Senegal, on the west coast of Africa, shares external common borders with Mauritania, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Internally, the country completely surrounds Gambia, the smallest nation on the continent. Culturally, the country is an exotic blend of several influences, including Western (through a long association with France) and Middle Eastern (due to trade with North African Arab nations).

For many years the grueling Dakar Rally began in Paris and ended in the Senegal capital but, due to security issues, the race was cancelled in 2008 then moved the following year to South America.

Senegal’s tourism is centred on its coastal resorts where reefs and cays are ideally suited for aquatic pursuits. Inland, large game parks and reserves await the more intrepid tourist and from a golfing perspective there are a handful of courses from which to choose.

The 9-hole Cap Skirring golf course is attached to the Club Med Resort and is a 3,455-yard Robert Berthet design from 1986. Michel Gayon skillfully laid out the Golf de Dakar-Technopole course on a tricky former salty swamp and, also in Dakar, is the 9-hole Golf des Almadies course. However, you’ll need to travel 50 miles to the south of Dakar, along the Atlantic coast, to find the country’s best golf course – Golf de Saly.