Pick of the best homes on golf courses

1. Florida, US
Some American courses have one-off homes, not resorts. So it is with the Oaks Club in Sarasota. This Georgian-style property is so large, 6,880 sq ft, you could probably fit an 18-hole course inside. There are five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with views across two championship courses.
£2.75m from Michael Saunders & Company (001 888 552 5228; michaelsaunders.com)

Golf might not be on the Olympic menu, but it’s still the clear favourite on British overseas property wishlists.
An estimated 160,000 Britons own overseas holiday homes next to courses, a figure that has risen by 20 per cent since the downturn. Most are in the traditional golfing fortresses of Portugal, Spain and Florida. But there are a number of more offbeat locations too.
The reasons are obvious. They guarantee lush, open views. Not just for players out on the course, but for the family members looking for a more relaxed pace of life. Resorts are also usually gated, so offer security and peace of mind.
They often have a little stardust as well. Veterans such as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus design many of the resort courses. Celebrities, both golfing and otherwise, have holiday homes on them. Ian Woosnam has a house on the Royal Westmoreland Resort in Barbados, along with Michael Vaughan, Wayne Rooney and Andrew Flintoff.
So slip on that check sweater and step up to the tee, as we take a swing at the top-10 golf properties around the world.
2. St Andrews, Scotland
Want to live at the home of golf? If so, expect to dig deep. A two-bedroom apartment here costs a cool £1.309m. For that you get access to a butler service, valet parking and can order tees through a golf concierge. Owners also get membership of the Duke’s Course, ranked as one of the UK’s top 100.
Savills (020 7016 3740; savills.com)

3. Tuscany, Italy
Work off that linguini with a few rounds at La Bagnaia, a former hunting estate with an 18-hole course on 321 acres. Apartments have a communal pool and start at £483,000. Town houses are from £1m with private pools.
Knight Frank (020 7629 8171; bagnaiasales.com)

4. Algarve, Portugal
The Monte Rei resort has 90 homes sharing tennis courts, pools, a gym and spa. “The authorities ensure the area doesn’t become overdeveloped and Monte Rei has the lowest build-density of any resort of its type,” says resort spokesman Salvador Lucena.
Prices from £946,000 (00 351 281950 959; monte-rei.com)

5. Tallinn, Estonia
Close to the capital are 125 plots for golf fans to build their own homes on a course that is new, yet already in Golf World’s top-100 European courses. “People know Tallinn for its medieval buildings, but a short drive down the highway is beautiful coastal countryside. In summer, you can play golf virtually all night,” says developer Mait Schmidt.
Prices, before building costs, are £80,500 to £322,000 from Baltic Sotheby’s Realty (00 371 6722 4645; balticsothebysrealty.com)

6. Bali, Indonesia
Greg Norman designed the 18-hole course at Nirwana Resort, one of the best known in Asia. But despite the glamour, the price of new homes here remains refreshingly low. A small studio apartment costs £122,200, while a two-bedroom rooftop suite is priced at £407,100.
Savills (020 7016 3740; savills.com)

7. California, US
Golfers of a certain age will remember Tom Weiskopf, who won 16 PGA Tour titles before turning his hand to course design in the Eighties. This is one of his latest creations at Lahontan Golf Club. The house has 4,000 sq ft with four bedrooms, and includes course membership as well as the ultimate boys’ toy – your own personal golf cart.
£1.09m, Chase International (020 7467 5330; chaseinternational.com)

8. Catalunya, Spain
The Stadium Course, a 741-acre estate near Barcelona, is often in the top 10 of European course league tables. Even so, prices are modest by golf standards, thanks to the economic situation in Spain. Flats go from £201,000 and town houses from £560,000. Buyers get rental deals with Pyrenees ski resorts and a Costa Brava beach club.
Knight Frank (020 7629 8171; pgacatalunya.com)

9. Barbados, Caribbean
Some 1,000ft above central Barbados sits Apes Hill Club, not far from Ian Woosnam’s holiday home. Three and four-bedroom villas with views of the 10th, 17th and 18th holes as well as the sea, range from £991,000. Self-build plots start from £156,500.
Savills (020 7016 3740; savills.com)

10. Perthshire, Scotland
Taymouth Castle has been transformed into a hotel and estate of private residences, some overlook the River Tay. A revamped golf course reopens in 2013, a year before the Ryder Cup comes to nearby Gleneagles. “We’re anticipating home owners to be resident up to two months per year, then rent out their properties via the hotel,” says Alex McEwan, the developer.
Homes cost £600,000 to £1.2m from James Taylor Property (020 7724 4777; taymouth-castle.com)