The Marbella Club is one of the oldest established watering holes on the coast. Close by the lovely old town, and with grounds running down to a private beach, the Club occupies one of the finest sites on the entire Costa. The night-life of Puerto Banus is a short cab ride away and the airports of Gibraltar and Malaga are less than one hour's drive.

Further west is the ultra modern Kempinski Hotel at Estepona, and in Marbella is the excellent Puente Romano. Both offer creature comforts of a high order in a soothing Andalucian style. By Mijas is Hotel Byblos, famous for its thelassotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, a forest fire scorched the surrounding hills recently so the flora may take a little time to recover.

Headquarters of the European PGA is the San Roque Club near Sotogrande, which has a number of well-appointed chalet-style suites arranged around a swimming pool with attractive barbecue area. In Puerto Sotogrande is Club Maritimo, a modern hotel right on the harbor side, which has a number of bars and restaurants within easy walking distance. Back along the coast, the marina at Puerto Duquessa is especially scenic and that, too, boasts a range of amenities to revive the spirits and soothe the soul. The new Westin Resort by San Pedro has excellent rooms of generous proportions and is adjacent to the La Quinta golf complex. The pool is attractively sited in a lush Andalucian garden and sunbathers enjoy mountain and sea views, as well as monitoring play on the verdant course.

Valderrama and Sotogrande remain the best layouts in the area (they are two of the finest in Europe), with continuing investment financing regular course improvements. Royal Las Brisas is not far behind while Aloha, Torrequebrada and Mijas all have their devotees. Visiting rights are limited - particularly at Valderrama - so early booking is essential to avoid disappointment.

Of the newer courses we would mention Montemayor for its spectacular setting and memorable if fiendishly difficult holes, San Roque, the headquarters of the European PGA and Santa Maria, designed by Antonio Garcia Garrido. The fairways at Santa Maria snake through a forest of pine trees and cork oaks running from the mountains to the beach and two of the tees are built above the new highway, but the landscaping is so good you would hardly realize it.

Water comes into play on eight of the first nine holes, but the fairways are sensibly generous, unlike on some of the Spanish courses where budgetary constraints are all too apparent and the holes appear to have been shoe-horned into place.

La Quinta and Los Arqueros are examples of this - narrow valleys provide scenic backdrops to well-maintained fairways and greens but the layouts are so tight they can intimidate the player and also result in slow rounds as groups inevitably bunch up.

Practice facilities at some courses are up to US standards, with Santa Clara being a particularly fine example. Here there is also an excellent new 18 hole course as well as a sumptuous clubhouse and the location, just east of Marbella, makes it readily accessible and easy to find!

Over the last decade development on the Costa has continued apace and the strip from Malaga west to San Pedro (15 miles west of Marbella) has few green spaces. Where these still exist you are likely to find building in progress. A few miles inland, however, you will find the real Spain, with narrow mountain roads and White Villages. Beyond the coastal Sierra Mountains lies Ronda with its charming square, stupendous gorge and narrow cobbled streets. Tours of the White Villages run from here but many are tempted to continue on to Seville or Granada, two majestic Spanish cities, which retain their traditional appeal. Hotel Alfonso X111, one of the world's best, is recommended in Seville.

Green sites may be at a premium back on the coast but the upside is the plethora of fine restaurants, cafes, shops and bars from Malaga Old Town to Sotogrande. Fine restaurants with cuisine of many nationalities are available and the variety of bars, cafes and shops is truly impressive. Of course, you may prefer to saunter through the alleys and along the waterfront at Puerto Banus, where a day could be happily spent just people-watching!

Best times to travel are February to June and mid September to late November. Avoid July and August (too hot) and the Xmas/New Year period (too busy).