Soon you'll be able play at world famous golf courses like Augusta or St Andrews without leaving Tinwald, thanks to the golf club's new simulator.

Aiming to turn the club into more of a community hub, the Tinwald Golf Club is buying a golf simulator, hoping to attract new members and cater for the over-80s who don't want to traipse around the course.

The 404-member club's been around since 1967 and wants to create more of a social vibe, while introducing more people to their sport.

A $10,000 grant from the Advance Ashburton Community Foundation will go towards the purchase of the simulator which they're buying from Australia and comes with a price tag of around $30,000.

Club president Jeff Naish said there's a lot of excitement about the simulator and he thinks it'll provide many opportunities for community involvement with the club, which expects to have it up-and-running by mid-2026.

"We could have open nights, for people just to have a hit and a beer. People could just come along as a one-off to give golf a go."

One of the attractions of the simulator is that it creates an all-weather playing facility, and is accessible for older people.

It's not just about fun, though, it's a training aid for players and another teaching tool that the club's golf pro can use during lessons.

The Tinwald Golf Club are keen to connect any community groups who'd like to be involved in the project, as players or as sponsors.

"There are a lot of young people showing an interest in golf and we'd like to look at getting schools involved," Naish said.

Club member Jonathan Moore, who's a local architect and designer, is overseeing the three-stage refurbishment project of which the simulator is stage 1.

That'll mean knocking down a wall to make space for the playing area, where a virtual golf course is projected onto a screen, and the golfers play in the same way they would on a physical course.

By Julie Moffett