Crazy golf is being teed up as a tourist season draw for a Callander hotel.
The Dreadnought Hotel is hoping to make temporary use of its garden for the activity along with a children’s play area.
David Ryan has submitted a planning application to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park planners.
Agents for the hotel said: “The temporary nature of the use is both in terms of its seasonality and because the applicant would be content that the National Park granted this for just the 2022 season, so that the impacts from the use can be judged prior to an application for permanent seasonal use being considered later on this year.
“The applicant has consent to use the garden for the proposed uses, and for his customers to use the existing hotel car park at the rear, although most of his customers park elsewhere and walk to the site. The use encompasses installing temporary crazy golf holes, which are pinned to the ground, but otherwise sit on top of the grass, and installing wooden play equipment, which needs to be fixed into the ground for safety. None of the installations are permanent, and the applicant has no intention for them to be, and they can all be removed once the season is over.
“The season will run to the end of October 2022. The business will operate seven days a week from 9am until 7pm.”
The agents said that the business would run under the same name as it had last year - Pee Wee’s Crazy Golf.
Most of the 2021 customers were said to be pre-arranged groups and small parties of people that complied with Covid regulations then in force. While the intention would be the same in 2022, walk in customers would also be welcomed.
“On a good day in 2021, the applicant had 10 customers on site at any one time,” added the agents. “He does not expect to have any more than 20 at any one time in 2022 and, once at this level, he will invite people to book a time slot and to come back later on.
“There was always at least one member of staff on site, sometimes two, in 2021 and this will be the same in 2022.
“There are no residential properties close by. The site is bounded to the east by the hotel, west by Tesco Express, and to the north by public toilets in the Station Road car park. The Riverside Inn lies on the other side of Leny Road.”
Park planners are expected to make a recommendation on the application in due course.
