Minigolf Tour of Wales - Stats & Facts

Some Stats & Facts from the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour of Wales (13th - 21st August 2009).

Days on Tour = 9
Miles driven = 983
Courses played = 32
Courses played in Wales = 28
Additional courses visited but deemed unplayable = 15
Holes played (Richard & Emily) = 357
Holes played (course visits 118-149) = 402
Aces scored (combined) = 56
Rankings in the Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament) = 2nd & 6th
% of all Welsh courses played = 80%
% of all public Welsh courses played = 93%
Best score on Tour = 15(-3) Richard at Towyn Crazy Golf
Worst score on Tour = 66(+32) Richard at Holyhead Park, Isle of Anglesey

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Minigolf etc. - English to Welsh translations
- Wales

Minigolf course visit 150...

...where will it be?

Suggestions?

Answers on a postcard?

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - 149 Minigolf Courses Played So Far

It all started on the 30th September 2006 when Emily and I decided to visit as many Crazy Golf & Minigolf courses, and seaside resorts, in the UK (and beyond) on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

Now, almost three years later, I've played 149 Minigolf courses, while Emily has played 139 courses (including Crazy Golf/Minigolf variants such as Mini Golf, Miniature Golf, Adventure Golf, Eternit, Beton, Swedish Felt and Putting Greens).

A total of 2,058 holes of Minigolf have been played over the 149 course visits (not including all of the extra play at tournaments, practice rounds or multiple visits) with a whole lot of holes-in-one and great fun.

The question is now - which will be the 150th course we play?

All courses played 30th September 2006 - 31st August 2009
1 Portsmouth/Southsea (Treasure Island) - Adventure Golf (Victory Trail)
2 Portsmouth/Southsea (Treasure Island) - Adventure Golf (Warrior Trail)
3 Southsea (Golf Links) - 9 Hole Par 3/Pitch & Putt
4 Luton (Woodside Animal Farm) - Adventure Golf
5 Felixstowe (Mannings) - Golf FX
6 Felixstowe (Sea Front) - Crazy Golf
7 Felixstowe (Fantasia) - Adventure Golf
8 Watford (Top Golf) - Adventure Golf
9 Watford (Top Golf) - 9 Hole Putting Green
10 West Hagbourne, Oxon (Horse & Harrow Pub) - Crazy Golf
11 Shefford, Bedfordshire (The Green Man Pub) - Crazy Golf
12 Brighton (East of Palace Pier) - Crazy Golf
13 Brighton (Peter Pan's) - Adventure Golf
14 Southend-on-Sea (Adventure Island) - Adventure Golf (Inca course)
15 Southend-on-Sea (Adventure Island) - Adventure Golf (Aztec course)
16 Southend-on-Sea (Arnold Palmer Minigolf, East Course) - Minigolf
17 St Albans, Hertfordshire (Verulamium Park) - Crazy Golf
18 Luton (Wardown Park) - Crazy Golf
19 Luton (Wardown Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt
20 Lowestoft - Adventure Golf
21 Great Yarmouth (Pirates Cove) - Adventure Golf
22 Great Yarmouth (Arnold Palmer) - Minigolf 18-hole
23 Great Yarmouth (Arnold Palmer) - Minigolf 9-hole
24 Great Yarmouth (Pleasure Beach) - Adventure Golf
25 Great Yarmouth (Jungle Golf at the Gardens) - Crazy Golf (Update: 10th May 2009 - no longer exists, a Segway Grand Prix track is in its place)
26 Great Yarmouth (Hollywood Adventure Golf, Windmill Theatre) - Indoor Adventure Golf
27 Warwick (St Nicholas Park) - Adventure Golf
28 Warwick (St Nicholas Park) - Derelict Crazy Golf
29 Milton Keynes (Willen Lake) - Adventure Golf
30 Luton (Stockwood Park) - Mini Golf/Pitch & Putt
31 Abingdon (Abbey Meadow) - Crazy Golf
32 Abingdon (Abbey Meadow) - Pitch & Putt/Mini Golf
33 Stonham, Suffolk (Stonham Barns) - Crazy Golf
34 Margate (Strokes) - Adventure Golf
35 Broadstairs (Lillyputt Minigolf) - Lillyputt Minigolf (Arnold Palmer)
36 Margate (Palm Bay Café) Cliftonville - Crazy Golf on Grass
37 Margate (Little Oasis Crazy Golf) Cliftonville - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer) 1 of the 2 18-hole courses
38 Letchworth Garden City - Putting Course on Grass
39 Hastings (Seafront) - Crazy Golf
40 Hastings (Seafront) - Minigolf
41 Hastings (Seafront) - Adventure Golf
42 Broxbourne (Paradise Wildlife Park) - Adventure Golf
43 Hastings (Planet Hastings) - Minigolf
44 Blackpool (Pleasure Beach) - Adventure Golf (New)
45 Blackpool (Starr Gate) - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer)
46 Blackpool (Pleasure Beach) - Adventure Golf (Old 'Alpine Golf')
47 Blackpool (Stanley Park) - Crazy Golf
48 Lytham St Anne’s - Crazy Golf
49 Stratford-upon-Avon - Minigolf
50 Tampere, Finland - Beton
51 Tampere, Finland - Eternit
52 Tampere, Finland - Swedish Felt
53 Felixstowe (Sea Front) - Putting Green
54 Coalville - Adventure Golf
55 Scarborough - Adventure Golf
56 Filey - Crazy Golf
57 Birmingham (Star City) - Adventure Golf (Lost Hut Trail)
58 Birmingham (Star City) - Adventure Golf (Hidden Cove Challenge)
59 Northwick Park - ‘Mini Majors’ Adventure Golf
60 Eastbourne (Treasure Island) - Adventure Golf
61 Southsea - Crazy Golf
62 Southsea - Putting Green
63 Shanklin (Isle of Wight) - Beton Crazy Golf
64 Shanklin (Isle of Wight) - Adventure Golf
65 Rylstone Gardens (Isle of Wight) - Crazy Golf
66 Sandown (Isle of Wight) - Indoor Adventure Golf
67 Sandown (Isle of Wight) - Beton Crazy Golf
68 Ryde (Isle of Wight) - Adventure Golf
69 Hayling Island - Adventure Golf
70 Wroxham Barns - Adventure Golf
71 Bury St Edmunds (Abbey Gardens) - Crazy Golf
72 Dorridge (Four Ashes Golf Centre) - Minigolf
73 Coventry (Allesley Park) - Crazy Golf
74 New Malden - Jurassic Golf
75 Guildford (Stoke Park) - Swedish Felt
76 Weymouth (Sea Life Centre) - Adventure Golf
77 Weymouth (Bowleaze Cove) - Crazy Golf
78 Herne Bay - Adventure Golf
79 Gravesend (Woodlands Park) - Derelict Crazy Golf
80 Bluewater - Pro Tour Putting
81 Motspur Park (Sir Joseph Hood Park) - Mini Golf
82 Northglenn, Denver, Colorado, USA (Boondocks Fun Center) Caverns Mill Course - Miniature Golf
83 Northglenn, Denver, Colorado, USA (Boondocks Fun Center) Hillbilly Hallow Course - Miniature Golf
84 Manchester (Championship MiniatureGolf @ Playgolf Manchester) - Miniature Golf
85 Manchester (Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Tiki Hut Trail) - Adventure Golf
86 Manchester (Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Temple Ruins Adventure) - Adventure Golf
87 Canvey Island (Fantasy Island) - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer)
88 Hemsby - Lost World Adventure Golf
89 Glasgow (Victoria Park) - 9-hole Putting Green
90 Glasgow (Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Maggie McCaw's Challenge) - Adventure Golf
91 Glasgow (Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Tiki Hut Trail) - Adventure Golf
92 Dovercourt - Swedish Felt
93 Clacton-on-Sea - Eternit
94 Clacton-on-Sea (Augusta Masters) - Adventure Golf
95 Blake End, near Braintree - Swedish Felt
96 Hemel Hempstead (Gadebridge Park) - 9-hole Crazy Golf
97 Maidenhead (Riverside Gardens) - 18-hole Eternit
98 Windsor (Alexandra Gardens) - 12-hole Eternit
99 Windsor (Alexandra Gardens) - 9-hole Eternit Putting Course
100 South Shields, Tyneside (Smugglers Cove) - 12-hole Adventure Golf
101 Tynemouth (Lost World Blue Course) - Adventure Golf
102 Tynemouth (Lost World Red Course) - Adventure Golf
103 Newcastle (Gosforth Park) - Minigolf
104 Ripon (Spa Gardens) - Crazy Golf
105 Ripon (Spa Gardens) - Putting Course
106 Sandbanks - Crazy Golf
107 Bournemouth (Lower Gardens) - Minigolf
108 Boscombe (Chine Gardens) Minigolf
109 Southbourne/Fisherman's Walk (Cafe Riva) - Crazy Golf
110 Fordingbridge (Tudor Rose Inn) - Miniature Golf
111 Tea Green, Wandon End, Luton - Crazy Golf
112 Bexhill-on-Sea (Metropole) - Crazy Golf
113 Tea Green, Wandon End, Luton - Putting Green
114 Manchester (Wythenshawe Park)
115 Walton Hall Gardens (Warrington) - Miniature Golf
116 Walton Hall Gardens (Warrington) - Putting Green
117 Staines (Lammas Park) - Adventure Golf
118 Oxford (Bury Knowle Park) - Swedish Felt
119 Oxford (Florence Park) - Swedish Felt
120 Oxford (Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park) - Swedish Felt
121 Barry Island/Ynys y Barri (Smuggler's Cove) - Adventure Golf
122 Porthcawl (Trecco Caravan Park) - Adventure Golf
123 Porthcawl (Trecco Caravan Park) - Putting Course
124 Swansea/Abertawe (Southend Park, The Mumbles) - Crazy Golf
125 Swansea/Abertawe (Singleton Boating Lake) - Crazy Golf
126 Gowerton (Gowerton Golf Range) - Minigolf
127 Gowerton (Gowerton Golf Range) - Putting Course
128 Pembrey/Pen-bre (Pembrey Country Park) - Crazy Golf
129 Pendine Bay - Crazy Golf
130 Saundersfoot - Crazy Golf
131 Heatherton Park, near Tenby - Adventure Golf
132 Eglwyswrw (Dyfed Shires & Leisure Farm) - Crazy Golf
133 Henllan Station (Teifi Valley Railway), near Newcastle Emlyn - Crazy Golf
134 Llanrhystud (Penrhos Golf & Country Club) - Crazy Golf
135 Aberystwyth - Crazy Golf
136 Aberystwyth - Putting
137 Aberdovey/Aberdyfi - Putting
138 Tywyn (Leisure Park) - Crazy Golf
139 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Holyhead Park) - Crazy Golf
140 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Bodorgan, Henblas Country Park) - Crazy Golf
141 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Anglesey Sea Zoo) - Swedish Felt
142 Llandudno (Great Orme/Y Gogarth) - Alpine Adventure Golf
143 Llandudno (Great Orme/Y Gogarth) - Rocky Pines Adventure Golf
144 Towyn (Knightly's on Sandbank Road) - Crazy Golf
145 Rhyl (Drift Park) - Minigolf
146 Rhyl (Welsh Dragon) - Adventure Golf
147 Prestatyn - Arnold Palmer Putting Course
148 Llangollen (Riverside Park) - Minigolf
149 Oswestry (Cae Glas Park) - Eternit Minigolf

In addition to the 149 courses we have played, we have also made visits to 35 other Minigolf courses around the country, which for one reason or another have been unplayable. Details are below:

Courses visited but not played* 30th September 2006 - 31st August 2009
1 Southend-on-Sea (Arnold Palmer Minigolf, West Course) - Derelict Minigolf (Update: 25th April 2009 - now demolished)
2 Alton Towers - Extraordinary Golf
3 Lowestoft - Putting Green
4 Lytham St Anne’s - Crazy Golf #2
5 Weymouth - Putting Green
6 Guildford Lido - Minigolf
7 Margate (Little Oasis Crazy Golf) Cliftonville - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer) the 2nd 18-hole course
8 Hemsby (Stonehenge) - BIG Mini Golf
9 Gorleston-on-Sea (Pop's Meadow Putting Green) - Minigolf (Arnold Palmer)
10 Gorleston-on-Sea (Bure Park) - Pitch & Putt/Minigolf
11 Glasgow - Victoria Park - Derelict 18-hole Minigolf
12 Bedford - Putting Green
13 Dovercourt - Putting Green
14 Southwold - Putting Green
15 Felixstowe (Sea Front) - new build (not yet complete as at May 2009)
16 Tyneside - the site of a now demolished Arnold Palmer course
17 Newcastle (Exhibition Park) - Derelict 9-hole Crazy Golf
18 Bournemouth (Near Lower Gardens) - Derelict course
19 Manchester (Heaton Park) - Crazy Golf - no longer exists
20 Warrington (Orford Park) - Now flower beds!?
21 Barry Island/Ynys y Barri - Crazy Golf - Demolished for new Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf
22 Pendine Sands - Crazy Golf - Demolished
23 Saundersfoot (Merlewood Hotel) - Putting Course - for hotel guests only
24 Gumfreston (The Dinosaur Park) - Adventure Golf - was just closing
25 Herons Brook Animal Farm - Crazy Golf (Demolished five years ago)
26 Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - Claimed to have a new Crazy Golf course - it did not exist
27 Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - The 'Games Room' did have a broken minigolf arcade machine that was out of order
28 Tywyn (Leisure Park) - Putting (ran out of time on visit)
29 Porthmadog - Crazy Golf (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
30 Porthmadog - Swedish Felt (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
31 Porthmadog - Putting (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
32 Criccieth - Miniature Golf (Pitch & Putt)
33 Criccieth - Miniature Golf (Pitch & Putt)
34 Abergwyngregyn (Aber Falls Tavern) - course unplayable, Tavern under redevelopment
35 Llanfairfechan - Crazy Golf - only holes 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17 remain - no kiosk

* Due to closure, flooding, dereliction or other causes

So, in total our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour of courses has visited a grand total of 184 Minigolf courses, and 77 of the UK's seasides.

Related blog post:
- List of courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Crazy World of Minigolf - Tour of Wales Trophy 2009

During our nine day, 983 mile road trip to play the Minigolf courses of Wales on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Emily and I competed in a 31-round, 357-hole Minigolf Tournament which I won by 41 shots. However, Emily won the Aces competition with 29 holes-in-one over the tournament.

The full results can be seen in the table below:



Below: Richard receives the Tour of Wales Trophy in Oswestry.

Minigolf Course Visit No. 149 - Cae Glas Park, Oswestry, England

After nine days in Wales we headed back into England to play the first English Minigolf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour road trip since the Swedish Felt B-run courses in Oxford on the 13th August.

The 32nd minigolf course visit we made on the Tour was to Cae Glas Park in Oswestry, where we found an 18-hole Eternit Miniaturegolf course.






The 18th-hole didn't actually have a hole in the lane, instead you had to putt through a plant pot!?


Emily celebrates after hitting an Ace on the 17th-hole to win the overall Holes-in-One on the Tour prize.

Minigolf Course Visit No. 148 - Riverside Park, Llangollen

The last course we would play on our 983 mile Crazy Golf road trip around Wales was the 9-hole Minigolf course at Riverside Park in Wales.

A great course, with a course record of 17(-1). We had scores of 24(+6) and 28(+10). With a bit of practice many of the holes could be Aced, but it's still a very tricky course.







Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Minigolf etc. - English to Welsh translations
- Wales

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Tour of Wales (Final Day)

The final day of our Tour of Wales was on the 21st August and saw us first of all looking for a Minigolf course in Wrexham (Wrecsam). However, we couldn't find it despite a good look.

Our next (and last) stop in Wales was to Llangollen, before heading back over the border into England and a hunt for a course in Oswestry.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Minigolf etc. - English to Welsh translations
- Wales

Gluten Free Fish & Chips in Colwyn Bay at the Rhos Harbour Bistro

After a heavy day's Minigolf it was time to enjoy some very good Gluten Free Fish & Chips at the Rhos Harbour Bistro in Colwyn Bay.



Rhos Harbour Bistro has an excellent menu for Coeliacs, check out their website here.

Of the 26 seasides visited while in Wales on our Crazy Golf and Minigolf Tour and the 77 seasides we've been to since September 2006 The Rhos Harbour Bistro is only the second place I have found that serves Gluten Free Fish & Chips on the coast. The other was Rossi's Fish & Chips in Swansea.

Minigolf Course Visit No. 147 - Arnold Palmer Putting at Prestatyn

The penultimate minigolf course we would play on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Wales was the excellent 18-hole Arnold Palmer Putting Course at Prestatyn.

A very well maintained course, with plenty of classic Arnold Palmer obstacles. Great fun, we had to play it twice before we could leave.







In the most random thing to occur while I've been playing a round of Crazy Golf, a cat appeared on the course, and fell asleep on the hole I was about to play!?



Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales

Hillbilly Shooting Shack in Rhyl

An Amusement Arcade in Rhyl had a classic Hillbilly Moonshine Shooting Shack - including Old Zeke Kicking the Bucket.

Minigolf Course Visit No. 146 - Welsh Dragon Adventure Golf, Rhyl

A little way down the promenade from Drift Park in Rhyl was the next course to be played on our travels, the 12-hole Welsh Dragon Adventure Golf course.






Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales

Minigolf Course Visit No. 145 - Drift Park, Rhyl

The 25th Minigolf course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Wales was to the 11-hole Crazy Golf course at Drift Park in Rhyl.







Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales

Jobbing to Arm Champs - the original Arm Wrestling Arcade Game

While in Towyn I spotted an original Arm Champs arm wrestling arcade game and couldn't resist having a go, despite my previous failures in Great Yarmouth in 2007 and May 2009.

You can see how I got on this time in the video below.

Bowlingo in Towyn

It can never be resisted. A spot of Bowlingo is always a good challenge!

Minigolf Course Visit No. 144 - Knightly's Crazy Golf, Towyn

Mini Golf blog post about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Towyn during our tour of Wales in August 2009.




On our way from Llandudno to Rhyl on the penultimate day of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Wales we passed through the town of Towyn. At the traffic lights we saw a sign advertising Knightly's Amusements and Fun Park on Sandbank Road and went to have a look.

To our surprise we found that next to the main car park at the bottom of Sandbank Road was a great little 9-hole Crazy Golf course.

As it was so much fun we had two plays on the course. In the first round Emily and I had scored 17(-1) and 18(-2) respectively, and thought we could better the scores with another game.

In round two Emily scored 17(-1) and I scored a 15(-3), but was left to think 'what might have been?' after notching up six holes-in-one and three threes!











Before we went to Towyn we had stopped off at Colwyn Bay's Eirias Park as we had heard there was a Minigolf or Crazy Golf course there. We found it no longer exists.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales

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