Epicurean Golf Tours by PerryGolf
It's hard to imagine a more enticing golf vacation than one that includes rounds on world-class courses, but add singular epicurean adventures to the mix and you've fully entered the realm of fantasy. The established tour operator PerryGolf has drawn up a dozen such itineraries for 2009. Each combines visits to unforgettable courses like New Zealand's Cape Kidnappers (above) with indulgences such as cooking classes and private, chef-prepared meals in gastronomic capitals around the globe. The destinations range from Provence to Tuscany to the wine lands of Australia and New Zealand.
Here's a small taste of what's on offer. You can cruise the Rhône on Le Phenicien, an 18-passenger luxury barge, stopping at the Seve Ballesteros–designed Pont Royal Golf Club, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery and the cheese-making village of Epoisses. Or you can fly to Edinburgh and play such classic links as Carnoustie and the Old Course at St. Andrews and dine at Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, the only restaurant in Scotland to have earned two Michelin stars. For more information, visit perrygolf.com.
Anyone with the price of a room can book in at a grand hotel. It takes a little more effort to seek out the truly exceptional places to stay when traveling abroad in the continental style.* 
