Adventure golf facility becomes first ever non golf club affiliated with Scottish Golf

An adventure golf facility that operates out of two sites in Scotland has become the first ever non-golf club to be affiliated with Scottish Golf.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf has been allowed to affiliate with the governing body following a vote by members at the 2024 AGM, which allowed ‘venues that deliver golf experiences but are not golf clubs in the traditional sense’ to affiliate.

The facility could now benefit from funding opportunities, safeguarding support, participation initiatives and a certification of affiliation.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf has two sites in Scotland – Livingston and Glasgow – and delivers golf in a fun, family-friendly and accessible way. It also has a further six sites across the rest of the UK. Glasgow was the first site to open its doors in 2006, and all Paradise Island venues offer two 18-hole indoor golf courses over 13,000 square feet.

Joshua Dantzic, director, Paradise Island Adventure Golf, commented: “We are very pleased to join forces with Scottish Golf to promote the sport in the ‘Home of Golf’. Paradise Island Adventure Golf provides a great taste of golf for all ages and we look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring in supporting the development of the sport.”

Robbie Clyde, CEO of Scottish Golf, said: “Paradise Island is a fantastic example of a successful organisation, engaging new audiences in our sport in an innovative, fun and social way. We know that new audiences for on-course golf exist out there and may not be aware of how closely aligned adventure golf and, say, putting on a green really are. We hope to be able to partner with Paradise Island in a number of ways – through coaching, junior programmes, engaging junior girls in golf – and likewise, we can talk to their diverse audience groups, make connections to golf clubs around Scotland and grow our game for the future.”

Craig Nichol, marketing manager of Paradise Island Adventure Golf, added: “We are very excited to be affiliated with Scottish Golf and the many opportunities it brings. We share their vision of golf being an inclusive, accessible and most importantly a fun activity. Having ‘fun’ is a key phrase used when our customers describe their time at Paradise Island. For most of the kids visiting our sites in Glasgow (Xsite – Braehead) and Livingston Designer Outlet, ‘adventure golf’ is the first time they might have held a golf club or participated in a form of ‘golf’. There may still be barriers to getting kids into golf, but through affiliating facilities like ours, Scottish Golf can help bridge the gap between the large numbers participating in adventure golf at a young age, and the pathway to the wider game of golf.”

Scottish Golf added that it will be announcing further qualifying affiliates in the coming weeks.