Temple Golf Course

Temple Golf Course sits just outside Maidenhead, a proper championship layout that's been making golfers sweat since the 1920s. The course winds through Buckinghamshire countryside with enough water hazards and tight fairways to keep even decent handicappers honest. You're looking at eighteen holes that demand respect - it's not a forgive-and-forget kind of place.

Golfers will find it challenging without being punishing. The greens hold their shape well, and the course management takes pride in conditioning. Walkers and non-golfers won't find much here though - this is a members' club with guest play available, so you'll need an introduction or a handicap certificate to get through the gates.

If you're staying at Chiltern Retreat Rural Camping just five miles down the road, Temple makes an excellent morning out before heading back for lunch. The drive from camp takes fifteen minutes at most. Budget a solid four to four and a half hours on the course, depending on how well you're striking it that day.

Best visit during weekday mornings if you can swing it - weekends fill up with regulars and play can drag. Contact them in advance to arrange a round; walking in on spec won't work. It's a serious golfer's course rather than a casual hack-about venue, so come ready to concentrate.