Inglewood’s set to get a mini-putt experience

Mini putt is coming to Inglewood with an 18 hole course proposed for Jubilee Park.

The Inglewood Lions Centennial Mini Putt, will be situated on the Elliot St side of the Inglewood swimming pool.

The project has been driven by the Inglewood Lions and the Inglewood Community Mini Putt Charitable Trust has been set up to run it, chairman Graham Robinson said.

The New Plymouth District Council’s planning committee has agreed the trust could lease the land for $1 per annum, for 33 years.

‘‘Once the full council say yes, it’s got to go out to public consultation, because it’s not in the long term plan and they’re leasing the land out,’’ Robinson said.

‘‘It could be a six week process. So end of April beginning of May to start building. We believe by school holidays in October we should have it open.’’

Inglewood Lions and New Zealand Lions together donated $35,000 to the project, he said. They hoped to raise another $20,000 through naming rights of various holes and are applying for $50,000 from the Taranaki Energy Trust.

The mini putt won’t have any staff and instead will be run by different community organisations, such as rugby teams, the Fire Brigade, schools, kindergartens and young farmers, and the profits will be spit among the groups according to how many hours they worked, he said.

‘‘All of the groups are keen. We’ve had outstanding support to go ahead and do it. When you talk to people, parents take children or grandparents take grandchildren to play mini putt, but they do it outside the province. There’s no 18 hole outdoor in Taranaki.’’

The names of the holes are Inglewood icons, such as Fun Ho, the band rotunda, around the mountain and Rata St.

‘‘About four or five holes will have a feature. Cue Theatre is going to have a little theatre and you putt through the curtain. One will have a mini oil rig. We only want to do about four or five features or it will detract from the course. All sponsors of the holes will be Inglewood business.’’

The Trust is also looking ahead and has been talking to a structural engineer about putting in foundation pads so they won’t have to move the holes if they want to put a roof on in the future.

‘‘It’s really good to be chairman of something that everybody is so supportive of. It’s not easy, but the people you’ve talked to have made it easy because of the response they’ve given you.’’

The entry price hasn’t been set yet, but they are looking in the range of $8 for adults, $4 for children and maybe $20 for a family, he said.

‘‘But don’t hold us to it. That’s way cheaper than Prodrive in Hamilton, but we’re in Inglewood, Taranaki, and we don’t want to charge those sort of prices.’’