Peterculter Golf Club

Eighteen holes of Aberdeen granite views and genuinely testing greens - that's what Peterculter Golf Club delivers just outside the city. It's a proper members' club, but visitors are welcome if you ring ahead or play with a member. The course runs through moorland that actually feels like you've escaped the suburbs, even though you're barely three miles from the centre.

The routing's clever. Par 71, just over 6,300 yards from the white tees, nothing brutally long but it punishes loose shots. A few holes lean on the Dee valley's natural dips and rises - nothing dramatic, just enough to keep you honest. Greens are small and well-maintained; you'll need accuracy more than power here.

This works best for golfers with a handicap who want a genuine test without the five-hour slog of a championship layout. It's also the kind of course where you genuinely bump into regulars rather than tourist golfers, which means the pace is decent and the conversation can be proper. Families with non-golfing members will find Deeside Holiday Park only a mile up the road - good facilities there if you're staying put for the week.

Go midweek if you can. Weekends book up quickly, and the course plays tighter when it's rammed. Green fees aren't cheap - club rates apply - but you're paying for something that feels like golf rather than golf-shaped entertainment.