Lakes Entrance Mini Golf tees off for sale, could be developed as a home
No. 56 Roadknight St, Lakes Entrance, could sell to someone bent on putting in for a planning permit.
The original Lakes Entrance mini golf course that inspired plans for a putt putt empire is teeing off for sale.
But while Lakes Entrance Mini Golf at 56 Roadknight St has become an icon for the town since it was built 65 years ago, it could face demolition to make way for a home.
Soaring Lakes Entrance house prices that rose $75,000 (32.2 per cent) to $390,000 in the past year and a residential zoning make the property an appealing prospect for an abode.
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Owner Grant Warf is hoping a new owner will take on the mantle of the town’s original, and in his opinion best, mini golf course — but isn’t ruling out the possibility the buyer might have alternative plans.
“It’s been an icon of the town for many decades,” Mr Warf said.
“But there’s potential for someone to buy it for development. However, it’s an absolutely stressless job. I’ve never had a grumpy person in there.
“And seeing families come in around Christmas time, families who have come for years and years, you see them come back and still having fun.”
Families have been coming to the popular tourist spot for generations.
The mini golf course’s layout is regarded as just about perfect by the owner, who’s since recreated it in Mansfield.
Along with the 18 hole course and six dodgem cars, the property features a kiosk and coffee shop caravan.
Mr Warf said he’d updated parts of the course and had to replace the trampolines with dodgem cars after insurers refused to cover them two years ago, but he hadn’t done a thing to the original layout.
“It was forward thinking from old Lenny Martin, because he built the mini golf,” he said.
“And I don’t know how many games of mini golf I have had, and it’s still fun. It just puts a smile on your face.
“I even built a brand new one at Mansfield, based on this one, because it really works. My grand plan was for this to be a retirement plan, I wanted to have three of them — so I could give one to each of my kids.”
Dodgem cars replaced the popular trampolines at the property a few years ago.
There’s a wide array of colourful, tricky holes to test players’ skills.
But with his home development business booming, he’s selling the courses to give himself more time with his family, already signing over the Mansfield site to the pub next door and listing his Lakes Entrance holding for $400,000.
Gary Henry Real Estate’s Phillip Dunn is handling the sale and said Mr Warf had already challenged him to a game, and he suspected he would wind up as caddie for prospective buyers as they gave it a go.
Opposite the popular BIG4 Whiters Holiday Village, the course has a steady stream of players around holidays and summer, and he said most prospective buyers would be seachangers from Melbourne.
The property is in the backstreets, but still only a short walk from the water.
With residential zoning, some buyers are expected to see potential to build a home on the property — potentially with a few holes retained for the backyard.
“Someone who is looking to buy themselves a job,” Mr Dunn said.
“It’s good steady income for someone who just wants to open it up on the weekends.”
He had buyers looking to inspect within days of listing the property, but noted some might have other plans for the site.
“It’s zoned residential, so it could be a house block,” Mr Dunn said.
“But you’d have to leave a couple of the holes for the backyard.”
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