Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - April 2023

A look at some of our recent minigolf course visits.

We've just returned from a road-trip and visited several miniature golf courses along the way.

Southend Pier Crazy Golf

First up was a Mini Golf course at Horton's in Northampton. This indoor venue was spotted by our friend and minigolf rival Marc 'The Roller' Bazeley. Unfortunately we didn't get to play it as it wasn't open during our time in the town.

Mini Golf at Horton's in Northampton

Next up was the Urban Street Golf course at Gravity Social at Sol Central in Northampton. We didn't play the course, but we did win the pub quiz at the venue that evening!

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Social in Northampton

Our next visits were in Southend-on-Sea, where we got to play the Red and Blue courses at Caddies Crazy Golf.

Caddies Crazy Golf in Southend-on-Sea

Caddies Crazy Golf in Southend-on-Sea

We also swung by the Arnold Palmer Mini Golf on the esplanade in Southend-on-Sea.

Arnold Palmer Mini Golf in Southend-on-Sea

As well as the Adventure Golf course at Adventure Island.

Adventure Golf at Adventure Island in Southend-on-Sea

We also took a wander along Southend Pier to visit the new Crazy Golf course at the end of it.

Southend Pier Crazy Golf

The next part of our trip saw us revisit our most visited courses - the Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe.

Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe

And Magical Golf at Mannings Amusements in Felixstowe.

Magical Golf at Mannings Amusements in Felixstowe

We've now been to 1,022 miniature golf courses on our travels since September 2006.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

A revisit to Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

We revisited the 9-hole Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk on our recent return to East Anglia to visit family and friends.

It's one of our most visited courses and was originally the 7th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

There are plans to turn the site into residential properties - meaning that the course would be no more. A shame as it's always been fun to play.

The course opened in 1997/98 and was one of the first adventure golf layouts to open in the UK.

Hopefully this wasn't the last time we visited the course

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A look at the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A revisit to one of our most visited minigolf courses.

We swung by the Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe, Suffolk during our East Anglian Road-Trip last month.

A new sign for the course on the seafront

We've been going to the seaside town for years and the 9-hole course is one of our most visited layouts as we go there about three times a year. However, the pandemic has meant this was our first visit since 2019.

It was originally the 7th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Hidden in plain sight

It's funny what you see when you look back on your travels.

With my current, new found interest in seeking out old Blockbuster Video stores while there are still traces of them, I checked out if there used to be any in Suffolk ahead of our next visit to see family and friends in the area.

In a normal year we'd have been to Ipswich and Felixstowe a number of times already by now. Felixstowe is probably our most visited seaside of all time, with the minigolf courses in the town our most revisited.

Sadly we've been there a grand total of zero times in 2020.

Looking online Felixstowe was once home to a Blockbuster Video store on Crescent Road.

Strangely I inadvertently blogged about it in 2017! In a way.

When I saw the location of the former store I knew I'd seen it before.

Back in 2017 I was alerted to the fact there was a new American Diner in Felixstowe that served a 98% gluten free menu. Something that intrigued me as it's a strange thing to offer as everyone with Coeliac Disease needs 100% gluten free food!

Looking at that blog post I noticed a remnant of its time as a Blockbuster. Can you see what it is?

Look closely^

Yes, the original Blockbuster Video sign was still in place and the big torn ticket outline is clear to see!

Blockbuster!

It's always interesting to see shadows, ghosts and remnants from a bygone time. Here in Cheadle Hulme you can still see the outline of the old Blockbuster Video logo on what is now a Majestic Wine Warehouse.

Fantasia Adventure Golf on Sea Road in Felixstowe, Suffolk

A look at the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe a year ago.

The course is one of our most visited layouts. We've been there around three times a year for the last 14 years.

It's looking likely that we won't be going there at all in 2020.

The 9-hole layout was the 7th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Magical Golf at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe

A look at the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusement Arcade in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Last Friday we swung by the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe. It's one of our most visited courses and we've been going there since November 2006.

Back then the indoor Adventure Golf course was known as Golf FX. At that time it was one of only two indoor minigolf courses in the UK.

It's also been known as Magical Golf FX and Harry Putter Crazy Golf. It's currently called Magical Golf.

The course was the fifth visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 939 courses.

Visit the Manning's Amusements website for more information.

One of the long minigolf holes at the indoor course

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

A return to the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe.

The Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe is one of our most visited courses. We've been playing there since November 2006.

Hole 3

The course was the seventh visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 900 courses in the British Isles and 939 overall.

Hole 4

We visited the course on our return to the seaside town last Friday.

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2 

Hole 9

Crazy Golf in Felixstowe

A look at two minigolf courses in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Fantasia Adventure Golf on Sea Road in Felixstowe

While visiting family in East Anglia last weekend we once again had a day out at Felixstowe - our most visited seaside.

We've been to Felixstowe a lot in the last 19 years!

While there we also swung by two of the first courses we ever played, which are also the two most visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Magical Golf course (formerly Golf FX and Harry Putters) at Mannings Amusements was originally the 5th played on our travels, while the Fantasia Adventure Golf course on the seafront was the 6th played on our tour. We've now visited 865 courses.

Mannings Amusements in Felixstowe

Home to a Magical Golf course

The Crazy Golf course at Mannings is an indoor layout 

Hole 1 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

Hole 1 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

 

Hole 2 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

Hole 2 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

Hole 3 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

Hole 9 of the Fantasia Adventure Golf course

Related blog posts:
- Felixstowe
- Suffolk
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour