It may not be the most obvious choice for a golf break - particularly right now, with its noisy neighbours to the north making wild threats against all and sundry - but, for those prepared to give it a try, South Korea is very special.

The country which spawned the likes of YE Yang, Asia’s first men’s major winner, as well as KJ Choi and Jiyai Shin, South Korea is arguably Asia’s top golf nation - and, in addition to the players, it has the courses to back up that claim. More than 200 of them, in fact.

For many, Nine Bridges is the pick of the bunch. Located on Jeju Island, a volcanic island in the Korea Strait, the course opened in 2001 and rolls around pine trees in the shadows of Mount Halla, the country’s tallest mountain.

Also on Jeju Island is Blackstone Golf Club, the host of the European Tour’s Ballantine’s Championship, which has three courses to choose from.

Perhaps the pick of the bunch is the stunning layout at Lotte Skyhill Country Club on Jeju Island

The two terrific layouts at Jade Palace Golf Club are also well worth a look as is the mountainous Hwa San Country Club, and the California-inspired Pine Beach.

However, perhaps the pick of the bunch is the stunning layout at Lotte Skyhill Country Club on Jeju Island. Its Robert Trent Jones-designed course meanders through a picturesque part of the South Korean countryside.

So, don’t be put off by the hot air from the north; a visit to South Korea comes highly recommended.