STEVE CARROLL discovers there's more to Evian than just water.

MENTION Evian and mineral water is the first thing that comes to mind. It is not surprising given the little town, in the south west of France, which bears the name of the popular "eau minerale naturelle" is dominated by the bottled water giant Danone.

The company owned both the golf club and the hotel where I spent three glorious days in September.

To dismiss Evian on its water heritage alone would be to miss the point. This idyllic conurbation on the French/Swiss border has much more to offer.

I was a guest of burgeoning travel company French Golf Holidays, invited to sample a taste of the ancient sport, Continental style.

The Evian Masters Golf Club is home to the European Ladies Tour's richest tournament, the Evian Masters.

Held in June, the competition attracts the world number one golfer Annika Sorenstam, among a galaxy of the finest talent in the women's game.

So the par-72, 6,006 metre parkland course was bound to be a challenge.

Evian is situated less than an hour from Geneva and, from the window of my room at the Hotel Ermitage, I could see across Lake Leman to Lausanne in Switzerland.

The Hotel Ermitage, a four-star hotel evoking images of fireside chats and country elegance, is one of two hotels at Royal Parc Evian, the complex that includes the sumptuous golf course.

The other, the Hotel Royal, is luxury itself - fit for a king. Appropriate really, given that it was built for King Edward VII. Its backdrop and decor were chosen with Royal approval, but the King died before he saw the hotel.

Full of elegance, magnificent columns and lavish rotundas, the hotel has kept up its royal connections, with the Queen Mother having been a regular visitor.

In Contrast, the Hotel Ermitage is comfort itself, with big armchairs and snug, cosy bars.

This subtle change in surroundings is echoed in the two hotel's many restaurants with the Hotel Royal offering a grand, gastronomic range, while the Hotel Ermitage specialises in homely cooking. At last count, there were eight different eateries to choose from.

Having experienced most of them, it is hard to choose.

With the right package, no matter which hotel you are staying at, visitors have access to every facility at the Royal Parc Evian complex.

So an easy 18-holes in the morning can be followed by lunch at the Hotel Ermitage, and dinner at the Hotel Royal.

For those visitors not enraptured by the thought of hitting a little round ball with an iron club for four hours, each hotel also offers spa and massage treatments carried out "to the tradition of the oriental masters".

There are numerous indoor and outdoor pools, as well as hydrotherapy treatments. Pampering has never felt so good.

And so on to the golf, given that's what I was there for. Evian Masters Golf Club is living the high life.

Superbly manicured fairways, rolling greens in gorgeous surroundings, it is quite simply the finest golf course I have ever played.

The scenery is breathtaking. Hitting iron shots from the crisp fairways, with a flotilla of boats on the lake reminded me why I take holidays.

The view from the 15th tee, with the green drooping 100 feet below, and the snow-covered Alps in the distance is something to treasure.

You can feel every shot of every championship and follow in the footsteps of Helen Alfredsson, Laura Davies and Grace Park.

The club celebrates its centenary next year. It is spectacular, it is unforgettable.

This level of luxury should come at a price which would normally see us shedding body parts to afford, but a short-stay at Evian can be within the realms of most of us.

"Nature's generosity gives us cause to dream and to discover", the Royal Parc Evian brochure dictates.

Two months on, I am still dreaming of Evian.

Updated: 09:21 Saturday, November 15, 2003