THE FACTS ABOUT SWEDEN

The Swedes take their holidays in July, so August is quiet on the golf course. The evenings can be autumnal, but the days are warm as you'd want for a game of golf It's cheap, too, with championship-standard courses charging only around £40 (although you will need to show a registered handicap card or club membership to play). The west-coast courses of Barseback, Falsterbo and Halmstad are the best, being in the most part an interesting and challenging hybrid of links and parkland. Sweden now leads the world in golf fashion, thanks to J Lindberg, the Jean-Paul Gaultier of golf; pick up some of his natty threads before you play, and you'll be a standout on the fairways even if your swing lets you down. CONTACT Barseback Golf & Country Club (00 46 46 77 62 30; www.barseback-golf.se). Falsterbo Golf Club (00 46 40 47 00 78; www.falsterbogk.com). Halmstad Golf Club (00 46 35 17 68 01; www.hgk.se). See also the Golf Guide Scandinavia at www.sasguides.com