New partnership promises ‘Miami-style’ adventure golf for UK

Two British firms have announced a new strategic partnership, which promises to bring authentic ‘Miami-style’ themed adventure golf courses to the UK.

Weller Designs, one of the sport’s most successful golf design firms, is to team up with Yorkshire-based Adventure Golf Limited, headed by designer Neil Kimberley, to cater for the fast-rising demand for adventure golf courses in the UK and Europe.

“We will bring a new level of creativity and expertise to this often-misunderstood area of the sport” said Kimberley.

“A well-delivered adventure golf course attracts a very broad demographic, with no barriers of age, gender, ability or agility, and can deliver a full return on investment within the first 18-24 months.

“Drawing upon Weller Designs’ enormous experience in delivering successful projects, and our ability to produce world-class Miami-style theming, Adventure Golf Limited will take your dream from planning to realisation.”

Bruce Weller said: “We are expanding as a company and are always adding to our golf design portfolio, so this fits perfectly with what we are currently doing. Owning an adventure golf course can be extremely profitable, but it can be tricky to secure the right planning permission, even before you start to create the magic.

“With Neil’s design talents and our knowledge of how to shepherd this type of project through to success, I feel we now offer the best single adventure golf resource for all golf operators or would-be adventure golf investors.”

So-called ‘Miami-style’ themed adventure golf courses are dramatically different from prefabricated mini golf or crazy golf putting courses, which have been a traditional sight at English seaside resorts for decades.

They are generally aimed directly at families, non-golfers and golfers alike, offering ricochet-style golf where the ball remains permanently in play, and usually feature visually-striking family-friendly theming such as dinosaurs and pirates, with features such as rafts and caves for the players to negotiate.

A third category – aggregate-based precision-style courses, which aim to give a more authentic golf experience – tend to be themed less dramatically, and appeal more to current golfers.

“Our courses will attract thousands of non-golfers to your business” says Kimberley. “For British people, a fully-themed adventure golf course offers an exciting, long-haul holiday-style experience with a huge wow-factor for children and adults alike. The levels of repeat business tend to be significant, and will help a club operator to promote their facility as a leisure venue in its own right – breaking free from being ‘just a golf club’.

“This type of high-impact facility offers the biggest rewards for would-be owners and investors, and this is where Adventure Golf Limited excels,” he said.” A well thought-out, high-quality themed environment is an essential part of the product we offer. This not only enhances the player’s experience, putting the ‘adventure’ into adventure golf, but it also acts as an attraction in its own right. Anybody considering an investment in adventure golf should ensure that this element is given full consideration.

“What’s more, we make it surprisingly accessible. Our design experience and product knowledge mean we can create the magic at realistic and obtainable levels.”

“Getting permission to place 15m high galleon ships in green belt land is sometimes not easy” remarked Bruce Weller. “We are not talking windmills at the seaside here.

“But we are one of the sport’s most widely-experienced environmental and planning consultants as regards academy courses, driving ranges and other short forms of golf, alongside our ongoing work in designing and implementing full-sized golf projects. I believe that Adventure Golf Limited is now the ideal choice for anyone looking to create a successful new business out of this exciting area of golf.”

Surrey-based Weller Designs has created golf courses in France, Ireland, Peru, Thailand, the USA, South Africa, Italy, Russia and Portugal, as well as extensively within the UK.

Interested parties should initially contact Bruce Weller at Weller Designs. The company offers impartial advice on all golf related planning/design matters as well as on adventure golf.

A new website at www.adventuregolflimited.com acts as an information centre for potential customers.

Weller Designs www.wellerdesigns.co.uk