This is what we thought of new High Lodge Adventure Golf course in Thetford Forest
In any day-to-day setting, if someone mentioned golf, I'd most likely switch off. But simply put either the word 'crazy' or 'adventure' in front of it, and I'm all ears.
So when I heard - thanks to a Suffolk News report from a colleague - that a new adventure golf course had opened at High Lodge in Thetford Forest, I was more than eager to pick up a club.
And it didn't take long for us - my partner Shane, his two children and myself - to make the trip to the forest to give it a go.
We chose the Bank Holiday Friday to make our way there, but as we didn't book far in advance, we only had late afternoon slots available to book online the night before.
This was not an issue, though, as it gave us time to have lunch before we set off and then to stroll around the woodland for an hour or so before our turn.
A lovely day weather-wise, it would have been quite possible for us to have spent even longer amusing ourselves with play areas aplenty for the kids and walks around the forest, in addition to decent food options for the inevitable afternoon hunger pangs.
But the time soon came around for us to wander over to the golf course, which is found close by to the car parks, tucked away from the other attractions in a beautiful woodland spot.
We were given our clubs - one each for the children and one for myself and Shane to share because it was so busy - and coloured balls, and made our way to the start of the 18-hole course.
Initially, on seeing the course in person, I was a little apprehensive that it looked compact and might be over before we knew it - but how wrong I was!
Each hole was different to the last, with new challenges to take on and obstacles to overcome, including a windmill, a maze and a wheel, as well as plenty of ramps and bridges.
A look at the High Lodge Adventure Golf course
It's fair to say our results were a mixed bag. I don't think any of the four of us could claim that we were pros beforehand - and I'm even more certain we couldn't afterwards.
There were several occasions where we each spent far too long on one hole (we should've noticed the 'six-stroke limit per hole' rule from the start), particularly on one part of the course where the hole was at the top of a slightly raised mound which proved almost impossible to complete...
But we did also all manage at least one hole-in-one during the course - much to our absolute delight.
Despite not being a 'normal golf' fan, I can appreciate that it is incredibly satisfying when you do manage to line up the shot perfectly! Even if it might be more down to luck than judgement.
By the end of the course, I was a little disappointed to have come third, behind Shane and his son, but we had all spent a very enjoyable hour completing it.
High Lodge Adventure Golf is a great place for anyone of any age to try out their golfing skills, be it with family or friends, and I know we'd all be very happy to return as soon as we can.
At £5 per person, it's fantastic value for money and I don't think you'd find a miniature golf course in a much more beautiful setting.
For more information, or to book, go to https://www.forestryengland.uk/high-lodge/adventure-golf
