It might still be several months away from opening but the seventh links course at St Andrews is taking shape and will, once it opens in May or June 2008, provide visiting golfers with another stiff test. Officially named the Castle course it is located to the east of the town but with fine views across part of St Andrews Bay to the old town, glistening in the afternoon sunlight as it was when I visited just after Easter 2007 - in unusually warm weather!

A few holes run along the top of the dunes close to the sea with some spectacular views and the wind off the water promises to make life difficult once it blows. Most holes have half a dozen or more tee locations so any level of golfer will have the opportunity to hit the pretty open and wide fairways. The greens are generous in size though this will be a course where the second shot is perhaps more important than the one from the tee. Nowhere will this be more important than on the closing holes, including the spectacular 17th, a par-3 over a ravine with a carry of about 190 yards, and the 18th, a par-5 dog-leg that will have you either playing fairly safe or throwing caution to the wind in an attempt to get up in two. Whichever you choose you will have played a real golf course by the time you seek the refuge of the 19th.

The course will not be cheap, weighing in at over £100 a round though some offers will reduce that to around £70 at certain times. And you will need a car to get there from the town or wherever you are staying. I'm looking forward to playing it once it opens though it will probably need a year to really settle in.

Next door to it, and rather dominating the skyline, is the Fairmont St Andrews hotel with two fine golf courses and a clubhouse that is prominent, to say the least. The Fairmont group has a host of properties around the world, though primarily in Canada and the USA, many with very fine golf courses including the Banff Springs, Whistler, Jasper and the Manoir Richelieu. The hotel standards are five-star at least with an excellent spa and very good restaurants. The golf clubhouse sits at the meeting point of two courses, the Torrance (named after Sam) and the Devlin (named after Bruce). I don't think either was heavily involved in the design though. The Torrance is a bit of a let-down, an odd mixture of holes that are not that memorable, I'm sorry to say. Split fairways, oddly-placed bunkers and some other strange foibles made this a less-than-enjoyable course though some locals swear by it. I swore at it. But the Devlin is a completely different kettle of fish, being hugely enjoyable, challenging, wonderful views, well-thought-out holes and very clever use of the contours on this spectacular piece of land. The sea does not come into play though it is visible from many parts of the course, particularly on the back nine. This is one I'd happily play every day. Excellent.

Kingsbarns is another spectacular course just along he road, and one that hosts the Dunhill Links tournament each year. A true championship course it is in excellent condition, has some fascinating holes, wonderful views and is the sort of course that has everything right about it. There is no weak link. I cannot praise it enough. Service in the clubhouse matches it. Go there. Play it. Although I did not have the chance to get there on this visit the Duke's course has been refurbished, redesigned and is, by all accounts, a far better course now than it was when it first opened a decade or so ago.

St Andrews itself has it all with the Old course, the New, Jubilee, and Eden, all four well established and just wonderful to play, particularly the first three; then the Strathtyrum, a 5620 yard course and the Balgove, a par-30 course, though personally I would rather play courses a few miles from St Andrews than go on the latter two. Crail is glorious, Lundin Links an excellent test and, the other side of Dundee (about 45 minutes by car) you have that stretch of coast that includes Carnoustie and the courses around it. On the top courses you will find a caddy is worth his weight in gold and on top of the caddy fee a tip of about £20 a round would be about right.

With St Andrews in particular but also much of this region being known as the home of golf you are virtually guaranteed a good week of golf. Links golf is different to the target golf to which many people are now accustomed and it will certainly pay you to listen carefully to the caddy and also to try out new ideas - you can, for instance, putt approach shots that would require a wedge on other courses; it is not unheard of to be putting from 50 yards out. But come and try it for yourself. I think it might change your outlook on golf.