In Bridgetown they say "June's too soon", the rainy season that is. Still at anywhere between 23 and 30 degrees you won't complain about Caribbean temperatures even if you are struggling over your swing.

Aptly described as the mid-luxury market, Barbados has currently three principal golf courses to satisfy the holiday golfer with more promised. For the Irish traveller two of those courses, Sandy Lane and Barbados Golf Club, have strong Irish connections and the third, the Robert Trent Jones-designed Royal Westmoreland, is rightly rated as one of the best in the world.

Former European PGA and Walker Cup player Roddy Carr fronts Barbados Golf Club. Formerly Durants Country Club, Carr sought the design input of recognised designer Ron Kirby and brought the course from a state of disrepair up to that of a 6,805 yard par 72 PGA standard track. Next year the course will host its first Seniors Tour event.

Carr whose aspiration is to provide quality affordable golf, has twinned the club with a number of hotels including the John Murphy run Elegant chain which includes the Tamarind Cove and the Dermot Deloughrey-managed Colony Club. Carr's course is a good challenge. Mature tress remain and corral waste `desert features' tend to keep you straight. Wind and an uphill finish with water at the front of the par five 18th makes the finish testing.

The 6,674 yard 72 par Royal Westmoreland is the K Club of Barbados except with a breathtaking panoramic sweep of Carribean blue. Luxury and elegance define the course which is sculpted into the rolling hills and provides several stunning holes. A beautiful, if lethal test even for the single handicap golfer.

Dermot Desmond's Sandy Lane is undergoing massive construction. The famous hotel was opened earlier this year but the main courses are still not complete although the nine holes at Sandy Lane are open. They will soon have the 18-hole Country Club and 18-hole Green Monkey championship courses as additional attractions.