{"id":54876,"date":"2026-08-23T19:46:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T19:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/54876\/"},"modified":"2026-08-23T19:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T19:46:26","slug":"golf-simulators-revealed-for-ashfords-elwick-place-leisure-complex-as-council-steps-up-revamp-following-matches-sports-bar-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/54876\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf simulators revealed for Ashford\u2019s Elwick Place leisure complex as council steps up revamp following Matches Sports Bar closure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first step has been taken as part of a council\u2019s masterplan to create a new town centre leisure and entertainment complex.<\/p>\n

Two new TrackMan golf simulators are being installed under The Ashford Cinema at Elwick Place in Ashford, which is soon set to host a range of new attractions.<\/p>\n

\"Matches\"MatchesMatches is going to be replaced with a new entertainment complex at Elwick Place in Ashford<\/p>\n

Designed for players of all abilities, Ashford Borough Council (ABC), which owns the site, says visitors will be able to enjoy playing more than 500 well-known courses – including some of the most iconic venues from around the world – alongside fun challenges and friendly competitions.<\/p>\n

Each private bay features a dedicated seating area and table, with food and drinks served directly to guests.<\/p>\n

ABC leader, Noel Ovenden, says it is just the start of what Elwick Place will eventually provide for families, friends and businesses.<\/p>\n

The Ashford Independents representative for Wye with Hinxhill ward said: \u201cWe are delighted to see the leisure offer at Elwick Place continuing to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe arrival of the new TrackMan golf simulators adds another exciting reason for people to visit and enjoy time in the town centre, alongside our popular cinema.<\/p>\n

“Elwick Place has an important role to play in supporting Ashford\u2019s evening and leisure economy, and it is fantastic to see The Ashford Cinema building on its offer with more experiences for residents, visitors and businesses.<\/p>\n

\"Golf\"GolfGolf simulators have been revealed for Ashford\u2019s Elwick Place leisure complex. Picture: ABC<\/p>\n

\u201cWith further additions and announcements still to come, we look forward to seeing even more exciting developments in the months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience will launch on September 4, with online bookings already available.<\/p>\n

A full 18-hole round can be completed in under two hours, with 55-minute sessions starting from \u00a328 per bay for up to four people.<\/p>\n

In March, a new 20-year lease was signed between ABC and The Big Picture, which has been running the cinema facility alongside the council since 2024, to manage the ground floor units and the six-screen cinema.<\/p>\n

Ben Hammond, general manager for The Ashford Cinema, says the simulators will cater for beginners or experienced golfers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re thrilled to be bringing TrackMan golf simulators to The Ashford Cinema and giving people an exciting new way to spend time together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Golf\"GolfGolf simulators will be the first new attraction to open at Elwick Place in Ashford<\/p>\n

“Whether you’re an experienced golfer, trying it for the first time, celebrating with friends or simply looking for something different to do, the simulators offer a fun, interactive experience for everyone.<\/p>\n

“You can play some of the world’s best courses or just play for fun whilst enjoying great food and drinks delivered to your bay and make a real occasion of your visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The announcement is the first major decision ABC has made at Elwick Place since it spent in the region of \u00a3900,000 to buy back the lease of popular sports bar, Matches.<\/p>\n

One of the few success stories at the development, it opened in 2021 amid more than \u00a3300,000 of investment from owner Jon Shephard.<\/p>\n

But despite its popularity, it was revealed earlier this year \u2013 via leaked documents \u2013 that council chiefs asked Mr Shephard to relocate Matches from his unit under the cinema to another section of Elwick Place – something he opted against and decided to move out in March<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The authority plans to shift towards a \u201cfamily-orientated leisure offer\u201d at the site, with the documents describing Matches as \u201cout of step\u201d with the council\u2019s future proposals.<\/p>\n

\"The\"TheThe new plans for Elwick Place include an arcade, bowling alley and mini golf facility<\/p>\n

About \u00a32.4m will be invested into refurbishing the units beneath the cinema to create a single, larger space ahead of a relaunch later this year.<\/p>\n

Ten bowling lanes, a diner with 100 covers and an arcade including darts, curling and shuffleboard facilities are planned, along with a mini-golf facility.<\/p>\n

The Ashford Cinema and Travelodge – along with Snap Fitness gym – are to remain in place in a move which ABC hopes will draw \u201cnational brands\u201d to the empty units beneath the 58-room hotel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first step has been taken as part of a council\u2019s masterplan to create a new town centre…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54877,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[20747,20749,44,1089,7593,20748],"class_list":["post-54876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-ashford","tag-consumer","tag-golf","tag-human-interest","tag-kent","tag-tenterden"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}