Criccieth Golf Club

Criccieth Golf Club sits on the Gwynedd coast, a proper championship-standard links course that will test your swing against the Welsh wind. The fairways roll between gorse and rough grass, with views across to Snowdonia when you're not cursing a wayward drive into the scrub.

This is a members-led club that does welcome visitors - you'll want to ring ahead on 01766 522154 to check availability and get green fees sorted. Expect to pay around £50-70 for a round, depending on the day. The course plays to nearly 6,400 yards and demands respect: it's not brutally long, but accuracy matters more than distance here. Allow four hours minimum, longer if the course is busy.

Golfers will absolutely get their money's worth. Non-golfers won't find much else at the club itself, so this is properly for people who care about their handicap. The setting is genuinely lovely - you're right near the Porthmadog waterfront, so it's worth timing your visit around tides and weather for that famous Welsh coast wind.

If you're basing yourself at Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park just up the road, you could squeeze a round in between days on the beach. The course is walkable from town if you fancy the leg, though parking's available at the club. Best in summer when daylight stretches late; spring and autumn can be temperamental. Winter's playable but bleak.