Whether it be high up in the hills at Rothbury or Wooler or at the links at Bamburgh, Seahouses and Alnmouth, this county has courses in abundance.
I have been known to do the odd spot of putting and I am partial to the occasional round of crazy golf but in terms of actually doing proper golf, the closest I get is sampling the food in the clubhouse.
I recall that Dunstanburgh Golf Club does splendid meals and to-die-for caramel shortbread and there was a superb little clubhouse on the Isle of Arran which served lovely meals.
So clubhouses have good form in my book.
My family and I had discovered The Belford – the renamed Belford Golf Club – on the first bank holiday weekend in May and had been very impressed.
All seven of the party were pleased with their meals and it got an especially big thumbs up from my nephew. After such a good experience, I was keen to go back again and this time it was my boyfriend and I who went along looking for more of the same.
Remembering, how busy it was previously, we phoned ahead to book. We wanted something about 1pm and even though the polite woman who answered the phone said she'd prefer if we came in earlier, she said it was fine, which fitted in better with our plans.
The clubhouse on the edge of the village is relatively big and very well decorated in a modern style.
On both times I've visited on a Sunday, around a third of the clubhouse has been sectioned off for the carvery with the other section for golfers enjoying drinks and lunches. From the amount of people it seemed like a popular little course.
The eating area was also very busy with only a couple of spare tables.
The venue offers a three-course meal for £9.95, with one course £6.95.
I decided to have the soup, which was vegetable. It was very dark in colour but it tasted good and was accompanied with a thick slice of bread and butter.
The chef serves the meat and vegetables at the carvery and guests are told when to go up to avoid overcrowding and ensure there is sufficient food available.
It serves beef and pork and a range of vegetables. As it was towards the end of the serving period (food is available from noon to 2pm), there was no beef left, just pork, although pork and leek sausages had been prepared to make up for it.
We weren't too bothered as I was planning to have the pork anyway as it had been delicious with apple sauce the last time and the sausages more than made up for the lack of beef. However, I would urge anyone looking for a roast beef dinner to get there early to avoid disappointment.
The pork was very nice and the sausages were lovely too. To complement, we got roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and gravy. We could help ourselves to apple sauce – which went down very well with the meat. There wasn't quite enough sauce for both of us but the chef was only too willing to get some more.
The highlight of the hearty meal was the meat and the sausages as the vegetables were a little hard for our liking.
The meal had been substantial so we didn't need anything else but remembering the great dessert I had the last time I couldn't resist a sweet.
On offer was syrup sponge, sticky toffee pudding, mixed ice cream, apple and plum crumble, pineapple upside down, orange cheesecake, banoffee pie and Mississippi mud pie.
I was disappointed not to see the toffee apple cake I enjoyed the last time or the chocolate fudge cake my nephew had devoured. However, a change is as good as a rest, I suppose.
Feeling pretty full, we opted for a sticky toffee pudding with ice cream to share. The other accompaniment choices were cream or custard. It was scrumptious – warm, moist and tasty – and our forks fought a battle for the largest portion.
The eating area was just about empty when we finished our meal but the whole clubhouse was still buzzing with golfers.
For those wanting to try out the facilities, The Belford has a nine-hole golf course which is currently being upgraded to 18 holes. It is overlooked by the magnificent 18th century Belford Hall and boasts panoramic views over Holy Island.
There is also a floodlit driving range.
The bill came to £18.90 for the meal and two Cokes which was excellent value. Granted we had not had many courses but what we did have was wholesome and full of flavour.
The Belford serves meals at lunchtimes and evenings and a sample menu features starters, wraps, sandwiches, and main dishes such as gammon steak, home-made steak and kidney pie and Bamburgh bangers.
It also serves a carvery on a Thursday evening and a Chinese takeaway. The website states it endeavours to source food from local businesses and suppliers.
It also offers a golf party deal for a couple of rounds, a sandwich lunch and a two-course evening meal from £29 per person.