Mike Wilson, product manager, British Airways Golf Holidays
“The sheer quality and availability, plus the fact that a significant number of hotels have their own course, put the Algarve at the top of my list.
“Green fees are reasonable, at around £25-£30 on average. Some courses charge up to £40, but the cost through tour operators is less than this and you can pre-book tee times.
“If you are a guest at the Dona Filipa, you can play at my favourite course, San Lorenzo, for only £11. Otherwise a round costs £81 – and that’s only if you can get on to the course.
“Although I enjoy visiting new golfing destinations, the Algarve is my long-established favourite. I believe it provides an even better golfing experience than the Lisbon area.
“With nearly 20 courses, the Algarve offers a tremendous choice.
“You can drive for an hour to play if you wish, but you will pass many courses on the way, all of which offer something different.
“There’s a broad spectrum of good quality accommodation, too, from three to five star.
“New properties are emerging like Vila Vita, a five-star sports-oriented resort at Armacao de Pera.
“Golfers are great traditionalists and many return to the Algarve year after year because it offers such high-quality facilities and good weather. With excellent courses such as San Lorenzo, the Vilamoura Old Course, Vilasol, Penina and Vale do Lobo it’s not surprising.
“Most golfers booking the Algarve know exactly what they want, but they may need a bit of updating. Agents can call our sales team about the Algarve – they are all golfers themselves and know what they’re talking about.”
David Sledmere, sales and contracts manager, 3D Golf
“The Lisbon area is my favourite for golf. It has eight top-class courses and is not expensive. The courses are far less crowded than the Algarve and they tend to be clustered together, making travel between them and the resorts quick and easy. In the Lisbon area you’re not playing golf between estates of villas, like you do in Tenerife – I’d be terrified of breaking windows there.
“All the courses are different, located in beautiful natural settings. Praia del Rey is the most northerly – a links course with sand dunes, sea views and few trees. Troia, in the south of the region, is another excellent links venue.
“Many of the courses are cut through pine forests, with fairways running up and down along valleys and high elevated tees.
“The scenery is rugged, with rocky outcrops that have become features of the courses. None of the courses are easy – 6,401 metres is the average length.
“My favourite is Penha Longa, which staged the Portuguese Open three years’ running in the mid-1990s. It’s possibly the best known of the established courses in the area.
“It’s a pity that Lisbon is served only by scheduled services. If charters were going in, we’d send 5,000 clients rather than the 500 we expect to send next year.
“Finally, there is a misconception about the weather in the Lisbon area. Though Lisbon is Atlantic facing, the weather is generally fine from March to the end of October.”
Sean Noble, product manager, Longshot Golf Holidays
“For me there’s nowhere to match Dubai. There are four courses, three of them true championship courses. The Emirates and Dubai Creek clubs have staged the Desert Classic on numerous occasions.
“The courses are immaculate, the weather is warm and the service – from the moment you board your Emirates flight – is second to none. The whole experience is fantastic.
“Dubai Creek, with its fantastic clubhouse, is my favourite. You can sit looking out over the Creek at the lush greenery and the impressive city skyline.
“And with the desert close by, it’s a great setting.
“The course is quite difficult because there’s quite a lot of water and heavy rough to contend with.
“However, the shaped and manicured holes make it a pleasure to play and I have found few courses better.
“The two inland Emirates courses are also highly recommended. The Majilis is a desert course, with lush green fairways and lots of sand while the Wadi brings more water into play.
“The fourth course is the Dubai Golf and Racing Club. It’s one of the world’s largest floodlit courses and you can tee off up until 8pm. You might just get round by midnight.
“I would recommend Dubai to experienced golfers even though it doesn’t come cheap – our discounted green fee for the Creek starts at £56 – but the experience is well worth it.
“Longshot Golf Holidays has added Dubai for 2000. The hotels are superb, both at the beach and in the city, and there’s plenty of nightlife.
“Dubai is a very open society and it’s a good fun place to go.”