Hesketh Golf Club

If you're staying at one of the caravan parks around Southport and fancy a round, Hesketh Golf Club sits just outside town and has been going since 1885. It's a proper links course - the kind where the wind does half the work and the rough will punish you properly.

The club welcomes visitors, though you'll want to ring ahead and check availability, especially at weekends when members have priority. Green fees vary depending on the season, and you can walk it in around four hours if you're not dawdling. The course itself is well-maintained, with that classic Lancashire coastland feel - open fairways, bunkering that means business, and views toward the Irish Sea on a clear day.

This works best for golfers with a handicap or reasonable experience. Beginners might find themselves fishing balls out of rough for most of the round, which isn't great fun. If your family includes non-golfers, Southport itself has the pier and plenty of seafront amusement to keep them occupied while you're out.

Staying at Southport Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite puts you within fifteen minutes of the club. Riverside Holiday Park is slightly further but still manageable. You could realistically play here in the morning and have the afternoon free to explore Southport's beaches or the nearby promenade.

Check the website before you visit for current rates and member access times. It's worth a day out if golf's your thing, but don't expect links drama on the scale of championship courses down the coast.