Hartland Forest

You won't find championship fairways or manicured greens that look like carpet here - Hartland Forest Golf Club is the real deal, a proper working course tucked into the Devon-Cornwall borderlands near Bideford. It's a nine-hole layout set among trees, the kind of place where you actually notice the landscape rather than zoning out over identical holes. The setting is genuinely lovely, with the course winding through woodland that gives it character most seaside courses lack.

This is squarely for golfers, not casual visitors - you'll need to be a member or arrange a round in advance, and it's not the sort of spot you rock up to on a whim. If you're staying at one of the nearby campgrounds - Roeys Retreat and Atlantic Horizons are both excellent and just a few minutes' drive away - it's a solid way to spend a morning or afternoon without straying far from base. Coastal Cabins Glamping is also within striking distance if you're after something more upmarket.

The nine holes work well for a quick outing without committing your entire day, which suits the holiday rhythm better than a full eighteen. It's not a flashy operation, and that's rather the point. If you golf and you're camping in North Devon, ring ahead and get yourself on the card. If you don't play, you'll want to look elsewhere - there's nothing here for spectators or non-golfers.