Ryton Golf Club

The course sits on rolling Northumberland terrain just outside Derecroft, and it's the kind of place where you'll spend more time looking at the landscape than cursing your swing. Ryton Golf Club is an 18-hole affair that demands respect - the greens are properly maintained, and the fairways won't forgive a lazy shot.

This is fundamentally for golfers, obviously. You need a decent handicap or at least the patience to accept you'll lose a few balls. The club has proper facilities - nothing fancy, but everything works - and the staff treat visiting members decently. Non-members can play if you can swing credentials or arrange it through the club beforehand. It's worth ringing ahead rather than turning up cold.

Allot four to five hours for a full round, depending on how you play and how busy the course is. The views across the Northumberland hills are genuinely decent, especially in autumn when the light gets golden and low. Spring can be waterlogged, so check conditions.

If you're camping at Valley View just down the road - five miles or so - this makes a natural bolt-on to a active holiday rather than a detour. You won't be driving hours from your pitch. It's not the flashiest course in the region, but it's honest golf in proper countryside. Check the website for visitor rates and book your round in advance.