If golf is your bag and you're constantly on the lookout for fresh venues, then consider Italy, not usually associated with outstanding golf facilities. However the Palazzo Arzaga Resort is beautifully located close to Lake Garda and easily accessible from Verona.

The property is a magnificent 15th century mansion now converted into a 5-star hotel offering 80 rooms and well-equipped meeting facilities. In October this year Palazzo Arzaga is scheduled to host the Italian Seniors' Championship on its testing Jack Nicklaus-designed par 72 course.

Closer to home Foxhills, in Surrey just 20 minutes from Heathrow, is a prestigious golf resort with no fewer than three championship courses, luxurious bedrooms and a £5m health spa opening this summer. Also worth noting is the reopening of the splendid Hotel Europe in Killarney, one of Ireland's finest 5-star properties, following its 40m euro redevelopment which included a new conference centre and a breathtakingly luxurious spa. Nestling in the shadow of the McGillicuddy Reeks, this corner of Ireland is awash with superb golf courses, including the legendary Tralee and Ballybunion.