GOLF NEWS TRAVEL SPECIAL SUMMER 2023

THE BEST RESORTS AND DESTINATIONS FOR THE TRAVELLING GOLFER

CAMIRAL SICILY

COSTA NAVARINO

MICHIGAN

DUBAI

TENERIFE

SCOTLAND

DAYTONA BEACH

SARDINIA CAROLINAS

RAS AL KHAIMAH

AND MUCH MORE

STAY | PLAY | DINE

27 holes of reimagined Championship links golf

Golf Break

1 night, 2 rounds of golf, 2 course meal & breakfast

Based on twin sharing rooms / Single room supplement £45

We can build any bespoke packages for guests

PRO-AM TOUR’S SAWGRASS TRIP PROVES ANOTHER CLASSIC

The Pro-Am Tour’s Sawgrass Classic once again saw a sold-out group of 116 golfers descend on the hallowed turf of the home of The PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

And thanks to the support of global digital marketing agency Jellyfish, the pros had an impressive £32,000 prize fund to play for, while gift shirts from fashion brand TravisMathew ensured that all the players looked as stylish as the PGA TOUR players who walked the fairways of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass before them.

Pro-Am Tour players kicked off a busy week by enjoying ringside seats to watch Scottie Scheffler run away with the victory on Sunday, while Tyrrell Hatton flew the flag for England when flying up the leaderboard to take second with a closing 65. The players then enjoyed a practice round at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire course to get their swings in order before an opening tournament round on Dye’s Valley, previous host of the Korn Ferry Tour finals. Mick Hough’s team led the way with a score of 84, with ex-European Tour Players Adam Gee and Josh White staking an early claim in the pros section on -4. Following golf there was a BBQ cookout and mini ‘floating green’ challenge which ended under the floodlights with Ash Mansell, the PGA Cup player from Clevedon Golf Club, winning pro shop voucher for his team.

Round two saw the tour head to Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, where Josh White’s team and Chris Gills from Newquay Golf Club rose to the top of the leaderboard on 164 and 162 respectively. White extended his lead with a two-under-par

round, while Blanche Lamprecht from South Africa shot a superb five-under to climb the leaderboard.

Next up, the Challenge Day on the Stadium Course, where the Pro-Am Tour’s pros got the chance to play off the same tees at the PGA Tour players just a few days before. The leading pro that day, with the low round of 75, was Paul Nessling, followed by Zane Scotland, Adam Gee and Simon Lilly on 76, showing just how hard it is. The amateur event, which saw players using more appropriate tees, resulted in Rob Moore winning with 36 points – a fine score in the conditions.

The following day saw the Pro-Am Tour head back to Dye’s Valley, where the in-form Josh White fired eight-under-par 64 to finish three clear of Blanche Lamprecht, who was also hitting a hot streek, taking his team on the same wave to hit the lead on 245 from Jordan Godwin’s team.

The final day saw six teams within six shots of the lead heading back to The Stadium

Course, but White was just too far ahead for either Simon Lilly or Tom Shadbolt to catch in the pro division with a final round of level par sealing his winner’s cheque for over £5,000.

Jordan Godwin’s team, which included Pro-Am Tour regulars Rob and Maria Moore, and first-timer Rob Hutton, did just enough to win the team event by two shots on 323, with the Shadbolt and White teams filling the places.

The professionals generously donated $1,000 to Pro-Am Tour owner Craig Trower’s Cancer Research Page aimed at early diagnosis of cancers in young adults after his own battle with kidney cancer.

Team spaces are already filling up fast for next year’s Pro-Am Tour Sawgrass Classic, so if you’d like to join in the fun, visit www.pro-amtour.com or call 020 80502969.

Springs Resort and Golf Club in Oxfordshire is proving a big hit with travelling golfers following the conversion of its 19th century Manor House into a boutique hotel and spa and the opening of a wide range luxury lodges on the estate.

The eight suites in the Manor House have each been individually designed to offer guests an intimate, chic and relaxing stay in the heart of Oxfordshire. A range of suite types are available and come with impressive bathrooms and all modern amenities. Accommodation is also offered in a range of four two-bedroom lakeside lodges, all of which come with a hot tub and landscaped decking area with views across the millpond, plus a further 15 onebedroom lodges and 27 hotel lodge rooms.

Also new to the site is the 1893 Spa, named after the year the Manor House was originally built, which provides a wide range of treatments delivered by therapists, plus a spa lounge and hydrotherapy pool with underwater ceramic beds. For foodies, the newly renovated Springs clubhouse is home to The Ridgeway Restaurant, serving a selection of food with lounge and bar areas, and a large terrace overlooking the 18-hole championship course.

The Brian Huggett-designed par72 course, which has recently been renovated by Tim Lobb, tracks the River Thames through 133 acres of stunning Oxfordshire countryside and offers an entertaining parkland challenge from start to finish. Boasting a superb mix of short holes, ranging from 137 to 183 yards, some classic risk-reward par fours, and opportunities to open the shoulders on some lengthy par fives, the 6,481yard course in laid out over largely flat parkland, making it an easy but extremely pleasant walk.

Golf break packages start from £135pp for a one-night stay with two rounds of golf, including breakfast and dinner at The Ridgeway Restaurant. For bookings, visit thespringsgc.co.uk or call 01491 827300.

■ PRO-AM PLAYERS AT SAWGRASS

■ THE PRO-AM TOUR ENJOYED RINGSIDE SEATS TO WATCH THE FINAL ROUND’S PLAY AT THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

■ DYE’S VALLEY AT TPC SAWGRASS PROVED A STUNNING TEST

■ THE RECENTLY RENOVATED PARKLAND COURSE AT SPRINGS RESORT

■ LUXURY LODGE ACCOMODATION

■ THE CLUBHOUSE IS HOME TO THE RIDGEWAY RESTAURANT

Judy Murray

The leading tennis coach, and mother of tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray, is a recent convert to golf, and is aiming to get as comfortable with a club in hand as she is racquet as she travels the world

My earliest travel memory… is my mum taking me and my younger brothers to Berwick-uponTweed to stay with our grandparents. I remember spending most of the car journey fighting with my brother, and my mum having to keep one hand on the wheel and the other hitting us to behave.

My first holiday overseas was to Tenerife when I was 18 with some friends. I was a typical rookie Scot, lying in the sun without bothering to bring suntan lotion. I got horrendously burnt and blistered and the front of my feet were so painful I couldn’t wear shoes. These days I take a cap and factor 50.

After my boys were born, our first big trip abroad was a car-ferry camping holiday in France. In my early days of coaching and when I was managing the boys, all we saw was the airport, hotel and tennis centre – we travelled so much but saw so little, so I’m making up for lost time now.

My most recent golf holiday was to… Vidago Palace in the Douro Valley near Porto in early May. I’m quite new to golf, so this my overseas golf holiday. There’s an 18-hole course in the hotel grounds which is reckoned to be the best course in north Portugal. It also had a driving range and practice area and stunning views over the local area. The sun shone, there was a spa on site and outdoor pool, so my first experience of a golfing holiday was bliss, and I’ve already booked to go back in October.

I bought a two-night stay at Carnoustie Golf Hotel in a charity auction and went there a few weeks ago. Carnoustie is obviously steeped in Scottish golf history. It has the Championship course, and two other 18-hole courses, all of which offer wonderful views out over the North Sea. There’s also a starter course for beginners with six very short and varied holes and an 18-hole public putting green, which I loved.

My ideal holiday four-ball would include… Anton du Beke, Robbie Keane and Catriona Matthew.

My most memorable ever round was… when I played in the pro-am at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last September. I had only been playing for six months and was in a team with Oliver Wilson, who had just won the Made in Himmerland tournament in Denmark on the DP World Tour, Peter Jones from Dragons’ Den, and Irish businessman JP McManus. It was daunting in many ways as a newbie in front of big crowds, but an incredible experience. I learned loads from observing Oli at close range and he shared a lot of great tips, especially on getting out of bunkers! Normally I need a spade!

Travel with

My favourite golf resort is… Gleneagles. This is where I learned to play. I live close by and it’s the perfect place to start because it has wonderful teaching pros, a driving range with TopTracer – which has been so useful in trying to understand which clubs to use for different distances – short game practice areas, pitch and putt course, 9-hole par 3 course and, of course, the three Championship courses, all set in beautiful Perthshire countryside. I often meet deer, rabbits, pheasants and swans on the fairways!

I always travel with… notes from my lessons with my Gleneagles pro Matthew Reid.

My favourite hotel in the UK is… the Isle of Eriska Hotel, just outside of Oban in Scotland. It’s on a tiny peninsula where the road gets cut off by the tide at certain times and there’s no phone reception, making it even more magical. There’s a spa, golf course, wonderful food and gorgeous rooms with four-poster beds. I go there when I just want to switch off from the world.

My favourite city in the world is… Rome.

My memorable meal while on holiday was… when renowned Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe [nicknamed Salt Bae] cooked in front of myself and Andy at one of the restaurants in The Crown Towers in Melbourne during the Australian Open. What a treat!

My holiday reading/playlist would include… the latest book from Lisa Jewell or Val McDermid, and a playlist from the 80s that would include Blondie, Queen, Meat Loaf and Elton John.

My worst holiday experience was… a four-day trip to Milan several years ago where my luggage got lost and turned up just before I flew home!

I’m planning a golf trip to… Provence. I went to Aix recently to watch Andy playing a final and met a gang of guys at Marseille airport who had been on a lads’ golf trip. They sold it to me and it’s a great chance to brush up on my French. I have a degree in French but if you don’t use it, you lose it.

My top travel tip is… travel light, but always leave room in your bag for shopping! And pack clothes pegs to clip the curtains together in the hotel room to ensure sunlight doesn’t wake you too early. That’s one of my jet-lagbusting tips!

■ JUDY IN ACTION AT LAST YEAR’S BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRO-AM

■ JUDY LIVES CLOSE TO GLENEAGLES AND ENJOYS PLAYING ITS THREE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES AND USING ITS TOP CLASS PRACTICE FACILITIES

■ ISLE OF ERISKA HOTEL, NEAR OBAN, SCOTLAND

■ VIDAGO PALACE, PORTUGAL

■ STAR CHEF SALT BAE

HOME TO RORY MCILROY AND IRELAND’S OLDEST GOLF COURSE, THE ROYAL BELFAST

After the success of Northern Ireland hosting the Open Championship in 2019 and the confirmation of its return in 2025, coupled with Irish Opens and PGA events being held here in recent years, it shows how highly the country is viewed in golfing circles.

The quality of courses, regarded as some of the best in the world, alongside a guaranteed Northern Irish welcome, makes us a must stop for any golfing traveller.

Ards and North Down is at the heart of this offering. Golf in the area dates back over 125 years, when The Royal Belfast became Ireland’s first club, in 1881. Boasting 12 diverse courses, designed by the likes of H.S. Colt and James Braid and with five Tourism TNI “Quality Assured” clubs, it sums up the quality on offer. Alongside stunning scenery including views of breath-taking Lough’s and even Scotland, most courses are located within 15 minutes’ drive of each other making playing two clubs in one day accessible.

As an added bonus, we are situated on Belfast’s doorstep, with easy access to the ports and airports. Bangor City Centre, Northern Ireland’s newest City, is only 20 minutes from Belfast by car or 30 minutes by train.

With award winning accommodation, from 5* luxury to B&B’s, award winning eateries and great craic plentiful, Ards and North Down is the perfect destination for your next golfing break.

PLAY AND STAY

The Royal Belfast Golf Club, Holywood GOLFNEWS.CO.UK

Ards and North Down

SICILY SUN, FOOD & GOLF

With a varied range of quality golf courses and temperate climate matched by a growing choice of direct flights to its four airports and a plethora of historical, cultural and gastronomic delights, Sicily has everything needed for a golf break offering outstanding courses and that little bit more, and is fast establishing itself among Europe’s top golf destinations.

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily’s nearby location to Africa means that it basks in sunshine nearly all-year round. Being situated so close to the African coastline presented a few problems in the past but all that is now a distant memory, with its long history of invasions and ancient civilisations all part of what makes it so fascinating.

Sicily is simply bursting with history and culture and, for many decades, has been a popular destination for tourists eager to discover many ingredients that makes it so fascinating.

Little wonder, with the island having been a Greek colony, a Phoenician settlement, a Roman province, a Byzantine region, an Arab emirate and a Norman Kingdom on its way to the eclectic culture that is apparent today.

One of its many joys is its ability to surprise you when you least expect it. As you stroll along the streets, you will come across the works of contemporary street art: it is intense, immediate and universal. Looking out over the infinity of the Sicilian hinterland, you will see a mystical and ancestral place while a visit to the numerous artisan workshops will unearth working traditions handed down from father to son over the centuries.

Italy is renowned as a nation for delivering some of the best gastronomy in the world, with each region fiercely proud of its culinary traditions, and Sicily is no exception.

The food is typically Mediterranean but there are strong hints of Arabic and Spanish flavours. Sicilians notoriously have a sweet tooth and are among the best dessert–makers in Italy. Try “cannoli”, “granita” and their most famous export “cassata”. Visitors should also take the chance to

sample a glass or two of the island’s fruity lemon liqueur “Limoncello” after a meal.

Whether it be the history, architecture and culture; the legendary gastronomy and wines; or simply taking the chance to wander around the plethora of fishing villages and hilltop towns with picture-postcard Baroque cathedrals, even the most fussy of travelers will struggle not to find something to love in Sicily.

VERDURA RESORT

Nestled in the valley of the River Verdura, 40km from Agrigento and on Sicily’s south-west coast, the deluxe Verdura Resort features two 18-hole championship links-style courses – the recently redesigned East and West – as well as a ninehole executive course, all designed by acclaimed architect Kyle Phillips.

Home of the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open, Verdura boasts an array of other five-star facilities including a golf academy and double-ended driving range, 203 hotel rooms and suites – all with a sea view –20 new private villas, six tennis courts, a 4,000m² spa complex and a choice of four restaurants and five bars.

Stunning coastal scenery and challenging holes await golfers at Verdura – it’s no wonder it is listed as Italy’s number one golf venue in Golf World magazine’s renowned ‘Top 100 Resorts in Continental Europe’ ranking.

Off the golf course, guests of the hotel can expect modern design with luxury furnishings, inspired by 19th century Sicilian tile. Enjoy time in the Irene Forte Spa, where local botanicals harvested from Verdura’s Organic Farm are used the range of sensory experiences, therapies and skincare products. In addition, visitors can enjoy an array of cultural and culinary experiences including

Sicilian cooking lessons, a visit to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento or a day trip to Palermo.

VERDURA WEST

There is no gentle opening on the West Course, with three lengthy par-fours to start the round, before the first of five par-threes puts your accuracy to the test. Challenging greens will examine the putting skills at every turn and as the front nine winds its way up through the estate, the back nine makes its way down to the Mediterranean with some exceptional views of the ocean. A dramatic finish to the round also awaits, with the outstanding closing holes all hugging the spectacular coastline.

Length: 6,547 metres / 7,160 yards

PAR: 70

EVEN THE MOST FUSSY OF TRAVELERS WILL STRUGGLE NOT TO FIND SOMETHING TO LOVE IN SICILY

■ MOUNT ETNA DOMINATES THE LANDSCAPE IN NORTH EAST SICILY

VERDURA EAST

The subject of a recent redesign by Kyle Phillips, Verdura’s East Course provides plenty of unforgettable moments throughout the round. Darting away from the clubhouse, highlights later in the round include the sixth hole, which requires a carefully placed tee shot to avoid water on the left and right, while a fairway bunker lurks on the right side. Once that is safely negotiated, an undulating green is guarded by two bunkers and more water at the front – and all with the beach and the lapping waves just a few steps away at the back of the green.

Length: 6,763 metres / 7,396 yards

PAR: 73

IL PICCIOLO

Located 56km from Catania, Il Picciolo ETNA Golf Resort & SPA sits on the lower slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. This beautiful golf course was designed within the lava fields produced after the volcano erupted in 1921.

As Sicily’s first ever 18-hole golf course, the location is unrivalled. Measuring 5,870m and offering breathtaking views of Etna from the vast majority of holes, the par-72 layout is notable for tree-lined fairways and an abundance of wild flowers, placing the premium on accuracy rather than length off the tee.

Designed in 1989 by renowned architect Luigi Rota Caremoli, the course has been fashioned using lava stone from Mount Etna, with the intention of creating terrain obstacles and a natural landscape.

The course has hosted four European Ladies Tour events and one Seniors Tour event over the years, further enhancing it as a course not to be missed

on your visit to the island.

Complementing the golf is a 104-room fourstar hotel and range of leisure facilities, while its convenient location to Etna and its orchards, vineyards and typical Mediterranean vegetation makes Il Picciolo a popular base to explore one of the island’s main attractions.

Guests of the hotel can enjoy spacious and sophisticated style across a range of rooms and suites, overlooking the golf course and Etna. The surrounding area has become very famous for wine production over the past few years, so golfers can look forward to tasting local flavours.

Sticking with the volcanic theme away from the golf course, a visit to the hotel’s Rubia Spa offers

ONE OF SICILY’S MANY JOYS

ABILITY TO

lava stone massages and a range of innovative wellness and beauty treatments for guests.

Length: 5,870 metres / 6,420 yards

PAR: 72

I MONESTERI

Forty-five kilometres to the south of Catania sits Borgo di Luce I Monasteri Golf Resort and Spa.

Designed by David and Vincenzo Mezzacane, the 18-hole, par-71 course features lush, green fairways and meanders through a combination of traditional Sicilian citrus, prickly pear, carob and olive trees. Bask in the intoxicating fragrance of the orchards and sunshine while you make your way around the course.

Surrounded by white limestone hills, the course extends over a flat, yet highly variable terrain, to provide golfers with a challenging round while taking in the breaktaking Sicilian landscape. Comprehensive practice facilities include a 60-bay driving range and short game area while the club house provides an oasis of Sicilian architecture.

Set in a typical Benedictine monastery that later became the home of several noble families – the main hotel offers 102 spacious rooms as well as a spa, several swimming pools and restaurant featuring a menu inspired by typical Sicilian recipes.

Length: 6,520 metres / 7,130 yards

PAR: 71

IS ITS

SURPRISE YOU WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

■ MONESTERI BOASTS AN 18-HOLE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE THAT WINDS IT WAY THROUGH A TRADITIONAL SICILIAN LANDSCAPE OF OLIVE TREES AND LIMESTONE HILLS

■ VERDURA’S WEST COURSE

■ IL PICICOLO ETNA GOLF RESORT & SPA

■ VERDURA’S EAST COURSE

GOLFING IN THE LAP OF THE GODS

Matt Nicholson embarks on an epic voyage of discovery to Costa Navarino in Greece, one of the world’s first eco-resorts, where four championship golf courses and a choice of four luxury beachside hotels, have made justifiably made it the no.1 rated destination in Europe

While most visitors to Greece head straight to its majestic collection of islands to enjoy two weeks in the sun in the well-trodden hotspots such as Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, my own Greek odyssey took to me to the often-overlooked region of the Peloponnese, the small peninsula located in southern Greece which is connected to the mainland by the Rio-Antirrio bridge, and is about a three-hour drive from Athens.

Despite its unspoilt beaches, azure waters, ancient sights, olive groves and idyllic villages, it has never been high on the list of tourist destinations, but that all changed in 2000 when Greek shipping magnate Vassilis Constantakopoulos began buying up huge plots of land around the coastal region around Navarino Bay. His ambition to boost the economy of his homeland while preserving and honouring its natural beauty has resulted in the resort that now goes by the name of Costa Navarino.

Sadly, Constantakopoulos died in 2011, soon after the first stage of the project opened in 2010, but the baton has been passed on to his son, Achilles, who, along the rest of the family, has continued to develop the luxury resort into the sprawling mini town that it is today, which is currently formed of three hotels – the Westin, the Romanos and the W Costa Navarino – with another, the Mandarin Oriental due to open this summer – four 18-hole championship golf courses, and a

myriad of restaurants, bars, spas, a marina, and countless other leisure and sporting facilities.

72 HOLES OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

The first golf course to be open here was the Dunes in 2010, which was fashioned by Bernhard Langer in collaboration with Ross McMurray of European Golf Design. The following year, the Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed Bay course debuted at nearby Navarino Bay, around 10km south of the main resort. At the start of 2022, two new 18-hole courses – the International Olympic Academy course and the Hills course – were unveiled on top of the higher ground that lies immediately south-east of the Navarino Bay development, with all 36 holes laid out by two-time Masters champion and Ryder Cup legend José Marίa Olazábal and his team at Olazabal Design. Managed by Troon Golf, all four courses are presented in superb condition, without a blade of grass out of place. Stretching out across 500 acres of rugged terrain, the 6,351-yard Olympic Course and the 6,280m Hills layout offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the historic Bay of Navarino, which, if you’re into your naval history, was the scene of a decisive sea battle in 1827 which saw the allied forces of Britain, France and Russia defeat those the Ottoman and

Egypt fleet, which ultimately consolidated Greek independence. Thankfully, the only battles taking place here these days are firmly on dry land and mainly involve sun-kissed golfers wielding drivers, irons and putters with varying degrees of success.

I had the good fortune to play the Olympic, Hills and Dunes courses during the inaugural Olazabal & Friends Charity Pro-Am, a three-day event which was hosted by the man himself and held last November. Featuring 14 teams, with each team comprising one pro and three amateurs, the tournament attracted an impressive line-up of professionals, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Santiago Luna, José Manuel Lara, Emanuele Canonica, Christian Cevaer, Stephen Dodd and Phil Price, who, along with Ollie, had won 68 tour titles between them.

Between rounds, social events included two dinners, a prize-giving lunch and post-event party and a golf clinic, with all proceeds being donated to Sport Mundi, the Spanish non-profit organisation chaired by Olazábal, which supports children in need.

Our first round on the Olympic course was easily the golfing highlight of the week, with the course possessing the ‘wow’ factor in spades. I lost count of the number of times I just stood on a tee, a fairway or a green and said ‘wow’. At

■ THE SPECTACULAR INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COURSE AT NAVARINO HILLS

■ JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL DESIGNED THE TWO NEW COURSES AT NAVARINO HILLS

■ BEACHSIDE DINING AT COSTA NAVARINO

times the views were almost distracting, but I’ll take it any day over staring down the barrel of a tree-lined with fairway with only the green to look at. Measuring almost 7,000 yards off the very back tees, it’s a proper championship test, so it’s important to play off the right tees for your driving ability in order to ensure maximum enjoyment.

The Hills course is slightly shorter than the Olympic, measuring 6,827 yards off the back tees, but is no less challenging. Overlooking the rural landscape of Messinia with a backdrop of rugged mountains and small villages, the course occupies higher ground and threads its way through gently rolling hills.

The Dunes Course, as its name suggests, has been shaped to create the feel of a links with tall ‘dunes’ shaped to separate the holes closest to the sea. Undulating greens and steep-faced pot bunkers emphasize the links feel, but as the 6,580yard course moves inland, the character softens to fit in with a typical Greek landscape of olive trees and citrus groves. There are a great variety of holes and each has its own particular character. There is a nice mixture of lengths, with three or four short par fours, at least one of which – the 6th – is drivable, so there are lots of birdie opportunities, but there some longer, testing par fours, like 4, 11 and 12, to test your game. The par threes are pretty strong too, with the 187-yard 8th, which plays slightly downhill to split level green, being a highlight, while 12 and 17, which are played in opposite directions along the edge of an escarpment overlooking Navarino Bay, are also pretty special short holes.

With wide fairways and large greens, the Dunes is very playable for the holiday golfer off the appropriate tees, however the bunkering is very strategic and there is a lot of movement on the putting surfaces, so there’s plenty of interest and excitement to be had. Many of the greens are divided into plateaus with some quite steep slopes between the different levels, so although their size makes the greens relatively easy to hit, if your approach shots don’t find the right part of the green then you are going to be looking at a few three-putts.

Sadly we didn’t have time to play the 6,139-yard Bay Course, which opened shortly after the Dunes, but with its stunning views and fun mix of six par 3s, the par-71 course looks like the perfect foil to the more challenging other three layouts, and adds up to 72 holes of glorious golf – perfect for a weeklong tournament among friends.

HOTELS, HOTELS, HOTELS

The resort’s three five-star hotels, the Ramanos, Westin and W, provide guests with an excellent choice of luxury accommodation, while the new Mandarin Oriental, which opens in April, will provide guests with another 99 rooms, including 48 villas, all with outdoor terraces and sea views, along with five restaurants and bars, and a spa, fitness centre and outdoor pool.

We stayed at the Westin, which is set among the olive groves, and is targeted at the family market. Each room boasts varying idyllic views of private

HOW TO GET THERE

pools that look out over olive groves or sweeping views of the vivacious Ionian Sea. The beds are so comfortable you won’t want to get up.

All amenities at the various hotels are shared between guests, so we had more than a dozen restaurants to choose from, with a dizzying 15 more eating venues due to open this year. Don’t miss breakfast at Pero, which offers an incredible selection of local Greek dishes such as sausages, cheese pies, tomato and rusk salads, and freshly baked bread. Have lunch at Barbourni, a stylish restaurant that sits on the beach, serving delicious seafood, or if you’re after a dazzling sunset and jawdropping views, head to dinner at Flame, which specialises in locally sourced meats, with classic cuts of lamb, beef and pork served on wooden platters complemented by delicious salads.

The resort itself is large, but a quick call to reception will ensure the arrival of a chauffeured golf buggy or a minibus to take you to wherever you want to go. The service here is top level –staff are friendly and warm with plenty of personality and knowledgeable about the area and its traditions.

WATERSPORTS, WINE & WORLD HERITAGE SITES

For those for whom golf holds no interest – I know, who are these people? – there are plenty of other activities to while away the time if lying by the pool or on the beach loses its appeal. A new market-style venue, Navarino Agora, is due to open in April, while a new Watersports Hub is opening on the Navarino Waterfront, which will offering a wide range of water sports such as windsurfing, waterskiing, kayaking and stand-up paddling, furthering add to Costa Navarino’s diverse sporting appeal.

Elsewhere, there are astronomy courses where you can spend a night stargazing into the region’s dark skies, there are ‘Farm to Table’ cooking sessions where guests learn about local dishes and cook their own dinner; there are olive oil and winetasting sessions, while even the resort’s fitness activities nod to local culture, with traditional Greek dancing classes or yoga on the beach at sunset. For those in need of even more relaxation, the award-winning Anazoe spa offers indoor and outdoor treatments, as well as multiple baths and salt-water pools which are ideal for soothing weary golfing muscles.

For visitors looking to explore the wider area, the resort is within easy driving distance of a range of UNESCO World Heritage List sites, including Olympia, Mystras and the Temple of Apollo, as well as ancient Messini and the Palace of Nestor.

I think it’s appropriate that I leave the last word on Costa Navarino to Senor Olazabal, who, knows a thing or two about what makes a decent golf resort. He told me: “The hotel facilities are secondto-none and of the highest quality. The people are very friendly, the food is great, and you’ve got four wonderful golf courses with wonderful scenery. It doesn’t matter how good your golf is, you’re going to be able to come here and have a good time. That combination, I think, is going to be fantastic for any golfer.”

Kalamata airport is a 40-minute drive from Costa Navarino and has seasonal direct flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester. Athens airport is 3-hour drive away and has direct flights from London, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh throughout the year. The flight time from London is 3hrs 45mins.

STAY & PLAY

To find out about the latest golf holiday packages, visit www.costanavarino.com.

■ DUNES COURSE

■ THE HILLS COURSE BOASTS STUNNING COUNTRYSIDE VIEWS

■ ONE OF THE MANY SWIMMING POOLS THAT GUESTS CAN ENJOY ACROSS THE RESORT ■ THE BAY COURSE

■ CAPTION

■ A DOUBLE ROOM IN THE WESTIN

■ GUESTS HAVE 17 RESTAURANTS TO CHOOSE FROM

MAGICAL MICHIGAN

Matt Nicholson travels to Michigan to sample the great selection of golf courses and resorts on offer in the Great Lake State, before finding out how the game is supposed to be played at the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit

Like many kids who went to school in England in the 1970s, I grew up with the vague knowledge that Michigan was the name of one of America’s Great Lakes. I have Mr Wray, my school geography teacher, to thank for making me remember that vital nugget of information – along with the names of the other Great Lakes – Superior, Huron and Erie. Beyond that, and the fact that I later came to discover that the rapper Eminem came from Eight Mile in Detroit, my knowledge of the state that is bordered by Canada to the east, Ohio and Indiana to the south, and Wisconsin to the west, was somewhat limited.

So when the invitation to fly 3,800 miles across the Atlantic – and a fair chunk of America’s eastern seaboard – to experience what local number plates variously call the ‘Great Lake State’, ‘Water-Winter Wonderland’ and the ‘World’s Motor Capital’ has to offer the visiting traveller on and off the golf course, I was more than a little intrigued.

Eight-and-a-half hours after boarding my Delta Airlines flight from Heathrow, I touched down in Detroit with a full week’s itinerary ahead of me, taking in halfa-dozen rounds golf and topped off with a visit to Detroit Golf Club to watch the Rocket Mortgage Classic, a relatively new tournament that has been part of the PGA Tour’s mid-summer schedule since 2019.

After picking up my bags, golf clubs and a somewhat oversized rental car, I soon found myself cruising down the freeway to downtown Plymouth for my first stop, Saint John’s Resort, a well-established golf destination that is only 20 minutes outside the centre of Detroit. After checking in, I went to explore

THE CARDINAL WILL BE THE FIRST NEW 18-HOLE LAYOUT BUILT IN THE DETROIT AREA IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES

Plymouth, which, to my 1980s cinematic eye, resembled the film set from the town that features in Back to the Future. With a picture postcard town square featuring a beautiful fountain and an abundance of neatly planted trees, surrounded by rows of coffee shops, home-style restaurants and independent boutiques, it looked almost too perfect, and it was hard to believe that the people going about their business weren’t extras from a movie.

After enjoying a massive bowl of spaghetti bolognese and a glass of locally brewed beer in one of the several restaurants located near the town square, I headed back to Saint John’s to enjoy a great night’s sleep in my luxurious suite, which, truth be told, was big enough to comfortably house a family of four with room to spare.

Somewhat oddly, my first experience of golf in Michigan was to walk around a course that has yet to open. Saint John’s Resort’s new Cardinal Course won’t be welcoming its first visitors until next autumn, so I had slightly jumped the gun, but it was a real privilege to get a sneak preview of what lies in store for golfers who come to this area in late 2023 and beyond. Formerly known as the Inn at St John’s, the resort changed hands in 2021 and is currently undergoing a $40m transformation into luxury destination. It already boasted a 27-hole layout, but that has been ripped up and reconfigured into what will be an all-new 18-hole championship course and an adjoining seven-hole par-3 course.

With five sets of tees stretching the 18-hole layout from 4,835 yards to 7,007 yards, the course will be able to accommodate all skill levels, although the new owners harbour ambitions to host local and national tournaments, and who knows, maybe even higher up the tournament ladder, in the years ahead. Either way, the Cardinal will be the first new 18-hole layout built in the Detroit area in

■ DRIVING FOR SHOW: MATT PICKED UP HIS JEEP CHEROKEE IN DETROIT, THE MOTOR CITY

■ SAINT JOHN’S RESORT’S NEW CARDINAL COURSE OPENS NEXT

■ A VIEW OF THE 7TH HOLE AT THE LINKS COURSE AT BAY HARBOR GC

more than two decades when it opens next year, so it will be a welcome addition to the golfing scene for locals and visitors alike and a must stop over venue.

Next up on my action-packed itinerary was a three-hour drive north on i75 to the Treetops Resort in Gaylord. Treetops is home to no fewer than five courses – four 18-holers and one superb 9-hole, par-3 course – with one designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr, one by Tom Fazio, and the other three by Rick Smith. Smith is one of the US’s leading golf coaches, and has taught many of the world’s top players, but he’s also an award-winning course architect, so has several impressive strings to his bow. I played his most highly rated creation at Treetops, the Signature, which won the ‘Best Course in Michigan’ award not long after it opened in 1993.

Travelling on my own, I was grateful to be joined for my round by Tim Matty, Treetop’s course manager, or head superintendent, as they call them over there. Tim knows all there is to know about all five courses and is a decent golfer to boot, so he was great company and a fountain of knowledge. Inspired by Smith’s travels in Scotland and Ireland, the 6,660-yard, par-70 Signature course is characterised by narrow fairways, large sloping greens, gentle mounds and some severe run-offs. With fairways like carpets and the greens running fast and true, it was a delight to play, especially in the company of someone who could not only offer clear instructions on where to go, but also on where not to go. It also provided a brilliant introduction to the quality of golf and the standard of service that you can expect to find at golf courses in the Michigan area. I vow to play the Fazio course on my return, as his layouts never fail to challenge and entertain in equal measure.

While Treetops has enough golf to fill a working week, nearby courses at Forest Dunes Golf Club, where the late Tom Weiskopf worked his magic, and Tom Doak’s new reversible course, The Loop, make this area of Michigan a mustvisit for lovers of great course design.

My overnight accommodation was at the Treetops Lodge, a cosy hotel next to the golf courses which doubles up as a ski lodge in winter, where I enjoyed an excellent dinner and a relaxing night’s sleep in preparation for my short journey west to Traverse City for the following day’s game at the Grand Traverse Resort.

Located an hour’s drive from Gaylord, the Grand Traverse boasts two signature courses, the Bear Course designed by, you guessed it, Jack Nicklaus, and the Wolverine Course, which was designed by Gary Player, which you probably didn’t guess. There is also a third course, the Spruce Run, which is a parkland course primarily designed for the higher handicapper.

My appointment was with the Bear Course, and, having played quite a few of Jack’s tracks in the UK, including St Mellion and the London Golf Club’s Heritage course, as well as Monte Rei in Portugal, I was keen to see how one of his domestic layouts would compare. I was joined on my round by three of Grand Traverse’s management team – Matthew Bryant, the resort’s general manager; Tom McGee, Director of Golf Operations; and Paul Galligan, the Director of Grounds – so I was in elevated company and was keen to show that I could not only talk a good game.

Needless to say, the course didn’t disappoint, and thankfully my golf wasn’t too bad either, although with a slope rating of 76 off the back tees, the 7,078-yard course is a true test of championship golf. We played off the more accommodating middle tees, which took the length down to 6,660 yards, but with some tight, tree-lined fairways, a number of forced carries over swampland, and some well-protected greens – most of which seemed to be either narrow and long, or wide and shallow – pars weren’t easy to come by.

With no holes remotely the same, it makes for a hugely interesting challenge, while the 430-yard finishing hole maybe one of the toughest I played all week, with a huge pond protecting the largest green on the course on what was a longish approach. The Bear Course is also a haven for wildlife, and it’s not unusual to spot deer, ducks, geese and blue herons during a round, while racoons, foxes and muskrats are also a common sight and all add to what is already a memorable experience.

After golf I enjoyed a fabulous steak dinner in the resort’s Aerie Restaurant & Lounge, which enjoys a lofty location on the 16th floor of the hotel looking out over the Wolverine Course and the eastern edge of Traverse Bay, which is an inlet of Lake Michigan. It was a great spot to end what had been a great day.

The following morning, I drove an hour or so north along the picturesque 31, which hugs the shores of Lakes Michigan, to my next destination, The Highlands at Harbor Springs, while stopping on the way to sample of some of the Michigan’s famous cherries. The drive takes you through the charming towns of Charlevioux, Bay Shore, Petoskey before I arrived at Harbor Springs for the next tee time on my whistlestop tour.

WITH FAIRWAYS LIKE CARPETS AND THE GREENS RUNNING FAST AND TRUE, IT WAS A DELIGHT TO PLAY

■ THE AERIE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE OFFERS AMAZING VIEWS OVER GRAND TRAVERSE BAY

■ PUTTING OUT ON THE FINAL HOLE AT THE LINKS COURSE, AT BAY HARBOUR ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN

■ THE STUNNING ARTHUR HILLS COURSE AT THE HIGHLANDS IS A MUST-PLAY ON ANY MICHIGAN ITINERARY

■ ABOVE: TEEING OFF AT THE RICK SMITH SIGNATURE COURSE AT TREETOPS RESORT, WHICH FEATURES FOUR 18-HOLE LAYOUTS AND AMERICA’S TOPRATED PAR 3 COURSE

■ THE BAY HARBOR GOLF CLUB IS HOME TO THREE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES - LINKS, PRESERVE AND QUARRY

MICHIGAN’S MAGNIFICENT TEN

THE HEATHER AT THE HIGHLANDS

The Heather was the first Boyne Golf course and widely credited as the spark that launched the golf boom in northern Michigan. The Heather has cemented the region as America’s ‘Summer Golf Capital’, and tested some of the finest names in the game since its opening. The Heather was an instant winner. Its wide tree lined fairways maneuver around sculpted bunkers and daunting water hazards, all with spectacular views.

THE ALPINE AT BOYNE MOUNTAIN

With its spectacular mountain setting and panoramic views towards Deer Lake, its surroundings are every bit as breathtaking as its noteworthy design. It shares a 1.2 miles drive with it sister course, The Monument, to the top of the mountain and the first tees. Known for its open, playable layout that trends down the mountain, solid drives are rewarded and its forgiving greens can bolster confidence in your short game.

THE MOOR AT THE HIGHLANDS

The Moor represents a fair but true test of game. The difference lies in the doglegs. Designed with numerous twists and turns, the front nine of The Moor favours right-handed power fade hitters - with holes 1, 2, 7 and 9 showing their curves immediately off the tee. Its reputation as a player’s golf course is so widely known that The Moor has been designated as an AJGA Championship course.

THE MONUMENT AT BOYNE MOUNTAIN

Borrowing traits from designers like Donald Ross, Dr. Alister Mackenzie, Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Pete Dye, The Monument lives up to its name as it pays homage to the game’s most important influences - with holes dedicated to noteworthy players and key contributors. The course requires a complete game, with demanding fairways, and undulating greens that reward careful putting.

THE DONALD ROSS MEMORIAL AT THE HIGHLANDS

The Donald Ross Memorial is, in essence, a ‘greatest hits’ compilation, selecting from some of the designer’s best-known holes from the most renowned courses in his portfolio to create an unforgettable golf course. In 2021/22, changes were made first and 15th holes, which are tributes to the sixth hole at Seminole in Florida and 11th hole at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.

CROOKED TREE GOLF CLUB

The finest golf courses don’t claim their environment: they embrace it. Crooked Tree Golf Club clearly reflects that mandate. Carved through stands of centuries-old hardwood, and perched on bluffs high above Little Traverse Bay, the fairways of the first nine holes are lined by oldgrowth trees - creating stunning sightlines from one hole to the next.

The Highlands has recently undergone some substantial renovations to many of it’s rooms, which offer premium amenities, with rooms being expanded to more spacious layouts, whilst drawing on inspiration from the hotel’s orginal English Tudor-style.

Harbor Springs is a family-owned resort that markets itself as a year-round attraction, with golf offered in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. It forms part of what is known locally as ‘Michigan’s

Magnificent 10’ – a group of ten courses all located in the northern part of the state which are owned and run by Boyne Golf, which could arguably form the basis for a single golf trip, or part of an itinerary around the whole state. I played the Arthur Hills course and Bay Harbor Links, and visted all of the others, and was hugely impressed with the impeccable quality and conditioning of all ten courses.

The Arthur Hills course was a truly memorable experience, with huge elevation and awesome views, the course is challenging but fair, it’s a brilliantly designed course and a must course to play when in the area.

The Links at Bay Harbor (27 holes) was the most expensive 9 hole course ever built back in 1996 and offers incredible views of Lake Michigan finishing off at a clubhouse which has to be in one of the best settings I’ve ever come across.

Make sure you allow a few days to stay in and around Petoskey, this truly is a golfers paradise. I remember asking my host Ken Griffin of Boyne Golf why are they all smiling around here and his reply was “It’s because we all can’t believe what we have ”

That evening I spent at the Palette Bistro overlooking Lake Michigan followed by a must visit to Ernesto’s Cigar Lounge in Petoskey.

The golf season closes in mid-October around these parts, but during my visit in late July the temperature was a steady 75°-80°f, making it perfect for golf.

THE ARTHUR HILLS AT THE HIGHLANDS

A signature course that lives up to the legendary reputation of its namesake, the Arthur Hills course is widely recognised as one of the finest in Michigan - and a bucket list essential for avid golfers, both regionally and throughout the US. With its wide, bunker-dotted fairways, narrowing approaches and fascinating greens, this scenic course provides excellent playability for golfers of all abilities.

LINKS AT BAY HARBOR

Taking its lead from the dramatic courses that hug Ireland’s North Atlantic coastline, The Links is situated on the beautiful Lake Michigan shore, with miles of uninterrupted views up and down the lakefront. Accented by towering bluffs and windblown dunes, The Links 9 demonstrates Arthur Hills design at its finest, combining the course’s unique topography with the native environment to achieve golf’s greatest promise as both a sport - and a lifestyle.

PRESERVE AT BAY HARBOR

Nestled into the hardwood forest that hugs the Lake Michigan shore, The Preserve is a members’ favorite that’s nothing short of a sanctuary. Designed by Arthur Hills, the course winds its way through a classic northern Michigan landscape, taking players through wildflowers, lush grass, and native wetlands filled with an abundance of wildlife.

QUARRY AT BAY HARBOR

The Quarry epitomizes Arthur Hills’ unique ability to leverage existing terrain in the creation of something distinctive - and spectacular. Located in and around the remains of a massive shale quarry, this one-of-a-kind course claims some of the golfing world’s most dramatic features, from 40-foot gorges and stone cliffs to natural ponds and a gentle waterfall. But beyond the scenery, The Quarry is golf at its finest.

■ TTHE JACK NICKLAUS-DESIGNEED BEAR COURSE AT GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT

■ THE LINKS AT BAY HARBOR

■ THE QUARRY COURSE AT BAY HARBOR

With my trip nearing its end, I drove the four hours back south to Detroit and checked into the city’s, very hip downtown hotel, Element Detroit at the Metropolitan.

The hotel overlooks Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. Timing your trip with a visit to catch one of their home games seems like a good plan if you like that sort of thing, while Detroit’s NFL team, the Lions, plays their home games at the next door Ford Field from mid-September, just as the golf season is beginning to wind down.

My next tee time was a real box ticker – a round at Oakland Hills Country Club, the scene of Europe’s historic 18½-9½ win in the 2004 Ryder Cup, and host of many a major championships, including six US Opens and most recently, the 2008 PGA Championship, which resulted in the third of Padraig Harrington’s major wins.

The course, which has recently been awarded the US Open in 2034 and 2051, and the US Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042, has undergone many changes since Harrington’s heroics, with Gil Hanse being brought on board in 2019 to carry out some major renovations to the South Course to make it play easier for the membership, while making it more of a challenge to the game’s leading professionals. Those changes, which included removing trees, increasing the size of greens, removing some bunkers while increasing the size of those remaining, have certainly done the trick, although it still very much lives up to the nickname given to it by Ben Hogan as ‘the monster’.

Meticulously maintained – I’m sure I didn’t see a blade of grass out of place – the South Course is a majestic, yet brutal layout. The holes play long and the approach shots to the greens are some of the toughest I’ve ever played. Sadly, the club’s iconic clubhouse burned down earlier this year, but it was great to see that work has already started on its reconstruction, and while all that history has been lost, it will arise from out of the ashes into something equally iconic for future generations of golfers to enjoy.

For my final day in the great state of Michigan I went to watch the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club. Like all PGA Tour events, it attracted a huge local crowd, and had a great atmosphere, more like a garden party than a

golf tournament, with lots of people who were clearly there for the hospitality and a good day out rubbing shoulders those who had come to watch the likes of Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Young and Tony Finau in action. Finau, one of the stars the 2021 Ryder Cup team, went on to win the tournament, chalking up the fourth PGA Tour win of his already impressive career. It was my first experience of a tournament outside of Europe, and it’s easy to understand why so many European players have chosen to base themselves in the States, given the excitement and razzamatazz that seems to surround the PGA Tour at each and every venue. And, yes, there are other factors, like the weather and the prize money.

For my final night in Detroit I ate at the Highlands Restaurant on the 71st floor of the GM Renaissance Center, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Specialising in Wagyu beef, with an interesting mix of chops, cuts and rib racks and an impressive wine list, we ate a superb meal while enjoying the backdrop of the city skyscape from huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

It was certainly a suitably dramatic end to what had been a hugely memorable and wonderful surprisingly trip, and I came away not only having been impressed by the quality of the golf courses, the resorts and of the hospitality, but also by the warmth of the welcome that you receive as a traveller wherever you’re from. If you, like me, judge a place by its people, then Michigan should definitely be on your list of destinations to visit, preferably with your golf clubs in tow.

For further information on this incredible state, visit www.michigan.org

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT... THE ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC

1. First played in 2019, the Rocket Mortgage Classic is staged at Detroit Golf Club, which was first opened in 1906 as a six-hole course. It now boasts two championship courses, the North and the South, both of which were designed by Donald Ross in 1913.

2. The tournament layout is comprised of 17 holes from the North and one from the South, starting with holes 8 and 9 serving as No.1 and 2, followed by hole 1 from the South Course serving as No.3. The course then plays holes 2-7 of the North Course as 4-9 before the standard North Course back nine makes up the final nine for the championship.

3. The four stagings of the tournament have all been won by American golfers – Nate Lashley in 2019, Bryson DeChambeau in 2020, Cameron Davis in 2021 and Tony Finau in 2022.

4. The tournament typically produces low scoring, with the cut often coming at several shots under par, while the winning total currently averages 23 under for 72 holes. Tony Finau fired rounds of 64, 66, 65 and 67 on his way to a 26-under total and a five-shot win in 2022.

5. Built on largely flat, tree-linked parkland, with little in the way of undulations, the difference between the highest and lowest points on the two courses is just 43 feet.

...IT STILL VERY MUCH LIVES UP TO THE NICKNAME GIVEN TO IT BY BEN HOGAN AS ‘THE MONSTER’.

■ TOAKLAND HILLS’ SOUTH COURSE IS ONE AMERICA’S FINEST TRACKS AND PRESENTS A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN EVERY SENSE

WHERE I STAYED

SAINT JOHN’S RESORT

Detroit’s destination resort is a iconic landmark surrounded by natural beauty in 200 acres, Saint John’s offers an idyllic setting and is the perfect stop over when flying into Detroit. www.saintjohnsresort.com

THE TREETOPS LODGE

Treetops has a few accommodation options, I stayed in the The Treetops Lodge, but would recommend all of their lodging. www.treetops.com

GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT AND SPA

The ultimate Michigan resort and spa experience. If you want to escape the rigors of everyday life and fancy some championship golf, then Grand Traverse Resort is for you. www.grandtraverseresort.com

THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS

The Highlands offers an idyllic setting in charming Harbor Springs, Michigan. A family-owned destination, it provides the ultimate northern Michigan experience served with heartfelt hospitality. www.highlandsharborsprings.com

ELEMENT DETROIT AT THE METROPOLITAN

Within easy walking distance from top attractions like Ford Field, Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena and thriving destinations in the Theatre District of downtown Detroit.

www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dtwel-element-detroit-at-the-metropolitan/

DETROIT GOLF

The Southeast region of Michigan has become a hot bed for great golf courses in recent years which will provide some great options for visiting golfers. It all began with Pine Trace Golf Club and The Orchards Golf Club in the early ‘90s.

Pine Trace is a watery and woody track in Rochester, while The Orchards, a 7,100yard layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, features 93 bunkers, plenty of trees and wetlands.

Shepherd’s Hollow, a 27-hole Arthur Hills design located on dramatically rolling and wooded land 40 miles north of Detroit, instantly became one of the area’s top public golf facilities when it first opened, but it has since been joined by Westwynd Golf Course, a new green fee course which opened next to the ultra-exclusive Wyndgate Golf Club in Rochester Hills, with its 18 holes flowing serenely across a broad tract of hills, tall fescue plots and wetlands.

Variety of golf in one location is rare, but Fox Hills Golf & Banquet Center in Plymouth has managed it with aplomb. A 63-hole public golf complex that caters all levels of golfer, visitors can take their pick from the Classic Fox, Golden Fox and Strategic Fox courses, each of which boasts its own clubhouse. Strategic Fox was developed primarily as a way to grow the game and make it fun for beginners, while Classic and Golden are for more experienced players.

Other green fee courses in the area well worth a visit include Cherry Creek, Blackheath, Fieldstone, Northville Hills, Twin Lakes, Moose Ridge and Boulder Pointe.

For more details on where to play in the Detroit area visit: visitdetroit.com/golf-courses-detroit/

DOWNTOWN DETROIT

Detroit may not seem like obvious mini break destination, but as a starting and finishing point for a golf trip to Michigan, ‘Motor Town’ has got so much to offer for the travelling visitor.

Subject to huge investment in recent years, the compact and very walkable downtown area is packed with museums, theatres, art exhibitions, food halls, market, restaurants, bars and, of course, the iconic stadiums that are home to city’s two main sports teams, the NFL’s Detroit Lions and the NBA’s Detroit Tigers.

Car fans, and even those who aren’t, will enjoy a visit to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, which serves as a vast repository for some of the country’s most innovative inventions and cultural touchstones of the past century, including those iconic Model-T Fords, racing cars from Indy, stock and drag racing history, cars from US Presidential motorcades, the actual bus Rosa Parks made Civil Rights history on in 1955, and numerous other pop-culture artifacts. With loads of simulators, hands-on activities and immersive experiences, it’s a great way to spend a few hours before or after hitting the links.

Music fans will not want to miss out on the Motown Museum, which gives visitors the opportunity to walk in the musical footsteps of a glittering roster of artists that include the likes of the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and the Temptations; while art lovers should make time to soak up some culture within the open spaces and quiet corridors of the Detroit Institute of Arts, where a vast 65,000-piece collection that encompasses American, European, African, Asian, Native American, Islamic, Modern and contemporary works can be viewed in sublime surroundings.

Noisy and fun nights out can be enjoyed in any number of restaurants, bars and clubs in the downtown area, while there are concerts and shows by big-name music acts, comedians and live theatre to be enjoyed at the city’s historic 5,000-seater Fox Theatre.

For details of things to see and do in Detroit, plus the latest events, check out www.visitdetroit.com

GETTING THERE: Delta Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic all offer direct flights to Detroit, either from London (Gatwick or Heathrow) or Manchester, with an average flight time of 8 hours 45 minutes. Return flights cost around £400, depending on date of travel.

For details, visit delta.com, ba.com or virginatlantic.com

■ MATT (THIRD RIGHT) ENJOYS A TEE TIME AT 2004 RYDER CUP VENUE OAKLAND HILLS

■ THE HIGHLANDS AT HARBOR SPRINGS

ENJOY A SLICE OF

GOLFING PARADISE AT KORINEUM

golf break under warm Mediterranean skies, then Korineum Golf & Beach Resort in Northern Cyprus offers five-star facilities and service on and off the course, all at affordable rates

North Cyprus truly is a golfer's paradise and is growing with popularity due to its 200 miles of enchanted coastline, over 300 days of sunshine and 9,000 years of history and culture. And there is no better place to experience what this breathtaking island has to offer that at the Korineum Golf and Beach Resort.

Located in a lush green oasis on the way to Esentepe, Korineum is tucked away in the foothills of the Beşparmak Mountain Range and enjoys the prestige of being the north Cyprus’s first championship-standard golf course, which is ranked 51st in the latest edition of Golf World’s Top 100 European Golf Resorts.

Five tees give players of all abilities the opportunity to play to their handicap on the resort’s superbly entertaining 6,232-metre championship layout, which weaves its way through stunning natural landscapes, while offering majestic sea views from every angle. The first hole, Mountain Rise, is as testing an opener as you’ll find, with the 379-metre par-four climbing steeply up the hillside to an elevated green.

■ THE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSE IS PRESENTED IN PERFECT CONDITION FOR YEAR-ROUND PLAY

KORINUEM BOASTS NORTH CYPRUS’S FIRST CHAMPIONSHIPSTANDARD GOLF COURSE, RANKED 51ST IN GOLF WORLD’S TOP 100 EUROPEAN GOLF RESORTS

Precision iron-play is required to find the putting surface on the third, a testing uphill par-three which measures anything from 220 yards to 140 yards depending on which tee you play from. With out-of-bounds left, right-handers will need to draw one in over the bunkers to find the long, but narrow green.

The signature 5th is a dramatic uphill par-five with a 90-degree dogleg at its elbow and the Besparmak mountain range providing a dramatic backdrop. The bold can try and cut off some of the leg by playing over the outof-bounds on the left to leave a shorter shot into the green, but most will choose to play safely up the middle and then hope to chip on with their third and attempt a single-putt birdie.

■ KORNIEUM OFFERS 72 LUXURY

The 7th, the appositely named ‘Sandy Island’, is another tough par three, with the green on this 158-metre hole almost entirely surrounded by bunkers, with no fewer than five traps protecting the putting surface. Water comes into play on one hole at Korineum, but what a hole, with the 350-metre 16th featuring a lake short right of the green that serves to focus the mind on this excellent par four. The course has been laid with a special type of grass called Seashore Paspalum, which is designed to withstand the warm Cyprus climate and ensures perfect yearround playing conditions.

Korineum Golf & Beach resort also offers extensive golf practice facilities, including a 34bay driving range, two putting greens, a short game area, and a three-hole Academy course which features full-length holes and provides players with taste of what they will encounter during their round on the main course.

The high standards found on the golf course are mirrored throughout this elegant and lavish resort, which offers 86 luxury rooms, including four junior suites, tucked away within the pine forest. The rooms, which are spacious and tastefully decorated, feature a

well-stocked minibar, LED televisions with a wide range of international channels and free WiFi. The rooms at the heart of the resort offer ultimate privacy yet are only a short walk from the hotel’s superb facilities, which include a choice of bars, three restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool, live evening entertainment, and a spa and fitness centre, which allows guests to experience peace and tranquillity with treatments performed by the resort's expert team of therapists.

Guests also have access to a private beach, which is 1.5km from the resort, but is free to use with free and regular shuttle access provided. Whether it's sipping on a cocktail, enjoying a tasty lunch from Korineum Beach Snack Bar, reading a book in the shade or swimming in the glistening waters, the beach is a sanctuary.

A golf break at Korineum will also allow you to discover the Mediterranean’s best kept secret –North Cyprus. The award-winning Cyprus Paradise has offered expertly tailored holidays to the region for over 30 years. And for an extra peace of mind, it offers exclusive golf- holidays at Korineum and facilitates guests at every step during their golf break.

Prices start from £599pp for 7 nights, 4 rounds of golf and flights.

For more information on Korineum Golf & Beach Resort, visit CyprusParadise.com/ golfnews or call 020 3150 1017.

If you’re looking for a winter

ROOMS, FOUR OF WHICH ARE JUNIOR SUITES

■ GUESTS HAVE FREE ACCESS TO A PRIVATE BEACH

Costa Navarino judged ‘Best Golf Resort in Europe’

Time to get saving for the ‘Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience’

Two of the west of Scotland’s finest courses, The Machrie and Dundonald Links, have joined forces to launch of a new golf holiday package aimed at travelling golfers with deep pockets.

With seven rounds of golf across a selection of Scotland’s best west coast courses, private jet travel and world-class dining and whisky experiences included, the new Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience will be on every golf enthusiast’s bucket list this year.

The itinerary starts with three nights at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, where guests can stay in one of their luxury golf lodges or hotel suites and enjoy two rounds on its spectacular course. The par 72 layout was thoughtfully designed by Kyle Phillips and offers sweeping views across the Firth of Clyde and, from the clubhouse, views of the neighbouring Isle of Arran. To satisfy even the greatest golf enthusiasts, rounds at both Prestwick (birthplace of The Open) and Western Gailes, dating back to 1897, are also included within the package, with both clubs only a short drive from the hotel.

Meanwhile, dining highlights include a threecourse dinner at Dundonald’s The Canny Cow restaurant, where fine dining options as well as hearty post play favourites are on offer, a special BBQ evening and - for whisky enthusiasts - dinner and tastings in the hotel’s Whisky Room.

Following a few days in Ayrshire, the journey to The Machrie starts in style with a Jetlogic private jet transfer from Prestwick to Islay. With over 130 miles of coastline, Islay, known as ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, boasts dramatic cliff faces, turquoise bays and numerous beaches. Upon landing, guests are whisked to Islay’s famed hotel The Machrie to check into one of the stylish suites or lodges. Set

Bag yourself a break at Brocket

Brocket Hall’s ‘stay & play’ packages for the summer season give golfers the option of playing one or two rounds of golf, choosing from the Melbourne and Palmerston courses, and the opportunity to stay overnight in the historic Melbourne Lodge, originally the estate’s old coaching stables.

Lunch, before or after golf, and supper are additional and can be taken in the The Melbourne Club or the acclaimed finedining restaurant, Auberge du Lac, both conveniently located on the Hertfordshire estate.

The par 72 Melbourne Course, designed by former Ryder Cup golfers Clive Clark and Peter Alliss, was opened in 1992 whilst the more technically-demanding Palmerston Course,

in the dunes, The Machrie is the perfect base for golfers looking to tee off on the wild and beautiful Scottish isle brimming with wildlife.

Golf has been played at The Machrie since 1891. Since then, the award-winning, 18-hole course has been fully modernised by course architect DJ Russell and combines the very best of a traditional historic links course with a modern layout and green complexes. Three rounds of golf are included within the package, as well as use of the 6-hole par 3 Wee Course for those wishing to hone their skills further.

Following a day on the course, guests have the opportunity to sample The Machrie’s Essence of Islay tasting experience - a seasonal six course menu which centres exclusively around hyperlocal ingredients sourced from small-scale supplies. Further culinary highlights include a three and four course dinner, with whisky pairings, at The Machrie’s impressive 18 Restaurant & Bar with views over the course and out to the Atlantic Ocean. A Lagavulin Whisky experience is also included in the package.

Away from the gastronomy experiences, guests can enjoy walks, and bike rides, along the pristine seven-mile beach in front of the hotel or embark on an wildlife tour of the island, discovering the birds and wildlife made famous on David Attenborough’s recent BBC series, Wild Isles. Additionally, a visit to Islay is not complete without a tour of one of the nine whisky distilleries on the island – which is also included in the package.

The cost of the Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience is £6,135 per person, based on four golfers travelling. For more details, visit themachrie.com.

Popular golf course review website Leadingcourses. com has published its latest ranking of the 100 Best Golf Resorts in Europe which are based on reviews provided by the website’s users.

The overall ranking is based 50% on the rating of the golf club on Leadingcourses.com and 50% on the rating for the resort itself on Booking.com.

The criteria for being classed as a ‘resort’ is that the hotel and the golf course/s must be located on the same premises or next to each other, and the venue should offer more than just golf-related facilities. This year’s ranking also factors in added marks for resorts which offer more than one golf course, with venues given a bonus of 0.005 points per every hole offered, thus giving a boost to resort’s that offer 27 holes or more.

This latest ranking has produced a new number one for the first time in four years, with Costa Navarino in Greece, which offers four championship 18-hole courses, edging past the long-time top-ranked resort at Finca Cortesin in Spain.

Costa Navarino has jumped an impressive six places up the ranking, have been judged seventh best in 2022. Located in Messinia, in Greece’s southwest Peloponnese, Costa Navraino offers a world-class golf experience with four 18-hole signature courses, but it also boasts four hotels, including The Westin and The Romanos.

Other venues to improve their ranking was Gleneagles, which is up to third from last year’s fifth, no doubt helped by having three 18-hole championship courses and a 9-hole par-3 course; while Der Oschberghof in Germany moved up to fifth place from last year’s tenth.

Breaking into the top 10 is The K Club in lreland, while the Donald Trump-owned resorts at Turnberry and Doonbeg both dropped down the list, with the former slipping from 2 and 4, and the latter from 3 to 6.

created by Donald Steel alongside Martin Ebert who managed the design detail and construction, was fully open in 2000.

With its stunning views over the property’s glorious stately home and lake which is straddled by a magnificent bridge, the Melbourne guarantees visitors a highly-enjoyable and memorable day. It crosses the River Lea on four occasions as it follows the natural contours of the estate grounds before finishing in front of the Hall after a short ferry ride to the 18th green.

In contrast, the par-73 Palmerston suits golfers looking for a more strategic, challenging round. Unlike the Melbourne, this tree-lined track does not feature the river at all. Instead, it meanders around the Capability Brown-inspired woodland of rare hornbeam, Scots and Corsican Pine, monkey puzzle and

500-year-old oak trees that create some spectacular hazards alongside the fiendishly placed bunkers and large undulating greens that ensure a true test.

Packages start from £190pp for 18 holes on either the Melbourne or Palmerston Course, overnight accommodation, and a full English breakfast. Throw in an extra round for a further £95.

For more details, visit brocket-hall.co.uk, email golfevents@brocket-hall.co.uk or call 01707 368700.

■ ROUNDS AT THE MACHIE AND DUNDONALD LINKS (INSET) ARE AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP

To get an understanding of how committed Dubai is to attracting tourists, and entertaining its residents, you only need ski down the real snow on the city’s giant indoor ski slope. No matter that it hasn’t snowed in this part of the world since the last ice age – if people want to ski when the outside temperature is over 90 degrees, it shall be so.

The same principal has been applied to almost every other aspect of human existence in the United Arab Emirates, including golf. Which partially explains why, in a country where fresh water is just as valuable a commodity as the oil that has funded all the development, golf courses have been built at such an incredible rate. If people want to play golf on holiday, then Dubai’s rulers would rather you played here than anywhere else in the world. You want to see the Pyramids or climb the Eiffel Tower? Don’t bother going to Egypt or France, just book a flight to

FROM

DUBAI DOES IT BETTER

Matt Nicholson escapes the dreary depths of an English winter to enjoy the top-class golf courses and five-star hospitality on offer in Dubai, where the sun always shines, the sand isn’t restricted to bunkers, and it occasionally snows – but only indoors

Dubai. Want to eat in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, drink vodka in an ice bar, sleep underwater, skydive over a man-made island, or watch Beyoncé in concert opening up the latest five star hotel? You’ve guessed it, come to Dubai.

Golf’s growth in Dubai over the last 30-odd years has mirrored that of the expat community, which currently represents around 88 per cent of the total population of nine million. There are over a dozen top quality golf courses in Dubai, survive for most of the year on a steady supply of expat golfers and corporate outings mixed in with a few local members, but they now enjoy a significant boost from travelling golfers, especially during northern Europe’s winter months. Those coming from that part of the world can jump of a plane and be playing tour-standard golf under cloudless skies just five or six hours later. Last year saw over 23 million tourists visit the city, which goes a long way to explaining why you need to book your tee times, hotel rooms and restaurants well in advance to avoid disappointment, especially from late November through to early March, when the temperature hovers around 25°c and is ideal for golf at any time of the day.

SPOILT FOR GOLFING CHOICE

While Dubai is very popular with Tour pros, due to its location at the point where east meets west, and its superb playing and practice facilities, there is no shortage of amateur golfers looking to sample the Dubai golfing experience for themselves. And there is no shortage of places to do it, with the city limits offering more than dozen courses, including old favourites such as the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club, to the stunning 18 holes on offer at Dubai Creek, and relative newer kids on the block such as the Greg Norman-designed Earth and Fire Courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the Montgomerie Course at Emirates Hills, The Els Club, and the two most recent openings, Trump International and Dubai Hills.

Our short trip coincided with the staging of the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club, so while that venue was off-limits from a playing

perspective that week, it enabled us to sample a couple of the other city’s top courses, while also getting the chance to watch the pros in action over the superb Majlis Course.

Before that I had a chance to shake off my winter cobwebs on the Championship course at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, which first opened in 1993 and at the time was only the second course in the city. Occupying a stunning spot beside the creek and offering fine views over the city skyline, the course features more than its fair share of memorable holes, with the par 4 2nd, a superb risk/reward affair that ask how much distance you’re prepared to risk off the tee to shorten the approach over water to the green, being an early highlight. The 5th is a beautiful par 3 with the full Dubai skyline framing the green, while the 6th demands a drive taken from a floating tee with the yacht club in full view.

On the back 9, the par-5 13th requires a brave approach into a small island green, while the 16th is another cracking short hole to test your mettle. The 17th is a wonderful par 4 with a narrow fairway guarded by the

■ THE MAJLIS COURSE AT EMIRATES GOLF CLUB IS HOME TO THE DP WORLD TOUR’S DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

■ THE ‘FLOATING’ 6TH TEE ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE AT DUBAI GOLF & YACHT CLUB

creek on the left and bunkers on the right, which demands careful plotting, but the 18th asks for sheer power, as if you can avoid the creek with your drive, a fairway wood or long iron will be required to get over the water and land on a sloping green. It really is a fabulous finishing stretch. With fast-running greens and fairways like billiard tables, it’s golf of the very highest order. Dubai Creek also offers an entertaining 9-hole, par-3 course, which is fun to play in the daytime, but even better at night when they turn on the floodlights and your ball is easy to spot against the night sky.

The Emirates Golf Club, home of the aforementioned Desert Classic, which is also under Dubai Golf’s ownership, is another must-play venue, with its two courses, the Majlis and the Faldo course, being among the city’s most famous tracks. The Majlis, which weaves around seven lakes, is a proper tournament challenge whichever tees you chose to play off. When it first opened in 1987 it was surrounded by nothing but desert, but these days it feels very much downtown, with the course overlooked by towering skyscrapers from almost every angle. With tees from 7,300 yards to 6,300, it’s vital to play off handicap-appropriate tees if you’re not to get into cricket score territory here.

In terms of holes to look out for, the three-hole run from the 7th is superb. Seven is a lovely par 3 over water before the famous drive on 8 which, even if you successfully navigate the desert, leaves to with a tough uphill shot to an undulating green. The 9th is a par 4 which plays tough even the best drive leaves a nerve-jangling approach over water. The back 9 ramps up the challenge, and the last two holes are particularly notable - the almost reachable par 4 17th, and the 18th, which, like 9, requires an approach over water - whether for your second or third.

Our trip coincided with the Dubai Desert Classic, and it’s certainly worth considering combining a golf holiday with some top-class tournament action, as it’s a really great opportunity to get close to the players in a way that you never would at tournaments in the UK or at an Open. There is no problem getting around the course to watch every shot and the atmosphere is great, make sure you book at slot at TopGolf Dubai next door, a driving range experience you don’t want to miss.

Also in the same Dubai Golf stable are the Greg Normandesigned Earth and Fire courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The season-ending DP World Tour Championship is held on the Earth, which features 102 bunkers, 20 lakes and treacherously sloped greens. The final four holes

measure over a mile long, while the 651yard 18th, whose fairway is split by a rocklined stream, always provides a stunning climax to the tournament. With the course having grown in nicely since its opening 10 years ago, and mature vegetation softening its visual appeal, the Earth course is impossible to fault in terms of its presentation and conditioning, if you make a birdie at the last, all will be forgiven, and you’ll have stories of how you ‘conquered the earth’ to tell your friends for many years to come.

LUXURY LODGINGS

Dubai boasts a vast array of luxury accommodation options, including the iconic 7-star Burj Al Arab, and the wonder of the world that is Atlantis The Palm. Our trip included a three-night stay at the superb Park Hyatt Dubai, a five-star hotel which is part of the Dubai Creek Resort and backs directly on to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, making it the perfect haven for a golf escape.

Voted the ‘World’s Best Golf Hotel’ at the 2022 World Golf Awards, the 93-acre resort offers a wide range of spacious rooms and suites, all of which overlook the creek, while guests can also take advantage of an impressive array of hospitality and leisure facilities, including 14 award-winning restaurants, a spectacular marina with 122 berths, world-class spa facilities, and a stunning Lagoon beach. All of which makes the Park Hyatt the perfect base to sit bit and relax, as well to explore the delights of the city, while also being within a pitching wedge of the golfing action.

OFF-COURSE ATTRACTIONS

Away from those evergreen fairways, Dubai presents a heady mix of Middle Eastern and Western offcourse attractions, from its glittering shopping malls packed with luxury brands and the aforementioned ski slopes, to Legoland, IMG’s World of Adventures (the world’s largest indoor theme park) and the recently opened Museum of the Future, which showcases technological development and innovation, especially in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.

Those with shopaholic tendencies can get their retail fix in the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest ‘shopping, entertainment and leisure’ destination. A temple to different ways of parting you from large amounts of cash, the mall boasts over 1,200 shops, including two department stores stocking all the latest luxury and fashion brands. There are also a wide range of leisure attractions for families, including a multi-screen cinema, an aquarium, an ice rink and a vast children’s play zone called KidZania.

PLAY

To find out green fee rates, book tee times, and discover the latest golf holiday packages to Dubai, visit www.dubaigolf. com or www.viyagolfholidays.com

STAY

Park Hyatt Dubai at Dubai Creek Resort has room rates in a standard double starting from £175pn in summer and £330 per night in winter (Nov-Feb). For enquiries, visit www.hyatt.com

DESERT SAFARI

Platinum Heritage www.platinum-heritage.com

DINING

TIME OUT MARKET DUBAI

www.timeoutmarket.com/dubai/eat-anddrink/ EXPERIENCE

Visit the world’s tallest building www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/ FLYING

RAK-ING UP THE MEMORIES

Matt Nicholson enjoys a whistlestop tour of Ras Al Khaimah, the northern most region of the United Arab Emirates, which not only hosts a new tournament on the DP World Tour and is home to two world-class golf courses, but it is also proving an attractive destination for thrill seekers thanks to a range of outdoor experiences that are designed to set the pulses racing

Keen observers of the DP World Tour will most likely have noticed that Europe’s top tier tour takes in a quartet of Middle Eastern venues during the early part of the season. The European Tour, as it was once known, has been hosting events in Dubai for over 30 years, dating back to the first Desert Classic in 1989, but over the last decade or so the investment in golf has led to the Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman hosting tournaments on both the European and Challenge Tour, while the fast-growing Asian Tour is also expanding its horizons in this part of the world.

While Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been the frontrunners as far as tournament-hosting venues are concerned in the UAE, there is another Emirate just an hour’s drive north of Dubai that has recently joined the pro tour schedule. Ras Al Khaimah, which borders Oman, has lived in the shadow of

culture, luxury hotels and some wild man-made adventures that don’t involve hitting a small white ball around a large patch of grass.

Host of three Challenge Tour events between 2016-18, Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Hamra Golf Club first joined the DP World Tour’s schedule in 2022, when it was given the rare honour of hosting back-to-back events in February due to the cancellation of the Qatar Masters due to Covid restrictions. First staging the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, and then having just enough time to roll the greens and repair the divots for the following week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic, both tournaments were well supported by members of the tour, with Ryder Cup hopeful Nicolai Hojgaard winning the Championship and rising Kiwi star Ryan Fox taking the spoils in the Classic.

My trip coincided with Al Hamra’s hosting of the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship, which also attracted a decent field, with both Fox and Hojgaard back to defend their honours, while a whole host of stars, including former Ryder Cup player Thorbjorn Olesen and three-time major champion and former Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington, were also in

For the duration of our trip we stayed in the five-star Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, which is just a drive and a pitching wedge from the golf club, and also happened to be where the players were being hosted, so it was quite something to not only be invited to attend the pre-event party with all the players, but also to sit down at breakfast every day and be surrounded by golfing greats. Taking a courtesy buggy to the course on practice days I shared a ride with Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington at separate times, which is not something you get to do a most

tournaments! I was also lucky enough to be invited to play in the Pro-Am for the event, and was paired with rising German star Yannik Paul, who was not only great fun to play with but also a seriously good ball striker. Our group enjoyed a memorable round on Al Hamra’s excellent course, which, as you’d expect for a Tour-level venue managed by Troon Golf, was presented in superb condition.

First opened in 2008, Al Hamra was designed by Peter Harradine, who is responsible for many of the Middle East’s top tracks, including the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Located on a largely flat swathe of land, the holes are laid out around a series of lagoons, and as such water features heavily on many of them, most notably either side of the fairway on the par-5 third. The 6th and 7th are the first two ‘dry holes’ – a strong par 4 and a lovely short hole, and these opening seven, along with 17 and 18, also have floodlights for evening golf and make a perfect 9-hole loop.

A very long par 5 and a maximum-distance par -4 take you to the turn before the back nine begins with a trio of very scary holes. The 10th and 12th are probably the two hardest par 4s on the course,

both with greens perilously close to the lagoon, and they sandwich a very scenic par 3 with a green that juts out into the water. There is some respite from the water over the next five holes and hopefully the chance to pick up a shot or two on the card.

The round finishes with the extremely intimidating par five, where water threatens all the way down the right side of the hole to the very edge of the triple-tiered green. It reminded me of a mirror image of Pebble Beach’s 18th, where water is omnipresent down the left.

Sadly, despite our best efforts, our group didn’t win any prizes, but we thoroughly enjoyed the day. Yannik just missed the cut in the main tournament, but has since gone on to finish second in events in India and Thailand, and is riding high in the DP World Tour rankings, so thankfully his time with me didn’t harm his future prospects!

I spent the next two days shipping back and forth on the shuttle between the luxurious surroundings of the Waldorf Astoria and the golf course, watching

STAY

Rooms at the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah start from £217 per night. For bookings, visit hilton.com

PLAY

Al Hamra Golf Club, Green fees from £110 for 18 holes, alhamragolf.com

Tower Links Golf Club, Green Fees from £70 for 18 holes, towerlinks.ae

ATTRACTIONS

Check out all the adventures and attractions at rasalkhaimah.com

FLY Emirates offers flights from the UK to Dubai International Airport (emirates. com). From there it’s an hour’s drive to Ras Al Khaimah

the pros in action. If you’ve not been to a tournament before, or even if you have, I’d strongly recommend coming to this event, as I’ve not been to one where you’re able to get closer to the action or where you can engage with the players on such an intimate level.

England’s Dan Gavins won the event with a score of 17 under, and with the cut coming at 4 under, it shows just how good these guys are.

The Waldorf Astoria was none too shabby either, with 346 spacious and luxurious rooms and suites overlooking the Arabian Sea, eight stylish dining options, including a buffet and seafood, steak and Japanese restaurants, as well as a pool and beach bar. There are two big outdoor swimming pools and you’re less than a minute’s walk away from the 350-metre private beach overlooking the azure waters.

Being only an hour’s drive north of Dubai, you could easily slip in a game at Al Hamra and a stay at the Waldorf Astoria as part of an extended trip to the UAE, but I’d strongly advise giving over a couple of extra days to explore what this unique area has to offer. As well as another 18-hole championship course at nearby Tower Links Golf Club, there are lots of memorable activities to do in ‘RAK’, as it is known by Emiratis.

Among personal highlights was a trip to the nearby desert for a sunset dinner at the beautiful Sonara Camp. Located the heart of the sand dunes, it had everything you could ask for, including some fun activities to keep you entertained before dinner. Whether that be a short camel ride, feeding a falcon, sandboarding or live music - it had it all as you watched the sun go down. When the camp lit up it was time for a decadent three-course dinner, accompanied by some unique live entertainment including a captivating fire show and acrobatics. A Harvester this wasn’t.

While it was an extremely peaceful end to the night watching the sun setting over the dunes, the same couldn’t be said for the adrenaline-fuelled activities I experienced the next day. About an hour’s drive away from the Waldorf Astoria sits the spectacular Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the Hajar Mountain range which provides breathtaking views right from the very top. It’s also home to the world’s longest zipwire experience, and in the bus on the

way over, our group began to sound a little nervous as what lay ahead of us came into view.

The zipline, Jais Flight, measures 1.8 miles from top to bottom – or rather side to side – soaring across the jagged mountain peaks and swooping through the deep ravines and roads below. Standing at the top platform, it’s certainly a daunting prospect, but it is simply an unmissable experience. If travelling horizontally in a tangerine jumpsuit while strapped to face down to a gurney-style harness at speeds of up 80mph for almost three minutes is your idea of fun, then be my guest. It’s breathtaking in more ways the one, but once you get over that initial fear and open your eyes, the views across the vertiginous valleys are incredible, while the adrenalin rush is off the charts.

Once our heart rates had settled down and our stomachs returned to somewhere close to where they should normally be, we enjoyed a superb lunch at 1484 By Puro, a mountain-top restaurant named after its height in metres above sea level which offers more of those majestic views and some fabulous food – although I gave the oyster platter a miss while I waited for things to settle down in the tummy region.

As if the zipline wasn’t enough adrenaline for one day, after lunch was somewhat digested, it was time for the final activity, the Jais Sledder. It’s effectively a bobsled on a monorail that reaches speeds of 30-40mph – although it feels much faster as you’re sat so close to the ground – which hurtles you down the Hajar mountain range on a 1.8km winding track. While it may not be as heartpounding as the zipline, it’s still a definite must-do if you like seeing the whites of your knuckles as you hold on for dear life as your cart flies around hairraising hairpins. And just like the zipline, it only takes a couple of minutes before it’s all over, but the memories will stay with you for far longer.

One of the other fascinating experiences on my trip, although slightly less stressful than the high wire, was a visit to a local pearl farm. Located in the old fishing village of Al Rams, about 20 minutes from our hotel, we boarded a traditional pearl fishing boat and headed out into the lagoon to learn about the innovative scientific techniques used in modern-day cultured pearl farming and learn about how Emiratis used to dive for natural pearls. We explored the Suwaidi Pearl farmhouse, which was located on a floating pontoon, while our knowledge guide helped us to harvest a handful of oysters and opened them to find out whether there were any Arabian pearls inside – which there were! All told, it was a brilliant few hours on the water and an wonderful insight into a centuries old business that still thrives today in Ras Al Khaimah. Although it has long been a popular weekend retreat for Dubai’s stressed-out citizens, ‘RAK’ looks destined to attract adventurous travellers from all over the world thanks to its unique combination of natural wonders and man-made excitements both on and off the golf course. And that looks sure to be fast-tracked by the imminent opening of a new island off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah. Due to open in 2026, the island will be one giant entertainment and hospitality complex operated by the Las Vegasbased Wynn Resorts, featuring a 1,000-room hotel, 10 restaurants, and, according to latest reports, the region’s first licensed casino. If that comes to fruition, it really will be a game-changer for Ras Al Khaimah and its future on the world stage.

For more information on holidays to Ras Al Khaimah, check out visitrasalkhaimah.com

■ HIGH WIRE ACT: THE 1.8 MILE JAIS FLIGHT ZIPWIRE IS ONE OF THE MANY THRILLING EXPERIENCES ON OFFER TO VISITORS TO RAS AL KHAIMAH

■ MATT PLAYED ALONGSIDE RISING GERMAN STAR YANNIK PAUL IN THE PRO-AM AT THE RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP

IF YOU ENJOY TRAVELLING AT 80MPH ABOVE A DEEP RAVINE WHILE STRAPPED TO A GURNEY, THEN BE MY GUEST!

Thieves target unsuspecting golfers in Majorca

Golfers playing in Majorca are being warned to take extra care of their personal belongings after a spate of thefts from golf bags have been reported by golfers while playing rounds on the Spanish island.

According to reports in the local media, crooks are moving the cups to the edge of the greens on certain holes close to roads and fences in order to make it easier for them to steal golfer’s belongings without being seen and to make a quick escape.

The theft are said to be affecting golf courses in and around the capital, Palma, as well as the municipality of Calvia, which includes Magaluf, Santa Ponsa and Andratx.

One popular golf club on the holiday island is putting clients on guard by handing out leaflets warning them to be on the lookout for thieves and to keep a close eye on their belongings while playing.

Thieves stole a £16,000 Swiss watch and more than £1,300 in cash from the bag of a distracted golfer earlier last month as he focused on his putt and took his eyes off his clubs and other belongings, according to local newspaper reports.

Vall d’Or Golf on the island’s east coast is handing out leaflets in Spanish, English, French and German to golfers before they start playing. It stated: “Dear clients, given the wave of thefts that are taking place in the golf courses of Majorca, we remind you to keep an eye on your belongings.”

Israel Rodriguez, director of the club, said: “It might not be a very commercial solution, but it’s been the most effective because after the theft has taken place all we can do is advise victims that they should report it. Better to advise them before and not after they find their watches and money has gone missing.”

Las Colinas is calling

Argentario tees up Ryder Cup course package

To celebrate the staging of the Ryder Cup in Italy for the very first time, Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort has launched a range of special Ryder Cup stay-and-play packages for golfers that would like to play the host course at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club before or after the matches between Europe and the USA.

With the golfing spotlight firmly on Italy in the build up to the match, which takes place from September 29 to October 1, Argentario is the ideal base from which to access the Marco Simone as it is just two hours away by car. And thanks to a partnership with its distinguished neighbour, guests staying at Argentario will be offered a reduced green fee at the Marco Simone layout.

Prices start from €1,095 per person for

a five-night stay in a double superior room, based on two people sharing, which includes B&B, three rounds of golf at Argentario, a welcome dinner and daily access to the Espace Wellness Centre. The packages are available from June until the end of October with some blackout dates before and during the staging of the Ryder Cup.

For those looking for a more exclusive experience, there are a collection of independent luxury villas overlooking the golf course available to rent that benefit from access to all the facilities and services on the five-star property.

Argentario is 90 minutes by car from Rome Fiumicino Airport and two hours from Rome Ciampino Airport.

For bookings, call +39 0564 810292 or email booking@ argentarioresort.it.

Clubstohire launches Race to Monte Rei

Clubstohire, the golf equipment rental company that has dozens of outlets across Europe, Africa and Asia, has launched a unique competition that is open to golf’s dedicated amateur enthusiasts.

Open to all golfers in possession of an official world handicap, Race to Monte Rei aims to reward players who manage to reduce their handicap by 10% from the time they enter the competition during the course of the year.

Of the players that achieve this impressive feat, just 12 names will be drawn at random to win a trip to Portugal in November to play at the magnificent Monte Rei Golf & Country Club near Faro, where the winners will be treated to round on the Algarve venue’s superb Jack Nicklaus designed championship course and an overnight stay at the club’s luxury on-site residences. The grand finalists will also be treated to a goodie bag, a pre-match breakfast, and will be invited to attend a post-golf gala dinner and prize giving ceremony. Flights to Faro are not included in the prize.

The competition is free to enter online and is open to all golfers who hold an official handicap. All entries must be submitted by September 30 and will be checked by the organisers with the golfer’s home club. Regular updates on qualifiers will appear during the year.

To enter Race to Monte Rei, visit www.clubstohire.com. For more information, email therace@clubstohire.com.

Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, one of Continental Europe’s Top 100 golf courses, has unveiled a range of exclusive stay-and-play packages for golfers looking to escape to the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

From its privileged position just south of Alicante in the region of Valencia, the stunning resort provides a perfect combination of championship golf and first-class leisure facilities.

The Troon-managed resort provide guests the opportunity to tailor their holidays to suit their requirements, with wide range of options are available incorporating golf and accommodation in the lavish self-catering apartments and villas, each sleeping from four to six people. A host venue for the European Tour Qualifying School, Las Colinas lies along a picturesque valley of citrus trees and Mediterranean woodland surrounded by hills, accessed through a spectacular canyon entrance. The practice facilities are also top class, with natural grass hitting areas, manicured putting green and short game area, which can be used to hit a complimentary pyramid of TaylorMade practice balls.

The sports facilities at Las Colinas include tennis and paddle courts, a gym, swimming pools, bicycle hire and a nature trail. Visitors also have access to the private beach club on the seafront at La Glea beach in Campoamor – a hideaway with infinity pool, sun loungers and café bar. For the full range of packages, visit lascolinasgolf.com.

CARROSSA HOTEL & SPA

Mallorca has well and truly cemented its reputation as a destination for luxury holidays and world-class golf breaks in recent years, and not just being a party island. Leading the way is Carrossa, a five-star hotel and spa in the east of the island that has been drawing eyes with its glamour and gastronomy.

Encircled in a moat of rural countryside, Carrossa is far from the bustle of the island’s busier areas while still being connected enough to make getting around simple. Drives of 15 to 45 minutes will take you to four of the golf courses nearby – Club de Golf Alcanada, Capdepera Golf, Pula Golf Resort and Club de Golf Son Servera.

Club de Golf Son Servera, which exudes a relaxed atmosphere, with a wide mix of nationalities in their members, has a junior section that is recognised throughout Spain for producing many national champions and winners on the international stage.

The course there also includes the challenging “Pine Trap”, a well-renowned combination of four holes that are cut into the original pine forest, where it uses extra narrow fairways and huge elevation changes to test even the most accomplished of golfer.

As a further challenge for the more experienced players, Club de Golf Alcanada and Pula Golf Resort have both been the host of numerous high-profile professional and amateur events, with a prestigious list of winners.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, Alcanada – host venue of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final, supported by the R & A – offers players spectacular views of the lighthouse from almost all of the 18 holes on the course, as well as housing a terraced restaurant which basks in the sea breeze of Alcúdia Bay.

For Capdepera Golf, the club prides itself on offering an experience for players of all skill levels, comprising a mix of easier holes down in the valley and more challenging holes that go up into the beautiful hills of the Mallorquin Llevant mountains. The signature hole is the 15th, which offers panoramic views of Mallorca, and has been continuously voted the most beautiful hole on the island by Mallorca Magazine.

Offering hotel rooms in the restored manor house, all the way up to superior suites overlooking the nearby bay of Alcúdia, Carrossa is an impeccably designed hotel with an expansive spa. The treatments themselves come in an extensive menu – from massages to beauty treatments, each

performed by a virtuoso therapist. To complete the spa, an indoor pool lined with loungers sits beside multiple saunas and steam baths, and outside a spacious infinity pool gives access to sunshine and cabanas.

But perhaps the other thing Carrossa is known for is its cuisine; the flagship Carrossa Restaurant is recognised among the finest eateries in Mallorca. New head chef Kim Toro has weaved his signature French-inspired style with Mediterranean flavours at the restaurant, which comes complete with panoramic terrace views across the land. For a lighter experience, Bistro Badia is an ambient alternative that is open seasonally.

There is drink to match the food: Bar Oro serves expertly mixed cocktails until early in the morning and a traditional Bodega stocks an eclectic collection of wines from around the world. Or, new for the summer season this year, a popup outdoor bar promises to serve up some uniquely devised drinks alongside the classics.

Golfers can enjoy five-star relaxation and play all four golf courses in 2023 by booking Carrossa’s Premium Golf Package. Prices start from £1,435 per person and include seven nights’ gourmet half-board accommodation and four 18-hole green fees.

Explore more golf packages at Carrossa and book online at carrossa.com/rates-packages/packages

■ Club de Golf Alcanada

■ Petite Suite

■ Bar Oro

FIND YOUR INNER CALM AT CAMIRAL

Formerly known as PGA Catalunya, Spain’s top-rated golf resort is taking a new direction after rebranding itself Camiral Golf & Wellness, where a focus on health and wellbeing sits alongside its already impressive golf facilities and an ever-growing choice of high-quality accommodation

Choosing to change a brand name is never taken lightly and comes with many risks, chiefly that of losing a long-standing connection with a loyal customer base, but it also allows companies to freshen up a product and to widen its appeal, whether that be the result of a new recipe or formula or just one of those ‘change for the sake of change’ relaunches that are a regular occurrence on the high street.

By their very nature, brand name changes of consumer goods have to happen virtually overnight, with old stock taken off the shelves one day and reappearing with new packaging the next. The same, as it became all too apparent on my recent trip to the golf resort formerly known as PGA Catalunya, doesn’t apply to holiday destinations. I lost count of the number of resort employees I encountered who started off sentences referring to ‘PGA Catalunya’, only to correct themselves with ‘Camiral’ and a nervous smile, while all over the 560acre estate there are signs that use the old or the new name, sometimes both, while the small bottles of water that are put in your golf buggy still display the ‘PGA Catalunya’ branding.

While I’m sure guests are unlikely to forget where they are – an hour north of Barcelona and 20 minutes south of Girona on Spain’s Costa Brava – the mixed messaging all points to a resort that is still very much in a transformative phase that, while still trading on its well-earned reputation as Spain’s top-rated golf resort, is taking a significant step into the fast-expanding health and wellness

lifestyle market that attracts a much more diverse demographic than the ‘four blokes on tour’ that still dominates the traditional golf holiday landscape, at least from a UK perspective.

So that’s how we have ended up with Camiral Golf & Wellness. While the latter two elements are self-explanatory, ‘Camiral’ refers to an ancient route called the Cami Ral, or Royal Road, that leads from north-eastern Spain beyond the border with France. Now popular with hikers and cyclists, the route passes directly through the resort and explains why you’re just as likely to find a group of Lycra-clad bikers or backpack-wearing walkers enjoying a beer around the hotel’s pool as you are a four-ball of chino-clad golfers. This also explains why my short trip to check out what PGA Catalunya 2.0 – ok, let’s stick to Camiral – has to offer guests in 2023 saw me spending almost as much time involved in a variety of mind and body-bending off-course activities, and exploring a variety of luxury apartments and villas, as I did trying to nudge my ball around the two 18hole championship courses on offer.

While given my age (54), gender (male) and level of interest (minimal), I generally give the spa element of any golf facility a wide birth if I can possibly help it, it wasn’t quite so easy for this correspondent, who, all in the name of research,

underwent a 3-minute cryotherapy chamber experience, an hour-long full body massage, a 30-minute countryside bike ride and a 25-minute Pilates class, by way of an introduction to the wellness experiences that are available to guests.

After coming through all elements relatively unscathed – although feeling anxious, relaxed, tense, calm, cold, hot, euphoric, sleepy and lightheaded at various times – I can safely say that if you’re after more than just a bog-standard two or three rounds of golf, plus dinner, B&B and a few beers, then Camiral is going to be right up your street – although if you aren’t, it does the golf-only package pretty well too.

And while standing in what is essentially a walk-in freezer in a pair of swimming trunks and gloves while the temperature plummets to -110c (yes, you

HOLE FOR HOLE, IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT THE STADIUM IS RIGHT UP THERE AMONG THE BEST COURSES IN EUROPE

■ HOTEL CAMIRAL IS THE RESORT’S FIVE-STAR OFFERING

■ THE STYLISH INTERIORS OF HOTEL CAMIRAL

■ THE CLUBHOUSE BAR & RESTAURANT

read that right), doesn’t sound like much fun, I can attest that a cryotherapy session will save fortunes on your home heating bills when family members start complaining that the thermostat has clicked off at 19c. A vital element of any elite sportsperson’s recovery process, cryotherapy is also gaining traction within the wellness community as a way of resetting the body’s functions, with all the blood rushing to save your vital organs from freezing up. Of more interest to me was the fact that it is also proven to boost your metabolic rate, and a three-minute session can burn off as many as 800 calories – more than three times than are to be found in a standardsized Snickers bar.

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF

Suitably reset, and with the blood having just about returned to my fingers and toes, the prospect of taking on two of Europe’s toughest championship courses didn’t seem quite so terrifying. Well, it didn’t until I stood on the first tee of Camiral’s Tour Course and wondered how long my supply of half-a-dozen balls would last given the narrowness of the fairways, the looming presence of trees, and the inconsistency of my swing.

Thankfully, I managed to nurdle my opening drive down the right side of the short stuff, hit the green with my second, and a three-putt bogey from 30-feet set the tone for the rest of the day.

While playing second fiddle to the adjacent Stadium Course when it comes to rankings, the Tour Course is certainly no pushover in terms of its playability. Designed by Neil Coles and opened in 1995, the 6,600-yard course is part of the challenge that is presented to the DP World Tour’s qualifying school each year, where 150-plus hopefuls seek to earn one of 20 cards for the following season’s top tier tour in Europe in a 108-hole marathon that requires skill, stamina and concentration in equal measure. Sadly, I’m not blessed with any of those qualities, and although I was extremely proud to have made pars at all five of the short holes, the Tour Course’s par 4s and 5s proved more challenging, even playing off the 6,000-yard yellow tees.

The Tour course is a tale of two halves, with the front nine meandering and undulating through beautiful pine forests, while the back nine opens out on to more open terrain that offers views of the surrounding countryside and to the mountains in the distance. Highlight holes for me included the third, a 330-yard downhill par-4 that gently turns to the right before opening up a stunning view of shallow angled green protected by a large pond in front and a semi-circle of tall pines behind. The 550-yard 7th, the second of five par-5s, is also a nice hole, with two decent blows required up the left side to get you into position on the corner of a dogleg to attack the green, while being careful to avoid an avenue of trees that block out those who stray too far right.

Water comes into play on the back nine, with the short par-4 12th inviting you to cut off a bit of the drive with an angled tee shot over a pond to set up a wedge to a raised green, while water also encroaches on the approach to the par-4 13th, and again on the drive and the approach to the par-5 15th. The par-5 18th provides a suitably taxing end to the round with the uphill lie of the land ensuring it plays every inch of its 525 yards, while plentiful bunkering, which is another feature of the course, ensures that anything hit marginally off-line with temporarily

halt your progress towards a well-earned drink in the clubhouse. All told, the Tour Course has any number of holes that would not look out of place on the much more highly rated Stadium course and is presented in excellent condition.

And so to the main event ¬– well it is if you aren’t that excited by oxygen tents and freeze chambers –the Stadium Course. Designed to rival TPC Sawgrass as the spiritual home of the erstwhile European Tour, the course opened in 1998 and right from the off was charged with hosting top-flight events, from the 1999 Gene Sarazen World Open, the 2000 Spanish Open – and again in 2009 and 2014 – and since then the 2022 Catalunya Championship and the aforementioned denouement of the DP World Tour’s Qualifying School. A bid to stage the 2023 Ryder Cup lost out to Marco Simone G&CC in Rome, but the Stadium very much remains a world-class venue worthy of staging top events, although perhaps lacking the space around the fairways to accommodate the crowds that are attracted to the Ryder Cup.

Hole for hole, it’s safe to say that the Stadium is right up there among the best in Europe. From the off it delivers on all levels, with each hole perfectly framed by tall fir trees, lush vegetation, and an abundance of purple heather. The greens are well bunkered, many-tiered and always in tournament condition, making it quite easy to putt off the green should you find yourself on the wrong side of a slope. Water is prevalent on many holes, most notably the par-5 third, where danger lurks to the left of the green; the par-4 fourth, where a pond fronts the left side approach to the green, the stunning par-3 11th, where anything hit long gets wet, and, of course, the iconic par-4 13th, where the shallowest of greens juts out into a lake and approaches hit short or long will require a reload.

STAY

For the very latest golf break packages, visit camiral.com, where you’ll find a 3-night B&B stay in the 5-star Hotel Camiral and 3 rounds of golf, starts from €185pp/pn.

We played off the yellow tees, which takes the course down to 6,600 yards, but the whites are a hefty 7,141, and the tournament tees are 7,309, both of which are best reserved for those who can knock it 300-plus yards off the tee. I certainly came off the course with even more respect for tour pros, especially ones that come here every year to fight for their right to play at the highest level.

As you’d expect of a tour-standard venue, the practice facilities are also top notch, with The Golf Hub featuring a double-ended driving range with covered and open grass hitting bays to a wide variety of defined targets, with Toptracer technology on hand to help track your yardages, spin rates and shot dispersion. Golfers can also work on their short game on

a 2,000 square metre putting green and chipping area, while there are five practice bunkers available, each containing different sand types (Augusta, St Andrews, Hawaii volcanic, Stadium Course and Pebble Beach). There is also an indoor swing studio looking out over the range that has been kitted out with all the latest coaching and club fitting technology, including Trackman and GEARS, which pinpoints tiny flaws – and big ones – in your swing through detailed biomechanical analysis.

ACCOMMODATION

Relaxation is certainly not hard to come by off the golf courses, with guests able to take their pick from two on-site hotels – the five-star Camiral and the four-star La Vida. The latter is designed for guests who simply want comfortable lodgings between rounds of golf, while the former is for those who want a little more space, a few more luxury touches, a larger swimming pool, and all those spa and wellness treatment options right on the doorstep. For those looking for longer, self-catered stays, there are numerous apartments and villas available for rent, which are ideal for larger groups and families looking for that extra element of privacy, while still being close to the resort’s many facilities.

There are four restaurants, with the Camiral boasting the fine dining 1477, which focuses on Catalan-inspired dishes, while La Vida has an Italian restaurant which goes big on fresh pasta dishes and wood-fired pizzas. There is also an excellent choice of freshly-cooked food on offer in the clubhouse, with its full-length terrace overlooking the Stadium Course, while the Lounge Bar in the Camiral Hotel is the place for pre-dinner cocktails and lighter bites. Beyond the confines of the hotel, there are two football pitches – Atletico Madrid FC were staying here ahead of their game against Girona during my visit – tennis courts and paddle courts, and guests are welcome to explore the estate on mountain bikes, while there are miles of hiking trails, a zipline adventure and nature experiences guided by resident botanist Oriol Dalmau, who kindly showed me around his organic vegetable and herb garden while I was returning from a morning cycle ride.

In addition to the many experiences on-site, Camiral also provides the perfect access to Catalonia’s many coastal, cultural and culinary highlights. Girona – famed for its gastronomy with more than 14 Michelin-starred restaurants – is just 20 minutes away, while art lovers can celebrate the master of Surrealism at the Dalí museum in nearby Figueres. Hiking the ancient coastal path Cami de Ronda takes in challenging sea cliffs, secret beaches and lively seaside towns, and the Pyrenees’ exhilarating skiing is just under two hours’ drive away. As Catalonia is on many a road-biker’s bucket list, courtesy of its breath-taking scenery and challenging climbs, Camiral now has a specialist cycling service to cater for dedicated enthusiasts and clubs. I, however, prefer to pass my leisure time on four wheels and two feet, preferably in and out of a golf buggy, and thankfully Camiral has that covered too!

& PLAY

■ COLD COMFORT: CAMIRAL’S CRYOTHERAPY CHAMBER IS DESIGNED TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AND AID MUSCLE RECOVERY

■ CAMIRAL HAS A WIDE RANGE OF PRIVATE VILLAS AND APARTMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY AND SOME TO RENT

■ A STANDARD DOUBLE ROOM AT HOTEL CAMIRAL

■ THE STUNNING PAR-3 11TH HOLE ON THE STADIUM COURSE

TEMPTING TENERIFE

Blessed with a permanent spring-like climate, and a small but stunning choice of courses, Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, makes an ideal destination for a golfing getaway at any time of year, says Nick

Although initially finding it hard to shrug off its reputation as one of the birthplaces of the package holiday, Tenerife has moved on considerably from the bucket and spade breaks that dominated the glossy brochures in the windows of your local Thomson Holidays shop in the 1970s.

Thanks to the arrival of world-class hotel brands, and a number of boutique alternatives to the lowrent chains that dominate the party capital resort of Playa de Las Américas, Tenerife has successfully rebranded itself as a place for cool kids and well-healed families to kick back during the holiday season.

And with a climate that settles around a balmy 24 degrees during the winter, and hotter summer days cooled by light ocean breezes, it’s easy to see why this stunning island located 200 miles off the coast of Morocco makes an ideal location for a spot of R&R.

Although beach-goers came first in the holiday stampede, golfers were not slow to follow, with the island now offering six 18-hole courses on which to while away a week or two under cloudless skies.

Split in half by the snow-capped extinct volcano of Mount Teide, the southern half of the island offers the greatest concentration of golf courses, with four championship layouts within a few miles of each other strung out along the Atlantic Coast. The best of these is undoubtedly Abama, a luxury hotel and golf resort located on the rugged southwest coast, which raised the stakes for both

Bayly

hotels and golf in Tenerife when it first opened in 2005.

Styled on a Moorish village, the five-star resort occupies a 400-acre cliff-top location overlooking the island of La Gomera. Owned by Ritz-Carlton, it enjoys an elevated status as a playground for Europe’s holidaying elite, with well-healed families flocking to make use of its all-inclusive kids’ club during the peak holiday season. Adult guests are also likely to be won over by its choice of 10 restaurants ¬– two of which, M.B. and Kabuki, are Michelin-starred – its superb spa, seven tennis courts, private beach, choice of elegant suites and private villas (butlers can be provided), and, of course, its 18-hole championship golf course. Host venue for the Tenerife Ladies Open way back when, the 6,818-yard layout, which was designed by the late Dave Thomas, winds its way through thousands of palm trees and cacti and offers spectacular views of the Atlantic and the island of La Gomera. There are 22 lakes, joined by a series of waterfalls, while numerous large bunkers, filled with brilliant white sand, add to the challenge. With dramatic elevation changes,

TENERIFE HAS SUCCESSFULLY REBRANDED ITSELF AS A PLACE FOR COOL KIDS AND WELL-HEALED FAMILIES TO KICK BACK DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

■ THE ABAMA RESORT OFFERS FIVE-STAR FACILITIES ON AND OFF THE GOLF COURSE

■ TECINA ENJOYS A STUNNING CLIFF-TOP LOCATION ON LA GOMERA

buggies are essential, and while the green fee is double what is charged at many other venues in the region, it is well worth the investment.

Thomas’s brief was to give the owners the ‘Augusta in the Atlantic’, and he certainly did this with regard to the speed of the greens, as they initially ran so fast that the women pros playing in the first Tenerife Ladies Open were putting off the greens with alarming regularity. Fortunately, the greens have slowed down a bit since then, and they putt smoothly, but still have some very imaginative pin positions.

The opening section of holes meander about on the upper slopes, while the back nine moves onto the lower, with the 700-feet drop between the two making a buggy all but essential. Arguably the most scenic of the many stunning holes, as well as the toughest, is the par-five 10th. Plunging downhill from a high tee near the clubhouse, the ideal shot is a left-to-right slider avoiding a lake on the left, then a mid-iron across the edge of a second stretch of water to set up a pitch to the green.

La Gomera, the aforementioned island that Abama overlooks, is also home to another ‘mustplay venue’ on any golf trip to Tenerife – namely Tecina. Requiring a fast ferry ride from Los Cristianos harbour, and a 45-minute drive on one of the greatest roads in the world, Tecina is one of the golfing wonders of the world. Quite how the architect shoehorned the layout on the land available is a mystery, but he pulled it off with aplomb.

After checking in at the clubhouse, the first tee requires an almost 600-foot vertical drive up a buggy path. Passing all the holes on the way, you see how the use of terracing on a former banana plantation has enabled a spectacular layout to be sculpted, providing testing holes and a view of the ocean and the ever-present Mount Tiede from all of

them. Signature holes are many, with the 4th, 10th and 12th, with their exposed greens, being strong candidates for showstoppers After a round, golfers can hole up at the Hotel Jardin Tecina, a beautiful boutique-style hotel that overlooks the course and is under the same ownership as the golf club or jump back on the ferry to the mainland where other golfing delights await.

Love it or loathe it, there’s no getting away from Los Cristianos if you’re a golfer, as the courses at Las Americas and Costa Adeje are both situated right in the downtown area, among the hotels and apartments. They play very differently, however, with Las Americas, as the name suggests, being an American-style course in both its design and condition. Penal water hazards abound, and with the fairways not overly generous, accuracy is much more critical than length, with short game skills reaping more reward than expertise with a driver. That said, good luck with the killer par-three fourth hole – which requires a 200-yard heave over water and to a well-bunkered green.

For a striking contrast try Costa Adeje, a past host venue for the Ladies European Tour’s Spanish Open, where black volcanic sand lies around the fringes of the fairways and provides a spectacular backdrop to any round. The other striking feature is slightly more man-made, and comes in the form of raised terraces, which are a hangover of an old banana plantation on which the course was built. The designer has kept these tiered banks on the fairways of some holes, which can make driving a buggy a rather hazardous occupation, as well as creating some awkward lies.

Two par-threes spring to mind when talking about Adeje’s signature holes. At the lowest point on the course, the fifth is only a 140-yard flick, but a narrow green front to rear, perched about 30 feet above the tee, scrubland to the right and the prevailing wind off the sea to the right, conjures up echoes of Troon’s Postage Stamp. Two holes further on, the seventh is an equally testing prospect, requiring a 190-yard shot over a barranca of scrub. Golf del Sur, conveniently located near the airport in Los Cristianos, is another favourite on any Tenerife golfing itinerary. Boasting three loops of nine – Links, North and South – it was host to several European Tour events in the early 90’s, and like Adeje, boasts more of that eye-catching and white-shoe ruining black sand, even in the bunkers. When the wind blows, and that is 90 per cent of the time in this part of the world, creative shot making is a necessity in your golfing armoury to score well here, although generous fairways help prevent running up too many cricket scores.

And finally, no talk of golf and Spain can pass without referencing the late, great Seve Ballesteros. One of the most naturally gifted players the game has even seen, Seve was also quite a handy golf course designer, although his premature death in 2011 robbed us of the opportunity of playing more his architectural output. Thankfully he got around to creating Buenavista, an 18-hole championship course located on the rugged northwest of the island that truly lives up to its name. With stunning panoramic vistas from every hole on a course that is framed by the crashing waves of the Atlantic on one side and the Teno mountain range on the other, Seve has weaved his magic to create a superb holiday track that has a unique mix of six par threes, six fours and six fives.

With many holes seemingly hanging out over the water’s edge – especially the par-five 13th, and the stunning par threes at 15 and 17 – visitors will require the touch and imagination of the great man himself in order to score well, especially when the wind is up. And after your game, the adjacent five-star Buenavista Golf is a relaxing spot to relive your finest Seve moments in suitable luxury.

With just a four-hour flight, and such a small but excellent stock of memorable courses to play and luxury hotels to stay in, I’d strongly advise reassessing any preconceptions you had of Tenerife. But just in case, don’t forget to bring your bucket and spade, a knotted hanky, and a threeday old copy of The Sun for blending-in purposes.

■ BUENAVISTA GOLF IS A SEVE BALLESTEROS DESIGN

■ COSTA ADEJE IS BUILT ON A FORMER BANANA PLANTATION

6 OF THE BEST

PLACES TO PLAY IN THE SOUTH WEST

THE ASHLEY WOOD GOLF CLUB

The Ashley Wood Golf Club is based in North Dorset, just a 2030 minute drive from Poole and Bournemouth. A picturesque downland course which is a test for all levels of golfer, we are open virtually all year despite the variable English weather. Tel: 01258 452253 (Option 4) Web: www.ashleywoodgolfclub.com Email: generalmanager@ashleywoodgolfclub.com

ORCHARDLEIGH GOLF CLUB

The 6,824-yard, par-72 course is routed through mature trees and with water coming into play on seven holes. Our practice facilities include a full-length covered practice range, practice bunker, chipping and putting greens. Orchardleigh Estate, Frome, BA11 2PB www.orchardleighgolf.com | info@orchardleighgolf.net

You can stay on-site at this stunning 54-hole venue located on the outskirts of Bristol, with two rounds and breakfast available for just £149pp for a midweek stay, with one round on the Codrington Course and one on the Stranahan course, plus unlimited golf on the par 3 Watergarden course.

www.theplayersgolfclub.com

ST ENODOC

St Enodoc’s Church Course is a highly-ranked true links course overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Camel River Estuary. Perched high above the dunes of Rock and Daymer beaches, it it offers a wonderfully unique golfing experience. www.st-enodoc.co.uk | 01208 863216

St Enodoc Golf Club, Rock, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 6LD

The Dorset boasts a 27-hole Championship Course designed by Martin Hawtree and offers 14 Luxury Scandinavian Log Homes & Cottages and a newly upgraded 16-bedroom hotel. A one-night, two round midweek golf break starts from £95pp, includning a 3-course dinner, bed and breakfast. www.dorsetgolfresort.com | 01929 472244

STOVER GOLF CLUB

Set in beauftiful parkland with some of the prettiest golf holes in Devon, Stover’s recently renovated 5,582-yard, par 69 course is laid out in mature woodland, with water featuring on a number of holes, and provides an interesting and enjoyable challenge to golfers of all abilities.

www.stovergolfclub.co.uk | 01626 352460

THE DORSET GOLF RESORT

THE PLAYERS CLUB

STOVER

THE PLAYERS CLUB

THE DORSET GOLF RESORT

ORCHARDLEIGH GOLF CLUB

THE ASHLEY WOOD GOLF CLUB

ST ENODOC

Costa Navarino judged ‘Best Golf Resort in Europe’

Time to get saving for the ‘Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience’

Two of the west of Scotland’s finest courses, The Machrie and Dundonald Links, have joined forces to launch of a new golf holiday package aimed at travelling golfers with deep pockets.

With seven rounds of golf across a selection of Scotland’s best west coast courses, private jet travel and world-class dining and whisky experiences included, the new Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience will be on every golf enthusiast’s bucket list this year.

The itinerary starts with three nights at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, where guests can stay in one of their luxury golf lodges or hotel suites and enjoy two rounds on its spectacular course. The par 72 layout was thoughtfully designed by Kyle Phillips and offers sweeping views across the Firth of Clyde and, from the clubhouse, views of the neighbouring Isle of Arran. To satisfy even the greatest golf enthusiasts, rounds at both Prestwick (birthplace of The Open) and Western Gailes, dating back to 1897, are also included within the package, with both clubs only a short drive from the hotel.

Meanwhile, dining highlights include a threecourse dinner at Dundonald’s The Canny Cow restaurant, where fine dining options as well as hearty post play favourites are on offer, a special BBQ evening and - for whisky enthusiasts - dinner and tastings in the hotel’s Whisky Room.

Following a few days in Ayrshire, the journey to The Machrie starts in style with a Jetlogic private jet transfer from Prestwick to Islay. With over 130 miles of coastline, Islay, known as ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, boasts dramatic cliff faces, turquoise bays and numerous beaches. Upon landing, guests are whisked to Islay’s famed hotel The Machrie to check into one of the stylish suites or lodges. Set

Bag yourself a break at Brocket

Brocket Hall’s ‘stay & play’ packages for the summer season give golfers the option of playing one or two rounds of golf, choosing from the Melbourne and Palmerston courses, and the opportunity to stay overnight in the historic Melbourne Lodge, originally the estate’s old coaching stables.

Lunch, before or after golf, and supper are additional and can be taken in the The Melbourne Club or the acclaimed finedining restaurant, Auberge du Lac, both conveniently located on the Hertfordshire estate.

The par 72 Melbourne Course, designed by former Ryder Cup golfers Clive Clark and Peter Alliss, was opened in 1992 whilst the more technically-demanding Palmerston Course,

in the dunes, The Machrie is the perfect base for golfers looking to tee off on the wild and beautiful Scottish isle brimming with wildlife.

Golf has been played at The Machrie since 1891. Since then, the award-winning, 18-hole course has been fully modernised by course architect DJ Russell and combines the very best of a traditional historic links course with a modern layout and green complexes. Three rounds of golf are included within the package, as well as use of the 6-hole par 3 Wee Course for those wishing to hone their skills further.

Following a day on the course, guests have the opportunity to sample The Machrie’s Essence of Islay tasting experience - a seasonal six course menu which centres exclusively around hyperlocal ingredients sourced from small-scale supplies. Further culinary highlights include a three and four course dinner, with whisky pairings, at The Machrie’s impressive 18 Restaurant & Bar with views over the course and out to the Atlantic Ocean. A Lagavulin Whisky experience is also included in the package.

Away from the gastronomy experiences, guests can enjoy walks, and bike rides, along the pristine seven-mile beach in front of the hotel or embark on an wildlife tour of the island, discovering the birds and wildlife made famous on David Attenborough’s recent BBC series, Wild Isles. Additionally, a visit to Islay is not complete without a tour of one of the nine whisky distilleries on the island – which is also included in the package.

The cost of the Ultimate West Coast Golf Experience is £6,135 per person, based on four golfers travelling. For more details, visit themachrie.com.

Popular golf course review website Leadingcourses. com has published its latest ranking of the 100 Best Golf Resorts in Europe which are based on reviews provided by the website’s users.

The overall ranking is based 50% on the rating of the golf club on Leadingcourses.com and 50% on the rating for the resort itself on Booking.com.

The criteria for being classed as a ‘resort’ is that the hotel and the golf course/s must be located on the same premises or next to each other, and the venue should offer more than just golf-related facilities. This year’s ranking also factors in added marks for resorts which offer more than one golf course, with venues given a bonus of 0.005 points per every hole offered, thus giving a boost to resort’s that offer 27 holes or more.

This latest ranking has produced a new number one for the first time in four years, with Costa Navarino in Greece, which offers four championship 18-hole courses, edging past the long-time top-ranked resort at Finca Cortesin in Spain.

Costa Navarino has jumped an impressive six places up the ranking, have been judged seventh best in 2022. Located in Messinia, in Greece’s southwest Peloponnese, Costa Navraino offers a world-class golf experience with four 18-hole signature courses, but it also boasts four hotels, including The Westin and The Romanos.

Other venues to improve their ranking was Gleneagles, which is up to third from last year’s fifth, no doubt helped by having three 18-hole championship courses and a 9-hole par-3 course; while Der Oschberghof in Germany moved up to fifth place from last year’s tenth.

Breaking into the top 10 is The K Club in lreland, while the Donald Trump-owned resorts at Turnberry and Doonbeg both dropped down the list, with the former slipping from 2 and 4, and the latter from 3 to 6.

created by Donald Steel alongside Martin Ebert who managed the design detail and construction, was fully open in 2000.

With its stunning views over the property’s glorious stately home and lake which is straddled by a magnificent bridge, the Melbourne guarantees visitors a highly-enjoyable and memorable day. It crosses the River Lea on four occasions as it follows the natural contours of the estate grounds before finishing in front of the Hall after a short ferry ride to the 18th green.

In contrast, the par-73 Palmerston suits golfers looking for a more strategic, challenging round. Unlike the Melbourne, this tree-lined track does not feature the river at all. Instead, it meanders around the Capability Brown-inspired woodland of rare hornbeam, Scots and Corsican Pine, monkey puzzle and

500-year-old oak trees that create some spectacular hazards alongside the fiendishly placed bunkers and large undulating greens that ensure a true test.

Packages start from £190pp for 18 holes on either the Melbourne or Palmerston Course, overnight accommodation, and a full English breakfast. Throw in an extra round for a further £95.

For more details, visit brocket-hall.co.uk, email golfevents@brocket-hall.co.uk or call 01707 368700.

TEEING UP A SCOTTISH FLING

Golf News editor Nick Bayly extols the virtues of a golf break to Scotland, where stamina-sapping Open Championship links venues rub shoulders with 9-hole parkland courses and everything inbetween

With a population of just five million and a total of 587 golf clubs, it’s fair to say that the citizens of Scotland are spoilt for choice when it comes to where to play the game they claim to have invented. From the five Open Championship venues with three-figure green fees, to the nine-hole courses with honesty boxes, there are few countries in the world that can match Scotland for the diversity of its golf offering.

Despite the embarrassment of riches on their doorstep, the Scots are a generous lot – forget the lazy stereotype – and generously welcome all and sundry to share the wealth of links course, parkland tracks, and cliff-top beauties that are to be enjoyed in its wonderfully unpopulated countryside.

I’ve had the good fortune to play quite a few them in my two score years of golfing, including all the major championship layouts, a Ryder Cup course, a Solheim Cup venue or two, and many an amateur championship host, but perhaps the ones I cherish the most boast far less exalted histories.

For instance, I’ll never forget the rounds I used to enjoy with my late mother at Kemnay Golf Club back in the early 1980s. Then, aged 13, and living just outside Aberdeen, we would drop a few pounds in the honesty box and play nine holes in glorious isolation. Mum, bless her, never liked to be rushed on the golf course, and never enjoyed having a group of stuffy old men watching her tee off, so midweek rounds on deserted courses like Kemnay suited her down to the ground.

While Kenmay might not qualify as a hidden gem, it’s certainly part of the overall fabric of what makes golf in Scotland such a unique experience. And although the championship layouts are all worth ticking off your bucket list, you can have an equally enjoyable, and, dare I say it, cheaper time, by straying off the well-beaten tracks, and searching out some of the courses and clubs that don’t have their own Twitter feeds or Facebook pages, but will leave just as many lasting golfing memories.

With over 150 nine-hole courses to choose from alone in Scotland, you can rack up three or four clubs in a day if you plan your itinerary properly, especially during those glorious summer months when 18 hours of daylight allows the serious golfer time to tick off 72 holes in a day, and still leave time for a pie and a pint.

So whether you have £20 or £200 to spend on a green fee, whether you’re a scratch golfer or struggle to break 100, and whether you’re looking for five-star luxury, and or a simple B&B for the night, there is something for everyone in Scotland – and you won’t have to look too far to find it.

HOME IN ON THE HOME OF GOLF

With the dust having just about settled at St Andrews following its hosting of The 150th Open last year, there has never been a better time to start planning a visit to the Home of Golf.

Although Old Tom Morris would probably spin in his grave at the thought of St Andrews being called a ‘golf resort’, the ancient town on Fife’s east coast is one in all but name, with golf tourism being its main source of income almost since the game was first played here 400 years ago.

The fabled Old Course is clearly the sun around which all the other courses in the town draw their heat, and getting a tee time on the ‘Auld Lady’ seems to be as hard as ever, with no let up in demand for a chance to walk in the footsteps of the great champions that have graced this course at 30 Open Championships since 1873, the most recent of which saw a mullet-wearing Australian by the name of Cameron Smith walk off with the Claret Jug.

The Old Course remains the ultimate bucket list course, and is a must-play for

any golfer with a pulse. Half of all of the starting times are selected through a daily ballot, so there’s a fair chance of getting on if you haven’t pre-booked, but there are any number of tour operators that will be able to offer guaranteed tee times, taking out all of the luck of the draw, and allowing you to plan your trip with absolute certainty. And what a treat you will have in store. Offering the most nerve-wracking opening tee shot in golf, despite possessing one of the widest fairways in the world, the Old Course sets up iconic shot after shot. From your approach over the burn to the first green, to the drive over the corner of the Old Course Hotel on the 17th tee, and that putt up the Valley of Sin at the closing hole, it’s a beguiling journey through golfing history that will have you wanting to do it all over again as soon as you walk off the 18th.

St Andrews is long on quality and quantity, with the Links Trust offering no fewer than seven other superb layouts on which to test your mettle, with the New Course being the pick on those in the immediate vicinity. Less quirky than the Old, it shares many of its qualities, including several double greens, but the holes are more defined. If you’re looking for more thrills and spills, then I’d recommend a game at the Castle Course, a 6,759-yard cliff-top layout which enjoys stunning views over St Andrews from around the bay.

Talking of bays, Fairmont St Andrews Golf Resort & Spa, located in St Andrews Bay, is also popular luxury stopover, with its two championship courses, Torrance and Kittocks, providing 36 holes of cliff-top golf with a linksy feel, while the five-

■ FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS OFFERS TWO CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES AND MAGICAL VIEWS TOWARDS THE HOME OF GOLF

WHETHER YOU’RE A SCRATCH GOLFER OR STRUGGLE TO BREAK 100, THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN SCOTLAND – AND YOU WON’T HAVE TO LOOK TOO FAR TO FIND IT

■ MACRAHANISH DUNES IS GOLF AS GOD INTENDED, WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE OF THE NATURAL LAND

star hotel offers 209 guest rooms, a spa, and new fewer than six dining options. For golfers looking to stay more centrally in St Andrews, the MacDonald Rusacks Hotel, which sits half way up the right-hand side of 18th fairway, is perhaps the more authentically Scottish venue, although the Old Course Hotel, which is situated on the dogleg of the Road Hole 17th, with the fabled Jigger Inn within its grounds, is the popular and obvious choice, with its course-facing suites providing a suitably luxurious vantage point from which to soak up the golfing atmosphere.

MONARCHS OF THE GLEN

Moving away from St Andrews, no five-star visit to Scotland should miss out on the chance to visit Gleneagles, the self-styled highland playground of the rich and famous down the years. Golfers have been queuing up to play the resort’s PGA Centenary Course ever since it hosted the Ryder Cup in 2014 and the Solheim Cup in 2019. Although not a classic Scottish course by any stretch of the imagination, you’d be mad not to want to follow in the footsteps of the European and American teams, although make sure you also play the resort’s other two more mature layouts, the century-old King’s and the Queen’s, both of which have benefited from significant renovations, returning them to challenge that James Braid first intended.

Whichever courses you play, you can be guaranteed a good night’s sleep in the AA Five Red Star Gleneagles Hotel, which is luxury at its most Scottish. Guests can

choose to stay in either a range of rooms and suites in the hotel – including the ten ultra-luxury suites that occupy the top floor of the hotel – or rent one of the two, three and four-bed private lodges that are located on the estate.

If Braid courses float your boast, then the journey up to Brora Golf Club on Scotland’s north west coast is a must, with the traditional links widely regarded as one of his finest designs. Regularly ranked inside GB&I’s top 100, five-time Open champion Peter Thomson described Brora as ‘the most natural links course in the world’, and who are we to argue.

For those visitors flying in or out of Edinburgh, a stop off for a round at the Renaissance Club has much to recommend it. Located between Gullane and North Berwick, and only a 30-minute drive from the airport, Renaissance opened as a private members’ club in 2008 on the Archerfield Estate, a pitching wedge away from

As it was meant to be...

■ THE PGA CENTENARY COURSE AT GLENEAGLES, VENUE FOR THE 2014 RYDER CUP AND 2019 SOLHEIM CUP

■ CRUDEN BAY IS ONE MANY FINE LINKS TO BE FOUND ON SCOTLAND’S NORTH EAST COAST

■ THE CARPET-LIKE GREENS AT BRORA BLEND SEAMLESSLY INTO THE CRUMPLED FAIRWAYS

Muirfield, but with far better views over the Firth of Forth. Tom Doak, the creative genius behind Pacific Dunes in Oregon and Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand, has created a series of compelling holes several carved out of the coastal pine forest, and others stretching along the coastline high on the cliff tops above the Firth. After a round, guests can relax in the comfortable surroundings of the palatial clubhouse, while the quality of the accommodation, which comes in the form of 23 suites within a lodge, is well above par.

BEST OF THE WEST

After tackling the Open Championship courses at Carnoustie and Muirfield, golfers looking to test themselves on something altogether newer, but no less challenging,

should head over to Trump Turnberry, where a renovation of the iconic Ailsa Course has been drawing rave reviews since it re-opened in 2019. The most controversial change is to the par-4 ninth, which has been converted to a long par three that relocates the entire hole closer to the lighthouse, while several other seaside holes have been pushed closer to the water, to add further to the drama.

Elsewhere, a new Trumpified clubhouse offers diners the chance to chow down on lobster mac ‘n’ cheese or one of numerous cuts of Scottish-reared steaks cooked on an open grill in the Duel in the Sun restaurant, while the hotel itself has received a similarly spectacular renovation, although thankfully Trump’s interior designers has gone easy on the gold leaf.

Golfers looking to play the only course in the country to be built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest should make the pilgrimage to Machrihanish Dunes, which transports visitors back over 120 years to a time when golf was at one with nature. Amazingly, only seven of the 260-odd acres of the site have been disturbed to make way for the rumpled fairways and punchbowl greens of the David McLay Kidd-designed 7,082-yard course, which makes for a truly unique links experience, and one that requires pinpoint accuracy to score well, especially when the wind gets up, as it often does on this remote outcrop on Scotland’s most westerly coast.

It’s fair to say that it would take a good chunk of your lifetime to play all the great golf courses that Scotland has to offer, and while it may seem overwhelming at first, taking that first important step will take you on a golfing journey of discovery the likes of which you would struggle to find anywhere else on earth.

GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY GOLF CLUB

is situated in the Cairngorms National Park. The Club was established in1890 as a nine-hole course and by 1921, it had grown to 18 holes with the help of Willie Park and James Braid. The course is a traditional Scottish resortcourse designed to appeal to all levels of golfers. The Club has all the facilities you would expect from a Club in the top 100 in Scotland.

Tel: 01479 872079 | Web: grantownonspeygc.co.uk

MONIFIETH is home to two fantastic 18 hole links courses, The Medal and The Ashludie. These courses have been enjoyed by every level of golfer – from seasoned professional to happy amateur – and even Tom Watson who a member! 18 hole and 36 hole packages are available with bookings/information available via the website along with green fees and other information.

Tel: 01382 532767 | Web: monifiethgolf.co.uk

TAIN GOLF CLUB in Ross-Shire, is a classic 18-Hole Scottish Highland links course designed by Old Tom Morris. If you would like to play golf while in Scotland you are guaranteed a warm welcome at Tain where you can experience a great course which is suitable for all standards of golfer. Tain Golf Club is a Scottish Golf Championship venue and will be hosting the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship this August.

Tel: 01862 892314 | Web: tain-golfclub.co.uk

TORWOODLEE GOLF CLUB features an 18hole course that is a stunning picturesque rolling parkland paradise just outside Galashiels in the beautiful Scottish Borders countryside. The course is set in a valley amongst mature trees, flanked by the River Gala and divided by the Borders Railway line. Green Fees start from just £40 a round, with golf and food packages available and EZ-GO electric buggies.

Tel: 01896 752260 Web: torwoodleegolfclub.co.uk

TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF LINKS

embraces mile after mile of spectacular Aberdeenshire coastline. Against a dramatic North Sea backdrop, our awardwinning championship course offers breath-taking scenery and an unparalleled test of golf. Experience the unrivalled beauty, atmosphere and Scottish hospitality of Trump Internationalthe ultimate golfing destination.

Tel: 01358 743300 | Web: trumpgolfscotland.com

WEST KILBRIDE GOLF CLUB lies on a beautiful strip of links land and raised beach adjacent to the coastal village of Seamill, and is the most northerly of Ayrshire’s true links courses. With magnificent views of Arran, Bute and Cowal it makes a wonderful venue for the game and a fine test of golf. The course follows an anti-clockwise route with a loop at the far end around the turn.

Tel: 01294 823911 | Web: westkilbridegolfclub.com

■ CARNOUSTIE’S CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE SHOULD BE ON EVERYONE’S GOLFING BUCKET LIST

■ THE NO.1 COURSE, HOST OF THE 2018 SCOTTISH OPEN, IS ONE OF THREE 18-HOLE LINKS ON OFFFER AT GULLANE GOLF CLUB

■ TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF LINKS, JUST NORTH OF ABERDEEN, IS A SUPERB TEST

My first holiday was… around Scotland with my mum, dad and brother. We were very much an outdoors family and loved camping, caravanning and hill walking. I remember some great times and great places all over the West Coast of Scotland and, yes, I remember a lot of sunshine, as well as rain too!

My most recent holiday was to… New Zealand to reaquaint our daughter with the rellies Down Under.

HAZEL IRVINE

My favourite golf course in the world is… Well, obviously, it has to be my home course, Cardross Golf Club, which about 20 miles north-west of Glasgow. Running it close would be the New Course at St Andrews, and the Queens Course at Gleneagles. I was born in St Andrews, and lived in Fife until I was five, so golf has been in my DNA from the start.

I first started playing when I was seven, when my dad gave me a cut-down 7-iron to hit about when he was playing at Cardross. I was hooked from the start and my summer holidays basically consisted of playing two rounds a day – every day.

I came back to St Andrews as a student and played for the University team, and spent most of time outside of lectures playing golf. My halls of residence was at Hamilton Hall, overlooking the 18th hole of the Old Course. You’d pay alot for that room now! I’m lucky enough to be a member of the R&A, so I get back to play the Old Course as often as I can.

My ideal holiday fourball would include…

My husband, my dad and Nancy Lopez to even up the numbers!

My most memorable ever round was at… Pebble Beach, where we could only get a late-afternoon tee time, practically ran round it whilst soaking in the views, hit at least two balls over the cliffs, but still managed to finish the 18th by playing a luminous ball in the semi-darkness. Magic!

My favourite golf resort is… Gleneagles. Tranquility, peace, and golfing gorgiousness.

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed at was… not really a hotel, but a wilderness camp in the Namibian desert.

My favourite city in the world is… Hong Kong. I love its energy and excitement. I’m not sure I could live there though, as it would burn me out pretty quickly!

The thing I hate about travel is... security checks, but I’m also glad they’re there.

I always travel with… photographs of my family, my laptop and a travel steamer. I hate ironing! I also always pack a pair of thermal socks. My feet are the first part of my body to get cold, and I have to do an awful lot of standing around waiting to do interviews. Once they get cold, it’s very difficult to warm them up again.

The worst holiday I’ve ever had was… whilst hiking in the Alps. Got food poisoning half-way along the route. Very dodgy!

My top travel tip would be… always take a cache of Dioralyte powders in your wash bag. See above.

The 58-year-old BBC sports presenter returns to her Scottish roots for golf and pleasure, and never leaves home without her trusty travel steamer

■ GLENEAGLES PGA NATIONAL

■ HAZEL USED TO LIVE IN HAMILTON HALL WHEN IT WAS A ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY HALLS OF RESIDENCE

■ CARDROSS GC, SCOTLAND

DELIGHTFUL DONEGAL

Golf News editor Nick Bayly enjoys a whistlestop tour of some of finest links in County Donegal , including the recently opened St Patricks Links at Rosapena, which is set to raise the bar still further in a part of NorthWest Ireland which is already blessed with more than its fair share of golfing riches

Just an hour after leaving Stansted the Loganair 48-seater jet I was travelling in touched down at Northern Ireland’s Derry airport, with the plane coming to something abrupt halt just seconds after we’d hit the tarmac after coming in low over the icy waters of the North Atlantic. My time spent in Northern Ireland was as long as it took to drive through the western suburbs of Derry, and as the road signs on the A2 turned from delineating miles to kilometres, it didn’t take a rocket scientist or a geography teacher to realise that I was now in the Republic.

Just over 45 minutes after leaving Derry I was driving through the gates at Ballyliffin Golf Club for the first appointment on my threecourse itinerary, the 18 championship holes offered on the Glashedy Links. Ballyliffin’s other course, the Old, as its name suggests, predates Glashedy Links by some 22 years, but it is the newcomer that is rated slightly higher in the rankings due to the vision and skill of Pat Ruddy., whose handiwork it is. The course takes its name from the huge Glashedy Rock that can be seen from all angles and gives rise to comparisons with Turnberry.

Measuring 7,200 yards off the backs, and with nine par fours over 400 yards, the Glashedy represents a serious test, and although I played off the more forward tees (6,385 yards), gusting winds of 30mph ensured that it proved more than a match for my limited skillset. With narrow fairways, deep and plentiful bunkering, and even deeper and more penal rough, straight hitting is essential if you’re to have a sniff of par and not losing a bucket load of balls.

The outward nine is 400-500 yards shorter than the front,

although that is offset by two of course’s three par-3s coming at 5 and 7. The round gets off to a tough start, with three consecutive par 4s of over 400 yards providing an early examination. The par-5 fourth presented my first sight of a birdie, with the green being reachable with two wind-assisted blows. With towering dunes either side of the narrow fairway, it’s a perfectly framed hole that delights the eye. The sixth, a 370-yard dogleg par-4, is another personal highlight of the outward nine, with a well-placed drive to the ‘knee’ leaving a shortish shot into an angled green.

The 160-yard 7th feels somewhat at odds with the rest of the course, with the tee towering 100 yards above a green which is protected by a large pond on the right-hand side. The run of five par fours from the 8th to the 12th seems a little repetitive when looking at the scorecard, but the reality presents distinctly different challenges, and the 11th and 12th are excellent examples of their type. Things hot up at the 13th, a magnificent par-5 which ducks back in among the dunes, while the par-3 14th is a downhill hole which plays as short as 120 yards to a green which is protected by a deep front bunker and steep-run offs.

Holes 15, 16 and 17 are often played into the teeth of the prevailing wind, with the 544-yard 17th feeling like one of those holes that never ends – yes, I took a seven and wasn’t too unhappy – while the round ends with a somewhat understated left-to-right 390-yard dogleg par-4 played to an angled green. All told, the Glashedy is one tough cookie, made even tougher on my visit by the wind and rain, although I imagine it would beat

you up somewhat less on a calm, sunny summer’s day.

After golf, my two fellow travellers and I holed up at the nearby Ballyliffin Hotel for some much-needed R&R, and where a steak pie and a few pints of the black stuff, followed by a restful night’s sleep, restored the batteries ahead of the following day’s visit to Rosapena, an hour or so drive away.

As the world’s coastal regions become a battleground between the economic demands of tourism and the desire to protect the natural environment, it is increasingly rare – and justifiably so – for pieces of land to be found that all parties agree are acceptable to develop a new golf course on. The developers behind St Patricks Links, the third 18-hole course at Rosapena Resort, located hard on the shores of Sheephaven Bay, were fortunate to have no such troubles when it came to adding another course to the two that it already had on offer.

That was mainly down to the fact the venue for the new course was already the site for two pre-existing, and, so I’m told, rather humdrum layouts that the renowned golf course architect Tom Doak was tasked with transforming into one absolute belter to join the highly rated Old Tom Morris and Sandy Hills courses that have been attracting golfers from all over the world to Rosapena for decades. The initial project to carry out the transformation was halted by the economic crisis that unfolded back in 2008, and it was only after a change of Rosapena’s ownership in 2012, and the investment from the Casey family that followed, that plans to develop the 300-acre site into a new world-class links were

reignited. Construction of St Patricks Links began in 2018 and, give or take a few ill winds caused by the pandemic, the course opened for play in the summer of 2021.

Armed with a course planner, a laser rangefinder and a dozen or so balls, I was later glad I had loaded up on the latter, as playing a new course on your own makes keeping your head down while watching where your ball went a tricky task at the best of times.

The course gets off to a cracking start with the opening par-4 played from a raised tee to a fairway boarded by towering dunes on either side, with the green tucked around the corner of a rightto-left dogleg. Thankfully, the fairways are more generous than they were at Ballyliffin, and its noticeably more friendly to a wider range of players, with the men’s tees stretching the par-71 course to 6,930 yards from the backs, 6,490 from the middle, and 5,919 off the front, and 5,136 off the ladies and a par of 72.

Playing from the middle tees, and after making pars at four of the first six holes, I quickly came to the conclusion that this was my kind of links. It allowed a margin for error off the tee, but rewarded accurate iron play, and placed an emphasis on imagination over brute strength.

It is not until you reach the raised tee on fourth, a majestic par 5, that the sheer scale of the course reveals itself. With the opening three holes played amid the dunes, the fourth opens up a view over the beach and Sheep Haven Bay, with the dunes and ribbons of fairway stretching out beneath you. The land and the golf course seem to merge as one, creating a very natural and

uncontrived feel, and delivering a links experience that is unlike many other I’ve had before. The fourth and the fifth are the only two holes running in the same direction, so the only two holes with the wind in the same direction. There is good variety in the par 3s too. None of them plays over 180 yards, but they play in three different directions, with both uphill and downhill settings. If variety is the spice of life, St Patricks Links ticks plenty of boxes on that score, with no hole remotely resembling another.

The highlight on the back nine is undoubtedly the 14th, a sweeping dogleg par 4 that demands that you hit your drive directly towards the sea, before turning right to hit an a longiron approach to a well-guarded green that is perched just yards from the beach. The round, to my mind, finishes with a whimper than bang, with the 170-yard 17th and the 350-yard 18th neither setting the pulses racing or feeling like the round was reaching a crescendo.

Wearing my most balanced of hats, St Patricks Links has some truly stunning holes and is located on a dramatic piece of land, but there are some forgettable holes, and the course conditioning means that it will be some time before a proper assessment of its merits as a golfing experience, can be made, but there’s no doubting that this course will be a must-play on any itinerary to this part of the world in the years to come.

The following morning, refuelled by a full Irish breakfast and a good night’s sleep at the Rosapenna Hotel, we set off in search of Portsalon Golf Club, the final stop on my itinerary. The 15-mile drive took us through some spectacular scenery, with the narrow roads twisting and turning around the shores of Mulroy Bay and Kincrum Lough, before emerging at Portsalon Beach and its eponymous golf club. With the tide out on Ballymastoker Bay, the sun shining through wispy clouds, and the wind a mere zephyr, conditions were just about perfect for my final outing of the trip.

One of the nine founding clubs of the Golf Union of Ireland, golf has been played at Portsalon since 1891, and although the course was significantly remodelled in 2000, it has been providing a fine test of golf for local golfers and a steady stream of visitors for over 130 years. At 6,193 yards off the back tees, Portsalon is a refreshingly short course, where the challenge is not in the length off the tee, but in finding the right part of the fairway from which to attack the well-guarded greens. Among half a dozen standout holes, the second, a 390-yard par four, is an early highlight with the raised tee providing a stunning view out over the bay, while the fairway below curves gently around the beach. The challenge is to judge just how much of the beach you want – or are able – to carry – with the braver shot leaving a much shorter shot to the green. I baled out right, waaaaay right, and had to lay up with my second in front of a tidal inlet that fronts the green and was happy to walk off with a five and my ball still intact. The next five holes run alongside the sea, with the 4th – ‘Valley’ presenting a gun barrel straight par-5 with towering dunes on either side, and the 5th, a long par-three, being personal favourites. The 3rd shares a green with the 9th, as does the 4th with the 8th, giving the course even more of a St Andrews vibe, while also serving to create a modicum of confusion for first-time visitors.

All told, Portsalon is an absolute joy to play from start to finish. It’s a proper links, but its length makes it playable for all levels of golfer, while there are plenty of strategic options to allow for aggressive plays which carry their own risk and reward.

Of course, there are many more courses along the Wild Atlantic Way that I didn’t get to play – Ballyliffin’s Old Course, the Sandy Hills and Old Tom Morris courses at Rosapenna, and Narin & Portnoo being four off the bat - but the three I played have certainly whetted my appetite to come back for more of what delightful Donegal has to offer.

WHERE TO PLAY

Ballyliffin GC – Old Course €160; Glashedy Links €200. ballyliffingolfclub.com.

Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort – Old Tom Morris €150, Sandy Hills €150, St Patricks Links €200 (Apr 14-Oct 22). rosapenna.ie

Portsalon GC – €120, portsalongolfclub.ie

WHERE TO STAY

Ballyliffin Hotel - This 3-star hotel is just 5 minutes from Ballyliffin Golf Club and offers double and twin rooms with satellite TV, power shower, two restaurants and a bar. Prices from €260 per room for 2-night stays. ballyliffinhotel.com

Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort – The four-star hotel boasts a wide array of accommodation options, from classic doubles to opulent suites with balconies. It also offers an indoor pool, gym and spa and has two restaurants. Two-night B&B packages, including two rounds of golf, start from £405pp. rosapenna.ie

For more information and details on golf breaks throughout Ireland, visit www.ireland.com/golf

■ LOOKING BACK DOWN THE 18TH HOLE AT ST PATRICKS LINKS

■ A VIEW OF THE 14TH GREEN AT THE RECENTLY OPENED ST PATRICKS LINKS AT ROSAPENNA

■ BALLYLIFFIN‘S TWO LINKS ENJOY A STUNNING SPOT

■ THE GLASHEDY LINKS HOLES ARE PERFECTLY FRAMED BY TOWERING DUNES

■ THE FAIRWAYS AT BALLYLIFFIN ROLL OUT LIKE RUMPLED CARPETS

■ THE PAR-5 4TH AT PORTSALON RUNS PARALLEL TO THE BAY

■ THE 2ND AT PORTSALON REQUIRES A BRAVE TEE SHOT OVER THE BEACH

MAKE A DATE WITH DAYTONA BEACH

1TEE TIME TEMPERATURES

Florida is home to over a thousand golf courses, so deciding where to play in the Sunshine State can be challenging to say the least, but Daytona Beach has risen to the top of the list of golf destinations for true lovers of the game.

The Central Florida hotspot has everything UK golfers are looking for in an international destination. For starters, Daytona Beach is home to LPGA International, one of the state’s flagship facilities, a pair of Donald Ross designs, and Victoria Hills, one of Florida’s top 15 layouts – and that’s just scratching the surface.

Daytona Beach’s appeal off the course equals the quality of its golf offerings. From Daytona International Speedway to the ‘World’s Most Famous Beach’, Daytona Beach is full of eco, high-adventure and cultural activities.

Throw in a vibrant culinary scene and the Daytona Beach Ale Trail, a collection of 21 local craft breweries, distilleries and tap houses, including Ormond Brewing Company and Daytona Beach Brewing Company, and it’s easy to understand the area’s popularity with golfers and non-golfers alike.

With a wide choice of international airports to fly into, Daytona Beach’s winter and spring season is awaiting the arrival of discerning international travellers in search of an unforgettable golf trip.

While the beach and speedway continue to attract much of the attention, here are the top five reasons Daytona Beach should be part of your itinerary.

The appeal of the area’s idyllic winter weather can’t be overstated, and from January through May, the heart of the winter and spring golf seasons, it’s perfect. The average high temperatures in Daytona Beach over the next five months are: 20°c (January), 21.6° (February), 23.8° (March), 26° (April) and 29° (May).

2PERFECT PLAYING CONDITIONS

Daytona Beach’s mild winters weather does more than guarantee playing in short sleeves – it also ensures the golf courses are great shape throughout the year, meaning players don’t have to fret about conditions, with the greens running fast and true and pristine fairways where the ball sits up perfectly and ready to be hit – although in which direction is up to you!

■ DAYTONA BEACH IS BLESSED WITH MILES OF UNSPOILT WHITE SANDY BEACHES

With dozens of world class golf courses, a vibrant nightlife, waterfront dining, great shopping – and not forgetting that famous car race – there’s something for everyone in daytona beach

■ THE DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY AND ITS FAMOUS NASCAR RACES IS A MUST-VISIT FOR ALL PETROL-HEAD GOLFERS

3QUALITY IN QUANTITY

At the heart of any golf trip is the on-course experience. The Daytona Beach area is home to nearly 20 layouts that deliver superb quality, undeniable value and unparalleled playing conditions – the holy trinity on a golf trip leader’s checklist. LPGA International, home of the Jones and Hills courses, leads the way, but Spruce Creek Country Club, home of the nation’s largest private fly-in community, Riviera Country Club, Victoria Hills, Venetian Bay and Daytona Beach Golf Club’s South Course, a Donald Ross design, are all outstanding layouts. Options are plentiful and appealing in Daytona Beach.

4FLY ‘N’ DRIVE!

Daytona Beach is easily accessible via car, directly off Interstate 95 and Interstate 4, or from flights into Daytona Beach International Airport, located within minutes of the beach. Other major airports in Orlando and Jacksonville are within an hour’s drive. The convenience of getting here, combined with everything else, makes a Daytona Beach golf trip a no-brainer.

5THE NEED FOR SPEED

Throughout February, Daytona Beach will be in the news as the region gears up for ‘The Great American Race’, the Daytona 500, a 200-lap showdown that tees off NASCAR’s season and is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Golfers planning a late January, early February trip know courses don’t close for Daytona Speedweeks. In fact, some of the events surrounding the Daytona 500 can enhance a golf trip, as the buzz accompanying the world’s premier’s stock car race brings even more life to an already vibrant destination. Fans of that other popular form of motorsport, Formula 1, can also get their fix in Florida this year, with the Grand Prix circuit coming to Miami’s International Autodrome from May 4-7.

OFF-COURSE ACTIVTIES

The main event of a golf getaway may seem fairly obvious, but what happens off the course matters – a lot. With a wide range of natural excursions, a vibrant nightlife, an array of waterfront dining, and shopping, you’ll have no trouble finding a way to fill the hours after you wrap up your round.

Whether you want a quiet corner to relive the day’s best shots, crave a bustling beachfront bar scene where you can unwind, or seek a little more solitude paddling along the waterway, there’s something for everyone in Daytona Beach.

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

With plenty of oceanfront accommodation options, and

SPECIAL GOLF HOLIDAY PACKAGE

7 nights’ B&B in a twin/double room at Hilton Daytona Beach

Oceanfront Resort • Return BA flights to Orlando from the UK • 3 rounds of golf 18 holes at LPGA International, Rees Jones Signature Course 18 holes at LPGA International, Arthur Hills Signature Course • 18 holes at Victoria Hills.

Prices from £1,349pp (depending on travel date).

For more details visit yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 043 6644.

DAYTONA BEACH’S IDLLYIC WEATHER, OUTSTANDING GOLF COURSES AND WORLD-CLASS HOSPITALITY PROVIDES A COMPELLING MIX

over 10 beachfront parks, along 23 miles of beautiful coastline, you’ll find a variety of options and activities to have an amazing beach day with all the family in Daytona Beach. Spend an afternoon looking for shells or grab a bite to eat and take a walk along the beautiful shoreline as you enjoy the tranquil sounds of the waves. Let the kids run around and have fun at the oceanfront splash parks and enjoy lunch with the

family at one of the many pavilions overlooking the ocean.

Family-friendly attractions like Daytona Lagoon Waterpark, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Marine Science Center and the Museum of Arts & Sciences are fun for all ages off the beach, too. Daytona Beach is an international destination, attracting visitors to attend NASCAR races and take a drive on the area’s famed beaches.

10 COURSES TO PLAY IN DAYTONA

LPGA INTERNATIONAL features the Hills Course and the Jones Course. Named after their two designers, Arthur Hills and Rees Jones, the LPGA International has been the home course and headquarters of the LPGA Tour since 1994, when the Jones was built. While the 7,025-yard Jones will appeal to bighitting fans of links golf, as well as testing your wedge play on the small, circular greens, the slightly shorter Hills provides a classically Floridian wetland and pineforested examination.

DAYTONA BEACH GOLF CLUB is located less than a mile from the beach, Daytona Beach GC also offers two courses, the South and the North. The former is an original Donald Ross design and is one of the oldest layouts in the region, having first opened in 1921. Built on largely flat and open land, most holes are quite straight and bunkerless, giving it a decidedly old-fashioned feel, while the North Course, which was redesigned in 1990s, offers a more tree-lined, dog-leg experience, with ponds and prominent bunkering. Both are short by modern standards, at under 6,300 yards, but are no less enjoyable for it.

RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB is not to be confused the club of the same name in Los Angeles, Daytona Beach’s Riviera Country Club first opened as a nine-hole course in 1930s, before expanding to the 18 holes in the 1950s. Although given several facelifts since, the family-owned club prides itself on the presentation of its beautifully-

manicured, parkland-style championship course, which offers ideal holiday golf in stunning surroundings.

The Club at Pelican Bay offers 27 holes divided among the Club, Pelican and Bay nines. Making the most of the natural landscape, including the lakes and ponds, while offering sculptured fairways, elevated tees and other visually appealing elements, golfers enjoy warm Gulf breezes and the sight of shorebirds such as pelicans and herons, as they go about their rounds.

A 30-year-old Arthur Hills design, which was tweaked in 2015, CYPRESS HEAD weaves its way through a mixture of woodland, wetland and small lakes, with many of the latter hazards lurking alongside the subtly undulating greens. Bunkering is kept to a minimum, ensuring approach shots aren’t too tricky, although light mounding provides welcome definition to the fairways. Highlights include the back-to-back par3s at 6 and 7, and the par-4 14th, which curves around a large pond, with water a constant threat for anything hit left.

CRANE LAKES underwent a redesign to its 18-hole course in 2014, as it installed Bermuda grass to the greens. The 5,186-yard layout features eight par3s, eight par-4s and just two par-5s.

SPRUCE CREEK was built around an aircraft landing strip used by the US Navy during World War II, golfers playing Spruce Creek are still likely to get buzzed by private aircraft taking off and landing at this fly-in community, especially around the 8th and 9th holes, adding an adrenaline rush to your quest to finish the front nine in style. The two flattish

■ VICTORIA HILLS SHOULD BE ON YOUR CHECK LIST OF COURSES TO PLAY IN THE DAYTONA BEACH AREA

loops weave their way gently through a residential community, which is largely hidden behind tree-lined fairways, while a high number of small lakes and ponds ensure you need to pick your way carefully around the course to avoid a re-stocking trip to the pro shop.

Nestling alongside the Bulow Creek and Ormond Tomb State Parks, HALIFAX PLANTATION’S 30-year-old course cuts a swathe through century-old oaks and tall pines. Featuring elevated tees and undulating, well-bunkered greens, the two nine-hole loops provide a constantly shifting backdrop as you progress through this attractive layout which forms part of a wider residential development.

Located three miles of the I4 between Orlando and Daytona Beach, DEBARY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB opened in 1990 and has hosted US Open Qualifying on several occasions, with its 6,776-yard layout proving a solid test for top-level golfers. With water only coming into play the 9th and 18th, and little in the way of rough, the course is otherwise defended by expansive bunkering and treelined fairways.

While proper hills are in short supply in this part of the world, VICTORIA HILLS definitely has some gently rolling slopes. Occupying a wonderfully undulating, wooded terrain, the course has a very natural feel to it, with some swampy wetlands also adding to the interest, especially at the par-3 second. The finger-style bunkering also catches the eye, as it does golf balls, while natural sand areas and to the feeling of being at one with nature.

■ DAYTONA BEACH BOASTS 37KM OF BEACHFRONT, INCLUDING DOZENS OF LUXURY HOTELS AND SUPERB RESTAURANTS

SARDINIA 360 IS ARENAS HOTEL

The spectacular Mediterranean island of Sardinia is one of the least densely populated regions of Italy, making it an ideal holiday destination for those looking to get away from the crowds that often blight the more touristy regions to be found on the mainland.

With just 1.5 million people spread throughout its 9,000 square miles, you’re unlikely to have to fight for space on its beautiful beaches or queue for a table at a seaside restaurant, or, thankfully, for golfers at least, worry about getting a tee time on one of the dozen or so golf courses that are spread across the island.

Golfers seeking to combine a relaxing beach break with a few rounds on one of Europe’s finest courses, and certainly the best in Sardinia, should make their way to Baja Hotels Is Arenas, a five-star hotel and golf resort located in half-way up the island’s beautiful western coast. Recently brought into the Baja Hotels’ portfolio of luxury resorts, Is Arenas boasts the most recent tour-standard course to open in Sardinia, having welcomed its first golfers back in 2000. Carved out of a pine forest close under the guidance of renowned American architect Robert von Hagge – who also designed the 2018 Ryder Cup venue in Paris and the ultra-exclusive Les Bordes – the par-72, 18-hole course, which is located on the Baja Hotels Is Arenas Resort, is a cut above in all senses.

There’s no doubt that von Hagge has done some of his very best work here, with juniper and pine trees framing every hole as the course winds its way intuitively over a gently undulating landscape. With no two holes the same, the design, while definitely favouring straight hitters, also ensures that you don’t come across other golfers during your round, adding to the feeling of splendid isolation. Built on sandy

STAY & PLAY

For golfers staying at the hotel, there are a wide range of great value golf holiday packages, ensuring discounted green fee rates and guaranteed tee times throughout the season. To find out more, visit www.isarenas. it. For bookings, please email booking@ sardinia360.it.

soil, the fairway lies are always perfect and the ball sits up invitingly to be hit into pristine greens.

Speaking of what it takes to produce a course of such quality, von Hagge said: “All the natural elements that it offers – sand dunes, forest, water and an exceptional climate – are a perfect combination for a unique experience. Is Arenas is an unlimited carpet of colours, fragrances and vital energies.”

While there are any number of memorable holes, from the par-5 second, to the stroke index 1 par-4 14th, the signature hole, if we had to pick one, is the par-four 17th, which play from a raised tee offering views of the see, down a long, downhill dogleg that bends left to a green that is heavily protected by bunkers short right and long left. A par here will feel like a birdie in most player’s books, while a birdie is worth celebrating in the clubhouse providing you haven’t made a mess of the 18th!

With six tees to choose from, the course can play a lengthy 6,900 yards for the men’s pro tees, down to the just under 5,000 yards from the very front tees, ensuring that it can accommodate every level

of player, from tour pro to those just starting out in the game.

Other golf facilities on site at Is Arenas include a three-hole par-3 course, a 30-bay driving range and a practice putting green, all of which combine to give golfers plenty of opportunities to sharpen up all elements of their game before tackling the main course.

The adjacent Baja Hotels Is Arenas Resort is set back from a white sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction, giving it a very private, exclusive feel. The five-star hotel boasts 136 rooms and suites with either ground floor patios or first floor terraces. Other facilities at the hotel include a full-service restaurant offering a wide range of Mediterraneaninspired dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients; three bars; an outdoor swimming pool; a private beach club with a bar and restaurant; a gym, wellness centre, a kids club and a shop. With 24-hour concierge, and friendly and helpful staff, your stay at Is Arenas is guaranteed to see you return home feeling rested and relaxed.

GOLF IN THE CAROLINAS

Your guide to the best places to play in North & South Carolina – America’s true golfing heartlands

Pinehurst

K iawah island

H ilton head & so much more

WHERE TO PLAY WHERE TO STAY OFF-COURSE ACTIVITIES

Famed for its stunning selection of woodland and parkland courses, North Carolina’s unique, sandy terrain is the reason behind its proliferation of worldclass courses.

Located just over an hour south from RaleighDurham International Airport, North Carolina’s Sandhills region, a collection of small towns encompassing Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Pinehurst Village, has some of the south’s grandest and charming hotels and some equally fine golf.

A paradise for nature lovers, the beauty of North Carolina also extends beyond the fairways. There are endless hikes and bike rides available that offer wondrous sights, including some of the most beautiful waterfalls in America.

PINEHURST RESORT

Often referred to as the ‘St Andrews of America’, Pinehurst is the physical and spiritual heart of the North Carolina golf scene, with more than 100 years of history and no less than nine amazing golf courses built around a town that, like St Andrews, simply lives and breathes golf.

With luxurious accommodation options and endless top-class amenities, there is little surprise that Pinehurst is considered to be one of the world’s finest golf destinations.

Of course, one of the main reasons why so many golfers flock to this hallowed venue is to play Pinehurst No.2. A truly historic track, No.2 has hosted more single golf championships than any course in America, including three US Opens, a PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup. It also broke new ground for professional golf in 2014 when it hosted back-to-back US Open and US Women’s Open Championships for the first time, and it will do so again in 2029.

As the first US Open Anchor Site, the championship will return to Pinehurst in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. The United States Golf Association, which organises the US Open, is

establishing a second headquarters at Pinehurst opens in 2023, further enhancing the resort’s reputation as the true home of golf in the USA.

Famous for its turtleback greens, which swat away approach shots with something approaching glee, Pinehurst No.2 is also renowned for its deep and jagged bunkers. Its angles and swales make par an earnest effort, even on its most manageable holes, but despite its championship pedigree, it is still extremely playable for the holiday golfer, with balls almost impossible to lose and errant tee shots requiring little more than a punch back out onto the fairway, while many of the par-5s are reachable in two from the right tees. As with many of the best courses in the world, No.2’s difficulty makes it good, but its easiness makes it great.

"After my first practice round at Pinehurst No.2 I came off the course and remembered every single hole, which is very unusual for me. I really liked the course, and it suited my eye. It wasn’t long, but it was tough, and the greens were tiny. I knew that the most important thing that week would be distance control with my irons – and so it proved.”

Jack

“Pinehurst No.2 is my favourite golf course from a design standpoint. It was from the moment I first played it, and it still is today.”

Donald Ross’s masterpiece was restored ahead in 2011 in order to return it to the architect’s original design intention. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were hired to carry out the renovation work, which involved cutting back the rough which had gradually encroached onto the fairways, thinning out the treeline and reintroducing some of the sandy waste areas which were part of the original aesthetic.

The changes, which were well received by the pros at the 2014 US Open and by students of architecture alike, have served to preserve and enhance what is widely regarded to one of the world’s finest courses, inland or otherwise, for future generations to come.

BEST OF PINEHURST’S REST

Of course, while Pinehurst’s No.2 is on everyone’s must-play list, the resort boasts an embarrassment of other great layouts, with No.4 and No.8 being stunners, while the Jack Nicklaus-designed No.9, originally known at National Golf Club, was a welcome addition to the Pinehurst collection when it was bought into the fold eight years ago.

Ross said that ‘golf should be a pleasure, not a penance’ and nowhere does that mantra fit better than The Cradle, a 9-hole short course that opened in 2017. Created by Gil Hanse, who also recently redesigned Pinehurst no.4, the Cradle is a course that even the newest to the game can enjoy. Described by The Golf Channel as ‘the most fun 10 acres in all of golf’, the 789-yard layout features holes as short as 56 yards and no longer than 127.

Designed to attract a new generation of golfers, the course has a laidback vibe that encourages visitors to kick off their shoes and play the course barefoot while listening to music played through 26 on-course speakers which are cleverly disguised as rocks or located in the surrounding vegetation. One hole, the 66-yard third, Punchbowl, is surrounded by deckchairs which gives guests a ringside seat to see whether golfers can take advantage of a green whose design funnels the ball towards the cup, and make that longcoveted ace.

With a course-side bar serving up sodas and local beers, it all adds up to a fun round for golfers of all ages – two kids can play for free with a paying adult –and definitely one to add to the holiday golf checklist. pinehurstgolf.com

DESPITE ITS CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE, PINEHURST NO.2 IS EXTREMELY PLAYABLE FOR THE HOLIDAY GOLFER, WITH IT BEING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE A BALL

Michael Campbell, 2005 US Open Champion

Nicklaus, 18-time Major Champion

■ THE PINEHURST RESORT BOASTS NINE WORLD-CLASS LAYOUTS, INCLUDING THE FAMED NO.2 COURSE, ONE OF THE USGA'S BASE VENUES FOR THE US OPEN

■ PINEHURST IS THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF AMERICAN GOLF

■ MICHAEL CAMPBELL CELEBRATES WINNING THE 2005 US OPEN AT PINEHURST

OLD EDWARDS CLUB, INN & SPA

Located a two-hour drive north of Asheville, in the quaint town of Highlands, Old Edwards Club’s Tom Jacksondesigned championship course promises a North Carolina golf outing you will never forget.

Cascading along one of the highest ridges on the East Coast, this magnificent tree-lined parkland 18-hole layout offers inspiring mountain views from elevated tees and greens.

The clubhouse includes The Grill Room with a grand dining porch, sun porch, a fitness centre with locker rooms, an outdoor heated mineral pool, clay tennis courts, and a fully stocked golf shop.

Spanning four beautifully-landscaped blocks in downtown Highlands, the resort’s hotel is in the heart of a walking mountain town filled with restaurants, live and performing arts, boutique shopping and pristine outdoor

recreation on the fun and scenic Southwest Plateau of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains The rustically elegant architecture and interiors promote total relaxation and an air of carefree leisure. On-site dining options include Madison’s, the main restaurant, which uses ingredients sourced from the property’s farms and greenhouses, and serves cocktails made with herbs. oldedwardshospitality.com

NC'S HIDDEN GEMS

Whether you’re in search of woodland layouts overlooking the vast wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains or looking for birdies on the coastal courses of Brunswick county, North Carolina has a stunning variety of golfing options.

LEOPARD’S CHASE GOLF LINKS

The newest of the ‘Big Cats’ courses located in Ocean Ridge Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach – the others being Lion’s Paw, Tiger’s Eye and Panther’s Run – Leopard’s Chase is characterised by dense, bentgrass greens, man-made lakes, native areas and grasses all bound together by a network of winding, wooden bridges. The longest and toughest of the four layouts, highlights at Leopard’s Chase include the peninsula green on the 190-yard 4th and the large fairway

bunker that threatens on the 425-yard, par-4 5th. On the back nine, the fairway flirts with a couple of wetland areas on the par-5 11th, while waterfalls frame the elevated green on the par-4 18th, one of Brunswick County’s best finishing holes. The course, along with sister course Tiger’s Eye, was recently named by Golfweek as one of the best public courses you can play in North Carolina, and we won’t argue with that.

bigcatsgolf.com

RIVERS EDGE GOLF CLUB

Located in Shallotte, in the centre of coastal Brunswick County, this stunning Arnold Palmer-designed layout should be on everyone’s must-play list.

Offering seven breathtaking holes which play along the Shallotte River, its signature 570-yard 9th hole – often referred to as ‘Arnie’s Revenge’ – features marshlands along the entire length of the left side and a narrow peninsula green surrounded by marsh on three sides. The hole is one of the most recognisable and challenging along the coast of the Carolinas. This memorable course should be on everyone’s must-play list. p layriversedgegolf.com

NAGS HEAD GOLF LINKS

Designed by Bob Moore, and first opened in 1986, the 6,200-yard course at Nags Head plays hard along the inner waterway on the southern end of the Outer Banks, where capricious breezes off sound-side waters create a unique golfing experience each and every day.

With its coastal winds, rugged shoreline, island holes, seaside vistas, and tees and greens separated by rolling dunes and wild sea grass, the course bears far more than a passing resemblance to a Scottish links.

Moore deliberately designed the landing areas to feel restricted to create an exacting, target feel to the layout in his quest to keep much of the natural roll of the dunes intact. With pushed-up greens, along with mounds and ponds in just the right places to get your attention, the course places heavy demands on finding the fairway with your tee shot. Great care must be taken to account for the hidden hazards crossing the landing areas, which force lay-up shots to avoid posting really big numbers on the card. invitedclubs.com

OMNI GROVE PARK INN

Framed by the splendour of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the historic Omni Grove Park Inn Golf Club, located near Asheville, celebrates the spirit of mountain golf. Designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1926, the 6,055-yard, par-70 course is contoured out of the rolling landscape with tight, tree-lined fairways, challenging bunkers and receptive bent greens.

Played by many legends of the game, including Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and also a favourite of former President Barak Obama, the golf course at Omni Grove Park Inn is ready for you to create your own slice of golfing history. Elevated tee boxes assure that you get amazing views with each drive, although watch out with your tee shot on the par-3 17th, as the green comes very close to the hotel!

The magnificent hotel, which overlooks the golf course, first opened in 1913 and provides an elegant retreat for golfers and non-golfers alike. Luxurious rooms and suites enjoy panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, while guests can dine in a choice of elegant restaurants, some of which feature outdoor terraces. For active types, there are tennis courts and an indoor pool, while a subterranean spa is close at hand for pampering treatments, while the hills and mountains await the serious hiker. omnihotels.com

TOBACCO ROAD

The ideal stop coming to and from Pinehurst, Tobacco Road, located in Sanford, opened to worldwide acclaim in 1998. Architect Mike Strantz found his canvas, not on the seaside cliffs of the British Isles, but rather in the remnants of a sand quarry in the Sandhills of North Carolina. He allowed the rolling terrain to evolve into one of golf’s most uncompromising designs. Beyond the panoramic views and stunning vistas lies a course that tests all of a player’s eye, determination and wits.

Golf.com famously called it ‘casino golf’ in that you either hit the jackpot or you lose all your money, such are severity of the undulations and the penalties for not finding the rights spots. Following a recent visit, the same magazine also called it ‘Alice in Wonderland’, with the 18 holes offering ‘a psychedelic journey in golf’.

Bunkers shoot dozens of feet in the air; blind tee shots lead to fairways wider than a motorway; while the greens, in some instances, appear literally smaller than postage stamps. It’s a course you have to see to believe, and even then, you’re not quite sure whether to trust your eyes, such are the extraordinary tricks of the imagination that it plays on your golfing brain. Either way, it promises an unforgettable round played in stunning surroundings. tobaccoroadgolf.com

NORTHERN ADVENTURES

From the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, to the ethereal islands lining the Atlantic coast, and the golfing sandhills in between, North Carolina offers a deep dive into the American way and the opportunity for limitless adventures and memorable experiences

Bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west, North Carolina has long proved a popular holiday destination for Americans, but the Tar Heel State is also enjoying a surge in visitor numbers from overseas thanks to improved flight connections and a rise in interest for more authentic travelling experiences.

Many are drawn by the plentiful opportunities for adventures, including hiking the woods and mountains, rafting the rivers and cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway, while others come to savour the dynamic cities of Raleigh, Charlotte and Wilmington, with their top-class museums, superb restaurants and an astonishing number of craft breweries.

GET YOUR TACKLE OUT

If offshore fishing floats your boat, then the waters off the coast of North Carolina won’t disappoint. The Gulf Stream pulls warm water north, while the Labrador Current pulls cool water south, creating the perfect climate to catch a wide range of fish.

The Outer Banks are just 30 miles or so from the Gulf Stream, but farther down the coast around Wrightsville Beach, Southport and the Brunswick Islands’ beaches, you’re about 60 miles from these fish-rich currents, with Yellowfin and blackfin tuna, wahoo, mahi, swordfish and sailfish just some of the types of fish that are waiting to be caught.

OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

No matter how you define adventure, you’ll find it by land, air and sea in North Carolina. Let the quiet calm of bird watching make your heart thunder. Experience the rush of rock climbing. Dive hidden shipwrecks in the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ – named after the many ships that came to an untimely end in the waters off the outer banks of North Carolina – or don your hiking gear and climb mountain summits with expansive views. The only limit is your imagination.

CULINARY DELIGHTS

Famous for its barbecue, with state-of-the art broilers producing smoky, mouthwatering, slowed-cooked cuts, North Carolina is a foodies’ paradise.

Sample long-time favourites like Lexington Barbecue in Lexington; 12 Bones in Asheville’s River Arts District (a favourite with the Obama family); and Buxton Hall, also in Ashevile, where award-winning chefs Meherwan Irani and Elliott Moss serve up whole hog BBQ and buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches.

Those seeking flavoursome fresh fish should head to the coast for Calabash-style seafood, which sees locally caught fish, shrimp, crab, oysters, clams and mussels given a light cornmeal batter coating for that winning combination of crunch and silky fresh seafood.

Those golfing in Pinehurst are spoilt for choice for casual and fine dining, with the town offering range of eateries. Be sure to check out Chapman’s Food and Spirits in Southern Pines, which is renowned for its ‘Hamm Burger’, made from ground chuck, short rib and beef brisket; and don’t miss out on a meal at the Ironwood Cafe, which although has nothing to do with golf, has a lot to do with great food, with its surf ‘n’ turf inspired menu featuring lobster tails and various cuts of 28-day matured steaks ticking all the boxes for an aprésgolf splurge.

GET CRAFTY WITH YOUR ALES!

If you like a beer and, frankly, who doesn’t – North Carolina ranks inside the top-10 for most breweries in the US, with 380 sites across the state. Asheville, west of Charlotte, is the arguably the beer capital of the state, but you won’t find it hard to find craft ale bars and full-service tap rooms wherever you travel throughout the Carolinas. Often made from locally grown malts and served up in a variety of stylish venues and more spit-andsawdust pubs, you’ll never fail to find a decent ale in North Carolina!

ARTS & CULTURE

There’s something special about experiencing the arts in the places they took hold. North Carolina is the state where outdoor theatre was born, and the one bluegrass legends called home. It’s also the site of the nation’s oldest folk school and the source of endless inspiration for its largest pottery community. The nation’s first public art museum still thrives here, and galleries across the state feature exhibits where you can discover a different point of view. Dive into history at train, plane and nature museums, or find rainy-day fun at hands-on attractions and science centres.

SPORTING RIVALRIES

Welcome to the home of one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports. UNC-Duke men’s basketball might be a tough ticket, but museums dedicated to both programmes welcome fans year-round. Also on the sporting schedule are the Panthers and Hornets in Charlotte, Hurricanes in Raleigh and minor league baseball teams state. And no sporting trip to NC would be complete without a visit to watch NASCAR racing at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is also home to this adrenalin-fuelled port’s national Hall of Fame.

ISLAND HOPPING

In the southernmost corner of North Carolina is one of the south’s best kept secrets. From the Cape Fear River, reaching down to the South Carolina border, North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands beckons softly. Six barrier island towns – Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Oak Island, Caswell Beach and Bald Head Island –provide 45 miles of wide, stunning beaches. Picturesque southern towns like Southport, Calabash, Shallotte and Leland draw visitors with familyowned, one-of-a-kind restaurants, galleries and shops, and even movie locations. Adding a temperate climate ideal for year-round outdoor activities, dining, and festivals along with museums, historic forts and lighthouses, the stage is set for a perfect coastal getaway. Toss in boating, kayaking, fishing and golfing and there’s always plenty to do – or you may choose to do nothing at all but enjoy the quiet, the beaches and nature.  And a special treat, the east-west orientation of the islands provides both spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the ocean several months of the year.

YGT offers a wide range of bespoke golf holiday packages to North Carolina, including Pinehurst Resort, starting from £2,835pp for 5 nights’ accommodation and 3 rounds at Pinehurst No.2, No.4 and No.8 courses. Flights included. For more details and bookings, visit yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 0436644.

SOUTH CAROLINA: A SEASIDE GOLFING PARADISE

Home to over 350 stunning golf courses, the sunny state of South Carolina also has a superb selection of luxury resorts and hotels, sandy beaches, majestic mountains and blue crab to die for

With so many superb golf courses to choose from, it’s often a question of what to leave out, rather than what you can’t miss when planning a golf trip to the sun-drenched, golf-rich state of South Carolina.

From Kiawah Island, and its famed and feared Ocean Course, to the seemingly countless layouts to be found in the Myrtle Beach area, and onto PGA TOUR venues such as Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, golfers are

properly spoiled for choice when they come to Carolina’s Atlantic coast.

With direct flights from the UK to Charleston offering easy access to South Carolina, and great weather guarantees, it’s never been better times to let the plane take the strain and enjoy and unforgettable golfing holiday of a lifetime. So let’s take a whistlestop tour of some the Palmetto State’s mustvisit destinations and must-play courses.

TOP 5 BUCKET-LIST COURSES TO PLAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA

KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT, THE OCEAN COURSE

Often considered to be the first course designed for a specific event— in this case the 1991 Ryder Cup — this manufactured linksland-meets-lagoons layout might well be Pete Dye’s most diabolical creation. Every hole is edged by sawgrass, every green has tricky slopes, every bunker merges into bordering sand dunes.

Strung along nearly three miles of ocean coast, the Ocean Course boasts the most seaside holes on any layout in the Northern Hemisphere, with ten hugging the Atlantic and the other eight running parallel to those. Dye took his wife’s advice and perched the fairways and greens so that golfers can enjoy unobstructed views of Kiawah’s stunning coastline from every hole, while also serving to also exposes shots and putts to ever-present and sometimes fierce coastal winds.

Designed to test the best, and amaze the rest of us, the 7,300-yard course –the longest of the daily tees – demands a player to be in complete control of

every facet of their game if they are to come away unscathed. While many holes set up well for driver off the tee, every hole asks a different question, whether it be risk/reward carries and angles, whether to lay up or go for it, whether to fly it high or bump it in. And even if you answer some of those questions, some holes will just leave you scratching your head.

Our advice? Pick the right tees to match your skill level, take lots of golf balls, hang on for dear life and enjoy the ride!

Once inside the safety of the sumptuous clubhouse, the Ryder Cup Bar is not to missed, filled as it is with a treasure trove of memorabilia, making it one of golf’s greatest 19th holes. While offering rental villas and homes, the centrepiece for many visitors is the Sanctuary, a 255-room luxury hotel that opened in 2004. With an oceanfront location, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and superb dining at both the Ocean Room and Jasmine Porch, this is simply one of the best accommodation options at a golf resort anywhere. kiawahresort.com

HARBOUR TOWN GOLF LINKS, SEA PINES RESORT

Home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage tournament, which follows the Masters each year, Harbour Town Golf Links is a favoured stop with tour pros and holiday golfers alike, and it’s not hard to see why.

Placing a premium on finesse, imagination and shot making, rather than brute strength, this Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus creation features one of the finest collections of par threes in the world, while the iconic 478-yard 18th, with its famous lighthouse backdrop, is one of the most feared par fours on the tour.

Laid out on relatively flat land, with the fairways flanked by pines, the greens are fair, and while the yardage may not test your length, it will certainly test your accuracy. seapines.com

WILD DUNES RESORT LINKS COURSE

Located just outside of Charleston, on the Isle of Palms, the Links Course at Wild Dunes is notable as being the first course that legendary architect Tom Fazio ever designed. First opened in 1980, it makes for ideal holiday golf, with its attractive marshland/seaside location and playable length – tees measure from 6,000 to 6,500 yards, ensuring this par-70 layout remains a challenging yet enjoyable round for all-comers.

The 18th hole, once a daunting 500-yard dogleg par-5, was changed into a benign 190-yard par-3 back in 2015, following the impact of coastal erosion caused by a hurricane, but it provides a no less entertaining end to a memorable round. Also on the same estate, the Harbor Course, another Fazio design, measures up pretty well with its bolder sibling, with nearly every hole encountering lakes, salt marshes or the Intracoastal Waterway.

Wild Dunes is an expansive, multi-use resort, the centrepiece of which is a luxury hotel overlooking the ocean, so if you’re looking for that famed Low-country charm, a getaway replete with golf, food, drink, and miles of sandy beaches awaits. hyatt.com

MONTAGE PALMETTO BLUFF AT MAY RIVER GOLF CLUB

Bordered by rivers and dotted with lagoons, marshes and tidal sloughs, the sandy-soiled fairways of the Jack Nicklaus-designed May River course are routed through dense woodland close to the meandering river from which the layout gets its name.

Boasting wide fairways, strategic bunkering and acres of natural waste areas, the course measures 7,171 yards off the back tees, and requires a strong driving game to score well, while the large, crowned greens will also place an emphasis on good lag putting. Always presented in pristine condition, and blessed with a great variety of holes, May River provides players with ample opportunity to perfect one of golf’s greatest joys – the well-executed recovery shot! montagehotels.com

BAREFOOT RESORT

Perfect for a pure golfing trip, the Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach features four great courses, each of which has been designed by a former tour player or leading architect – in this case Davis Love III, Greg Norman, Tom Fazio and Pete Dye.

Regardless of where you come down on this renowned quartet, you’ll never have a better opportunity to test yourself against each man’s philosophy of golf than a long weekend at this popular Lowcountry retreat.

That’s certainly the case with the 7,350-yard Dye Course, where Pete used all of the land’s elements – gently rolling terrain, dunes, exposed sand and water – to fashion a course that punishes wayward shots as only he can. Fazio, who has built more golf courses in South Carolina than in all but one other state, knew how to craft a classic Lowcountry layout, using oaks, pines, sand and natural areas and grasses. The par-71 course is a continuous loop that only returns to the clubhouse at the 18th hole, yet the course - while visually intimidating, with water on 15 holes - is known for its playability.

Love, the two-time Ryder Cup captain who grew up in the Carolinas, used his experiences to fashion a layout that incorporates the recreated ruins of an old plantation house in the routing of five holes. His greens complexes are reminiscent of Pinehurst No.2, a course the North Carolina graduate knows well.

Norman, whose Australian youth was spent playing in that country’s sandhills courses, uses large waste areas to define his course, which is described as a course ‘found in the deserts of the American southwest, but without the desert’. Fairways flow into natural areas, bunkers are strategic and deep, and greens complexes are open but undulating. Put them all together, and the result is a series of experiences that contrast and complement each other and make for a memorable 72 holes of championship golf. barefootgolf.com

SOUTH CAROLINA GOLFING REGIONS

An hour west of Columbia, one of the North Carolina’s oldest clubs, Aiken, provides a throwback to early 20th-century walking courses. Similar to courses found in the Pinehurst area, Aiken features sandy waste areas and trees bordering its fairways, and while less than 6,000yards at its longes,t is a challenge for all levels of play.

Also worth a try are Saluda’s Persimmon Hill Golf Club, home of the state’s longest par-5 at 630 yards; Orangeburg’s city-owned Hillcrest Golf Course; and Graniteville’s Midland Valley.

Away from the fairways, South Carolina’s capital city caters for sightseers and thrill-seekers alike, with the local area offering a host of activities from white water rafting on the rapids of the Saluda River to admiring local artwork at the world-class Columbia Museum of Art.

GREENVILLE

Upstate South Carolina offers a change of terrain for the visiting golfer, with the rolling hills and dense woodland layouts providing a vastly different experience compared to the flatter coastal courses.

COLUMBIA

South Carolina’s state capital is fine place to base yourself for a tour of some of the region’s less celebrated, but well-respected courses that are ready to enjoy their time in the sun.

A popular base for many fans attending the Masters, Columbia is surrounded by a sizeable choice of local country clubs, all open to the public – including Wood Creek, Lexington, and Columbia Country Club to name a few.

The Columbia market also offers upscale public golf at Oak Hills, as well as at a trio of former private courses – Timberlake Country Club, the only course built on the shores of Lake Murray; The Windermere Club, a Pete Dye course with its testing par-5 18th along the shores of Lake Windermere; and Cobblestone Park Golf Club near Blythewood with its 27 holes and elevation changes.

Although it has been on the scene since 1989, The Spur at Northwoods is enjoying a welldeserved renaissance after its by Perry Dye design was renovated in 2014, with new owners investing over $1m rebuilding greens and bunkers, regrassing fairways and building new cart paths to

raise the bar at this popular Midlands layout. Golden Hills Golf & Country Club, another 1980s design, has also undergone some impressive renovations, while Indian River Golf Course has switched around its nines and cleared out hundreds of pine trees to make it much more interesting and playable layout for members and visiting golfers alike.

Ideal for play at any time of year, but especially beautiful in the autumn, when the leaves are changing their hue, Grenville is well worth a visit, with golfing highlights including The Walker Course, a 6,911-yard layout that hasn’t fallen outside of Golfweek’s top 25 courses since it opened in 1995. Boasting dramatic elevations and the occasional blind shot, the course’s signature hole is the par-3 17th, with its green bracketed by four bunkers forming an aerial image of a tiger’s paw. If mountain layouts set your pulses racing, then a round at Cherokee Valley Golf Club in Northern Grenville should be on your itinerary, with Perry Dye’s masterpiece providing a test of stamina and skill, with its changes of elevation requiring distance control and a deft putting touch on its superb greens.

Other Upstate courses with distinguished pedigrees include Spartanburg’s Heddles Hideaway; the acclaimed Links O’Tryon in Campobello; The Preserve at Verdae and, most notable of all, River Falls Plantation in Duncan, which was designed by the great Gary Player.

CHARLESTON

There is good reason that cars carrying South Carolina license plates are emblazoned with the slogan ‘First in Golf’. The first golf club, golf course, and golf clubs imported into the United States all originated in its oldest city, Charleston, and it’s hard to drive a few miles in any direction without seeing a signpost for a country club or a golf resort of some description.

Today, the Charleston area boasts more than 24 courses, including many designed by some of the game’s most notable architects, such as Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, and Jack Nicklaus. Visitors to the city are spoilt for choice for golfing experiences in a region that is generically called the ‘Lowcountry’, which takes in the coastal counties of Charleston, Berkley and Dorchester.

The two stunning layouts at Seabrook Island, the Ocean Winds and Crooked Oaks, should definitely be on your golfing checklist, while there are two more stunners to be played at Wild Dunes, where the Fazio-designed Links and Harbor courses continue to earn rave reviews.

Elsewhere, and at more affordable rates,

Whether you choose to base yourself in Charleston, Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach, SC golf offers quality and quantity in equal measure

■ UPSTATE GREENVILLE OFFERS THE CHANCE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL

■ CHARLESTON NATIONAL

■ TIDEWATER GOLF CLUB IN MYRTLE BEACH

■ COLUMBIA'S STATE HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1786

there are tee times to be booked at Dunes West, Patriots Point Links, RiverTowne Country Club, Shadowmoss Plantation, Wescott Plantation, and for those with a taste for American history, The Links at Stono Ferry, which is sprinkled with relics from the Revolutionary War, many of whose battles were fought around this region.

Charleston National, a superb Rees Jones course that is a firm favourite with local golfers and visitors alike. There are natural wetlands and lagoons to contend with, while the pine and oak tree forests demand accuracy from the tee if you are going to reach the greens in regulation. It’s a tough test from the back tees at 7,100 yards, but with four other teeing options, golfers of all abilities can enjoy this sensational design.

Between rounds, the area has so much to offer visitors, including Charleston itself, which was recently voted the best small city in North America. Boasting a rich history and a vibrant contemporary culture, Charleston is awash with great restaurants, lively bars, and a buzzing nightlife. It’s a place to savour smoky, slow-cooked BBQ, sample a legendary oyster Po’ Boy sandwich, or sip on Bourbon-laced cocktails or locally-brewed craft ales at the numerous rooftop bars on King Street and all over the city.

Shoppers can hunt out bargains at the infamous Charleston Market, soak up the city’s history on a carriage ride through the West side, or perhaps learn the dance which got its name from the city where it all began.

Music is central to Charleston culture, and there are no shortage of jazz clubs and bars in which to listen to live bands and impromptu gigs, while architecture fans can marvel at the unique design of the multi-coloured stucco houses that line the city’s streets and avenues. Bike-friendly, and easy to walk, you’ll only need a car when heading out of town for golf.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Boasting over 25 courses, there are enough golf holes on Hilton Head Island and within 20-minute drive, to play golf every day for a month and still not have time to fit them all in.

Harbour Town Golf Links is obviously the big draw (see above), but there plenty of other world class layouts on which to test your game, teeing off with Davis Love III’s Atlantic Dunes, which opened to great acclaim in 2016. A reconstruction of the former Ocean Course by the five-time RBC Heritage champion, was named 2018 National

Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.

Outside the Sea Pine gates is a wide array of courses for all skill levels and budgets. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort offers a trio of layouts by noted architects Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Arthur Hills, while Palmetto Hall Plantation has courses by Hills and Bob Cupp.

Other on-island multiple-course areas include Hilton Head Plantation (Country Club of Hilton Head and Oyster Reef, both designed by Rees Jones); Port Royal Golf Club (courses by Dye, George Cobb and Willard Byrd); and Shipyard Golf Club, which has 36 holes designed by Cobb and Byrd. Start with offisland courses and work your way to Sea Pines, or try it in reverse. Whichever route you take, Hilton Head Island has golf options to stir a player’s soul.

MYRTLE BEACH

Boasting 60 unbroken miles of sandy beaches and over a dozen seaside towns, Myrtle Beach is where America comes to play – on and off the golf course. At last count, there were 120 courses in the Myrtle Beach area, otherwise known as ‘The Grand Strand’, stretching from just over the border in North Carolina down to the southern tip, on Pawleys Island.

With designs from the likes of Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio the self-styled ‘Golf Capital of the World’ promises memorable experiences from the opening tee shot to the final putt. Highlights include Dunes Club Golf Course, a vintage 1950’s Robert Trent Jones design that is considered by many to be the premier course in the area. Although only a few blocks from the beach, it’s a parkland layout that winds through woods, marshes and small ponds. The 640-yard par-5 13th, dubbed ‘Waterloo’ for its watery peril, gets all the press, but fun par-3s, including the 12th which is all carry over the marsh, add to the drama.

Another must-play on this coastal stretch is TPC Myrtle Beach, a Tom Fazio layout that boasts treelined holes, firm, fast greens, over 60 bunkers, and secluded fairways with few outside distractions. With five sets of tees, from 5,118 to 6,950 yards, TPC offers golfers a taste of the high-calibre set-up that Tour players require, but with friendlier challenges from the other tees. An added draw is the Dustin Johnson Golf School, while motorised Golfboards provide a fun alternative to a cart to surf the smooth fairways.

Another Myrtle Beach stalwart is Tidewater Golf Club, which, as the name suggests, makes the best of its seaside location, with eight holes played along the water. With five sets of tees, taking the course from 4,648 up to 7,044 yards, and elevation changes unusual for the area, Tidewater offers a fun challenge to golfers of all levels, with some forced carries from the longer tees that make it interesting. Heavy overseeding and covers on the Bermuda greens prevent winter kill to ensure plush fairways and well-conditioned greens virtually year-round.

For information about holidays and golf breaks to South Carolina, visit discoversouthcarolina.com. For more details of golf holiday packages to South Carolina, including flights, hotels and tee times bookings, visit delta.com or yourgolftravel.com.

MYRTLE BEACH IS WHERE AMERICA COMES TO PLAY – WITH AT LEAST 120 GOLF COURSES AND MILES OF GOLDEN SANDY BEACHES INTERSPERSED WITH BUSTLING SEASIDE TOWNS

■ HARBOUR TOWN YACHT BASIN AT HILTON HEAD

SOUTHERN CHARMS

From jaw-dropping sunsets and palm-studded beaches to Blue Ridge mountain vistas, from large cities that never overwhelm to Lowcountry towns that leave you in the highest of spirits, South Carolina provides an orchestra of landscapes that hits the right notes all year round

BALMY BEACHES

Imagine warm sand beneath your feet, blue waters as far as the eye can see, and the rejuvenating scent of Atlantic sea air. It’s all waiting for you at South Carolina’s illustrious beaches. Whether it’s the iconic Myrtle Beach Grand Strand, the white-sand shores of Hunting Island or the Lowcountry’s Kiawah Island Resort, South Carolina beaches compose a landscape of unmatched beauty. discoversouthcarolina.com/beaches

OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

South Carolina’s diverse natural landscapes offer endless opportunities for adventure. From rejuvenating retreats and natural wonders to thrilling weekend adventures, this is the place to experience the great outdoors. From the deep forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the beautiful beaches of the Grand Strand, South Carolina’s diverse landscapes promise an unforgettable escape to the outdoors. discoversouthcarolina.com/outdoors

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

From cobblestone streets to awe-inspiring plantations, in South Carolina you’ll uncover more than you ever imagined. Its unique culture is woven from the fabric of modern traditions and the treasured customs of days gone by. Explore the mountains, Midlands and coast of this storied state, and make some history of your own along the way.To find out how to add an historic spin to your golf trip, check out discoversouthcarolina.com/heritage

MUSEUMS AND ARTS

From the mountains to the coast, South Carolina’s many art galleries and museums tell the story of an intriguing past and a flourishing cultural present. Discover inspiration in a captivating work of art or a compelling historical exhibit. South Carolina museums house the stories of our diverse culture and unique Southern heritage. From dinosaurs and sharks to Picassos and Gullah landscapes, it’s all here.

To put yourself in the frame for the best of SC culture, visit discoversouthcarolina.com/ museums-and-arts

CULINARY HIGHLIGHTS

From local seafood restaurants along the coast to farm-to-table fare in the Upstate, there’s a dish to suit every palate in South Carolina. From the sweet taste of a blue crab bisque or a bowl of peppered wild shrimp, to the crunch of crispy fried okra or the smoky notes of a slow-cooked barbecue brisket, or the sweet taste of a freshly baked pecan pie washed down with pitcher of refreshing ice tea, the Palmetto state brings a world of flavour to your plate.

South Carolina is also renowned for serving up some of the best oysters in the US, thanks to pristine growing conditions and advanced aquaculture practices. In fact, the state’s coast is part of what’s called the ‘Napa Valley of Oysters’. Available from September through to April – i.e. whenever there is an ‘R’ in the month – connoisseurs prefer them served raw with a vinagrette, they are served every which way here –grilled, lightered battered and then fried, baked in a half shell with breadcrumbs, or roasted on baarbeque.

To discover some of the Palmetto State’s toprated restaurants and find out what makes South Carolina a foodie paradise, visit discoversouthcarolina. com/must-eats

YGT has bespoke golf holiday packages to South Carolina’s leading destinations, including Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Charleston and Kiawah Island, starting from £1,695pp for 5 nights’ accommodation and 3 rounds, or from £2,000 for 7 nights and 4 rounds. Flights included.

For more details and bookings, visit yourgolftravel.com or call 0800 0436644.

My earliest holiday memory is... going on long car journeys to Europe. My mum is Spanish and my father is Hungarian, so when we were young, we would take it in turns to visit their parents – one year to Galicia and the next to Budapest. The downside was the journey, in dad’s Vauxhall Viva, which could last for two days; on the plus side, we were staying in a foreign country with family. In those days not many people went to Hungary, which made it really exciting. These days they are both reachable via short flights, which makes life a lot easier.

My first holiday without my parents... was when I was 17. I went with a mate on my one and only package holiday. We went to the Costa Blanca, not far from Benidorm. I just didn’t get it. In the hotel, by the pool, in the restaurants, on the beach, and especially in the bars, we seemed to be surrounded by people who wanted everything to be as English as possible. Why not stay at home and go to Blackpool instead?

The best hotel I’ve stayed in is...  The Ritz in London. It has an old-fashioned charm, with waiters wearing tails and white gloves. The dining room is exquisite, with immaculate service and ornate details. You can’t have dinner unless you’re wearing a shirt, tie and jacket, but that suits me.

My favourite golf course in the UK is... Wentworth’s West Course. It’s my home course and is like a little piece of heaven. I play off five and I like to get out on the West Course as often as I can, especially in the

Anton Du Beke

middle of the week. Playing in the BMW Pro-Am is the highlight of my golfing year. I also use the gym there, and play a lot of tennis, so it’s got everything I need. It always seems a bit naughty to be strolling the greens and breathing in all that fresh air on a weekday, but everything else I do is indoors, whether it is working in theatres or in rehearsal studios, and the great thing about golf is you are outside for four hours. I’ve been playing golf as long as I’ve been dancing, since I was 13 or 14, when me and my mates used to sneak onto the second hole at Lullingstone Park in Kent, which was naughty. Golf is an incredibly sociable game, and I really miss the regular rounds I used to enjoy with Bruce Forsyth at Wentworth – we always used to have such competitive matches. Apart from Wentworth, my other favourites courses in the UK are Loch Lomond and Turnberry, which couldn’t be more different, but are equally stunning.

My favourite golf course in the world... has to be Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, which is breathtaking. My wife Hannah and I played there together – or rather she caddied for me – a couple of years ago when we were doing a road trip around California, and we’d both love to go back one day. Hannah has started having golf lessons now, and so have the kids, so hopefully we’ll have some family golf holidays together soon!

My ideal holiday involves... immaculate service, a wonderful hotel, sun and a fabulous golf course. In

contrast, I once spent New Year in the Arctic Circle, which was remarkable. We stayed in a log cabin and we went dog sledging, ice fishing and skidooing. It was wonderful, but very cold.

I always take... a handheld clothes steamer to take care of the jackets. I also take a shirt and tie and a panama hat – I’m never knowingly under-dressed!

My top travel tip is to... embrace the culture of the country you are visiting. I hate people who moan about not being able to get a decent cup of tea. If that’s what you’re after, stay at home. The other tip is not to go back to the same place twice. We’ve had lots of amazing holidays, but we never go back – life’s too short.

The 2023 Anton du Beke Golf Day is being held at Brocket Hall’s Melbourne Club in Hertfordshire on July 8. Tickets for a team of 4 cost £1,000, with proceeds being donated to The Sick Children’s Trust. For more details, or to book your team, visit sickchildrenstrust.org/events or email specialevents@sickchildrenstrust.org.

Anton also appears in BBC travel show Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily, with all three episodes now available on the BBC iPlayer.

‘The Magnificent Seven’ James Braid Highland Golf Trail

The James Braid Highland Golf Trail has been initiated to enhance the experience of golfers wishing to visit a wonderfully picturesque part of Scotland whilst benefitting from the enjoyment and challenge of playing over our Braid designed golf courses.

20% off Full Green Fees when quoting JBHGT if you book at any of these seven courses via telephone. More information may be found online via the web addresses shown below.

of Garten Golf Club

18 completely individual holes, cleverly and sensitively shaped fairways lined by birch trees, heather and broom producing one of Scotland’s finest tests of golf. Ranked 28th course in Scotland by NCG 2019.

Inverness

Located in the heart of the Highland Capital, Inverness Golf Club has a splendid parkland course with tree lined fairways and generous well manicured greens. An enjoyable and challenging test for any golfer.

Muir

An award winning golf club, set in an area of outstanding scenery with the hills of the Great Glen to the south and Ben Wyvis to the north. The course features tight fairways and one of the finest par 3’s in Scotland.

Reay Golf Club

A true Scottish links golf course and national championship venue. Voted Scotland’s Best Golfing Experience (Value for Money) at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards 2017 & 18, it is ranked in top 50 courses in Scotland (Golf World)

Situated an hour’s drive north from Inverness, the small Highland village of Golspie hosts one of the hidden gems of Highland golf. The Par 70 course offers an excellent golfing experience whether you are an advanced golfer or beginner.

Recognised as one of James Braid’s finest pieces of work, the green staff work tirelessly to preserve its original beauty This course reflects the perfect balance between challenge and fun in a truly breathtaking setting.

A traditional links course on the scenic north coast of Scotland. It nestles in Sandside Bay with the North Atlantic Ocean visible from every hole. Reay is far north, but certainly worth the distance.

The 56-year-old Strictly Coming Dancing star is never happier than when he is able to swap his dancing shoes for a pair of golf shoes, whether it be at home or abroad

■ PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS

Boat

Golf Club

of Ord Golf Club

Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club

Golspie Golf Club

Brora Golf Club

San Roque (Cádiz)