Italy

Pevero Golf Club, Costa Smeralda

The Aga Khan deserves credit for first suggesting that a golf course should be built at Il Pevero on the Costa Smeralda in northern Sardinia. Upon seeing the two bays of Cala di Volpe and Pevero, he declared that the space between them would be perfect for a golf course.

Although cleverly designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr, nature rather than man could be said to be responsible for making this masterpiece such a tough challenge. And its difficulty increases when the northwest wind is blowing, a regular feature of the Sardinian land of Gallura. Those unused to playing in the wind will have to adapt their game to cope with the conditions even though, in truth, the effect of the wind is perhaps more psychological than technical.

Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda

Overlooking the Cala di Volpe Bay, on the unique turquoise coastline of Sardinia, the Hotel Cala di Volpe is a serenely sculptured luxury resort offering a perfect mix of understated elegance and glamour.

Delightful vistas of distant mountains, pristine white sand beaches and the translucent seas of the Mediterranean make for quite unforgettable views. Designed by architect Jacques Couelle to resemble a charming fishing village, the Hotel with its towers, terraces, irregular roofs and porticoes blends in beautifully with the natural landscape of rosemary bushes and rockroses, and embraces its private harbour.