sophisticated ambiance.

At every turn, the prevailing opinion of Welsh culture and consciousness is reinvented. The Forum Health Club and Spa, combined with Dylan’s Health and Fitness Club, offers guests one of the premier fitness and treatment facilities in all of Europe, and indeed it likely rivals almost any resort in the world. There is simply no treatment or exercise class lacking at the facility, and the commitment to enhancing the mind, body, and spirit is unparalleled among modern spas. Along with three golf courses and a surprising variety of exceptional hiking and biking trails throughout the Usk Valley, the Celtic Manor gives guests a Welsh experience that is truly eye-opening. Visit the nearby gardens, old castles and historic homes, museums, galleries, and the nightlife in Cardiff, all of which are easily accessible from the resort grounds. Guests can even try their hand and eye at archery or skeet shooting—authentically Welsh, and but bearing a stamp of luxury found only in select properties around the world. The Celtic Manor brings an oft-forgotten chapter of the British Isles back to prominence, and its star will only shine brighter as visitors come and go, making memories and gushing superlatives.