Maldon Golf Club

An 18-hole course that sits on the outskirts of Maldon, right where Essex's landscape starts getting properly flat and the light feels different. Maldon Golf Club is the sort of place you'd stumble upon if you were staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Hoe Mill Lock or Osea Leisure Park are just a couple of miles away - and fancied a round away from the crowds.

The course itself is straightforward rather than showy. Nothing fancy, no island greens or dramatic water hazards to make you feel like you're on the PGA Tour. It's honest golf - the kind where your score reflects your swing, not the designer's ego. Decent enough for a casual player, though regulars will know the tricks that wind and drainage play on these exposed Essex greens.

You'll want to ring ahead to check if you can just turn up or whether membership is required. Walking it takes around four hours for a standard round. The town of Maldon itself is worth a wander afterwards - proper old Essex, with sailing on the Blackwater and some decent pubs.

If you're camping at Steeple Bay or one of the other holiday parks in the area, this works as a half-day activity rather than a full-day destination. Not a pilgrimage spot, but a solid option if you've got your clubs with you and want to break up a seaside holiday. Book in advance during summer - it does get busy with locals.