Although golf has still not reached the masses in France, anticipation of a golf boom has led to the construction of countless new courses, some of which are exceptional. And, of course, many of the older courses built mainly for the visiting Victorian British, were laid out by the famous names of the day - Harry Colt, Tom Simpson and Willie Dunn amongst them. Resort courses in Normandy, on the Cote d'Azur and around Biarritz have celebrated their centenaries, as have one or two in Paris or by Lake Geneva. If you wish to combine style with substance and culture with cuisine, you might wish to consider the following itinerary.

Fly into Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and taxi into town. Take in the sights for a couple of days while playing the likes of Chantilly (Tom Simpson) and the National (Robert von Hagge) before departing for the Loire Valley. The delights of Chateau de Cheverny and Les Bordes (another von Hagge masterpiece) await you here, along with gourmet cuisine, glorious chateaux and superb and inexpensive local wines.

Side trips to Saint Emilion or Bordeaux tempt you along the way, although your destination is likely to be Biarritz, a famous resort in Victorian times, during which visiting New Yorkers spotted Willie Dunn at work on the local course (Le Phare). They instantly commissioned him to lay out Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, and all that took place well over one hundred years ago. The Hotel du Palais in Biarritz is regal in style and transports you to a gentler age. Contemporary pressures recede and your scores improve as you relax. Round off your trip on Le Phare or Chiberta, before flying back to Paris from the local airport to connect to your international flight home.

Although it's easy to find your way around France, for small parties we recommend a driver and executive mini coach - contact our Merrimack office for a proposal.