Mini golf reloaded at Bernsteinsee

It was opened at Bernsteinsee on June 17th 2016: The first Adventure Golf course of its kind within a 300 kilometre radius. A trend is spreading from the USA to Germany. The first question to be answered is: What actually is Adventure Golf? To put it briefly: The modern form of mini golf, yet "higher, faster, further". The game is played on courses covered with artificial grass - the rules of classic golf apply. The challenge: Obstacles in landscaped surroundings need to be mastered, creative solutions found and water features crossed. In the USA, one of these trendy courses can be found next to the other - about 15 on a stretch of 1.5 miles in Florida, for instance - in Germany the trend is spreading rapidly. Now also at Bernsteinsee.

"We have been toying with the idea of building an Adventure Golf course for quite a while. We had been looking for a suitable site in Braunschweig, too; however without success", explains Fait-Florian Banser. It was a coincidence, a business partner, who brought up the nature and holiday park near Sassenburg, in the district of Gifhorn.

A great view: The course is located right next to Bernsteinsee. Photo: Falk-Martin Drescher.

The architect and planners come from Sweden
They have brought one of the leading European providers of courses of this kind on board: City Golf Europe's extensive team of planners is involved with the project. After initial talks with the investor who is developing Bernsteinsee, everything went very quickly. After no more than 10 weeks, the course opened on June 17th. An ambitious schedule. Banser enthuses: "We felt at ease here, the facilities were well tended and the overall impression of the park was excellent." The project was to be initiated soon, since the better part of the hundreds of thousands of guests per year like to visit the park especially in the warm summer months.

Bernsteinsee is a bathing lake of about 9 hectares with a wide sandy beach and a nearby 3-star hotel, holiday homes and apartments as well as diverse leisure facilities such as waterskiing and wakeboarding facilities, indoor cart, 3D archery and a horse-riding centre. Guests are coming from all over the world: Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Benelux countries, etc. Slowly but steadily, a fabulous holiday park is being built in district Gifhorn. It now also offers Adventure Golf.

A treat for the eyes: The water supply facilities are part of both the gold mine and the golf courses. Photo: Falk-Martin Drescher.

Half a million euros - this is how much the company managed by Fait-Florian Banser, former
footballer for Eintracht Braunschweig and FC Magdeburg, invested in the course. "There are some offers here that are more attractive for individuals. Adventure Golf, however, addresses families as a whole", explains Banser. To make them feel at ease, the course is to be integrated into its surroundings rather than giving a remote impression like a UFO from afar. "We deliberately refrain from using kitschy themes (editor's note: as is customary in the USA). Instead we focus on plenty of green, water, and rocks." A child-friendly environment is important as well. "When the kids have fun, parents are more relaxed", says the manager.

The 3000-square-metre facility offers a total of 18 courses. There are two ways to play, an easy or a harder way. Embedded: A newly landscaped park, lots of trees, natural slopes, little streams, waterfalls, natural obstacles and many other features designed with attention to detail. The courses also offer so-called "photo points" for taking souvenir photos. In the centre of the park, visitors can relax on a terrace surrounded by water and enjoy drinks and ice-cream. WLAN is also available for guests.

Panning for gold: June 17th is the start date for a new gold rush. Photo: Falk-Martin Drescher.

The Adventure Golf course at Bernsteinsee is the first of its kind featuring a fun gold mining facility. Children's groups, families & Co can pan for gold and take their treasures home. "Mines of this kind so far can only be found in Great Britain and Denmark", says Banser. Instead of "real" gold we use so-called fool's gold - on the one hand, because bigger grains guarantee a greater sense of achievement, and on the other hand, to make it affordable to us when our guests take home their gold", the manager says with a laugh.

The completed course is one of the most modern of its kind in Germany. "There is no other course like it", emphasizes the initiator. Think big rather than small was the motto of the construction project. Moreover: It can be expanded at any time. They are looking forward to attracting many visitors, since Adventure Golf also is a perfect activity for corporate events, weddings or team-building events. "First bookings have already been made", says Banser taking a look at the booking calendar.

"What is your preference?" The courses can be played two ways, an easy or a harder way. Photo: Falk-Martin Drescher.