Rookery Park Golf Course

Just east of Beccles, Rookery Park Golf Course spreads across proper Norfolk-Suffolk borderland - 18 holes of decent golfing without the pretension you'd find at fancier clubs. The course itself is fairly open, a bit windswept in places, but that's part of the appeal if you're the type who enjoys reading the conditions rather than just whacking balls into manicured fairways.

You'll want to be a golfer, plainly. This isn't a "come along and have a laugh" sort of place - it's a working members' club where people take their handicaps seriously. The layout suits mid-range players best; low handicappers might find it slightly straightforward, while absolute beginners could get frustrated with a few trickier holes. Allow four hours minimum for a round, longer if you're not quick between shots.

Getting a round here usually requires membership or knowing someone who plays, though some courses do allow visitors at certain times - worth ringing ahead to check current policy. It's a proper local establishment rather than a tourist trap, which is exactly why golfers in the area rate it.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Hidden Meadows glamping is barely a mile and a half away, or Pakefield Holiday Park closer to the coast - and you've got your clubs with you, this makes an easy morning out before hitting the beach at Kessingland or Southwold later. The surrounding area is quiet farmland, so don't expect a clubhouse crawl afterwards.