If I had been asked to write about my favourite courses when I was a young PGA Professional I would have probably chosen the amazing Championship courses that at the time had little or no other amenities nearby. Since those ‘heady’ golf tournament days I have spent most of my working life advising amateur golfers where to play their ‘winter vacation’ golf in the sun. This means that I now see golf courses in a totally different light. For a start, each of the resorts I have chosen below have the great benefit of being able to fall out of bed and on to the first tee.

Situated in the famous Costa Brava Region of Spain famous for its stunning views and gastronomic restaurants – The PGA Catalunya lies just an hour’s drive from Barcelona or 10 minutes from Girona Airport. It has 2 magnificent golf courses and a practice facility second to none! I know of nowhere else where you have an enormous rolling putting surface surrounded by various different replica bunkers ‘from the world’s top golf courses’ such as Augusta and St Andrews, containing similar sand composition as well! There are also all the various types of grasses from around the world on the fringe of the practice putting green, to test your skills in every sort of lie – good or bad.

Ranked No. 3 in Europe, The Stadium Course is a tough challenge in anyone’s book and I strongly suggest that mid handicappers play from the forward tees to enjoy the course at its best. If you are good player then by all means play from the back – but be warned because you will need your best game in the bag for this course!More...

On a recent golf trip to Portugal I was fortunate enough to play a round at Palmares Golf Club. It’s not often that I’m moved to put finger to key board but this gem of course should be on everyone’s playlist when in the Algarve.

The course is situated in West Algarve, just 20 minutes drive from Portimao, but probably more relevantly 15 mins drive from Le Meidien Penina. It has recently undergone major reconstruction which has transformed the golf course from being a very pleasant round, into a really quite inspiring test of golf that throws some of the very best golf architecture at you.

One of the key features of the new Palmares is the variation of holes; the golf course really does boast it all.  From the mature, undulating front nine through to a finishing nine that runs along the coast to quench any Links lovers thirst.  The greens run fast and true rewarding an accurate putt but have a habit of hurting if you miss. More...

In this day and age we are ever more conscious of staying healthy and keeping fit. We are surrounded by health crazes that promise to keep us fit just by picking them up off the shelves. There are constant reminders of the health implications if we do not stay active and look after our selves.

I have always been health conscious, yet the prospect of spending hours in a sweaty gym has never particularly appealed to me. For me, it is so much easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you enjoy the exercise you do. Golf is such an enjoyable and social sport it is easy to forget the fantastic health benefits we can gain from it. An average round of golf can burn at least 300 calories. Past all the calorie counting, golf offers more than just a trimmer waist line; studies have shown that by exercising we sleep better and remain in a deep sleep for longer. Sleep is vital for our immune system, muscle repair and a range of other bodily processes that many of us don’t even stop to think about. It’s also worth mentioning that by carrying your clubs muscle tone is built up leading to a better cardiovascular workout. So instead of dragging yourself to the gym, have a round of golf and enjoy the many health benefits that come along with it! More...

On Saturday 6th August Nick carried out the third stage of The Ultimate Tuition Break. Here is his account of his experiences at St Omer...

Having spent the last month since The London Club trying to accurately retain the knowledge imparted and diligently follow the drills supplied by Simon Holmes and JJ Rivet, I felt quietly confident that my swing had started to take shape. The personalised exercise program had started to pay dividends in that my initial physical restrictions had began to be removed and I was able to get in the positions that Simon and JJ were trying to get me into.

We arrived at what must be the premier golfing venue in France, St Omer, and had the opportunity to test the course prior to the reassessments the next day.  Having recently staged a European Tour event we knew that we would have our games severely tested.

The golf course at St Omer is very challenging with numerous changes in elevation, though it is very fair from the tee. Club selection is tested throughout the round with every club in your bag in play. The greens were large, a nice pace and with lots of very tricky putts you will need to putt well to put a score together. More...

Darren Clarke, Open Champion. You wouldn’t have believed it a week ago. Here in the office we like to back a couple of long shots for the majors, this year I had big John Daly at 800/1, a couple of my colleagues had Jimenez and Watson, probably better bets in hindsight. No-one mentioned Darren Clarke at 200/1, but why? If you look at the facts it was obvious. He’s won on tour this year for the first time since 2008 (with a new caddy I might add), he’s taken time out recently which he’s spent playing links golf, oh and he’s Northern Irish. 50% of the last 6 majors have been won by Northern Irishmen. Shame I didn’t think of that last Thursday morning. All joking aside, Clarke knew he could win, he just needed to have the right attitude and it all came together at the right time.  

Just in case you’re skim reading this blog, I’ll repeat, 50% of the last 6 major winners have been Northern Irish. Its staggering. 50%. They must be putting something in the water. How has this happened? Luckily, I’ve been there and can tell you why. More...

Although not well-known to the British public as a golf destination, you will be hearing a lot more about Italy as it is benefitting from substantial investment over the coming years from Tourist Boards purely to promote golf. With 269 golf courses (6th largest in Europe) of which some are designed by legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Robert Von Hagge, why isn’t Italy more popular, especially given the allure of the other Italian traits such as great gastronomy, the relaxed lifestyle and the warm weather amongst others?

It so happened that this April, I was able to experience first-hand what the country had to offer when I found myself in the beautiful region of Emilia Romagna (just above half way up the boot for those whose geography isn’t the best). Emilia Romagna is one of our best-selling destinations in Italy and the region runs from Parma in the north-west, through Modena and Bologna down to Rimini on the Adriatic coast in the east. More...

It’s safe to say I am not an avid golfer; I do enjoy the occasional session at the driving range and have been known to play at a 9 hole pitch and putt at a course in Rickmansworth, but I definitely do not own a set of golf clubs or hit the fairways every weekend. However I think working at the Golf LIVE event on the Golfbreaks.com exhibition stand on 20th and 21st May might have sparked the beginning of an interest...

Based at the beautiful London Golf Club, the whole place was completely transformed into a grand event, with queues stretching to the car park. I was based in the ‘hub’, which was located right in the centre and it was where I got to witness all the hype around the sport. There were plenty of stands with some of the best golf courses in the UK showcasing what they had to offer; Celtic Manor had a particularly impressive stand where they had made a miniature golf hole for visitors to have a go and see if they could get a hole in one.  There were also some impressive golf apparel stands, with some outfits that would even challenge Ian Poulter’s attire.

The Golfbreaks.com stand                         The Teeofftimes.co.uk stand                                Joe Miller impressing the crowds 

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