If you love golf, then Newport will be on your radar this month. It's the first time the Ryder Cup has been played in Wales, and the sport looks certain to have a huge impact on the area with a batch of new openings.
Golf lovers will be vying for rooms at the well-regarded Celtic Manor Resort (celtic-manor.com), where the competition was held. It has pulled out all the stops with a brand-new Twenty Ten course, built for the occasion.
In the city centre, the Waterloo Hotel and Bistro (thewaterloohotel.co.uk) is the smart new address after its major restoration work, while the rustic village of Tredunnock is home to Wales' latest stylish restaurant with rooms, the Newbridge on Usk (+44 (0)1633 410 262).
The newly Michelin-starred Walnut Tree (thewalnuttreeinn.com) offers fine food and stylish surroundings just a short drive from Abergavenny. Heading south to Cardiff, the iconic St David's Hotel & Spa in Cardiff Bay, the opening of which first kick-started the regeneration of South Wales, has relaunched its signature restaurant as Tempus at Tides (+44 (0)2920 454 045, thestdavidshotel.com) with Welsh specialities on the menu.
Finally, if all that golf gets too much, the Brecon Beacons National Park (breconbeacons.org) is just a short drive away for, to misquote Mark Twain, a good walk not spoilt by golf.
