WHILE it is possible to have a reasonably inexpensive holiday on Madeira, you would be denying yourself the five-star pampering you and your loved one quite clearly deserve. The problem is, once you've had it, it might be difficult to settle for anything less. Inclement weather in Portugal caused a five-hour delay to our flight from London, yet even at 2am a team of eager-to-please night staff ensured that the check-in at the five-star Casa Velha do Palheiro was speedy and efficient. Sad to have missed dinner, believe me, if you'd seen the sumptuous breakfast you can only imagine how dinner would have been. I was hugely impressed by the thoughtfulness and consideration of James Scott, the general manager, who organised a light snack in our room, a welcoming bottle of Madeira, a beautiful orchid which lasted for ages on returning home, and a sympathetic, hand- written note regretting our delay. Casa Velha was built as a hunting lodge in the early 19th century and is now a beautiful hotel with 32 rooms and five suites of very good quality. It has excellent facilities, amazing gardens and a stunning golf course designed by Cabell Robinson. The whole course provides really enjoyable golf, and in its 6,086 metres there are five par threes of astounding quality. The Palheiro course undulates through a spectacular woodland of exotic trees and shrubs from all over the world. It has a rare beauty within its boundaries, and that beauty is enhanced by the terrific views of the surrounding area and Funchal. It is generally accepted that the clubhouse occupies one of the best sites on the whole of Madeira, and the panoramic vista from the terrace is simply awesome. Food at the clubhouse is prepared by the hotel chef, and is predictably a five-star treat from beginning to end. Seriously, if taking lunch on the Palheiro Golf clubhouse terrace doesn't rank in the top five best places you've ever eaten, then you haven't been there. It's as simple as that. Achieving five-star status in the hotel industry is no mean feat; it is beyond being merely a job and beyond being good at the job. Maintaining that position elevates it from a profession to an art form which, when you see a team of waiters in full swing, is amazing to watch. Take the Madeira Palacio for example, a superb hotel 4 km from the centre of Funchal. It has predictably fantastic views over the sea and coastline, and is set in sub-tropical gardens. Whatever facilities it doesn't have, aren't worth having. The service and indeed services are impeccably delivered because your comfort and pleasure is of paramount importance to every single member of staff. Believe me, I'm not regurgitating lines from the travel brochures, I'm writing from experience. It would be easy to write that the food is good and there's plenty of it, but that would be doing a disservice to those experts and very well trained staff who created and turned dinner into a wonderful occasion. For a large hotel to maintain such exacting standards is testimony to the professionalism of the whole team. Exactly the same can be said for the five-star Quinta da Bela Vista, a haven of peace just one-and-a-half miles from the town centre. Surrounded by mature gardens, this family owned hotel has 89 rooms, impressive lounges, which house one of Europe's most important collections of antique furniture and a restaurant par excellence. Again, dinner in the restaurant was magnificent. The other golf course on Madeira is Santo da Serra, home to the Madeiran Open. It bears no resemblance to the newly opened course I played 14 years ago, as now the complex comprises three loops of nine holes, which affords the greens staff the opportunity to close one loop for maintenance whenever necessary. The re-sited clubhouse has unrivalled views of the mist-covered mountains and deep, terraced valleys. The Open is played on the Machico and Desertas courses which total more than 6,200 scenic, picturesque and demanding metres. The third loop, the Serras course, is no less pretty but at 2,911 metres is comparatively flat compared to the other loops, and is much easier on the calf muscles. A certain Mr Ballesteros commends Santo da Serra quite highly, so if it's good enough for him, then it's good enough for the rest of us. To reiterate, all three hotels mentioned; Casa Velha do Palheiro, Quinta da Bela Vista and Madeira Palacio are top quality, five-star establishments, and they feature in the latest brochure from Serenity Golf, our hosts for the trip. The Madeira Travel Company are Serenity's agents on the island, and Ricardo Borges, the managing director, personally ensured that all transfers and requirements ran smoothly and were catered for with consummate skill. You can obtain your brochure from Serenity Golf, 29, The Hundred, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 8BW or tel: 01794 517000. | 
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