Sunrise on the fairway

The view from the fairways is quite stunning. Down to the beach and over the Straits of Korea beyond. It's a landscape that is subtly different as you gaze from your idyllic spot on the isle of Namhae over to the Korean mainland. Low mountains and gnarled trees shimmering in the year-round warmth of this spot, just about the southernmost spot in South Korea.

The Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort is remarkable, yet somehow typical of this beautiful nation which is always forging ahead. It is a combination of old and new. The modernistic architecture and the state-of-the-art course are in complete contrast to the traditions, the scenery and the exquisite local food.

Korea is taking up golf, and taking it up in a big way. There are now well over 200 courses around the country and the number is growing rapidly. It's like when they took up skiing a couple of decades ago. There were no ski resorts then; now there is something like 15, all with the most modern facilities, and the nation narrowly lost out in the race to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Golf is seen as a new status symbol here and in the rest of the Orient. The sport is booming in China, which is already home to more than 200 courses, with the prediction of 50 courses opening annually in the coming years. Mission Hills Golf Club just outside Hong Kong is reckoned (by the Guinness Book of Records) to be the world's largest golf club, with an astonishing 12 courses. There's one designed by Jack Nicklaus and each is set amid different scenery, with beaches, mountain views, jungle and forests.

While it's only in the past 10 years that golf has been permitted in China, Korea has a far stronger tradition of Westernised pursuits due to its alliance with the US during and after the Korean War. The country nowadays is an intriguing mix of ancient cultures and modern life, all with a hospitality and friendliness that may seem like a cliché but which is a fact.

At the Hilton Namhae, the 18-hole championship PGA course provides a challenge for all levels, along with the feeling of being in a far off place. Eleven of the holes are by the sea - four involving natural water hazards - with fairways and greens hugging the warm ocean. You play alongside cliffs and waterfalls before reaching the Cloud 19 bar in the elegant, modernistic clubhouse.

But it's not just golfers who will find heaven here. You can relax on the private beach, try a Korean spa treatment and take a sunset jaunt from the private marina. There's scuba-diving, sailing, and sightseeing at Hallyeo Haesang National Park (the views down from Namhae suspension bridge are immense) and Hwabang Temple. There's a play area and club for children, while it's an exceptional place for a conference with meeting rooms holding up to 180.

The Horizon restaurant is the place for dinner, sitting on the terrace as the sun goes down over the sea and mountains, sampling the wonders of Korean dishes (a far cry from other Oriental cuisine), based on fresh seafood. Other choices involve Hajikeru (Japanese), Aqua (light specialities in the spa), Breeze (simply-cooked fish) and Splash (a family place with fresh fruit drinks and noodle dishes).

The resort, just 50 minutes from Sacheon airport - a short hop from Incheon airport and its international flights - reflects the sheer style with which golf is growing in this part of the world. Play the Orient now - it won't be long before this part of the world is a major golf destination.

• Win a stay at Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort