2 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
North Wales golf attraction hit by Tiger Woods 'cease and desist' order now set to open
Britain's first US-style golfing attraction will open on Anglesey next week. The 18-hole 'mini golf' course has undulating Astroturf holes, white areas for bunkers and can be played at night under floodlights.
The venture, in Llangefni, will have a pizza shack along with a 'Halfway House' bar where players can enjoy a tipple or two before resuming their rounds.
Unlike traditional crazy golf courses, it's meant to be a miniature version of the real thing. Windmills or clown mouths are conspicuous by their absence.
The other thing missing is its original name – it was meant to be a homage to PopStroke, a company backed by Tiger Woods that has pioneered upmarket mini golf in the States.
But on hearing the venture's name, lawyers representing the golfing superstar issued a 'cease and desist' letter. All usage was to be banned in print and online within 14 days.
Golf professional Matthew Wharton, who owns the Golf Môn complex in Llangefni, initially toyed with the idea of ignoring the ultimatum. 'It was a bit of a game, to be honest,' he said.
'I'd always hoped Tiger's lawyers would be in touch because of the publicity it would generate. But my wife was less keen - she didn't like the idea of legal action."
He added: 'I promptly changed the venture's name at Companies House and we haven't used it since. The new name is perfect anyway as it references the Welsh language.
'We live in a Welsh language heartland and, really, I always wanted the name to reflect that. I'm a Mancunian but the rest of my family are Welsh.'
Golff Bach, he said, is pitched at both seasoned golfers and total beginners. The idea is to make the game more accessible and relaxed in an US-accented atmosphere.
This includes the food, with bagels and pizzas on offer from Popty Pizza, a course-side restaurant with a wood-fired oven. 'Come for the golf, stay for the pizza,' is the venture's motto.
It's a very different offer to that of Golf Môn's near neighbour, the Oriel Môn art museum and gallery.
Restaurant floor space was recently doubled with the addition of a large fully glazed extension. A 'glass box', as Matthew likes to describe it. 'It gives panoramic views of the course and the trees around it,' he said.
'I've put feeders in the trees to encourage wildlife, along with a red squirrel gym. We're lucky in being one of the few places still to have red squirrels and if they're around you can watch them from the glass box.'
The Halfway House will offer snacks as well as beer and wine: pizza slices will be available here too. Golfers who over-indulge after nine holes may find their form dipping during their rounds.
Another new addition is a reception building with an Adidas golf clothing store. This also hosts a state-of-the-art Trackman simulator, available to rent by the hour for indoor golfing on world-famous courses.
Matthew, a former Llandudno and Bangor golf professional, self-funded the lot. 'I've not paid myself for two-and-a-half years,' he said.
'It's been hard work but this has been a cherished dream for a long time and I hope the results show it was worth it.' The final challenge, three days before opening, was the DIY asphalting of surrounding paths.
Some 500,000 tonnes of road-building stone was used to fashion Golff Bach's contours before they were overlaid with artificial grass. Some holes are more difficult than others but all are banked at the sides to prevent the need for boundaries.
The Golf Môn complex preserves the sport's legacy in Llangefni, being based on an old municipal course and driving range. The council facility closed in 2018 and was sold off but a driving range remains: 16 covered bays offer big hitters the chance to smash balls at scrap cars and a double-decker bus.
As Golff Bach is floodlit, it will offer later opening hours than most golf courses, transforming it into an evening dining experience as well as a daytime activity.
It's a concept already popular in the US, where PopStroke offers upmarket clubhouses, ice cream parlours and kids playgrounds. Since 2019, 17 courses have been built and three more are under construction.
Up to 50 courses were envisaged originally. Now the company's 'aperture' has widened to 150–200 locations. According to Matthew, the concept may be heading to the UK, where upmarket crazy golf is already starting to take off in southern England.
'But ours will be the first of the mini golf concept in Britain,' he said. 'And we want it to be the best.' Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter - sent every Friday
The Golf Môn complex is open seven days a week, 9am to 9pm. The Golff Bach mini golf course opens on Monday, August 18. More details can be found here.
