A golfing boom has hit Mount Gambier thanks to the opening of Blue Lake Golf Club’s mini putt putt course. 

After officially opening its doors in December last year, the 18-hole mini putt putt course has proven to be a hit with the community and has attracted more than 11,000 bookings.

The course has some special local touches including miniature replicas of two of the South Australian town's most popular attractions - Centenary Tower and Blue Lake - as well as light-up ghost mushrooms.

Made possible with the assistance of an $170,000 grant from Round 5 of the Australian Government's Building Better Regions Fund, Blue Lakes Secretary Stephen Smith said the redevelopment had been instrumental in drawing more juniors, women, and newcomers to the club.

“With the development of the driving range in 2019 and now the mini putt putt course, we are seeing more children, women, and newcomers who are getting a taste of golf,” Stephen said.

“Pre-Covid, our membership numbers were around 170, but at the end of this financial year, we were close to 400.

“The growth is there, and we want to retain what we have to build a great foundation and promote the sport for the future.”

The club’s vision to provide more Australians with positive golf experiences does not stop there.

With junior development front of mind, Blue Lake has its eyes set on providing the perfect stepping stone from the driving range to course play through the development of a pitch and putt course.  

“With the help of our head groundskeeper, Daniel Christian, we have come up with the idea to develop a pitch and putt area over the front nine which we believe would really help with people’s progress into playing the game of golf,” Stephen said.

“This pitch and putt would be perfect for juniors to give them a taste of what a course will offer.”

For more info on the club, go to www.bluelakepublicgolflinks.com.au