The Minigolf Nations Cup 2008 in Tampere, Finland

We made our Great Britain minigolf team debuts at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland 18 years ago today!

Our Great Britain Minigolf team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, finished the tournament in 13th place. In the individual rankings I finished in 51st place and Emily was 53rd.

In action at the Minigolf Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

The 2008 Great Britain squad - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

We've also played for the Great Britain national team in World Minigolf Sport Federation and European Minigolf Sport Federation tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England.

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere was the 50th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 51st and the Swedish Felt Minigolf course there was the 52nd played. We've now been to 1,117 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

Get set for the NEXT 'Miniature Golf Day'

'Miniature Golf Day' is ALWAYS on the 21st September.

While 'National Miniature Golf Day' is held on the second Saturday in May, the other BIG minigolf day of the year is 'Miniature Golf Day' and is ALWAYS on the 21st September.

In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Emily playing the Crazy Golf course at the Botanic Gardens in Southport on Miniature Golf Day 2019

That was National Miniature Golf Day

Where did you play for National Miniature Golf Day?

If you weren't able to visit a miniature golf course for National Miniature Golf Day, then you can celebrate again on the second BIG minigolf day of the year when Miniature Golf Day is marked on the 21st September.

Playing at The Himalayas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2012. The course is the world's first miniature golf and home to the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Adventure Mini Golf at the Designer Outlet Ashford shopping centre

The Designer Outlet Ashford shopping centre in Ashford, Kent is adding a mini golf course to the centre.

A new mini golf course will be set-up at Designer Outlet Ashford shopping centre in Ashford, Kent from Saturday 16th May.

The outdoor 6-hole mini golf course will be part of a summer garden at Designer Outlet Ashford.

Find out more on the Designer Outlet Ashford shopping centre website.

Happy National Miniature Golf Day

Today is National Miniature Golf Day.

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

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

How to play minigolf

Here's a minigolf sign about 'How to play minigolf' - in three languages (English, German and French).

We found the sign at the minigolf course in Stoke Park, Guildford, Surrey on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008. We revisited and replayed the course at Stoke Park on National Miniature Golf Day in 2016.

National Windmill Day

Today is National Windmill Day (and National Miniature Golf Day).

Playing a windmill hole in Skegness on a previous National Miniature Golf Day

You can often find windmill obstacles on miniature golf courses.

The windmill hole on the grass putting miniature golf course at the Palm Bay Café in Cliftonville, Margate back in 2007

A Dutch-themed windmill hole at Glo-Golf indoor Crazy Golf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover

National Train Day

Today is National Train Day.

Riding a little train at Falkirk High railway station in 2014

Check out my train-related blog posts, and my Trains Playlist on YouTube.

National Train Day was originally created by Amtrak in 2008 (and discontinued in 2016). It was observed on the Saturday closest to the 10th May.

An old railway carriage at Adventure Golf Gutach in Germany in August 2019

Today is also National Miniature Golf Day!

A view of the Miniature Railway from the Crazy Golf course in Worden Park in September 2009

Today is National Miniature Golf Day

Happy National Miniature Golf Day.

Today is National Miniature Golf Day.

National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May.

Captain Hook's Mini Golf in Brighton

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf has opened a new mini golf course in Brighton.

Captain Hook's Mini Golf has opened at Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf on Madeira Drive in Brighton, East Sussex.

Find out more on the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website.

Tomorrow is National Miniature Golf Day

Happy National Miniature Golf Day Eve!

Where will you be celebrating National Miniature Golf Day?

Playing the Crazy Golf course in Stoke Park, Guildford on National Miniature Golf Day in 2016

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Australian Adventure Golf course at Adlington Golf Centre

Playing the Australian Adventure Golf course at Adlington Golf Centre.

We visited the Australian Adventure Golf course at Adlington Golf Centre in Adlington, Macclesfield today.

Emily tees-off on hole 1

The Australian Adventure Golf course at Adlington Golf Centre became the 1,117th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

A very tricky second putt

Emily almost got a hole-in-one at the Sydney Opera House

Playing a snakey hole 2

Getting unstuck from some of the theming was almost as tricky as some of my second (and third) putts on the very big greens!

The 18-hole outdoor Australian-themed adventure golf course is absolutely massive - like, really really really big for a minigolf course!

Emily playing hole 3

Look at the size of that green!

The theming is superb and very immersive. And the holes, obstacles and very large greens are a very tricky - but still fun - playing area to tackle.

Can you guess what my favourite hole theme and obstacle was?

For one reason or another it's taken us a while to get to the venue - even though it's only around 7 miles from us and just over the border in Cheshire, it's not a part of the county we've ever been to in the decade we've lived up here! We're glad we finally had time to make it there and handy that it was just a short drive from where we'd been in Poynton earlier in the afternoon.

The largest minigolf course in Europe.

The Australian Adventure Golf course at Adlington Golf Centre lays claim to the title of being the largest Adventure Golf course in Europe and features 18-holes of outdoor adventure golf that are played over 1500sqm of greens and a 10,000sqm site.

Find out more.

Check out the Adlington Golf Centre website for more information on the Australian Adventure Golf course.

Guess the Adventure Golf course location...

Where in the world was this adventure golf course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour?

Crazy Golf at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island

A look at the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island, Essex.

Last week I asked the question "Where in the world was this crazy golf course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour?".

The answer was the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island in Essex.

At the time I visited and played the course in April 2009 it was a 9-hole layout - it had originally been an 18-hole course. We revisited the course in 2011.

It's now a lost course. However, Fantasy Island is still home to a crazy golf course - one we're yet to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Find out more on the Fantasy Island Canvey Island Facebook Page.

National Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 9th May

Saturday 9th May is National Miniature Golf Day 2026.

Where on Earth will you be playing?

Putting on the Moon at Mr Mulligan's Space Golf course in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in 2018

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.

• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Invader street art in Paris, France

Finding some of the Space Invader street art in Paris.

Emily was in Paris last month and while there managed to spot a few Invader street art pieces while walking around.

Invader around the world.

To date the French street artist Invader has created 4,382 Invaders in 87 territories around the world!

Invader was here - in the UK.

Here in the UK Invader has invaded Manchester, London and Newcastle (and a bit of Gateshead) and we've managed to find a few of his pieces on trips to the cities.

Find out more.

Check out the Invader website for more information.

Link

• Invader

Related blog posts

• Space Invaders street art
• Invader
• Paris

This Saturday is National Miniature Golf Day

Saturday 9th May is National Miniature Golf Day 2026.

Playing the Championship Adventure Golf course in New Brighton, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside on National Miniature Golf Day 2017

Will you be playing a game to celebrate?

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

A view of Hastings Adventure Golf from West Hill

A view of Hastings Adventure Golf from West Hill in Hastings, East Sussex.

A view of Hastings Adventure Golf from West Hill in Hastings, East Sussex in March 2013

Hastings Adventure Golf is home to three 18-hole outdoor minigolf courses - an Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf layout, an Adventure Golf course, and a Pirate Golf layout.

We've been to Hastings Adventure Golf a lot on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and to play in many many many minigolf, adventure golf & crazy golf tournaments over the years.

Find out more on the Hastings Adventure Golf website.

Related blog posts:

• Hastings
• Hastings Adventure Golf

OK Buster - Book-Buster in Hastings

A look at an old Blockbuster Video shop in Hastings, East Sussex.

We spotted this old Blockbuster Video store in Hastings while in the seaside town for a minigolf tournament. The former video shop had been turned into a book store called Book-Buster.

Book-Buster former Blockbuster Video store in Hastings in October 2013

Check out Book-Buster on Facebook for more information.

Visiting Blockbuster Video stores.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster Video stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013.

Amazingly we've been able to find traces of the brand at 29 former store locations. This has ranged from QuikDrop boxes to parking signage to full shopfronts!

Posts about former Blockbuster Video stores we've been to:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Failsworth, Manchester
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Watford, Hertfordshire
• Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
• Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Related blog posts:

• Blockbuster Video
• Hastings
• Retail

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, Dorset

Looking back at The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, Dorset.

I visited and played The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth on the 11th October in both 2008 and 2009 while in town for the Weymouth Open Adventure Golf tournament at the Pirate Adventure Golf course at the nearby Sea Life Centre.

It's the only time I've seen a Flintstones-themed miniature golf course on my travels.

The Rules of The Flintstones Crazy Golf

Photos of The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth in October 2008.

Photos of The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth in October 2009.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course in Weymouth was the 77th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2008. It's long gone now.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course is almost as distant a memory as prehistoric times!