Cooden Beach Golf Club

The course sits right on the Sussex coast near Pevensey, which means you're playing with sea views and salt air - proper conditioning for your golf shoes. Cooden Beach is an 18-hole layout that's been going since the 1920s, and it shows in the way the course has matured into something genuinely challenging without feeling pretentious.

This is for golfers, obviously. Not a casual pitch-and-putt affair or a place to take the non-playing partner while you disappear for three hours. You'll need a handicap or to book through a recognised club, and green fees aren't cheap, but that's the membership model they run. The course demands respect - bunkers are positioned properly, fairways narrow in the right places, and the rough punishes wayward shots. Allow a full round, possibly four hours if you're not moving quickly.

Timing matters here. Summer is packed with members, so winter or early spring gives you a better chance of getting on without waiting weeks. The location is excellent if you're staying at Normans Bay Camping and Caravanning Club Site, just under two miles away - you could practically walk it. Even Pevensey Bay Holiday Park is only a few miles down the coast if you're tent-based but fancy a day on proper greens.

The clubhouse has the usual facilities - bar, snacks, decent changing rooms. Cooden Beach rewards golfers who take their game seriously and appreciate links-style conditions without actually being on links land. It's not a destination in itself, but it's a strong reason to base yourself in this corner of Sussex.