I kneel down beside the red plastic “T” marking the teeing-off point for a child’s-eye view of what the first hole holds in store. There is a yellow plastic “bunker”, a blue plastic “lake” and a scattering of chest-high red and green “fir trees”. About 50 yards away, the flag flutters beguilingly from the heart of the green.

Welcome to Rye Hill golf club in Oxfordshire. They play “proper” golf here as well, but this nine-hole, miniature, so-called Firstgolf facility demonstrates the trouble the club takes to attract children and families.