A luxury resort stretching over 2000 hectares in the province of Cadiz. Sotogrande is located only thirty minutes from Marbella and just fifteen from Gibraltar on the southern cost of Andalucia. It’s described by locals as a ‘place with a sparking spirit and a magical charm’. This beautiful estate, where the Guadiaro River meets the Mediterranean Sea, has developed over the last thirty years into an exceptional place to visit or live.

There are a number of UK Towns and Cities which are great for Golf Tours – Southport, St Andrews, Deal, Troon, Leeds are just a few to mention and, of course, the same applies to Ireland. A Golf Tour base that will appeal to lots of people is Bournemouth (and Poole) as the town offers a very wide range of accommodation and entertainment, to go with lots of golf. The region does not possess a ‘Championship’ venue (or two) as per some of those mentioned above so those who want to walk in the footsteps of past Open Champions might have crossed the region off a list of possibles for fear of not being tested ‘properly’ for both golf and green fee price. This really is no reason to not come South as at least one or two of the course we have reviewed are really tough tests of golf and as a mark throughout, the standard of courses was excellent, as high as anywhere else.

The Broadstone Golf Club has a reputation. It deserves one. Few clubs can match the care and the presentation of their course. For our review, it was in excellent condition and where there was further work needed, the club was obviously doing so. The clubhouse works so well to create an impression of somewhere special as you walk out across to the first tee, an opening par five which is much more challenging than its yardage.

The drive at the 5th at the Isle of Purbeck is the closest (in real terms) to one of those fantasy golf hole calendars you will ever play. You stand looking back at Poole and Bournemouth, and try keeping your ball out of the English Channel (should you possess golf balls that can fly a few miles). On a perfect English Summer’s day, the detail of the landscape in front of you, and to the right, and left (from the nine hole course Swanage is the other perfect vista) appears so close, so touchable, so easy to find. On the other hand, when the weather is more capricious, you could still be trying to find the fairway this time thrashing a driver (or two) to find the green. The views might be more Turneresque on this weather occasion – it would still be a reason why Purbeck has a place on any golfer’s list of places to play.

Set on the hillsides and in the valleys of what is the site of the region’s most prestigious (expensive) homes, the approaches, the clubhouse, the first views of the course is all you will expect. Peter Allis has made the ‘occasional’ mention of a club which is possibly his ‘home’ throughout his broadcast career, though if you take time to look at the Clubhouse walls before you play, you will find mention of lots more famous people.

Back in the mid 1900’s, the Dunlop British Masters (now the Daily Telegraph Damovo) came to Stoneham. The players back then would have faced much the same challenge as that you will face if you add Stoneham to your list of golf tour courses. This is perfect golf land, rolling this way and that and covered in trees which have been around for hundreds of years. Its a design which only has three pairs of holes running in the same direction – the 1st and 2nd, the 6th and 7th and then the 12th and 13th. Every other tee shot switches direction and for the holes which follow each other (in direction) its 5 then 3 (twice) and a 5 then a short par 4. You are going to be asked lots of questions about your game and you can only enjoy the views and the challenges that start from the 1st tee.

If this were a private club, and had a few extra yards, it would be described as a classic. As it is, it’s a ‘municipal’ and so some would not consider it worthy of their presence. How simply some fools would look to protect their prejudice or justify quality by price – this is less than £20 a round and its well worth it.