Showing posts with label Skegness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skegness. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

New Crazy Golf course in Addlethorpe, Skegness

There are plans for a new Crazy Golf course in Addlethorpe, Skegness.


There are plans for a new Crazy Golf course in Addlethorpe, Skegness

The new Crazy Golf course is planned to be built as part of a new holiday park on land that was formerly Addlethorpe Golf Club.

Skegness was home to England's first Crazy Golf course and the town is a real hot-spot for the game with ten courses and 120-holes there at my last count. The first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

We're looking forward to getting back there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Happy Miniature Golf Day!

Did you know: The Original Crazy Golf course opened in Skegness in 1926.


The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness
It was the first Crazy Golf course to open in England

We visited the South Parade course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2011 and 2015.

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Thursday, June 04, 2020

Definitions of minigolf - Crazy Golf

A look at names for the game of minigolf.


Crazy Golf Crazy Golf is a name most commonly used in the UK. It is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK natives.

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK.

The Original Crazy Golf in Skegnes
At The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness back in May 2015

See other definitions for other names of the game of minigolf

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Posted from Skegness

A look at a minigolf stamp from the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness.


A minigolf stamp from the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness

Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness
Playing the course in May 2011

Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness as part of our Minigolf Weekender in 2015
Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness as part of our Minigolf Weekender in 2015

Of the places we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Skegness is the town with the most minigolf courses in the UK. Skeggy has 120-holes spread across ten seafront courses.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

A Typical Butlin Monorail

A look at an old Butlins postcard from Skegness.


I'm always on the lookout for old minigolf postcards and when I'm sorting through them at fairs, car boot sales, or in charity or antique shops I always keep an eye out for holiday camp postcards too.


This is one of the wonderful Butlin's cards from the late 1960's and it ticks a number of my interest boxes.


Firstly it's got a prominent view of a miniature golf course being played.

Secondly it's a Butlin's holiday camp card.

And thirdly it's got a monorail on it!

A Typical Butlin Monorail. I have two other versions of this card, but with the caption of 'Butlin's Skegness Monorail' instead. One was postally used on 27th July 1971
A Typical Butlin Monorail. I have two other versions of this card, but with the caption of 'Butlin's Skegness Monorail' instead. One was postally used on 27th July 1971

Two firsts


Skegness was the first Butlin's holiday camp and it opened its doors on the 11th April 1936.

The camp at Butlin's Skegness was the location for the UK's first commercial monorail. It opened in 1965.

Since then a number of camps opened and closed, underwent facelifts and rebranding exercises and offered marvellous holidays to millions of people.

Holidaying at Butlin's


My parents met at the Butlin's holiday camp in Clacton-on-Sea in the 1970's. My family often went on holiday to the Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead. We also had one stay at the Bognor Regis and Ayr camps. I spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp, itself a former Butlin's camp.

I have not yet visited the Skegness camp, but have had some brilliant holidays in Skeggy itself.

We also used to ride the monorail at Butlin's Minehead all the time.

Butlin's Somerwest World Monorail. From the Gottfried family photo archive 2019
My brother Christopher foudnd this snap of us riding the monorail at Butlin's Minehead back in the early 90's while looking through some old family photos

Monday, April 01, 2019

National Miniature Golf Day 2019

National Miniature Golf Day is coming up on Saturday 11th May. Where will you be playing minigolf?

The Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Skegness, Lincolnshire
A shot from the National Miniature Golf Day tournament held in Skegness in 2015

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Atlantis Adventure Golf in Skegness

New Adventure Golf course opening soon in Skegness.


The new Atlantis Adventure Golf course is opening at Skegness Aquarium in March 2019

A brand new Adventure Golf course is nearing completion and will be opening soon in Skegness, Lincolnshire.


The team at HM Adventure Golf have almost finished building Skegness Aquarium's new 18-hole Atlantis Adventure Golf course at Tower Esplanade.

Skegness is a real hotspot for minigolf and the first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

Once Atlantis Adventure Golf opens the number of courses on the seafront will hit double digits. At the last count there were 102-holes spread across nine seafront courses in the town. There is also a Pitch & Putt course and a Crazy Golf layout at the North Shore Holiday Centre a short walk from the front, as well as an Adventure Golf course at the town's Butlin's.

Keep an eye on Skegness Aquarium's website for more information on the course opening in March 2019.

We're looking forward to playing the Atlantis Adventure Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Mini Golf in Skegness
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

Link:
- Skegness Aquarium

Friday, January 18, 2019

A Crazy Golf postcard from Skegness

A look at a minigolf postcard from Skegness sent in 1946.


I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this nice old postcard showing the waterways and pier in Skegness. Also clearly in view is a Crazy Golf course.

The Waterways and Pier, Skegness. The Graphic Series postcard. Postally used on 14 August 1946
The Waterways and Pier, Skegness. The Graphic Series postcard. Postally used on 14 August 1946

The course in the card was on North Parade. On our last visit to Skegness in 2015 we found an abandoned Indoor Jungle 3D Mini Golf course at the Lost World Adventure Park. A world away from the course in the postcard that was on more or less the same spot 70 years before!

The first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

England's first Crazy Golf course was in Skegness
There are a number of miniature golf courses in Skegness with 102-holes spread across nine seafront courses

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Postcards
- Craz-e-Golf at Skegness

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness

I picked up this great minigolf card at a Postcard Fair in Stockport. The course in the photo is in the same location as England's first Crazy Golf course.

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
Craz-e-Golf is an interesting name for the game and not one we've seen before

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
The card was posted to Liverpool from Skegness on the 21st June 1977 (a Tuesday). Note the nice postcard cancellation on the card too. I wonder if May played the Crazy Golf while in Skeggy? 

The first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

The first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

In May 2015 the course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
A more recent look at the Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf on Skegness' South Parade
- The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness
- Postcards

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Is Skegness as bad as Pyongyang?

Skegness rated as one of the world's worst holiday destinations.


As a fan of the British seaside experience I was shocked to read that Skegness had been rated amongst the world's worst holiday destinations.

Skegness in May 2015
Skegness in May 2015

The list of 11 Worst Travel Destinations in the World You Should Skip was published by the Destination Tips website in November 2014 and recently picked up by news outlets and social media.

Playing the classic Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Skegness on Miniature Golf Day in May 2015
Playing the classic Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Skegness on Miniature Golf Day in May 2015

We've been to Skegness - aka Skeg-Vegas - on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels and we love it there. There's no other town in the UK with as many miniature golf courses as Skeggy. On our last visit in 2015 we counted nine Crazy Golf, Putting, Adventure Golf and Pitch & Putt courses on the seafront alone, not to mention those in holiday camps and caravan parks in the area and the neighbouring resort at Ingoldmells.

Skegness was also the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. There's still a playable course on the same spot on South Parade.

Skegness - The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. The game has been played on this spot since 1926
The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. The game has been played on this spot since 1926

In addition to Skegness and Pyongyang, Destination Tips also suggests you give a wide berth to:
- Bogota, Colombia
- Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
- Damascus, Syria
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Kiev, Ukraine
- Mogadishu, Somalia
- Moscow, Russia
- Port au Prince, Haiti
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

My friend Dylan Harris runs Lupine Travel, a company which takes adventurous tourists to far-flung and often troubled destinations. On one of Lupine's excursions to North Korea the holidaymakers played in the first Pyongyang Minigolf Open Tournament.

Miniature Golf course in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo by Dylan Harris of Lupine Travel
Pyongyang's Miniature Golf course

Maybe there are comparisons to be drawn after all...

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Skeg-Vegas!
- Mini Golf in Skegness
- Mini Golf in Pyongyang, North Korea

Link:
- Destination Tips website

Monday, April 11, 2016

Happy Birthday Butlin's!

Today marks the 80th birthday of Butlin's Holiday Camps. On the 11th April 1936 Billy Butlin opened his first camp in Skegness, Lincolnshire - and the business is still going strong today.

I love the British seaside with all its quirks, eccentricity and traditional entertainment. I grew up on holidays at Butlin's holiday camps in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Ayr - and spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp which used to be a Butlin's camp.

I spent many great holidays at Butlin's Minehead. It was nice finding these badges at Hitchin Market recently

In fact my parents met at a Butlin's! At the Clacton-on-Sea camp way back in 1975 and this year they are celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary.

It's probably in no small part because of our childhood stays at holiday camps - and all the fun they had to offer - that Emily and I have spent the last ten years travelling around the UK coast on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also visited Butlin's Minehead (formerly Somerwest World) on one of our first holidays together in 2004.

As well as being home to the first Butlin's holiday camp, Skegness is also the site of England's first Crazy Golf course.
It opened in 1926

Over the years we've built up a great collection of miniature golf postcards, and we always keep an eye out for Butlin's cards. They're such colourful and fun cards, and seeing the monorail at Minehead brings back so many happy memories.

Within our postcard collection we've got a great selection of old and new Butlin's postcards. The images on the classic John Hinde are fantastic and it's been great to receive cards from our family when they've been to the camps in recent years. The oldest Butlin's card we have was posted on the 4th June 1951. It shows the Putting Green at Butlin's Luxury Holiday Camp in Pwllheli, Wales

Look at the size of the golf ball on the tee at the Butlin's Putting Greens. The monorails were marvellous too

Last summer we visited Skegness, and while we've not been inside that camp (yet) our friend Peter Jones was coincidently there at the same time for a Five Star concert and managed to buy me a stack of great badges for my collection.

Good luck to Butlin's and all the best for the next 80 years...

Links:
- Butlin's
- Butlin's blog
- John Hinde postcards

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Postcards

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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Mini Golf in Skegness

Details of Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf and Minigolf courses in Skegness.

In May 2011 we visited Skegness as part of a road trip along the Lincolnshire coast. In May 2015 we returned for some more fun and games in the seaside resort. Here's a list of the courses we know of in Skegness.

- Arnold Palmer Putting Courses on North Parade - includes two Crazy Golf courses (one 9-hole, one 18-hole) and an 18-hole grass Putting course.

Arnold Palmer Putting Course on North Parade
The start of the 9-hole Crazy Golf course at the Arnold Palmer Putting course. The rocket ship in the top right of the photo is an obstacle on the 18-hole course

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses on North Parade
The excellent grass Putting Mini Golf course at the Arnold Palmer site

- Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach - a 9-hole course.

Adventure Golf in Skegness
Hole 2 of the Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach. You can see part of the Cactus Canyon River Ride to the right of the photo

- Jolly Roger Adventure Golf course on Grand Parade - includes two 9-hole layouts.

Adventure Golf in Skegness
A view of one of the two courses at the Jolly Roger Adventure Golf. We played them both in May 2011

- Miniature Golf at the North Shore Holiday Centre and Caravan Park - an 8-hole course.

Miniature Golf at the North Shore Holiday Centre and Caravan Park in Skegness
One of the holes of the Miniature Golf courses at the North Shore Holiday Centre. It's not too far from the seafront or town centre and is worth a play. The nearby pub is called The Pitch & Putt Inn

- Pitch and Putt course on Princes Parade - a 9-hole course.

Pitch and Putt course on Princes Parade in Skegness
We're yet to play the Pitch & Putt course and on our most recent visit we were there too early in the season

- Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach - a 9-hole course.

Adventure Golf in Skegness
We were able to play the Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course on our second visit to the seaside resort. It's well worth a play

- The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade - a 12-hole layout.

Crazy Golf in Skegness
This is the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. The game has been played in the town since 1926!

We've also visited and played a number of other courses in Lincolnshire.

Related blog posts:
Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast
Skegness

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Spot the Difference

Spot the Differences between our visits to the Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness.

We've visited the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire twice on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The first time was in May 2011, followed by a return trip to the seaside resort in May 2015. On both occasions we found the Crazy Golf course that stands on the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf layout to be closed.

Minigolf explorer Richard Gottfried sat outside the closed Crazy Golf course hut in Skegness in May 2011 and May 2015
Spot the Differences

Check out the posts from our visit in 2011 and 2015 to see how the course has changed in the past few years.

Related blog posts:

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness

A revisit to the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
A view of England's first Crazy Golf course location

In May 2011 we visited Skegness as part of a road trip along the Lincolnshire coast. In May 2015 we returned for some more fun and games in the seaside resort.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
At the Crazy Golf course on South Parade

When we arrived on the Friday afternoon we had a wander along the seafront to see what had changed with the minigolf courses. Unfortunately the Crazy Golf course on South Parade was once again closed.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Recreating my look of sadness from May 2011

The course is noted as England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. There's a relatively new sign at Grand Parade advertising the course and the date it was established is listed as 1926.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
The new sign for the old Crazy Golf course

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've now visited 598 courses, playing 363 of them. As well as the visit to England's first course, we've played England's first Pitch & Putt (opened in Southsea in 1914) and the world's first Miniature Golf course (the Himalayas in St Andrews was created in 1867).

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
There has been Crazy Golf on this site since 1926

On the Saturday the course was once again closed, so we played an impromptu Aces Competition on National Miniature Golf Day using an 11-Wood that Chris Jones had just bought in a charity shop. The course became the 363rd played on our tour.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Finally having a play on the course

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Chris Jones having a putt on an obstacle that wasn't there in 2011, nor I doubt in 1926

As we were leaving on the Sunday we noticed it was open!

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
The course was open on the Sunday

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
People having a round on the course

Check out more photos of the 12-hole course.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Related blog posts:
Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast