The West Berkshire Golf Club

The West Berkshire Golf Club sits just outside Hungerford, a proper championship-standard course that's been around for decades. It's an 18-hole layout that genuinely challenges golfers without being unnecessarily brutal - the kind of place where you'll find yourself thinking about your swing for weeks after.

You'll need to be a member or have an introduction from one to play here, which keeps things exclusive but also means standards stay high. The course itself winds through classic English parkland with mature trees lining fairways that demand accuracy rather than just length. Spring and early summer are when it looks its absolute best, though autumn rounds have their own appeal with the changing colours.

This isn't somewhere to bring non-golfers expecting a quick stroll. Expect a full four hours minimum, possibly five if you're playing properly. The clubhouse is decent without being fancy - honest rather than showy.

If you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks like Lorne Hill Farm or Rhodeside, both within a couple of miles, and you've got a handicap worth playing to, this is absolutely worth arranging a game. The surrounding area - Hungerford itself, the Kennet Valley - offers plenty to keep non-golfers occupied during the day. But come here for the golf itself, not the Instagram-friendly views. It's a working club for proper golfers.