ÜberBlast Mini Golf in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

Taking a look back at the Mini Golf course at the ÜberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

My brother Christopher and his family swung by the the ÜberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA back in 2021.

The mini golf course at ÜberBlast became the 1,006th visited on our overall Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,044 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Turkey, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour currently stands at a combined 1,091 courses visited!

The mini golf course at ÜberBlast looks like a nice layout in interesting surroundings.

Check out the ÜberBlast Family Entertainment Center website for more information.

PopStroke opening in Las Vegas

A new PopStroke minigolf venue is opening in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Las Vegas will soon be home to a new minigolf venue when PopStroke opens at Town Square next month.

PopStroke Las Vegas will be home to two 18-hole minigolf putting courses.

Las Vegas will be the eleventh location for PopStroke.

Check out the PopStroke website for more information about PopStroke Las Vegas, as well as the other PopStroke miniature golf course locations in Florida, Texas, Arizona and Alabama.

The brand has plans to open 14 more courses by the end of this year!

Emily's heading to Las Vegas soon, so hopefully will get a chance to check it out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've been to Town Square before and had some nice meals there on previous holidays in Vegas. Including one where we celebrated my victory in a miniature golf tournament.

Atomic Golf in Las Vegas

A new miniature golf course is opening as part of a golfing venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Atomic Golf opens next to The STRAT in Las Vegas this month.

The venue will be home to a variety of golf games, including the Putting District - which is described as a modernized putting game experience.

Check out the Atomic Golf Las Vegas website for more information.

It'll be another new minigolf venue to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on our next next trip to the city.

Birdie Time Pub and Mini Golf in Portland, Oregon

A look at Birdie Time Pub and Mini Golf in Portland, Oregon, USA.

A big thank you to my friend - and minigolf team-mate and rival - Kevin Moseley for sending over these photos from his visit to the Birdie Time Pub and Mini Golf in Portland, Oregon, USA.

It looks like a fun place to play.

I like the look of the Birdie Shuffle Putt game too. I've not played that before.

It's brilliant seeing different courses around the world. Oregon is still on my to visit list and hopefully I'll get a game on the mini golf at shuffle putt at Birdie Time Pub and Mini Golf in the future.

Check out the Birdie Time Pub and Mini Golf website for more information.

Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida, USA

A visit to Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida, USA.

Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

Emily played the Congo River Golf course in Orlando, Florida last September.

There are real alligators at Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

The 18-hole Orlando I-Drive Congo River Golf  location was the 1,030th course visited and 569th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The gators at Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

The gators at Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

There are several Congo River Golf adventure golf courses in Florida.

Visit the Congo River Golf website for more information.

Pencils and promotional scratchcards at Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Florida

Emily spotted a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Florida last year.

Emily spotted this wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man on North Federal Highway 1 between Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale in Florida last September

Swingers Crazy Golf in Las Vegas

A new Swingers Crazy Golf venue is opening in Las Vegas, USA in 2024.

The new Swingers Crazy Golf location will be at MGM's Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Swingers Crazy Golf Las Vegas will be home to five Crazy Golf course spread across three floors.

Visit the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

Swingers Crazy Golf began as a pop-up in London, England back in 2014 where it now has two permanent locations. You can also find Swingers Crazy Golf courses in New York City and Washington DC.

Swingers Crazy Golf in London on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit in 2019

Today is Summerween!

Happy Summerween.

Summerween is celebrated annually on the second to last Friday of June.

A Summerween Jack-o-Melon

The quirky holiday originated in Gravity Falls, Oregon and in some calendars is also (always!) marked on the 22nd June.

So you get two bites of the cherry (or should that be watermelon) to celebrate this made up event.

Happy Summerween

Summerween is celebrated annually on the 22nd June.

A Summerween Jack-o-Melon

The quirky holiday originated in Gravity Falls, Oregon and in some calendars is also marked on the second to last Friday of the month of June. That will be tomorrow, the 23rd.

So you get two bites of the cherry (or should that be watermelon) to celebrate this made up event.

Happy birthday Putt-Putt - 69 years old today

Today marks 69 years since the world's first Putt-Putt course opened.

The first Putt-Putt Golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA on this day back in 1954.

Putt-Putt is the only patented game of miniature golf and began in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1954. In the 1960's Putt-Putt franchises began opening outside of the US, in locations such as South Africa, Australia and Japan. There were also courses in the UK, the first of which opened in Sunderland in 1968. Others followed at Flamingo Land in Yorkshire and in Buxton, Derbyshire. However, information on these UK courses is limited. You can read the Putt-Putt story on the Putt-Putt Fun Centres website.

The Putt-Putt miniature golf course in Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point / Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals

Ephemera from the Putt-Putt Golf centre at Moullie Point in South Africa. From PJ Goedhals

A Putt-Putt Postcard from South Africa

A selection of Putt-Putt tokens

On the competitive side of the game, Putt-Putt tournaments have been played since 1959. You can read about the history of the PPA and APA on the Professional Putters Association website.

A Putt-Putt Puzzle of a very crazy Miniature Golf course. Published by Hallmark Cards Inc. Many thanks to our friend 'Hacksaw' Jon Drexler for sending it across the pond to live in the Crazy Golf Museum

Check out the Putt-Putt Golf website for more information on Putt-Putt brand minigolf. You can find out more information about Putt-Putt tournaments on the Professional Putters Association (PPA) website.

Freighter Golf at the National Museum of the Great Lakes

There's a unique pop-up minigolf course at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, USA.

There's a minigolf course at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo

The course is onboard the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship from the 25th August to the 11th September.

Check out the National Museum of the Great Lakes website for more information.

As Curator's of the Crazy Golf Museum it's brilliant to see minigolf in action in a museum setting and getting people involved in history, education and fun!

Happy National 7-Eleven Day

It's National 7-Eleven Day.

7-Eleven convenience stores celebrate National 7-Eleven Day on when else but the 11th July.

We were surprised to see a number of 7-Eleven stores in Stockholm on our last trip there in 2018. We'd only ever seen them in the USA before that

The first 7-Eleven Day was held in 2002.

National Postcard Week

Happy National Postcard Week.

This week is National Postcard Week in the USA.

Post Card - Jekyll Island, Gergia. Golf House and miniature golf course. Marsh Post Card Service. Postally unused, undated

We're huge fans of sending and receiving postcards and have built up a big collection of minigolf, crazy golf, putting and adventure golf postcards over the years.

Post Card - South of the Border. South Carolina at the N.C. - S.C. Border. ACE-HI ADVERTISING, INC. Postally unused, undated

Post Card. Grand Haven State Park, Grand Haven, Michigan. Water Wonderland Card Company. Postally unused, undated

• When did you last send a postcard?

• When did you last receive a postcard?

• Do you have a favourite postcard?

Check out Reflections of a Bygone Age for more information on postcard collecting.

The 2022 Picture Postcard Annual is available now and includes a feature that I wrote about Butlin's Monorails.

Butlinland Skegness – Putting Green and Monorail by John Hinde Studios. Sent on 4 Aug 1980

Here's a selection of postcards from our collection.

Bridlington Princes Parade. The Spa Boating Lake. Photochrom Co. Ltd.

Crazy Golf, North Shore, Blackpool. 50. Bamforth Post Card. Unposted. Undated

A Weetabix Gang Crazy Mini Golf Weeta-Card postcard from 1983

Pat Regan's Putting Green in Broadstairs - postcard. Undated

Miniature Golf Links, Brighton. Postally used 29 August 1927

One of two postcard designs you can find at Splash Point Mini Golf in Worthing

Worthing, Denton Gardens, Putting Green. The Photochrom Co Ltd. Posted to Birchington, Kent on 30 July 1928

Butlinland Minehead. Crazy Golf and Chair Lift. John Hinde Studios. 24 May 1976

Putting Green, Great Yarmouth. Postcard postally used on the 11th November 1927. Publisher unknown

Celiac Awareness Month

May is Celiac Awareness Month in the USA.

Check out Beyond Celiac website for more information.

In the UK Coeliac Awareness Week runs from the 9th to the 15th May.

Living a gluten free life

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008. It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a Gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, life-long gluten free diet.

While having a life-long condition such as Coeliac Disease can be a pain - and horrible if I 'get glutened' - having the disease has had some positives. I've met great people since my diagnosis and have made some brilliant friends who I've met through Coeliac groups. I've also blogged a lot about living with the condition and the great 'free from' food & drink I've found since 2008.

Swingers Crazy Golf in New York

A new Swingers Crazy Golf venue is opening in New York City.

The New York venue will be the second Swingers Crazy Golf location in the USA following the course at Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. which opened last summer.

The New York Swingers Crazy Golf will feature three indoor Crazy Golf courses at the Virgin Hotel on Broadway in the Flatiron District of New York City.

Check out the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

We played the first Swingers Crazy Golf pop-up course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in Shoreditch back in September 2014. The brand has grown since then, with Swingers in The City opening next to the Gherkin in 2016 and Swingers West End following in 2018.

Emily about to score a hole in one on hole 4 of the Swingers Crazy Golf course in London's West End

American Mini Golf Alliance - AMA

There's a new minigolf organisation in the USA.

The American Mini Golf Alliance (AMA) was recently formed in the USA, with the organisation bringing together a number of groups and players.

Competitive miniature golfers and putting enthusiasts from across the US including A Couple of Putts (Minnesota), O-Street Mini Golf (New Jersey), and The Putting Penguin (Connecticut / DC) connected back in 2019 and have now come together to create the American Mini Golf Alliance.

The founders of the AMA have been actively involved in the US and the national world of mini golf for years across the realms of competitions, design, and documentation of the game. As the group were looking for ways to connect other people passionate about the game, they thought it would be valuable to find new ways to more broadly incorporate the myriad of ways people engage with the sport of mini golf. 

Check out the American Mini Golf Alliance website and social media channels for more information and updates.

A minigolf scorecard from Texas

A look at a minigolf scorecard from Texas.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a minigolf scorecard from Christopher Gottfried's Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA.

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A minigolf pencil from Texas

A look at a minigolf pencil from Texas.

From the Crazy Golf Museum vaults - a minigolf pencil from Christopher Gottfried's Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA.

A minigolf pencil from Texas

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA

A look at the Magic Carpet Golf courses in Galveston, Texas, USA.

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

 

My brother, and charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher and his family recently played the two courses at Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA.

A scorecard from Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

A big minigolf windmill

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

A minigolf toilet!

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

A giant conch

Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas

A minigolf sign

What to do at the lucky last hole

Frog's mouth

Check out the Magic Carpet Golf website for more information on the venue and its two 18-hole miniature golf courses.

Miniature Golf Rules

The Magic Carpet Golf courses were the 1,008th and 1,009th visited overall on our combined Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Together we've now been to 1,010 courses since September 2006. The latest being the grass Putting Course at Northcliff Park in Shipley, England.