Review: Roman Landings, Walmer Adventure Golf
Looking for some holiday vibes in your life? Let us introduce you to Walmer Adventure Golf, on the outskirts of Deal, which offers the ultimate quintessential English seaside experience. With electric cars and a paddling pool on site too, the fun never has to stop.
THE LOCATION
You will find Walmer Adventure Golf on the stunning coastline of Walmer and Deal situated behind the archetypal sugary-coated beach huts so if you are looking for a quaint backdrop for your photos, this is the place.
We love this corner of Kent so linger on if you can so you can soak up the beach culture with early morning swims as well as explore its cosmopolitan food scene, plus essential pottering around some fantastic independent shops in the area.
Keepers Cottages and Bloom Stays can help you find a bijou pad for the family or a larger home to accommodate a larger group so hit them up for recommendations.
From a parking bore perspective, it can be tricky as everyone else wants to be here, especially during the summer months, so make sure you arrive early, and you should be able to find a spot on the road close to Walmer Adventure Golf.
THE LOWDOWN
Walmer Paddling Pool has been an institution in this part of the world, since the 60’s, sitting on Walmer Green next to an old putting green so the local Council were delighted when local businessman, Michael Humphries, suggested renovating the pool and adding an adventure golf course plus Sela racer cars to the mix. As you can imagine, it has revitalized the area and is a now a new-found tourist destination in Kent.
Walmer Adventure Golf opened its doors on July 2022 and the 2,000 square metre site now boasts an 18-hole adventure golf course which plays homage to the local area’s history covering the Roman, medieval and the local smuggling past as well as a mini replica of Walmer Castle.
It is still free to visit Walmer Paddling Pool as Micheal has wisely kept this as part of the deal as it has served the local community for so many years, so it is still remains open to the public and is a vital part of Walmer life in the summer.
There has been a substantial investment in renovating the space, including a new anti-slip floor, and you will find qualified lifeguards, a refreshment kiosk serving hot and cold snacks all day, changing rooms and toilets, and deck chairs for hire so if the sun is shining, where better place to be?
If the addiction to Adventure Golf becomes real, you will be delighted to hear that Michael has also launched Rascal Bay Adventure Golf at Manston Golf Centre. Designed in Sweden, the adventure encounters pirates, cannons, an octopus, snakes, skulls, a cannibal’s cooking pot, a crashed jeep, rocks, a volcano, dinosaurs, waterfalls, dinosaur eggs, a treasure chest, crocodiles and two rafts – set aside an afternoon to conquer this one.
THE EXPERIENCE
The good old British summer finally decided to arrive in Kent so I was looking for coastal options to entertain an eight-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son as it is getting harder to find an activity that ticks both of their boxes. Roman Landings in Walmer proved to be a winner as it meant that we could combine a trip to the seaside with a long-standing love of crazy golf as we have competed (ahem) at courses up and down the country.
It is hard to believe that they have packed an eighteen-hole Adventure Golf course into the space with each hole providing a new design and challenge. We loved the individual theme of each hole putting our golf skills to the test as well as the interactive water features along the way too. My two loved pulling themselves across some of the water areas using a raft, plus it helped to distracted them from who was actually winning. Turns out I should go pro as I was eventually crowned the winner.
The course design references the vast history of Deal and the surrounding areas including nods to smugglers, the town’s fishing past and the Tudor Rose, which pays homage to Dover Castle. There is also a Roman Galley boat and a miniature recreation of Walmer Castle where you can battle through the towers and ramparts playing four different holes on the way. It’s all a real love story to the local area.
Following my golf WIN, we headed to the electric car track where children (aged 5-12 years old) can try out the Sela Cars. My son had tried go-karting for the first time a few weeks previously so he was a bit superior about giving them a go but quickly loved spinning around the track chasing his sister.
There are six cars to choose from including a Formula I in red (highly popular) as well as Quad Bike in orange which works well for longer legs plus Spiderman was well sought after by the younger lot. If you want to put a bigger smile on their face, we recommend purchasing a couple of tokens – £3 per session or £5 for two sessions.
The day we visited was a scorcher so the Paddling Pool was awash with very happy albeit very loud toddlers so my two children had a quick paddle in their shorts so this activity works best for the little ones, especially when you have the sea so close for a more immersive dip.
SCOFF AND QUAFF
You can really make a day of it as the brand-new beach hut kiosk offers stone-baked pizzas which come highly recommended from my family – a Pepperoni and a Margarita pizza comfortably fed the three of us.
You will also be pleased to hear that the kiosk serves Costa Coffee and Solleys Ice Cream (made locally) plus a full range of any other snacks your children might demand. The kiosk is licensed too so why not watch the sun go down on the beach with a beer in hand too?
ANYTHING ELSE?
Roman Landings would be a great venue for a birthday party with packages available from £10 per head which is kinder on the purse strings than other party offerings. Or you could go for the private hire offering and use for team building or corporate events – the team are open to ideas.
THE MUDDY VERDICT
GOOD FOR? We saw Grandparents playing alongside three-year-old golf novices so this is an activity that can suit all ages – it really is, as the adage goes, great fun for all the family.
NOT FOR? The Paddling Pool is exactly what it says on the tin, so it works better for the little ones who want to splash and paddle but it is maybe less exciting for older children.
THE DAMAGE
For the Roman Landings golf, tickets can be prebooked or pay on the day, with adult tickets priced at £9 and children at £6.50. Family and group discounts are also available. For the cars, it is £3 per session of £5 for two sessions.
Marine Rd, Walmer, Deal, Kent, CT14 7DN, 01304 380373, info@walmeradventuregolf.co.uk
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