Shirley Golf Club

There's a proper golf course tucked away just outside Kenilworth that doesn't get the fuss of the big championship layouts, and that's rather the point. Shirley Golf Club is a members' club with genuine character - the kind of place where you'll see the same faces on the greens week after week, and visitors can usually arrange a round if they phone ahead and ask nicely.

The course itself is straightforward rather than tricky, with enough water hazards and tree-lined fairways to keep you thinking but nothing that'll humiliate a mid-handicapper. It's the sort of layout where you can enjoy the walk as much as the golf, especially if the weather's decent. Eighteen holes will take you a solid four hours, maybe three-thirty if you're quick.

Clearly this is for golfers, full stop. Non-players will find precious little to occupy them here. If you're staying at Gate Farm Caravan Club or Mousley House Farm - both excellent bases for a Warwickshire holiday - and you've got a handicap and fancy nine holes before dinner, it's worth ringing to see about visitor rates. Most clubs aren't unfriendly about it, though expect to pay a modest green fee.

The real strength? It's quiet. You won't be backed up behind sluggish fourballs, and the staff won't be chasing you round with a stopwatch. Book for a weekday morning if you can.