The Dorset Golf & Country Club & Resort

The drive into Dorset Golf & Country Club takes you past rolling fairways that stretch toward distant tree lines - proper golf territory. It's a championship-standard course just outside Wareham, and unless you're a golfer, there's not much point venturing in. But if you play, this is worth the detour.

The club runs two courses across 36 holes, with the main layout demanding accuracy more than length. Greens are well-maintained, the rough can be punishing, and on windy days - which is often here - you'll earn every shot. Buggy hire is available if you can't face the walk, though the courses aren't brutally long. Handicap players get the most from it; beginners might find themselves hunting balls for half the round.

Non-golfers can use the clubhouse facilities and grab food, but you won't find much else to do. If you're staying at Wareham Forest Tourist Park or Primrose Fields Campsite - both superb bases just a mile or so away - and someone in the group fancies a round, it's convenient. Otherwise, you're better off spending the day exploring Corfe Castle or the Purbeck coastline.

Book ahead, especially weekends. Green fees aren't bargain basement, but standard for a course of this quality. Allow four to four and a half hours for 18 holes. Winter's quieter if you don't mind the cold.