Plans submitted for first outdoor adventure golf course in Aylesbury

An application has been submitted to Bucks Council asking for permission to create a new outdoor adventure golf course near to Aylesbury.

Organisers want to bring an outdoor adventure golf course to the Aylesbury area, noting that the nearest facility is currently in Milton Keynes.

The owners of the Aylesbury Golf Centre in Bierton have submitted a planning proposal to Bucks Council asking to extend its site to include an adventure course.

Currently, golfers use the centre for its driving range, or visit the area for The Barn, which is also owned by the same group.

The Barn, is licenced to serve alcohol and can be booked by businesses for corporate events and private functions.

It also serves as a wedding venue, as its surrounded by countryside views within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But with Aylesbury reopening as it hopes to move on from Covid, owners want to bring a new family activity that could excite people of all ages.

Specifically, the application, which was officially submitted last September, is requesting to create additional car parking space and a mini golf course.

The Applicants want to create room for an extra 48 vehicles and a 12-hole course.

Aylesbury Golf Centre wants a farm-like theme for its course containing a classic windmill, along with further rural iconography.

Plans mention a model cottage, farm machinery and lifelike animal obstacles.

An Aylesbury Golf Centre spokesman told the Bucks Herald: "We're hoping for something a bit more spectacular than your typical adventure course.

"If you could imagine these big adventure courses, where you have a pirate alley or dinosaurs. That type of set up, albeit because this is a country setting, it will probably be more of a farm setting.

"It has turned into a thriving business with the golf driving range, but you don't actually have any families there, doing activities together.

"This adventure golf is absolutely perfect for the whole family to participate in. You've also got The Barn adjacent to where it will be, offering drinks and snacks all day long.

"It's something we thought would be fitting for the Aylesbury area. It's a big burgeoning population, and the nearest adventure golf course we have to us is Milton Keynes."

It is hoped if the mini golf course is created that it would create two more full-time and an additional couple of part-time roles within the company.

So far the Aylesbury Vale community appears to be on board with the plans, the application has received full support from 12 individuals.

One high profile supporter being, Councillor Julie Ward who serves Aston Clinton and Bierton.

She said: "This is a valuable local recreational asset, in a time where both local pubs have shut.

"Any complimentary addition they create to the current offering that improves the sustainability of the business is therefore supported.

"The site is easily large enough to include this and it is well accessed from a quiet road off of a new main link road.

"It is the only business located on this road where there are few dwellings and traffic is very quiet.

"The site currently incorporates a driving range, bar and restaurant/function facility. It is already popular with families due to the ease of parking and child friendly environment.

"Mini golf is becoming increasingly popular with anew facility offering this, [with another activity] having recently opened in Aylesbury town centre. In order for rural business to thrive, it must be able to adapt to the local climate."

Other commenters have said the site would bring "great value" to Bierton, others have said it would be "fantastic for families".

The Adventure Golf spokesman added: "No one who visits the range is against it, everyone is for it.

"For non-golfers it's quite a good introduction to golf. We have a lot of golfers up there, who bring friends along, who are just up there for the drink, who aren't actually hitting golf balls on the range.

"Talking to them, they'd be much more up for mini golf, just putting, having fun with their friends."