Play golf through the night!

Fourth hole at Linna Golf in Finland

Linna Golf in Finland, one of the best new courses in Europe, is offering golfers the unique experience of playing at midnight. Set around an historic country house hotel 60 miles north of Helsinki, it receives 24-hour daylight during mid-summer, allowing golfers to play all day - and all night.

The £90 summer package (available from June 26 to July 30) includes one night’s accommodation at one of Scandinavia’s finest hotels (based on two sharing) breakfast, practice balls and a round of golf on the 18-hole course, created by European Golf Design.

Anssi Kankkonen, former European Tour pro and golf director at Linna, says: "Being in the southern part of Finland, we have 24-hour daylight when the weather is good so you can play golf all night. It’s a surreal experience. To start as the sun goes down and finish the round as the sun is rising again is magical."

Built in the early 1920s as a private hunting lodge for a wealthy industrialist, Vanajan Linna hotel is famous for its impressive interior and décor.

Linna Golf, near Hämeenlinna, is within easy reach of Helsinki Airport (serviced by a variety of airlines including SAS, Blue 1, Finnair and British Airways) while Tampere airport (80km) has Ryanair flights from London Stansted.

Renovated Hilton Cancun golf resort

FOLLOWING the devastation by Hurricane Wilma, Hilton has re-opened its Cancun Golf and Spa resort on Mexico’s gulf coast with a £30million renovation.

As well as restoring the white sand beach, and creating a fitness centre and repairing damage to villas and guest rooms, the 18-hole golf course has a new irrigation system with improved landscaping and bunkering.

Egypt’s latest golf resort at Tabai Heights

With five tee options on every hole the course can measure up to 7,100 yards, with approach shots over lakes, flood canals or desert-style bunkering. Buggies will be compulsory.

Taba Heights resort will also include diving, snorkelling, wake-boarding, sailing, para-sailing and quad biking among its activities as well as being served by five hotels and 32 bars and restaurants.

Turnberry gem of Scotland’s south west

While spotlighting the likes of Turnberry, Kilmarnock Barassie, Royal Troon or Western Gailes, the booklet also includes a fold-out map and mileage chart for those planning their pilgrimage.

Golfers can request a copy by calling 01292 670114, or visit www.scottishgolfsouthwest.com

TURKEY'S first links course is currently under construction near Antalya and is due to open in May 2007. LykiaGolf located on the coast will have two courses - an 18-holer of 6,527 metres (par 72) and nine-hole academy course (par 27). Both are designed by Perry Dye, who last year created the new one at San Roque, which staged the recent Spanish Open.

Turkey’s latest championship course will be devoid of water hazards yet have waste areas and pot bunkers. A feature of the academy course is an island green on the 7th hole .

The courses are situated near the River Köprüçay on the Mediterranean close to LykiaWorld Antalya with its holiday facilities.

ANOTHER course set to open next year – and in a more unlikely venue - is the Jack Nicklaus Golf, Spa and Country Club in Dolna Banya, near Borovetz, Bulgaria.

The 18-hole course will be surrounded by apartments and villas in the foothills of the Rila Mountains – costing from £55,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to £140,000 for a villa. The development is ten miles from the ski resort at Borovetz.

Dolna Banya is 35 miles from the capital, Sofia and will include a 5-star hotel, sport centres, retail park, clubs and health spa.