York is full of wizard and Harry Potter inspired activities which are suitable for the whole family. Take some time out of your day in York, get ready for some spell-binding wizardry and visit the wizard themed mini-golf course, The Hole in the Wand, right in the heart of York.
Where is the Hole in the Wand?
The Hole in the Wand can be found in the centre of York. It is a short walk away from York’s famous Shambles, York’s Coppergate shopping centre and not too far from York train station. The Hole in the Wand is very easily accessible by train or bus, only being a 10-15 minute walk away from the train station. There is no immediate parking at the Hole in the Wand, but the nearest car park isn’t too far away and there are plenty dotted around the city.
Address
14-16 Coppergate Walk
York
YO1 9NT
01904 890135
Prices and players
The Hole in the Wand offers various ticket options, including those for groups and couples. Prices are for a round of 9 magical holes.
Standard – £6.99 child / £7.99 adult. Includes a delicious potion drink at the end of your adventure.
Premium – £8.99 child / £9.99 adult. Includes a magic potion gift at the end as well as jelly beans or poison (alcohol) for adults.
VIP – £15.99. Includes a set of 4 drinks to take away with you.
Couples – £29.99 for 2 players
Group tickets – varying prices depending on how many players
The Hole in the Wand is suitable for a minimum age of 3 and with a maximum group size of 6 wizards. The ‘magic potion’ themed drinks at the end of the course could give you the magical powers of a serpent or maybe be made from unicorn essence (of course, this is only a joke and the mysterious potions are just for fun).
The Hole in the Wand golf
As soon as you walk through the doors of The Hole in the Wand you’re transported to a magical world and the staff really get into character. First, you need to choose the colour of your golf clubs and ball. Then you will have some really fun pictures taken with a green screen and some broomsticks before heading off to play golf. Even before playing, we were put in a good mood by the staff and were ready to play some wand-erful holes of golf.
There’s a 6 shot rule at The Hole in the Wand to ensure that people don’t take ages on each hole and that there aren’t queues of people waiting. I was glad to see this rule actually because it meant we were forced to stop when we realised we were really bad at some of the holes. There is a little game to play as you go around too, finding clues and then hopefully finding the missing gargoyle Grobblenook.
The Hole in the Wand wizard golf is pretty hard and it’s safe to say we struggled on some of the holes. There’s no messing about and we struggled even on the first hole and the second hole. The 6 shot rule came into effect on many occasions! Each hole is obviously wizard themed so think spilling potions cauldrons, magic portals and a plant pot like a scene in Harry Potter etc. The theming of the holes was fantastic and we loved seeing what we would be doing next. It all really added to the magic of The Hole in the Wand.
Although the game was quite hard in places, and I resorted to playing it more like hockey than golf, it was so much fun. We laughed and giggled the whole way round the 9 holes and I’m sure there was some children doing better than we were. The 9 holes took us around 45 minutes to complete but it could have been a lot longer had we not had to stick to 6 shots.
Wizard golf at The Hole in the Wand was so much fun and a highlight of my weekend in York and it was such a fantastical experience. It’s definitely a great place for the whole family as well and I know I’ll be taking Erin if we end up in York city centre on another visit. For any Harry Potter fans, you could also pair your visit with potions making at The Potions Cauldron and make a real day of it.
