THINK of Austria and you picture ski slopes, cowbells and maybe even the Sound of Music.
The last thing in your mind's eye would be fading a three wood through a 30 metre gap in the hillside to the edge of the putting surface against the backdrop of snow-topped alpine peaks.
Anyone who's seen me on the fairway knows I could never execute such a golf shot but it was a great experience just to try.
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Golf is probably Austria's best-kept secret but in the shadow of the Hahnenkamm - one of the world's most famous ski runs - lie some of Europe's most picturesque courses.
The town of Kitzbuhel is reknowned for the quality of its winter sports and in summer is a haven for hill walkers and mountain bikers.
But it is also the home of four golf courses with many more within a couple of hours' drive.
The Schwarzsee golf club stretches out below the magnificent Wilder Kaiser - a jagged ridge of alpine granite.
It's a parkland par 72 course of just under 6,000m with wide tree-lined fairways and a fast-flowing river slicing through the middle. It was chosen for the European Challenge Tour in 2003.
Hazards
The wide fairways are fairly forgiving but there is a lot of water and some strategically placed hazards to make it more than challenging.
Stroke one is a 420m par four, while the par three 16th is known as The Mousetrap and can only be reached via a small ravine.
Further down the valley is the Eichenheim course, overlooked by the Kitzbuhel Alps, which is undoubtedly the finest in the region.
It was designed by American architect Kyle D Philips and he certainly gets the most from the steep rocky slopes and lush forests which fringe the fairways. Each hole contains its own individual charm
The first hole, as I described at the start of this piece, is a daunting introduction and the course maintains the challenge until the 18th.
Kitzbuhel is also home to two nine-hole courses. The Rasmushof has been established for 30 years and is located in the finish area of the legendary Streif down hill ski trail.
The course is literally five minutes from the the centre of town, and, while an ideal course for beginners, claims to be a demanding enough to test the skill of more experienced golfers.
Kitzbuhel golf club was re-opened in 2005, 50 years after it was founded. It has been re-designed to PGA standards to make the most of its natural features.
The golf season in Austria is obviously dictated by the weather, but the courses are usually open by the end of April until the beginning of October.
Away from the golf course, hiking and cycling is the major summer activity with a myriad of trails accessed from the Kitzbuheler and Hahnenkamm cable cars.
Every day the tourist office in Kitbuhel offers a guided walk.
You can take your bike on the cable car if you like, or if you don't fancy those hills just stay on the flat way-marked paths in the valley and take a swim in the Schwarzee.
I stayed in the Hotel Edelweiss which was comfortable with excellent food and service, but the only trouble was the bar closed at 9pm.
Fortunately, Kitzbuhel town centre, with it's cobbled streets and exclusive shops, bars and restaurants is just a few minutes walk away.
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