CHARLOTTE ELLIS is heading to South Africa for some much-needed practice ahead of her return to the Ladies European Golf Tour.

She will join the Sunshine Ladies Tour – hoping it proves accurately-named – next month.

Cold, wet and, more problematically, windy weather in England is not proving conducive to the professional golf ace’s practice sessions.

So she was happy to accept an invitation from a fellow golf pro.

“Lucy Williams told me she was going down to the Sunshine Tour and said 'why don’t you come',” said 29-year-old Charlotte.

“The weather has been so bad here that it makes sense. It means I can get some quality practice in the sun and some game time.

“I’m pretty happy with my game but just want to work on some small changes and improvements.

“I’ve never been to South Africa before. I remember going to Kenya when I was seven but have never been further south.

“I fly out on February 4 for a month and I can play in five tournaments. I start with two in the Johannesburg area, one near George, one in Cape Town and then back for the Ladies Joburg Open.”

Charlotte, from Cockleford and a member at Minchinhampton Golf Club, makes her first start in her fourth season on the European Tour at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco which begins on March 26.

But before that she has a sporting challenge of another nature.

“I have a long-standing skiing holiday booked as soon as I get back from South Africa,” she said.