New Addition To Tralee's Attractions

The May sun shone brilliantly in Tralee on Tuesday, 30th May, when the Aqua Dome (Ireland's largest indoor waterworld) unveiled its latest concept - an 18-hole miniature golf course, called Aqua Golf.

The new facility has holes of varying length and difficulty, which incorporate areas of rough and bunkers as well as humps and hollows. Surrounding the course are a range of water features and heavily landscaped gardens as well as a huge 40 foot fountain and a cave. The course has taken the castle theme from inside the waterworld and brought it outside and this is apparent from the castle tower complete with drawbridge and moat and battlements, which provide a great view of Blennerville in the West.

Luckily you don't need a bag full of clubs to play the course as all you require is a putter and ball, and these are provided for each player in the admission price. This is only the second course of this type in Ireland - the other being Pirates Cove in Courtown Harbour.

Also included in the new outdoor facilities are remote control boats and trucks which are also great fun to play, even if they require more skill than is at first imagined! The boats are located in a pond complete with a miniature lighthouse and water volcano, both of which have targets that you try to hit to set off the special effects. The plan with the trucks is that you try to hitch up to a trailer and park it in a warehouse - sounds simple enough until you actually try it!

Part of the large crowd attending the official opening of Tralee's AquaGolf facility at the AquaDome on Tuesday, 30th May

Kieran Ruttledge, Chief Executive of the company, told TraleeTown.com: "We are very happy with the way the course has turned out. It's great fun for everyone to play and indeed is even a test of putting for good golfers! We are different from other courses in that we have included rough and bunkers and holes vary in difficulty from par two to three and even four. We are getting a lot of families trying it out and really enjoying it. It's great to see parents showing their children how to play and then watching the child proceed to beat them. It also offers a few chances for golfers to get that elusive hole-in-one!"

The new facilities were built at a cost of £840,000 by Denis Moriarty Construction and designed by Liam Waldrom of O'Sullivan Campbell Architects. A total of 32 people were employed in the construction of the facility, which was built within the contract period of seven months. Denis Reen, Chairman of the Aqua Dome, praised the quality of the workmanship involved in the construction and said: "We are very impressed with the final product. The reaction from our initial customers has been fantastic and we are looking forward to an excellent Summer period". He also was gushing in his praise of the commitment and support of the public sector, private sector and organisations such as Shannon Development in progressing the work. He paid special tribute to the assistance of Tralee UDC and welcomed two former local authority officials (now retired) who were attending the opening ceremony. "I've never seen both of you looking so well!", he quipped to Sean Crispie (former Town Clerk) and Paddy Scanlon (former Town Engineer). "Tralee", he said, "is truly confident of immense success in the future".

The facility was officially opened by Councillor Norma Foley, Tralee UDC.

John & Mike of D-Signs busily erecting the Aqua Golf Signs outside the Aqua Dome on Tuesday before the official opening