From the Alps to the Andes, from West Africa to East Asia – and all points in between, golfers will find Leading Golf Resorts with some of the world’s most challenging courses – and some of the world’s most spectacular views!  The bonus being, that these fabulous courses are all affiliated with equally fabulous Leading Hotels.

Golf Vista - Tortuga Bay resort at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic

It is easy to see the hand of legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta in the design of  the stunning Tortuga Bay resort at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  Guests here have the added bonus of access to two superlative golf courses.  The magnificent ocean-front vistas of La Cana will captivate the most discerning golf course connoisseur, while its well-fortified greens challenge the game’s toughest competitors.  After one round, avid enthusiasts and casual players alike will understand why Golf Magazine has compared La Cana to Pebble Beach and declared it the “number one course in the Caribbean.” Designed by P. B. Dye, La Cana boasts 14 ocean-view holes with four playing right on the water’s edge, and its state-of-the-art Seashore Paspalum grass allows for maintenance with minimal environmental impact.  Guests of the resort also have access to the exclusive, Tom Fazio-designed Corales Golf Course, set between rocky cliffs, coral reefs and the Caribbean Sea. With six oceanfront holes, multiple lines of approach, and picturesque canyons, the course offers a supremely rewarding experience. This exhilarating challenge culminates in the striking 18th hole with a dramatic carry over the rocky Bay of Corales, an inspired capstone to a breathtaking golf course. www.LHW.com/TortugaBay

Guests of Canouan Resort at Carenage Bay – The Grenadines have the opportunity to play a demanding 18-hole, par 72 Jim Fazio-

Golf Vista - Canouan Resort at Carenage Bay – The Grenadines

designed golf course set on dramatic sloping hills along the ocean’s edge, and boasting panoramic views from every hole overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The changing terrain – from amphitheater to mountain – offers breathtaking natural beauty and scenery, while cooling trade winds enhance the challenge. The first hole – a par 5 – starts at the clubhouse and climbs gently to a green framed by the elevated fairways of the 2^nd and 3^rd holes. An exacting par 5, the 9^th returns to the clubhouse with water catching the unwary golfer to the right of the approach and green. On the back nine, golfers strike downhill from the top of the mountain to a green set some 100 feet below. At the 15^th from the championship tee, a strike of some 310 yards brings safety; less or more brings disaster. Hole 16 plays as a 304-yard, par 3 from the back tees and drops down some 240 feet.  A par 5, the 17^th hole meanders around the lake, offering the choice between going for the green in two across the lake, or laying up on the narrow strip of land before the green.  www.LHW.com/Canouan

Golf Vista - Hotel Guarda Golf in Crans-Montana, Switzerland

At 1,500 meters above sea level, , is located directly on the fairway of a 9-hole golf course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, and adjacent to an 18-hole course designed by former world champion Severiano Ballesteros. Framed by the towering mountains in the background, the wide open landscape will make an indelible impression on your soul.  Host to the annual Omega European Masters, the course has been acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in the world.  To ensure you get the most from your golf holiday, the resort also has an indoor golf practice space, as well as a practice area in front of the hotel; and private golf carts. Staff are on hand to arrange green-fees reservations and golf lessons; and to organize transfer to the nearby courses.  And to round out your experience, the gorgeous 600-square-meter Guarda Golf Spa is home to an extensive wellness area carved in stone and featuring an indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, Hammam and four treatment rooms. www.LHW.com/Guarda

Nestled in a 47-acre park on Lake Geneva at the foot of the French Alps, the fabled Hotel Royal resort at Evian, France is home to the Evian

Golf Vista - Hotel Royal resort at Evian, France is home to the Evian Masters Golf Course

Masters Golf Course – one of the most mature courses in Europe – and to the Evian Masters Training Center, a golfing concept unique in the world.  In 1904, the Evian Mineral Water Company bought the farm run by the Berthet family and built a 9-hole golf course in preparation for the opening of the hotel.  The second 9 holes were built in 1922, and between 1988 and 1990, the course was renovated by architect Cabell B. Robinson, former assistant to Robert Trent Jones. Since 1994, it has been remodelled to anticipate increasingly skilled players, and to comply with the latest USGA regulations.   Today, it is a highly technical 18-hole par 72 course, featuring magnificent views of the lake and the surrounding Alpine summits. Its well-defended greens and narrow fairways hold many surprises for players, who can also enjoy the stunning panorama.  To help you gear up for the challenges, the Training Center concentrates on 12 different modules of every conceivable golfing experience and every subtlety that a championship course can offer.  Designed by a team of specialists including architects, players, champions and a golf pro, it also offers state-of-the-art technology to support your game: fibre optical equipment, video for swing analysis, GPS, quality balls and the latest models of club.  www.LHW.com/EvianRoyal

Golf Vista - Le Touessrok, Mauritius, the course is on its own beautiful island

As if one needs any further excuse to go to Mauritius beyond the destination itself, Le Touessrok ensures that avid golfers can get their requisite fix on its private-island course.  Located across the water from the resort, the course is on its own beautiful island, Ile aux Cerfs – ‘island of deer’. The deer have gone, and what has been created here has been described as the ‘wonder of the game’.  Bernhard Langer designed the 18-hole, par 72 championship course to challenge advanced players, while remaining exciting and playable for recreational golfers.  This is achieved with four sets of tee decks for each hole, so the angles of attack and approach vary. There is a generous provision of fairway where appropriate. The greens are mainly small and undulating, requiring precise approach shots.  No matter what your score at the end of the day, you can treat yourself and your weary muscles to a soothing massage at the understatedly elegant Givenchy Spa, savor a meal in one of seven restaurants, and then retire to your welcoming room or suite.  www.LHW.com/Touessrok

Perhaps best known as a destination for divers and snorkelers, Hurghada, Egypt, is also home to the magnificent La Residence des Cascades

Golf Vista - La Residence des Cascades, Hurghada, Egypt

Golf Resort & Thalasso Center.  Set on the highest point of Soma Bay Peninsula, the hotel is at the center of the Cascades Championship Golf Course designed by Gary Player.  Combining the best of links and desert features, the 18-hole, par 72 course has lush green fairways that contrast dramatically with the rugged desert and the clear blue waters of the surrounding sea. For example, the beautiful par 4 6^th hole plays along the water, with an elevated green framed by the sea on two sides; while the par 4 15^th has the Red Sea paralleling the fairway along its entire left side. From the back tees, the drive has to carry over a sandy cove. And from the landing area, the approach shot has to carry over another, even larger, cove.  Be sure to keep your eye on the ball!  Adjacent to the course, is a 9-hole, par 3 Golf Academy Course, also designed by Gary Player. In addition, there are extensive practice facilities, including a 60-bay driving range, and several putting and pitching practice greens. Had enough golf?  Relax at Les Thermes Marins des Cascades, one of the largest and best-equipped Thalasso therapy centers in the world, operated in cooperation with Les Thermes Marins de Saint-Malo in France.  www.LHW.com/LaResidence

For more information on tees with a view at Leading Hotels of the World, visit www.LHW.com/Golf