The success of Brian Barnes on the US Seniors Tour may have served to raise the profile of his home club, Burnham and Berrow, which lies on the Somerset coast. Noted for its fine greens its most famous early association was with 5-times British Open Champion J H Taylor, who honed his famous mashie play on the tiny greens of the 1890s course. By the 1980s Christie O'Connor considered the greens to be so good he wanted to dig them up and relay them at Royal Dublin! The impression from the tees is one of undulating dunes with fairways following the valleys between them. This is deceptively simplistic, however, since streams, ponds, pits and hollows all complicate the picture and a number of doglegs and carries add spice to the mix. The 18th is one of the hardest finishing holes in golf - a spectacular dogleg with an undulating fairway riddled with humps and bumps. Considered by Peter Alliss to be perhaps the finest course west of Bristol, it makes the perfect start to a West Country trip.

Further west is Saunton, where Harry Vardon once vowed he would like to retire and do nothing but play golf for pleasure. One of the few seaside links laid out for the modern ball the course has withstood modern advances in equipment better than most. Despite seeing service as a wartime battle training area, the old course (East) was resurrected by Ken Cotton in 1950. The new course (West) has been upgraded in recent years (new greens being a prime improvement) to ensure that Saunton has two courses of true championship quality. With better access, it would surely be an Open Championship venue.

Westward Ho! (Royal North Devon), where J H Taylor was the Professional for so many years, is just across the estuary. The oldest seaside course in England its charm lies partly in the fact that nobody has attempted to update it! Taylor was born and died within sight of the links, and spent much of his time in-between at his cottage. He never tired of the view and, despite winning five Opens and playing exhibition matches all over the country, he hastened back there whenever he could. To mention that the course was designed by Old Tom Morris is to explain its charm and also to marvel at the energy of Old Tom. Imagine the journey from St Andrews to North Devon in the 1860s!

Across the county line in Cornwall is St Enodoc, where golf was first played in the 1880s. The current course is the result of James Braid's efforts, first in 1907 and then in the 1930s. The links lie on undulating ground with some unusual features. The 6th has a giant sandhill and bunker - the largest Bernard Darwin had ever seen. From the turn you play a loop of holes around St Enodoc church, which was once buried by wind-blown sand. In the graveyard is a tombstone to Dr Theophilus Hoskin, who once leased some of the land to the club. For many years after his death his widow refused to allow Sunday play on this land, which reduced the course to just twelve holes! The 12th tee gives superb views of Daymer Bay and was one of poet Sir John Betjeman's favourite places. Water, in the shape of The Camel Estuary comes into play on the 16th and a stern finish gives way to the 19th hole, much enjoyed by members and visitors alike.

Across the estuary is Trevose. This is worth a visit just to enjoy the views from the clubhouse, which on a fine summer's evening, are quite sublime. A very different type of course to St Enodoc, Trevose has only one blind hole, little rough and few undulations. It is almost always in excellent condition and the local town is a gem with pubs, restaurants and attractive shops. The most westerly course in Britain is West Cornwall at Lelant, near St Ives. Short by modern standards, but always interesting, there are tough par 3's, some daunting par 4's and a couple of par 5's, which offer birdie chances to long hitters. Roads, railway lines and quarries provide hazards, in addition to those presented by the beach and the dunes. The views around the turn, in particular, are so distracting that they, too, may count as hazards! Even the pros complained that Nicklaus made his new St Mellion course too hard. It's a parkland course not far from the sea and has hosted professional tournaments for a decade now!

So there's plenty of good golf and you doubtless know that the West Country is famous for its plethora of fine hotels. If you fly into London Heathrow it's an easy drive to the stunning village of Lacock and its famous inn At the Sign of the Angel. This ancient drovers' inn oozes character and charm, offers comfortable rooms and excellent food. Burnham and Berrow can be reached in 90 minutes but you may want to rest up a day and visit some of the local sights, such as Castle Combe, The Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold.

For Saunton The Saunton Sands Hotel is adequate, with views over a fine beach, but Marsh Hall at South Moulton offers more character in a rural setting with the Griffiths family there to ensure your every comfort. The St Enodoc Hotel at Rock stands on an elevated site above the Camel Estuary and has been refurbished to good effect. Further west The Boskerris Hotel at Carbis Bay is just outside trendy St Ives and handy for golf at Mullion (West Cornwall). Perched above lawned gardens overlooking the bay the beach is within walking distance!