They say that some things are worth waiting for and in the case of UrbanCrazy’s recent project at Pembrey Country Park in Wales, that was most definitely the case. The team were commissioned to build a brand new 18-hole course at the popular country park in South Wales back in October 2019 and had planned to finish in time for the busy Easter period. When Covid-19 meant the country went into lockdown in March, the UrbanCrazy team had to down tools until further notice.
Fortunately, government restrictions began to lift in July, and so work was able to start up again, and the team worked flat out in order to get the course open.
Pembrey Country Park is one of Wales’ top visitor attractions with a combination of coast and countryside side by side. Set in 500 acres of woodland alongside eight miles of golden sandy beaches, it’s ideal for a family day out or even a weekend camping break, and the addition of the our new 18-hole course gives people yet another reason to visit.
Working closely with the park team, Mags Pullen and Neville Davies, UrbanCrazy created something that reflects the range of wonderful activities available at the park and surrounding area. It also brings something brand new and exciting to the park on the site of the original mini golf course, that had been there for 28 years, which was a little worse for wear.
Holes include a giant cycle standing at almost 5ft high representing the National Closed Road Circuit (the first of its kind in South Wales), a WWII tunnel that reflects the wartime history of the area and the role that Pembrey played as a munitions factory, and even a shipwreck and chest of buried treasure to reflect many ships that found themselves cast upon the shores of Cefn Sidan Beach.
After sterling work from the UrbanCrazy team, the course was finally opened to the public at the end of August in time for the bank holiday and end of the school holidays. According to Neville, the Centre Co-ordinator, in the first three days of opening, there were almost a thousand people that played on it, which was more than for the whole of August 2019 on the old course, showing that it is very much a welcome addition to the park.
Many visitors were really pleased to get a chance to play on the new course and were very enthusiastic about it. Hazel from Burry Port felt that it was much better laid out than the previous course, and the large-scale obstacles and bright colours made it much more appealing to children. Her own son, Rhys, 5 really liked the course and had visited it three times already managing to get a hole in one each time which he was very proud about.
Other visitors had a sentimental connection to the park having visited when they were younger and had fond memories of the previous course, but seeing this new attraction in all its glory, they felt it was a definite improvement and gave them a reason to definitely come back to visit the park again.
The course was really put through its paces when members of the Welsh Mini Golf Club held their first tournament at the course on Sunday 6th September 2020. Tournament organiser, Martyn Williams shares the details of the highs and lows of the event in his blog (click here), but suffice to say they all really enjoyed the course and will no doubt become regular visitors in the future.