Billingham Golf Club

An 18-hole championship course sitting on the edge of Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham Golf Club is straightforward stuff - proper golf, well-maintained fairways, and the kind of place that takes itself seriously without being stuffy about it. The course winds through parkland with enough trees to keep you honest and enough open stretches to remind you why you love the game.

It's built for golfers who actually want to play golf rather than Instagram their way round. Handicap golfers will find genuine challenge here; beginners might struggle with the length, but the club does welcome visitors with the right booking. The greens are quick and true, the rough unforgiving in summer.

You're looking at a full afternoon minimum - four and a half hours if you're taking it seriously, less if you're quick. Contact the club directly about visitor rates and whether you need to arrange a tee time in advance. Weekday mornings tend to be less rammed than weekends.

If you're staying at Donnewell Farm, a five-mile hop away, this makes an excellent half-day break from caravan life. It's not a tourist destination dressed up as a golf course - it's a proper club with real members and real standards. The bar afterwards is decent enough, and you'll genuinely tire yourself out in a way that seaside walks sometimes don't. Not for non-golfers, but for anyone who plays, it's worth ringing ahead.