AT £10 a round, a knock at Earlswood is not that much more expensive than a game of crazy golf.

But there are no windmills, railway tunnels or see-saws here, just a decent golf course which puts many a pay-and-play venue to shame.

If you like your perfectly manicured greens and immaculate fairways, Earlswood may not be the place for you.

If you're into your etiquette and you believe all golfers should have collars on their tucked-in shirts, it might be wise to give the place a wide berth.

But if, on the other hand, golf's snootiness gets up your nose, then Earlswood may just be to your liking.

There is no dress code on this hillside course in Jersey Marine, no demand for handicap certificates and no need even to book a tee time.

All that's required at Earlswood is a tenner plus some sticks and you can play a track which offers excellent value for money.

Perfect it may not be, perfectly presentable it is. The fairways are tidy enough and the greens true enough to make a trip round Earlswood enjoyable.

The views are spectacular, with Swansea Valley disappearing in one direction and Swansea Bay opening out in the other.

The tee at the short 16th, towering some 70 yards above a green which takes some hitting, offers perhaps the best vista of all.

Standing there it is hard to believe the minimal green fees, and it's not the only time you get such a feeling on a course which remains in pretty good condition throughout the year.

Swansea's only municipal, Earlswood starts off fairly slowly.

Three, four, five and seven, which share one enormous fairway, may not be the most inspiring clutch of holes in the region, but this is a forgiving stretch for those of us whose tee shots do not always go where they are supposed to.

And from the par three eighth over a pond to the demanding dog-leg ninth, things soon get a bit more interesting.

There is more water on 11, a nasty blind tee shot on 13 and an opener on 14 where anything short of 150 yards will see your ball disappearing into a valley.

Even a decent golfer might find his knees knocking on that tee, although Earlswood really is a place where all abilities can have a hit.

And all for just a few quid more than you'd pay to bash balls round a helter-skelter at the seaside.

Swansea may have only a single municipal course, but at least it's a good one.

HOW MUCH? £10.

CAN YOU GET ON? Yes. Anyone can play at any time.

WHERE IS IT? Just off the B4290, on the hill above Swansea Bay Golf Club in Jersey Marine.

HARDEST HOLE: 9th — Drive up the hill and ideally round the corner, then decide whether to take on the pond with your second before another climb to the green.

BEST HOLE: 16th — what a view, and what an interesting short hole. It's not long, but the vast drop to the green makes club selection tricky.