Friends reveal more plans for Rec minigolf
A NEW-LOOK mini golf course on Stratford’s Recreation Ground will offer fun for all the family and could even host a golf tournament for the British Minigolf Association one day.
Two 18-hole golf courses will be Stratford-themed on the site of the existing mini golf on the Rec and include models of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, a Juliet balcony
and other features around town like Clopton Bridge.
Mark Knott and Chris Jones, joint directors of Stratford Adventure Golf Ltd, hope their ambitious plans to transform the site will be approved by the district council in order for the attraction to open for the visitor season in February or March next year.
Mark Knott said: “We’re making it interesting for local people and for tourists. There will be nine or ten themed holes on each of the two 18-hole golf courses including a butterfly hole and a swan hole plus the chance to play minigolf in a Tudor alleyway.”
The business partners have been friends for over 20 years. Mark’s background is building, property development and customer data analysis while Chriss background is as a nationwide operations manager in hospitality.
They both share a love of golf and during covid it was a sport they could take part in and enjoy in the fresh air but it was also during this time the seeds of a mini golf adventure course were sewn.
Chris said: “We shared the vision and banged our heads together and went back and forth with different ideas. We thought about a world themed golf course but there were already a lot of those and then Mark came up with the Stratford-theme.”
In order for the project to proceed properly, some much needed research was required and as Chris and Mark our such big golf fans, their research involved touring several minigolf courses to gather information. With their plans taking shape it was time to hire the services of a professional golf designer.
“New cafes will be incorporated, there’ll be children’s’ play areas, we ‘re laying grass and planting trees. We are employing local people and last year we had six staff from around Stratford working with us – students – who said they will come back to us this season. We will employ people for the maintenance of the grass and wherever possible we’ll use local suppliers and recycled materials,” Mark said.
Although the area is not situated directly next to the river, the café will have the ability to float should the area experience heavy flooding which can occur on the Recreation Ground.
Mark and Chris say they will extend an invitation to the British Minigolf Association to stage one of its championship tournaments in Stratford which they hope will prove popular and further boost the profile of the town’s amenities and attractions.
“The golf course will be a lot of fun in the fresh air for families. We are totally committed to this adventure and extremely excited about it,” Mark said.
The business partners have tendered for a 20-year agreement for the mini golf course but are currently running it on a one-year basis. For the time being the existing minigolf course will open next month in February for the spring/summer season with work scheduled to start on the new-look course in October.
