h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you don't have time for a full 18 holes or even a quick 9-holes but still want to get in some play, I've always favoured the local pitch-and-putt.

Consisting entirely of par 3 holes, you can quickly run through a full 18-holes in an hour-lunch break and get back into the office without too much trouble.

If you forgot your clubs, most places will loan you a pitching wedge or sand wedge and a putter. But obviously, it's better to bring your own.

This is perfect practice for a full 18 because you work exclusively on your short game which is often the most overlooked part of a golfer's game because driving the ball 300 yards is much more manly than making a 50 yard chip to within a few inches of the cup.

A personal favourite of mine is southcentral Pennsylvania is Bever Bend, which as the name might imply is located along a bend in the Beaver Creek.

There's a surprising amount of elevation changes for a par-3 course and it's a very pretty setting.

Oh yes, good plan.

Lat time I played Chulmleigh (seemingly midway between Exeter and Barnstaple, Devon UK), my friend Bobby Robinson managed a hole in one on the 2nd or 3rd, can't remember. We copuldn't undestand what had happened at fist because his ball didn't bounce or anything ... it just fell out of the sky and disappeared. It was a truly momentous moment.

It's moments like that which keep you coming back for more...

My first birdie was on a par 4 that I was about 110 yards out and behind some trees after my second shot. I fired off a prayer toward the flag but didn't see it land because of the tree in front of me.

When we walked to the green and didn't see my ball anywhere I figured it had rolled off the back of the green and down a really steep slope into some deep rough.

Imagine my shock and joy when my brother shouted to me that the ball was in the cup!