Pirates Cove & Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf

Two separate nine-hole courses run side by side just outside Shanklin, each with its own daft theme and enough artificial theming to keep the competitive spirit alive for a solid hour. Pirates Cove comes first, all skull-adorned flags and oversized ship props - the sort of place where you're genuinely expecting someone to burst out in a sea shanty. Jurassic Bay takes over from there with dinosaur statues looming over the greens, which sounds ridiculous until you're actually trying to putt past a T-Rex.

It's proper daft fun, which is precisely the point. Families with kids aged 5-12 will get the most mileage from it, though teenagers often find it too cheesy unless they're in the mood for irony. Adults playing for bragging rights enjoy the technical shots more than the theming. The courses are compact enough that even young children won't lose patience halfway through.

You're looking at roughly 90 minutes for both courses if you're not fussing over every putt. Pricing and exact opening hours aren't confirmed, but ring ahead to check. It's the sort of thing that works perfectly as a wet-day filler when you're staying at Isle of Wight Coastal Park nearby - literally a five-minute walk - or any of the other holiday parks clustered around Shanklin. Not a reason to book a break on the island, but absolutely worth an afternoon if you're already here with restless kids in tow.