Golf in Britain and Ireland has been played for centuries, however. The game - and the golf courses - have withstood world wars, climate changes, social unrest and industrial revolution. They will survive the present crisis and life will return to normal. When next year comes around we will all be ready for some relaxation and enjoyment on the links, so let's focus once again on the game and its personalities.

Tiger reinforced his legend status by taking The Masters in April to hold all four majors at the same time, but there have been other winners on tour. Retief Goosen must have shocked a few people by triumphing in the US Open, although he has been a regular winner in Europe and elsewhere, but David Duval would have surprised no-one by clinching the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes. What a heart-breaker for Woosnam though. To almost hole your opening tee shot and then to find that you have a two shot penalty for having two drivers in your bag would knock the stuffing out of any competitor. It's a tribute to Woosnam's character that he battled back to finish joint third and rekindle hopes of yet another Ryder Cup appearance, although in the end he didn't do quite enough to make the European team.

Kingsbarns has rocketed to the top of many course lists this year: it's scenic, challenging for players of all abilities, beautifully laid out and the first new genuine links in Scotland for many a year. Old Head, despite its cost, continues to win plaudits and, thanks to Lytham and The Open Championship, the North West of England has had a surge of renewed interest this year. With Royal Birkdale, Formby, Hillside, Southport and Ainsdale and West Lancashire all nearby the area is arguably the best in Britain for the number of quality courses per square mile. And Royal Liverpool, not far away, is to resume its rightful place on the Open Championship rota within the next few years. What a pity though there is no really good country house hotel in the Southport area. The Preston Marriott is adequate and permits commutes to Lytham and to Southport but the Prince of Wales, Southport's leading hotel, is in need of investment.

In Ireland we continue to receive good reports on Killeen House at Killarney where the owners, Michael and Geraldine Rosney, epitomise Irish hospitality at its best. Also highly praised is the Killarney Park Hotel while Aghadoe Heights has undergone extensive refurbishment and now once again offers excellence in food and accommodation. Let's hope that plans to soften the external appearance of the building come to fruition - the setting is too good to spoil.

For Old Head Perryville House is perhaps the best bet in Kinsale - the new rooms are large and well-appointed; and, in Cork, Hayfield Manor is extremely comfortable and well-run. Francis Brennan continues to maintain his high standards at The Park Hotel in Kenmare and Waterville House breathtakingly looks out over Ballinskelligs Bay and is less than 10 minutes drive from it's sister course.

In Dublin the new Four Seasons at Ballsbridge is a winner but the city traffic is a nightmare for those driving out to Portmarnock and Royal Dublin. We continue to recommend the Portmarnock Hotel for all-round competence and superb location. If you must stay in town then consider the new Westin Hotel by Trinity College or the Merrion, just north of Merrion Square. The Westbury is vibrant and central and The Schoolhouse offers good value, but is a twenty minute walk from the town centre.

Turnberry now has its lodges up and running and the Kintyre course opened this year to a favourable reception. George Brown, the long-serving course superintendent who masterminded the development, is happy with the finished result - and that says much for the design and construction team. Some of the new holes are truly spectacular and a number of key customers and press saw Colin Montgomerie do justice to these on the official opening of the course.

Morton Hotels have invested well in the Royal Golf at Dornoch, which has been brought to its potential through a comprehensive program of refurbishment. The Golf Hotel at Nairn is also reliable although clients still often prefer to stay at Dunain Park, by Inverness, and make day trips to Dornoch and Nairn.

In St Andrews the new hotel and golf resort at St Andrews Bay has opened but we expect this to aim for a different market to that currently served by Rusacks and the Old Course Hotel in town.