Richmond (Yorks) Golf Club

You'll find yourself on one of Yorkshire's most respected courses the moment you turn off the road near Richmond - a genuine moorland layout that's been going since 1887. It's the kind of place where the landscape does half the work for you. Rolling hills, proper views across the dales, and greens that demand respect without feeling punishing.

This is a members' club primarily, so you'll need to arrange a game in advance, ideally through your own club or via a hosted round. Day visitors do get to play, but it requires a bit of planning. Allow a full morning or afternoon - eighteen holes on moorland like this, with the undulation, takes its toll on the legs. Spring through early autumn is when it's at its best, though winter golf here has its own appeal if you don't mind the cold.

Golfers with a handicap will appreciate the technical challenge; the course rewards straight hitting and course management over brute length. Families who aren't golfers might find it less engaging - there's not much to do if you're just tagging along. But if you're staying at Hewn Yorkshire, which is only five miles away, and you've got a golf fix you need to scratch, it's well worth ringing ahead. Richmond itself is a proper market town worth exploring either side of your round - good pubs, decent restaurants, and some lovely riverside walks that won't tax your golf-weary legs.