Penina Resort

Across the road from the Penina Hotel sits the Penina Resort Course, a nine-hole, par-35 layout designed by Sir Henry Cotton as a smaller companion to his famous Championship Course next door. It shares the same DNA: flat, easy walking, tree-lined fairways and water hazards worked in to test judgement rather than power.

The par-3 3rd tempts beginners with a green sitting just beyond a lake, while the par-5 5th runs long and straight to a typically elevated Penina green. No handicap certificate is required here, which makes it a genuinely relaxed introduction to the game, or useful short-game practice for more experienced players staying at the resort.

In honesty, the Resort Course has seen better days. Recent seasons have brought patchy fairways and the odd bit of wild boar damage to the greens, and it isn't maintained to the standard of Penina's championship layout. What it still offers is a friendly, unhurried nine holes and staff who are consistently well regarded. If your priorities are practice, value and a gentle pace over polish, it's worth booking.