Hillside Golf Club

Hillside Golf Club sits just outside Southport and is a proper championship-level course if you're after a serious round. This isn't a pitch-and-putt or driving range sort of place - it's an 18-hole layout that's hosted some significant tournaments over the years and plays to a respectable length. The course winds through Lancashire countryside with enough challenge to keep mid to low handicappers engaged without being punishing for the weekend player.

You'll want to be a golfer with a handicap certificate to get a game here, so it's not the sort of spot you can just turn up to if you fancy swinging a club. Membership or a guest arrangement through a member is the way in, and green fees aren't cheap for what you're getting - though the conditioning and design justify the outlay if you're serious about your golf.

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Southport Caravan and Motorhome Club is barely two miles away - and you've got your handicap card on you, this is worth arranging in advance. You're looking at a good four hours for 18 holes, maybe three and a half if you're quick. The course is walkable, though you'll notice the terrain changes throughout, so you might prefer a buggy if you're not keen on distance.

Non-golfers won't find much here, to be honest. It's a working members' club with a clubhouse but nothing that justifies a trip on its own.