The Loire Valley is known as one of the most beautiful regions in France – rolling hills, beautiful chateaux, and lush countryside all along the length of the Loire River at its heart Away from the crowds at the golf courses in the North of France, golf in the Loire Valley is a great pleasure for those in the know

Winter is a frustrating time for us golfers Most of the courses in Britain are in “switch-off” mode and jetting off to the Southern Hemisphere is not on the cards

Mallorca has transformed in recent years to become one of the best new golfing hotspots in Europe Mallorca golf holidays are really growing in popularity thanks to the recently-built top-quality courses, fine Mediterranean food, the fine weather and a heavy investment in re-establishing the island as the ideal escape for middle-class Europe

When tired of the same old courses in the UK, many golfers look to destinations like Spain and Portugal for their fix of greens and fairways to “attack”, but this isn’t practical for a short golf break Normandy is the answer: It’s local for British golfers, has a wide selection of smart courses, some splendid hotels and enough attractions to keep you busy even when you’re off the courses

When you think of sunshine golf locations Spain and Portugal come to mind, but golf holidays in Turkey are going to be catching them up in 2009 This is in part thanks to the huge investment in the country’s tourism that has seen some splendid courses and hotels pop up in recent years

Although the island’s tropical feel and luxury resorts make it a fine place to “relax and enjoy”, some of the courses are very good indeed Here’s my suggested list of must-play courses when on a golf holiday in Mauritius… The Legend Part of the Belle Mare Plage resort, The Legend is perfect for holiday golf – well-maintained and with several razor sharp teeth, you need to drive well and take the right club to the smallish greens

Few places in the world can live up to the sheer density of high quality golf courses you see in northern France I’ve played in over 40 countries and there are some fantastic places but I keep coming back to Cote d’Opale…

Portugal is one of the most popular places for luxury golf holidays, and the Algarve is the country’s star attraction This region, located on Portugal’s sunny south coast, is a real golfer’s delight

Brittany is just a pleasant ferry journey away or you can take the motorway from Calais or even fly from many UK airports to several in Brittany The sheer number of high- quality golf courses in Brittany make it the ideal location for golfers seeking a luxury holiday with easy-to-get-to access and that French “je ne sais quoi

Something golfers often don’t realise when they prepare to book their golf breaks is that the UK has some of the finest courses you’ll ever play And I’m not just talking about the classics such as Wentworth and Birkdale