Royal West Norfolk ticks my box because I love exciting and unexpected golf holes.

The links are not long but the views are sensational and the bunkers are unforgettable - deep, lined with railway sleepers and fiendishly positioned.

Both of our rounds at gorgeous Brancaster had to be timed so that the North Sea had not submerged the road leading up to this celebrated club.

The course is between the sea and the Brancaster West Marshes - a Site of Special Scientific Interest because they are an important habitat for birds.

The club has faced a constant battle against coastal erosion which has forced it to change Horace Hutchinson's original design many times and is now on such a tight tract of land that there are shared fairways between the first and 18th and the second and 17th holes.

Unfortunately, the much-acclaimed clubhouse was closed for complete refurbishment but, despite the food being served in temporary buildings, breakfast was tasty and we were made to feel at home.

Actually, we were rather too comfortable ahead of our first round because winds were gusting at more than 30 miles an hour outside.

The following day, in still conditions and, with knowledge of the course layout, Mrs W, and I both scored ten shots better.

After an easygoing opening, the fun really begins on the third hole at Brancaster hole with a drive over marsh before taking on a flag, hidden behind a huge trap.

The fourth is just wacky. The par-three of about 115 yards should be easy but the plateaued green is protected by pot bunkers and a semi-circle of railway sleepers.

Meanwhile, the eighth is a mind-boggling par-five with a decent carry over marsh to a fairway which is linked to the green by a bridge over more water.

There is no pause in the excitement as the ninth demands another crash over the wetlands before the player is left with the sight of a raised green that appears to be held up by sleepers.

The bunkers are always tough at Brancaster but take on a whole new dimension on the 15th - a 200-yard par-three whose green is protected by a veritable crater.

Mrs W. was a mere speck on the beach but, much to her great credit, excavated her ball with just one heave.

The 18th is simply a wonderful finishing hole.

At 381 yards, it is not the longest but its circular green is almost entirely surrounded by a moat of sand and, you guessed it, railway sleepers. On day two, we were both very pleased to finish with pars.

We had been given glowing reports of the view from the Brancaster clubhouse out to sea and it would have been rather lovely to have digested our rounds there.

Maybe next time!

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