Mini golf course celebrates 30 years of success in Bognor Regis

“I just love it here,” he said. “What’s not to love? It’s a fantastic place to be – why would I want to retire. Where I live down in Aldwick, a lot of people are retired and you can just tell they’re desperate to get a conversation out of someone, they’re bored out of their minds. I don't want to be like that. I want to be here, I really enjoy this.”

The golf course first opened back in 1993, on a site originally occupied by a large, fun-fair style slide, and Mr Tiernan remembers that it rained all through the grand opening. Built over three and a half months, it represented a considerable financial investment for the local businessman, and he said it was a scary start to what’s proven to be an enduring business.

"We were crammed in the office, waiting for this big opening occasion that just didn’t really come. We stood inside and just watched it lash down. I remember thinking ‘oh no, this isn’t good.’”

It didn’t take long for things to improve though and, by day two, business was booming.

"The next day, the sun came out it and people just piled in. We were absolutely chock-a-block, and ever since then we’ve been pretty good.”

The golf course opens all through the spring and summer season, and though it’s closed during the week in winter, it does open for weekends. Despite the challenges of local business and the unpredictability of English weather, Mr Tiernan said business has always been steady -and he attributes that to three very basic ideas.

"There’s no real secret to it. The course is as tidy and as clean and as high quality as possible. We always make sure it’s litter-free, all the obstacles are pristine, and our customer service is really strong. That’s all there is to it. It’s good customer service, reasonably prices, value for money, and a sense of pride. If every business applied that, they shouldn’t really go wrong.”

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