PICTURE the scene: Flawless, tree-lined fairways, immaculately manicured greens, quaint ponds shimmering in the balmy autumn sunshine.
Even the sand traps wouldn't look out of place on a Mediterranean beach - not like the builder's sand concoctions at my local club.
But this isn't some exclusive Portuguese golf resort where you have to be a footballer to be granted a tee time. This is north Lincolnshire.
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Brigg to be precise, not too far from Scunthorpe.
It's not the first place you'd think of for a golfing break, but if you're prepared to look a little closer to home than the usual suspects like Scotland's links or the purpose-built resorts of the Algarve, then you might just be pleasantly surprised.
Forest Pines is a hotel and 27-hole golf course which is as challenging as it is scenic.
There are sprawling par fives just waiting to test the length of your drive, taxing par fours with dog legs aplenty and a handful of par threes over a special kind of magnetic water which attracts golf balls.
Despite its location, only a stone's throw from the M180, the setting is as tranquil as you'll find.
There's a faint, yet friendly chatter in and around the pro shop and the neighbouring Mulligan's café bar, where you're welcome to walk round in your spikes and sample a cold beer mid-round.
Yet as soon as you get onto the first tee, the only sound in the air seems to be the birds - and even they stopped chirping long enough for our four-ball to get away down the fairway.
Although a stern test for the accomplished amateur (the course is used as a professional tour venue) there's plenty of fun to be had by the high-handicappers.
Bonus
I fall firmly into the latter bracket, but despite failing to find the fairway with numerous tee shots, it was rarely difficult to find my ball in the rough, which is always a bonus for those of us who aren't blessed with Tiger Woods' accuracy.
We perhaps had the most fun trying our luck over the water on a couple of par three which left very little room for error and left you appreciating just how skilled the professionals really are.
One of the big advantages of Forest Pines is that despite the quality of the golf, that's not the only thing on offer. The hotel has 114 rooms, all en suite and with satellite TV, wi-fi internet access, as well as the usual facilities.
It's owned by QHotels, the people behind the Midland Hotel in Manchester city centre, and is currently undergoing a £10m refurbishment to add 75 more rooms and upgrade the conferencing and golf facilities.
There's a choice of two dining rooms - the Beech Tree restaurant which offers a sumptuous a la carte and an impressive wine list to match, and the Garden Room, a slightly more informal affair, which doubles as the breakfast room overlooking the manicured garden frontage.
Plus, there's an indoor swimming pool and luxurious leisure spa, complete with an array of beauty treatments, so if your other half isn't a golfer but fancies coming along for the drive, there's plenty to keep them occupied while you're sinking a few putts.
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