Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, Scotland

The Hotel: Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa is a prestigious five-red-star hotel overlooking St. Andrews’ west sands beach and the beautiful Scottish coastline. Occupying one of the most spectacular locations in Scotland, it gives guests a unique opportunity to experience the ‘home of golf’, the historical University town of St Andrew’s and the surrounding countryside of the ancient Kingdom of Fife. Overlooking the legendary 17th Fairway of the world renowned Old Course, the hotel prides itself on offering a truly authentic Scottish stay and outstanding facilities.

The Spa: Its ground-breaking Kohler Waters Spa, which is the only one of its kind outside the US, launched an exciting collaboration with Skin Authority, the leading US brand famous for innovative skin care in November. As such, Kohler Waters Spa will be the only spa in the UK to offer these sought-after treatments. In addition to the spa, it features a 20-metre swimming pool, a rooftop hot tub, a world-class thermal suite with hydrotherapy pool, a plunge pool, a Japanese steam room, a sauna with light therapy and laminar flow showers, a poolside relaxation area and a fitness suite.

More: Offering 144 guest bedrooms including 35 suites, the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa also offers its very own golf course, The Duke’s. It also boasts an exceptional choice of bars and restaurants including fine dining Road Hole Restaurant and the Road Hole Bar, where whisky aficionados from around the globe flock to sample the stunning selection of whiskies. The Road Hole has over 200 whiskies, representing every operational and many mothballed distilleries in Scotland.

Rates: Double rooms are available from £195 per night on a B&B basis. www.oldcoursehotel.kohler.com

PGA Catalunya, Spain

PGA Catalunya is one of Spain’s most prestigious golf and real estate developments. Spread over 300 hectares of verdant countryside, PGA Catalunya Resort lies at the epicentre of some of Spain’s most spectacular scenery and comprises two world-class golf courses, superb leisure facilities and now a select number of villa plots, stylish modern townhouses and apartments for sale.

A consciously low-density development, each property is set within an average of 1.4 hectares, enjoying views over carefully manicured fairways, mature forests and beyond to the majestic Pyrenees mountains. Owned by acclaimed Irish entrepreneur Denis O’Brien of Quinta do Lago in Portugal, O’Brien and his company PGA Catalunya are masterminds of resort developments, striving to make PGA Catalunya Resort one of the finest golfing real estates in Europe.

PGA Catalunya will inevitably appeal to golf fanatics, however, it has a host of other amenities and pursuits on its doorstep. Within an hour and a half’s drive of the Pyrenees, it offers access to skiing in the winter and hiking and biking in the summer months. Meanwhile, just 25 minutes from Costa Brava, it also has an affiliation with a luxury beach hotel with full beach facilities and a divine spa. The tantalising cities of Barcelona (under an hour) and Girona (ten minutes) are also close at hand and this, coupled with the championship golf on site, a choice of three acclaimed architects for villa design and superb infrastructure make PGA Catalunya an appealing destination for a family holiday.

Prices: Two-bed 84m² apartments are available from €325,000.

PGA Catalunya www.pgacatalunya.com