The Hole in the Wand is the fourth of the magical mini golfing experiences to open nationwide.
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00:00Dalton Park has been making a real effort in recent years to brand itself as much as
00:04a family destination as simply a retail centre, and the Hole in the Wand is the latest addition
00:09to its leisure offer. Located next to the cinema and close to KSA and McDonalds, the
00:14mini-golf centre is the newest of four nationwide, alongside York, Chester and Blackpool.
00:21So what sets it aside from similar indoor golf courses?
00:26For this instance, it's all about the theming. The Hole in the Wand is inspired by a certain
00:31Scar-Faced Boy wizard, though ironically in this case it's Harry Potter rather than Lord
00:36Voldemort, who must not be named. The imagery steers a careful course between paying loving
00:43tribute and casting a copywriter's infringementia curse.
00:49It's all very Hogwarts, with wizard portraits, alas not moving, on the walls and each of
00:55the nine holes magically themed, but there's never quite enough similarity to have Warner
00:59Brothers' legal wizards operating on the doorstep.
01:03The designers have made clever use of their northeast location too, however, with holes
01:07named after various local landmarks, and J.K. Rowling's terrifying basilisk cleverly reinterpreted
01:13as the Lambton Worm.
01:16On arrival, guests are invited to pick a dragon's egg, fortunately the exact same shape and
01:20size as a golf ball, and a wand which, to the muggle eye, could easily pass for a golf
01:25club.
01:26And it's great fun. Players make their way through spooky passageways with ultraviolet
01:31light to make the most of fluorescent victories, fittings and even boards and clubs.
01:36At the end, each player is awarded a magic potion, which again bears no uncanny resemblance
01:41to a soft drink, according to their score.
01:44In addition to the mini-golf offering, parent company The Potions Cauldron Group will launch
01:48its first ever Little Wizards Experience at Dalton Park, designed for toddlers and
01:52young children, featuring a wand shop, wizard kitchen and ball pit, as well as a cafe, confectionery,
01:58potions and merchandise.
02:00For fans of Harry Potter mini-golf, the hole in the wand is a lot of fun.
02:05For fans of both, it's a must.