Southwold Golf Club

The windswept clifftop course at Southwold is a proper test of golf, perched right on the Suffolk coast where the North Sea has a habit of turning your swing into a lottery. This isn't your manicured parkland job - it's all gorse, rough grass, and that particular brand of coastal weather that'll have you reaching for an extra layer by the back nine.

You're playing 18 holes of genuine links golf, which means the ball runs further than you'd expect and the rough is genuinely punishing. The views across the shingle beach and out to sea are frankly distracting, which might be why your scorecard looks so sad by the end of it. Even if you're not much of a golfer, watching others battle the conditions here is entertaining enough.

Membership and visitor rates vary, so ring ahead before turning up - don't just assume you can waltz on. Golf club etiquette applies: proper shoes, dress code, the lot. Allow a full day if you're playing the full round, though you can sometimes squeeze in nine holes if time's tight.

If you're staying at Pigs in Blankets or one of the other parks dotted around the area, this makes a cracking morning activity before heading into Southwold itself for fish and chips and an ice cream. The course sits just above the town, so it's handily placed. Fair warning though - this is golf for people who actually like golf. Bring patience, a decent handicap, and realistic expectations about your score.