Travel: Family TEE; Kids and golf can go together on a trip to France.(Features)

Byline: CAROLINE DAY

SEARCHING for a holiday over the Internet is a bit like looking for love in cyberspace - you might think you've found Brad Pitt but it could really be Alan Partridge.

"A high standard of accommodation" is the equivalent of "good sense of humour". Everybody claims they have it but many people are kidding themselves or plain fibbing.

Last year, my family and I chose a dream chateau in the South of France. Our rooms turned out to be in the tatty modern wing. And, funnily enough, the website hadn't mentioned the sweet smell of something sewagey that hung around the place.

So this year, I was a little wary - especially as we'd decided to go inland to the Charente region of the French South-West. In the past, we always figured that however bad the accommodation, all is not lost so long as you're by the sea. But this year we wouldn't have that safety net. On my internet search, instead of typing in "beach" I put in "golf".

The problem is I have a four-and-a-half-year-old who believes he's Tiger Woods. And no, he didn't come out of the womb that way. It's taken five years of careful brainwashing by his dad Ben. But now little Alex has a drive of more than 60 yards, his own set of clubs and he was quite insistent he'd rather be near a golf course than a beach.

Golf got Daddy's vote too.

Seven-month-old Ava didn't really have a preference. She's just as happy eating grass as sand.

So the Internet brought me to the Manoir de Longeveau. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, it is a group of converted stone buildings, formerly a Cognac estate on the border of the Charente and the Dordogne. It also had its own nine-hole golf course and clubhouse.

I was concerned there'd be too many golfers by half, droning on about their boring old birdies. Still, the chateau looked stunning. It had three tennis courts, a swimming pool and kids' paddling pool. And - joy of joys - a professionally-run creche.

Not, you understand, that I was sold on the idea of leaving Ava in the creche, sending the boys off to play golf, and lounging by the pool with a good book.

The airports of Bergerac, Poitiers, Angouleme and La Rochelle are all within easy striking distance but we chose to fly from Gatwick to Bordeaux with BA and hired a car for the hour-and-a-half drive.

And from the moment we pulled in at Longeveau, we realised we'd found somewhere pretty special. The clubhouse was a spectacular ivy-clad building with a terrace. The golf course was beautifully maintained and the surrounding countryside was a lush patchwork of greens.

The buildings were charmingly converted. There were no dishwashers, music systems or TVs but plenty of beamed ceilings and stone floors.

And there was the most magnificent sense of freedom. Children played football or tennis in the old barn, swam in the pool and ordered their own lollies from the English owner.

Alex quickly made friends. And unlike the beach, we weren't paranoid about him going more than a few yards away.

Many of the families - mainly British and Irish - we met there had been to Longeveau before. One group was returning for the 11th year. I could see why. We felt we'd found a hidden oasis.

We visited the market at Chalais, stocked up on cheese, vegetables and wine. It meant we hardly had to leave Longeveau for the rest of the week.

My husband and Alex played golf. Ava just spent one morning in the creche. Most of all, she loved the pool. We all relaxed and just enjoyed being together.

We only ventured out a couple of times for meals in nearby Aubeterre- sur-Dronne, a charming village with a large British ex-pat community.

One night we had the slightly surreal experience of seeing EastEnders' Ricky Butcher carry a plate of steak and chips to a table. I might have worried I'd had too much sun and wine if we hadn't been told beforehand that Sid Owen owned the Fortuna restaurant. It shows the man has at least some taste.

It's a beautiful, tranquil corner of France. We'll definitely be going back.

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

A WEEK for a family of four at Le Manoir de Longeveau in early September costs pounds 570, falling to pounds 440 later in the month. Bookings through www.longeveau.com or call 0845 658 9699. Return Gatwick-Bordeaux adult fares on British Airways average about pounds 80pp in September excluding tax. See www.ba.com. A week's car hire with Holiday Autos from Bordeaux costs pounds 125 including insurance. Details: 0870 400 0010, www.holidayautos.com

CAPTION(S):

Watch the birdie...Golf fans Ben, Alex and baby Ava; Join the club... Alex got in the swing at Le Manoir de Longeveau set in the picturesque Charente region (above)