Letchworth Golf Club

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks round Hitchin - Jacks Hill, Baldock Park Homes, or Radwell Lake - and you've got a handicap certificate gathering dust, Letchworth Golf Club is a proper option for a morning round. It's a members' club primarily, but they do take visitors, so phone ahead and check what the green fees are running at the moment.

The course sits just east of Hitchin in what's classic Hertfordshire countryside - all gently rolling fairways rather than anything dramatic. It's not a championship layout, which means you won't spend the day chasing your ball into the rough, but it's well-maintained and worth a decent walk if you know your way round a course. Eighteen holes will take you a solid four hours, maybe a touch less if you're quick.

It's very much a golfers' day out rather than a family destination. If your travelling party includes non-golfers, you're better off heading to one of the local leisure options. Henlow Bridge Lakes, only 4.7 miles away, would keep everyone occupied while you're on the back nine.

Best time? Weekdays are quieter if you can manage it. Weekends get rammed with members. The club's got a clubhouse with the usual facilities, so you can grab a drink and a bite after your round. It's the sort of place that reminds you why people actually enjoy golf when it's not too crowded.