There is a course that has gone missing. Its not been swallowed by a housing estate, its in sensibly rude financial health, the sea hasn?t washed away its fairways, nor has its grass succumbed to a fungus which will blight the UK in the coming years.

Pierre Fulke stole a march on the opposition yesterday when he led by one shot in the opening round of the Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. But Doha Golf Club had already seized a big advantage over its competitors by confirming its presence at the London Golf Show in April.

Imagine being offered the chance to design your first golf course. Then you find out that is situated right next door to one of the top-ranked courses in the world - Muirfield! That was the challenge that faced former European Tour pro David J. Russell three years ago and by the critical acclaim he has received for the new Archerfield Links, it looks like he came through with flying colours.

Green keeping expert, Paul McClearn, has been appointed to arguably the most enviable job in Scottish golf currently; Head Greenkeeper at the brand new, £50million The Carrick on Loch Lomond; De Vere Resort Ownership Limited’s (DVROL) 5-star international golf and leisure resort.

Tradition meets all parts of championship golf is a good way to describe this proud but reserved club. Just a few miles from the M1, the club and its course straddles the road from Sheffield to Worksop and its 'roll of honour' extends from the Dunlop Masters and the Ryder Cup, through to the very best in Amateur competition, and has included Open Championship Pre-Qualifying (the latter list of courses deserve their own record, a number of true gems where players wanting to play in the greatest Championship of them all find the first hurdle for qualifying too much to handle).

No matter what your handicap or your golfing ambitions, there is time and a place where you find out about your golf game, a round which you always remember, one that can inspire or it can be that day when every part of your swing and attitude is exposed - and ruined - either way though you still come back for more. The more modern Championship golf course has tried to been designed and then marketed to do just this. The Classics no longer hold firm on the monacer of being the true tests of golf as it stands in 2004.

This is a quick guide to some of the members and Tour courses in and around Cork - there is a special review for Old Head. Read this review in conjunction with the three centres we sampled during our stay in Cork, for a guide to to some of the places you can stay on your holiday.