Golf course phone ban driven by 'quality time' desire

The decision to ban mobile phones at a miniature golf course in Kent for half-term has been received positively by the majority of patrons, the operator has said.

Customers visiting Mr Mulligan's Dino Golf in Tonbridge this week have been asked to put their phone on airplane mode and "concentrate on each other".

Stephen Brown, chief operating officer for Adventure Leisure Ltd, which operates the site, said the phone free initiative was inspired by customers.

"The feedback is that actually they just want to have quality time together, and this point of devices comes up more frequently than you would think," he said.

Among those to welcome the initiative was the O'Driscoll family, with parents Sarah and John O'Driscoll enjoying the course with their children Fin and Zac.

Sarah O'Driscoll said she preferred to be "engaged with the family, rather than looking at a screen".

John O'Driscoll added: "Being in the moment, just enjoying being together. The phone's always going to be there later for a big of downtime, but no need when we're out."

Fellow customer Damien Saville added that he "100%" believes that having phones on the course "takes you away from paying attention".

"You're not present at the time when you're talking and spending time with your kids," he added.

Brown said the reaction so far had been largely, albeit not universally, positive.

"The overwhelming feedback so far has been really good," he said.

He added that removing a "distraction" which "literally takes your eye off the ball" meant customers were also likely to play a better game.

"It's quite difficult to hold a club with two hands and a phone with another," Brown said.

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