PIRATE BAY Adventure Golf in Maldon was officially opened on Monday evening and we at the Standard went down to Promenade Park to try it out.

The 18 hole course begins with a dog-leg par two to ease you into the challenge. A big slope catches the ball on the corner and takes it down towards the hole.

After you’ve knocked the ball in, hopefully for a par, you move onto the second. A relatively straight forward par two with a few divots in your way.

The course then gradually builds up the difficulty. The fifth hole is played inside of a large pirate ship, fully equipped with mast and pirates.

The ball is funnelled towards the hole meaning you have a good chance of a hole in one.

The sixth hole is one of the trickiest on the course, as you have to stop the ball on a small rise. Too hard and you go over the back, too soft and you roll back to where you started.

All the while you have a talking pirate letting you know just how long you are taking.

The 13th hole provides a unique challenge as you change surface. The ball rolls smaller on the turf as you play into a shark’s mouth.

The obvious answer of hitting it harder comes with a risk, as playing it too far will leave you in the water hazard lurking a foot past the hole.

Water is something that comes into play for the next few holes as you play alongside a relaxing water feature, and play through a far from relaxing water hazard.

The 14th hole sees your target elevated on a platform that slopes away in every direction towards a pond that will rob you of a shot.

The remaining holes all have their own attraction, with my favourite being the 18th. A weaving, meandering hole that sees you play downhill and around a rock feature.

It is a great way for a great course to finish, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.

The course is floodlit and so open all year round. In the summer months, between May 1 and September 30, it is open from 9am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 8pm on weekends.

From October 1 to April 30 it closes at 7pm on weekends.

A round on the course costs £8 for an adult, £5.50 for a child between four and 14, and is free for children three or under. A family ticket is available for £22.