Morpeth Golf Club

An 18-hole parkland course just outside Morpeth that's been going since 1909. It's the sort of place where you'll find proper golfers taking their rounds seriously, not a tourist trap pretending to be a links course. The layout sits on gently rolling terrain with enough trees and water hazards to keep things interesting without being brutally difficult. Par 70, and it plays to around 6,400 yards from the back tees - so not a slog, but it demands accuracy rather than pure length.

This is really one for golfers with some handicap experience. Beginners might find it a bit frustrating, though the club does welcome visitors. It's the sort of day out that works best if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Tranwell Farm Holidays is barely over a mile away, and Hillside Huts & Cabins makes for a convenient base too. You're looking at a solid three and a half to four hours on the course, depending on who you're playing with.

Morpeth itself is a proper market town with decent high street shops and a few decent pubs for post-round drinks, so you won't be stuck for somewhere to eat and recharge. The course has been well maintained over the years and it's the kind of spot that rewards knowing your way around a golf course. Worth ringing ahead about visitor rates and availability - they're fairly standard golf club rules about booking in advance.