In a country so resplendent with magnificent golf courses, it may seem rather strange to venture south of the border into the land of sassenachs, but an insider tip had informed us of "hidden gems" lying buried in an area whose natural beauty most people barely have time to appreciate as they hurtle up the A1 in search of the more widely publicised attractions of Bonnie Scotland.

And so it came, one weekend in June, that our intrepid golfers headed for the Northumberland coastline to once again contend the highly coveted Man and His Shaft, the glittering trophy of the Dudley Open Championship 2003.

Competitors travelled from near and far - the northerly reaches of Scotland and the westerly limits of Limerick - attracted by the prestige and acclaim that a tournament win can bring to the aspiring golfer. This year the courses provided another test of strength. Dunstanburgh Castle and Goswick Park are both links courses with the usual challenges for the uninitiated: howling winds, difficult lies, unforgiving rough, undulating fairways with hard, unpredictable bounces, and dry greens punishing even deftly hit approach shots. Add to that the difficulty of playing the courses for the first time…. and scoring well becomes a real task!

Have a Mental picture of where you want to land the ball on the green.