Coxmoor Golf Club

You'll need to be a member or book a guest round to play Coxmoor, which sits just outside Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It's an 18-hole course that's been going since 1895, set across decent parkland that'll test your handicap without being brutally unfair. The layout moves well, fairways are generally tight enough to keep you honest, and the greens demand respect.

Golfers will get the most from this one - obviously. If you're a decent player holidaying in the area, it's worth ringing ahead to arrange a guest round. The club is friendly enough about visitors, though you'll want a handicap certificate or be prepared to play off scratch. Expect to spend three and a half to four hours on the course.

What makes it work for a Nottinghamshire break is the surrounding setup. Sherwood Forest Holiday Park sits just six miles away, and there's Silverhill Woodland Retreats much closer at four miles if you fancy somewhere more secluded. Neither the park itself nor the surrounding landscape is particularly dramatic - you're in the Midlands, after all - but if you're golfing your way through the region, Coxmoor fits cleanly into an itinerary that might also include Sherwood Forest itself or the various other courses dotted across Nottinghamshire.

The real draw here is straightforward: it's a proper members' club with genuine history and decent golf. No frills, no gimmicks, just a course that works.