Lee-on-the-Solent Golf Course

The golf course at Lee-on-the-Solent sits right on the Hampshire coast, and you know immediately you're somewhere proper when you catch that first glimpse of the Solent across the fairways. It's an 18-hole layout that's been going since 1906, so there's real pedigree here - the kind of place where the greenskeeping matters and it shows.

If you're a golfer, this is straightforward: you'll want to book ahead, play your round, and factor in about four to four and a half hours. The course runs alongside the water in places, which sounds lovely in principle and mostly delivers, though the wind off the Solent can be properly challenging if you're not expecting it. Non-golfers should probably give it a miss unless you fancy a walk around the perimeter.

The real draw for families staying at Solent Breezes or Dibles Park - both within five miles - is that you've got a proper coastal town alongside the golf. Lee-on-the-Solent itself has a beach, a sea wall to walk, and the sort of chip shops that still wrap things in paper. The golf course sits as part of that seaside infrastructure rather than as some remote retreat.

Go on a weekday if you can. Weekends get rammed, and the clubhouse, while functional, isn't the kind of place you'll want to linger for hours. Whether the green fees justify the trip depends entirely on your handicap and how much you rate coastal golf. If you're moderate-to-good, worth it. If you're a beginner, perhaps look elsewhere first.