Golf

Here is an introduction to a small selection of Linda Jackson's published golf articles:

Wales - Golf as it should be

In golfing terms, the appeal of Wales as a golfing destination is beginning to grow, thanks largely to its winning bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2010. Today, the world's golfing community is being belatedly introduced to outstanding courses that can compete with the best in England, Scotland and Ireland. The Welsh Tourist Board is promoting the region with the slogan: 'Golf as it shoud be' - by which it means reasonably-priced green fees and challenging, unspoiled, scenic courses, many located in national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and along the country's magnificent coastline. (ABTA Golf)

The Loire Valley - Courses à la française

How very French... to find the clubhouse restaurant bursting at the seams between noon and three in the afternoon, the golf course deserted. And how very English... to go out in the midday sun and skip lunch in order to get down to the serious business of playing golf tout de suite. (ABTA Golf)

Scotland - Girls just wanna have fun

If there's a man in your life, leave him behind. This is a golfing-shopping-pampering break for ladies only. So grab some girlfriends and head for the five-star Turnberry Resort which sits high above the rugged south-west Ayrshire coastline in a beautiful 800-acre estate and expect enough pampering to make any stubborn toe curl. (ABTA Golf)

Scottsdale - Laze in Arizona

If you think golf balls are strictly for golf, and tee boxes for teeing-off, then think again. In Scottsdale, you can have warm golf ball therapy in a luxury spa, then dinner at sunset on a tee box at a top golf resort. The Wild West is changing and today's cowboys are on the golf course, found under the cooling canopy of a 'climate-controlled' golf buggy with a supply of ice-cold beer to hand. Meanwhile, the Native Indians have constructed some of the finest golf courses and liveliest casinos you'll find anywhere in the US. (ABTA Golf)

Divonne-les-Bains - Golf, gambling & gourmet food

The clanking got louder the nearer I got to the main hall. Flashing coloured lights, laughter, and an excited buzz filled the air. Punters were intent on relentlessly exercising their right arm as though there was no tomorrow, and money poured in and out of what seemed like endless rows of slot machines. Choosing to play golf in this small town suddenly didn't seem quite the gamble I first thought. (France magazine)

Swing time

Picture yourself on a carpet of well manicured grass that stretches far into the distance. Imagine lakes glistening in the sun and spectacular panoramas that take your breath away, offering a backdrop of craggy mountains, dramatic coastal views or sun-kissed boulders. What more could you possibly want? Golf clubs and a good supply of golf balls, that's what. (Holiday)

Catalunya - Fairways and byways

Picture a coastline dotted with secluded sheltered coves where pine trees cling to the rocks and edge the sea; where small boats gently bob in tiny harbours, where multicoloured bougainvilleas tumble over garden walls, and amazing sunrises take your breath away. This is just a taster of the Costa Brava which stretches along the Girona coastline in the north of Catalunya, where the Pyrenees meet Spain's norther-eastern dramatic coastline, and a Costa Brava you might not realise is there - rolling lush countryside, wooded hills, fragrant pines, protected natural areas, ancient towns, mountain backdrops, classy restaurants and a real gem of a city, Girona... plus some of the best courses in Spain. (Living Spain)

Golf for Women - Golf schools

Hitting a rock-hard ball no bigger than an egg into a 4 1/4-inch hole that lies about 400 yards or more away, using four strokes and with 12 or 13 different clubs to choose from, is not an easy task. Frustrating and difficult - but oddly pleasurable - golf is utterly addictive, or so 1.2million golfers in England, Scotland and Wales would confirm. Of this number, 167,000 are women but, with new rules to the Sex Discrimination Act recently announced and the Equal Opportunities Commission currently drawing up a code of practice for golf clubs, it is hoped more women will take up the game and increase the female profile at golf clubs which are often seen as bastions of male domination. (The Lady)

Kent - Out in the garden

There are more castles, mansions and historic gardens in Kent than any other part of the UK. The county known as the 'Garden of England' is a wooded region peppered with orchards, vineyards, villages and ancient towns. It also has its fair share of golf courses, from long-established, old-fashioned parkland or wooded inland layouts, to windblown links and more contemporary courses. (ABTA Golf)

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To see the full article of any of the above, enquire about purchasing a high resolution full copy of any of the cropped images on this page, or to view a wider selection of specific golf images, please contact Linda Jackson at enquiry@linda-jackson.co.uk.  All images Copyright Linda Jackson