I have started to take an interest in golf and although I have not played a round of golf for a…read morewhile, I do love going to the driving range. And the driving range at the Queslett Park Golf Centre is pretty good. The range itself is pretty wide and each bay is very spacious. All the bays are outside with high quality mats and balls. Clubs are available to hire but I have used my father's clubs every time I have been to the driving range here. The course at Queslett Park Golf Centre is nine holes and 70% of the holes are under 100 yards. There are however plenty of water hazards and bunkers. You've been warned. I haven't actually played the nine hole course but I have had look at it. Because the majority of holes are under 100 yards, this is not a bad place to start for an amateur golfer. Golf lessons are available and to find out more visit the website above.

Of all the municipal golf courses in Birmingham this is probably my least favourite. I find it a…read morelittle dull and flat and quite repetitive. However, there is one particular reason that you probably should play there: Planes! This course is located just off the Coventry Road, and when you say Coventry Road to Brummies, they don't think of Coventry: They think Airport. The massive expanse of Birmingham International Airport is literally next door to this golf course so you are playing to the occasional sound of large, commercial aircraft taking off and landing. It does make for a few surreal moments around the course as you line up a shot. Professional players are almost never disturbed as they prepare their next move, but hapless amateurs such as me are often on this course given to pause before they hack their next shot into the long grass and swear loudly. Out of the corner of your eye, just as you prepare to swing, you will often be as close to a landing jumbo jet as you will ever be. You can sometimes even see the passengers laughing at you.

This one is right next to Birmingham airport, so perhaps you've got a few hours to kill between…read moreflights, or want to make a day of your first holiday day, who knows, but this one's just round the corner. For those bandits amongst you, you'll be pleased to hear that this one requires a good drive off the tee, with some real wide open fairways, which are quite scenic actually. Great clubhoouse! Oh yes, also, i suppose worth mentioning is the practice area on grass which this site has, which is quite unusual and useful beofre a game perhaps.

A tough and very challenging golf course. You can play a round of 18 holes at Hill Top Golf Course…read morebut you also have the option of playing nine holes. This is a golf course I have been to twice and being an amateur golfer, I did find it difficult. However I did have fun at the same time. If you are playing 18 holes, it can take at least 3-5 hours to complete. It could even take 6 hours if you are a beginner. There are many holes over the 300 yards mark so it might be worth going to a driving range before coming here. The greens are not in bad condition although I did come across litter on some of the holes I played. Hill Top Golf Course is very popular and the golfers I have spoken to have said they love coming here. The course is a challenge but if you get it right on the day, it could be a day you remember for a long time. You can of course bring along your own golf clubs or hire them from the clubhouse. The choice is yours.

HillTop is a very challenging course where, as the name suggests, you are playing around a lot of…read morehills! This means it can be a tiring course, particularly if you are as wayward a golfer as me and often find yourself taking the scenic route to the hole. There are, however, mitigating circumstances for occasional waywardness as HillTop is quite an exposed course and can be all but unplayable on a windy day. Did I mention it's on top of a hill? Well, that obviously increases the wind factor considerably. Compared to other municipal courses in the city HillTop is relatively quiet so you rarely have a problem getting a tee-time, even in summer months. I suspect that this is partly to do with the fact that it's a little tucked away and off the beaten track compared to other urban courses. It's very near to the West Bromwich Albion ground, so you may want to check their fixtures before you go as you could end up in traffic on your way there and miss your tee-off. The clubhouse is decent and you can get a very good and welcome cup of tea and a bacon sandwich before or after your round. My advice when playing here is to take waterproof or windproof clothing for the weather, and either take or hire a trolley for the hills. Oh, and one hole has an electricity pylon in the middle of the fairway - you don't see that at Augusta.

Birmingham is dotted with great golf courses but one of my favourite is this one in Licky Hills. It…read moreis stunningly attractive, not only because it offers one of the best views of Birmingham but it is situated in one of the most picturesque spots of the UK. The course is shadowed in parts by massive pine trees, jolly green giants towering above you while you balance your next shot. The greens are superbly maintained by a dedicated team of expert gardeners who clearly take pride in their results. The course is run by Birmingham city council so contact them for more details of this stunning golf course, there might be a waiting list!

A most pleasant golf course to play, visually stunning and requiring mental and physically input…read more Five par threes have no problem making one look foolish, at least four par fours that can take shots off you with out trying to hard. All this is put together by a dedicated team on a shoe string budget, I have a friend travel from Oxford three days a week to play at the Lickyhills 130 miles round trip, says a good a test as most private courses nearer home, with the course condition not far removed. Thanks guys

A great course for beginners and decent players as well. I went expecting it to be a bit easy( I…read moreplay off 9) but it was much tougher than it looked. We went there cause my mate hadnt been playing long, but really enjoyed it. Good food and beer in the Bar afterwards as well.

First go at a gym in a long while. My friend has become a member and I was able to accompany her…read moreon a free friend pass. The gym is situated upstairs with the ground floor consisting of a cafe/bar and locker room with showers. The entrance includes club information on weightwatchers, tribute nights and family discos. The gym has up to date equipment which you can log into and set goals. The big perk is the large open windows facing the golf course providing a lovely view as you work out.

This is one of the best municipal golf courses in the city, and certainly one of the trickiest and…read morelongest. I'm not sure what they do differently at Pype Hayes compared to the other public courses in the city, but this one always seems to be in slightly better nick than the others, and particularly in winter when the others can get very, very boggy and wet. Perhaps the soil is different over there near Walmley and therefore the whole course drains a wee bit better. It's a full 18 hole course and, unlike public courses such as Harborne and Boldmere, you will definitely need to know your way around a driver if you hope to get round with a fairly decent score. It's a LONG course. The greens are always in good condition and are surrounded by often tricky hazards. One of the best things about Pype Hayes is that you turnaround at the club house, so you can nip in for the loo, or for a quick break over a cup of tea before you resume.

Great course, well maintained.read more