After a brief spell on our Putting Green last autumn, Park Golf has returned to Craigtoun - this time on its own 9-hole course, located behind the Go-kart track. Park Golf has become the 9th supervised activity to be included in the Craigtoun Seasonal Attractions. Tickets are available to purchase from the Ticket Office @ £2.20 each or visitors can enjoy multiple rounds if they invest in a day band, which gives unlimited access to all 9 attractions for the duration of their visit.
This new course follows close collaboration with Dunnikier Park Community Golf and Fife Golf Trust. Funding for the clubs, balls and the course set up was provided by the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund through Fife Voluntary Action and the Scottish Government, together with a local grant of £1,500 from the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and £2,000 from the St Andrews Ball.
Dunnikier Park Community Golf, an OSCR charity, introduced Park Golf to Scotland (and the UK) in 2021. Whilst the game is new to Scotland, Park Golf has been played in Japan since 1984, starting in Makubetsucho, Hokkaido. It was created to get people playing in parks and has since promoted the healthy development of mind and body as a lifelong sport.
Park Manager, Paul Dixon: ‘’Dunnikier Park Community Golf has loaned sufficient balls and clubs to enable us to offer barrier-free access to local community support groups. Park Golf is a fun, simple and safe form of golf which people of all ages and abilities can enjoy. We hope to build on the successful introduction of Park Golf in Kirkcaldy and we are grateful to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club for helping us with funding, allowing us to purchase our own equipment.’’
Martin Christie, Chair of Dunnikier Park Community Golf:
‘’We are very excited about extending the reach of Park Golf to St Andrews – the Home of Golf, after all. The beauty about Park Golf is that no experience or coaching is necessary – just give the ball a whack and that’s it. It’s really easy, great fun and doesn’t take hours to play a game. We can’t wait to see it up and running in Craigtoun Park.”
For a fuller explanation of Park Golf, go to https://www,dpcomgolf,com, www.facebook.com/parkgowf, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAzFhpKPaRw to watch golf broadcaster Iona Stephen try it out in Japan.
