If you’re considering investing in a golf property, or buying a home near a golf course, it can be mind-boggling trying to decide where to choose, as there are so many top notch overseas golf courses these days. But inspiration is at hand, thanks to the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), who’ve recently assessed thousands of courses around the world and named the winners in their prestigious annual awards.

The annual IAGTO awards recognise the outstanding golf destinations in five regions of the world – Asia and Australasia, Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf States, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and Europe. In addition, the International Association of Golf Travel Writers, a sister organisation of IAGTO, which represents over 100 members in 27 countries, awards a prize for the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year.

The awards celebrate the destinations which are making waves in the golf tourism world and the results are invariably of interest to property investors, as they highlight areas where golfing properties may do well, either currently or in the future.

The results of the 2009 IAGTO Awards are in:

New Zealand picked up the award for the Golf Destination of the Year: Asia and Australasia.

The European award went to Andalucia, in Spain (no surprises here).

The Africa, Indian Ocean and Gulf States award was picked up by Dubai.

The Latin America and Caribbean award went to the Dominican Republic.

The North American prize went to South Carolina.

As for the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year, it went to Kenya, which was noted for having 40 golf courses across the county, located in very diverse areas and with wonderful wildlife in close proximity.

An often-cited reason people buy abroad is the dream of buying a house and land to run as a business – most typically, it’s a vineyard property.

The quintessential dream usually involves finding your dream home abroad, moving to live in it and start a new life, happily tending vineyards to earn a living or fund your retirement. Of course, sadly it’s not always as easy or straightforward as that and heading abroad to embark on running a vineyard can be very hard work, especially if it’s a complete change of life and new career. Long hours are likely to become the norm, if only as you get the business established, and if you’re starting from scratch, it can take a while to learn everything and yield any returns for all your hard work.

But despite the potential problems, many people do take up the challenge and try and make their dream a reality – and some are very successful. If you don’t have previous experience in the wine world, it helps to buy an already established business which may come complete with customers, so you don’t have to learn the ropes and do extensive marketing. Plus, some vineyard properties are sold with all the necessary equipment included, which can save time and money in the long run.

Alternatively, if you want to be able to get away from your work some of the time and don’t want to live on site, there are options to buy a vineyard and a house nearby.

If owning a vineyard and making wine is part of your dream, then there are plenty of prime properties around the world that could fit the bill. Here’s some insight into what your money could buy you in various countries.

France
Located near Sauveterre de Guyenne, in the Dordogne area of France, is a wine property with 15 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards. The stunning 17th century house, plus gite for wine guests, is surrounded by vines dating back 20 years, including 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It also comes with longstanding customers and is on the market for £968,415.

Italy
A wine estate in the Massa Marittima area of Italy, with 19 hectares of land, is on the market for £1,642,095. It currently produces 50,000 bottles of rose and red wines a year, one of which is prize-winning, plus oil, honey and Grappa. The large wine cellar that comes with the property is being sold with all the wine-producing and packaging equipment.

New Zealand
At Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand a vineyard nursery set on 11.3 hectares is for sale. The successful nursery comes with buildings, plants and machinery and the existing nursery manager (18 years of experience) is keen to keep her job. It’s on the market for £795,000 – £900,000.

Properties with add-on factors that enhance your lifestyle are high on the priority list for many second home buyers, and one of the current trends that’s growing in popularity is to buy property in or near marinas.

Previously it’s been golfing or skiing properties that have topped the charts for many property buyers and, although still very popular, marinas have now sailed into the picture too.

For existing yacht owners, there’s an obvious attraction of being able to buy a property with a berth thrown in as part of the package. It can make enjoying sailing holidays all the more appealing when there’s somewhere to moor the boat at the beginning or end of a break, and offers the chance of going out on day trips while making the most of a holiday home.

But marina properties also appeal to lots of other buyers, and you needn’t necessarily even own a yacht. Many people merely love living by the waterside, and properties in or close to a marina often have fantastic views, plus lots of other facilities on hand too. Some buyers aren’t yet into sailing, but feel inspired to take it up and want to have the option of a berth, should they end up buying a yacht in the future. Plus, there’s the fact that owning some marina properties is hugely desirable and, as properties with berths are snapped up quickly, it’s a nice extra asset to own.

There are several categories of marina properties – those that are part of the marina development and have a berth included in the price, those where you get the option of a berth and discounted rates when buying your property, and properties that are located nearby and gain the benefit of looking out over the marina.

The good news is that there are a wide range of marina properties available on the market, from well-established marinas to newly built developments, and they’re located in many countries around the world. Prices vary, but if you’re buying a marina property in a well-known resort, expect to pay a premium price for a property with a berth included.

It’s often said that Port Grimaud, in the south of France, is where the idea and popularity of marina developments originated, back in the mid-1980s. Properties in the exclusive private marina, overlooking St Tropez, do come on the market from time to time, like this renovated waterfront property, and boast private boat moorings and other appealing features.

Elsewhere, at the Marina de Sotogrande in Spain, two-bedroom apartments such as this are built to make the most of uninterrupted views of the marina and Mediterranean Sea, plus come with the option of purchasing a 15m berth along with the property.

Whether you’re a yachting fan, or just want to get close to the action and hang out with the sailing crowd, then marina properties may be the option to go for.