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Eurosport-Yahoo! grabbed a rare chance to play some good old fashioned British links golf. Although there was one catch, it was in a Baltic state!

Next week the Estonian Golf and Country Club hosts the World Cup European Qualifier at its' Sea Course.

The EGCC opened in 2005 and is one of only eight courses in Estonia where golf - like the country itself that only gained independence in 1991 - is still in infancy.

The course is situated just half an hour from the capital Tallinn and only 15 minutes from the airport. With flights from the UK taking under three hours, it is as convenient for a long weekend golfing break as any of the popular Iberian destinations.

But the Costa del Sol this certainly is not. Although Tallinn is bizarrely twinned with Dartford, it's Old Town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and allows visitors to combine a city break with some quality golf.

The Sea Course was designed by Finn Lassi Pekka Tilander in full compliance with United States Golf Association requirements and is a true Championship course, spanning more than 7,000 yards as it meanders its way through forest all the way to the coast and the Jagala River.

Ancient archaeological sites, junipers, ancient oak trees, lakes, the river estuary plus sea winds and elevation changes off up to 40 metres all add to the challenge.

Water is a factor on the first two holes and you are thankful for some respite on the third where if you can get a straight drive away, you can enjoy a wedge to the green with the Gulf of Finland in the background.

The fourth and fifth holes have seriously undulating greens to add to the equation while the sixth and seventh holes are designed around huge swathes of waste sand.

Then you work your way back up to the clubhouse with the tee-shot on the par-three tenth played down from the highest point of the course.

The 12th is a fine downhill par-four with the water in front of the green on the right ready to snaffle any errant shots while you are faced with a scary lake drive on the signature par four 13th.

Water runs down the left-side of the 14th and 15th with the sea winds blowing in from the west making the latter, a 577-yard par-five off the white tees, a real test.

The 16th is the only hole on the course without sand before you finish with a par-three over water and the uphill par-five last under the watchful eye of the clubhouse.

With Estonian Air flights from London to Tallinn on Thursday evenings, visitors can enjoy two full day of golf before a return on Sunday.

If the notorious Eastern Europe nightlife has taken its toll - although not extortionate, prices are not as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries and so the city is not over-run by stag do excess - then there is no need to rush out of bed.

Due to its latitude Estonia has daylight in the summer late, late into the evening and you can enjoy a rare 9.30pm tee-off time if you wish to take on the EGCC's other option, the nine-hole Stone Course which meanders through impressive rock formations and gigantic stones from the ice age.

Overall: Estonian Golf & Country Club offers a unique mix. 27 holes of spectacular golf, a clubhouse which includes a time-cabinet that charts the evolution of the tribe which once inhabited the land where the golf course sits plus (in these parts) obligatory sauna. With a restaurant, bar and full practice facilities on site plus one of Europe's finest capital cities just down the road, all interests are catered for.

Favourite Hole: The signature par four 13th where only the best tee shot will avoid the lake on the right and stay on the narrow fairway. If you complete part one then you have a short iron back across the water to an undulating green.

Value for money: Estonian Golf & Country Club: Sea Course green fees cost £54 through April and May and Tuesday to Saturday from June to September. You can play for £40 on Sundays and Mondays from June to September and only £32 throughout October. Packages including three nights accommodation and three rounds of golf are around £300. Several airlines operate regular flights between Tallinn and the UK, including Estonian Air (www.estonian-air.ee) and easyJet.

Details: Address: EGCC, Manniva Village, Joelähtme 74217, Harjumaa; Phone +372 6 025 290; Fax +372 6 025 292; Website: http://www.egcc.ee/index.php?page=3

Lee Walker / Eurosport