Thursday, April 09, 2026

A minigolf guide for grassroots sport

The Deutsche Minigolfsport Verband (German Minigolf Federation) has published a guide for grassroots sport.

The guide for Breitensports (recreational or grassroots sports) is a comprehensive guide for minigolf clubs and is well worth a look.

You can download the Breitensport gestalten - Leitfaden für den Breitensport / Shaping grassroots sports - a guide for grassroots sports from the German Minigolf Federation website.

Richard Gottfried

I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Guinness World Record Holder for 'Most miniature golf courses visited'. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Mediocre polymath. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer. Always feeling nostalgic about something.

Funfair Golf at Whitehouse Leisure Park in Towyn

There's a crazy golf course at Whitehouse Leisure Park in Towyn, Wales.

The 9-hole outdoor crazy golf course at Whitehouse Leisure Park in Towyn has a funfair theme.

Check out the SF Parks website for more information.

Richard Gottfried

Crazy Pool at Brigg Garden Centre

Brigg Garden Centre has a new Crazy Pool course.

You can now find a 9-hole indoor crazy pool course at Brigg Garden Centre in Brigg, Lincolnshire.

Check out the Brigg Garden Centre website for more information.

Richard Gottfried

Lost minigolf courses - The Golfing Hole Adventure Golf course in Swindon, Wiltshire

A look back at The Golfing Hole indoor adventure golf course in Swindon, Wiltshire.

Minigolf at The Golfing Holf indoor Adventure Golf course in Swindon

At The Golfing Hole indoor Adventure Golf course in Swindon

We visited Swindon, Wiltshire in January 2015 to play our first miniature golf course of the New Year. The location was The Golfing Hole Indoor Adventure Golf course at the Spectrum on Mead Way.

Emily playing hole 2 - a big ramp that led to a spiral

The course was the 589th visited and 355th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006. In 2014 we visited 46 courses and played 28 of them.

Crazy Golf at The Golfing Holf indoor Adventure Golf course in Swindon

Putting into a machine

During our match we played through each of the obstacles, rather than taking the easier line and putting around the lumps and bumps of the greens. Some of the holes in the pipes were easier to get the ball into than others, with a few of them causing a lot of frustration. The result of our contest was a draw, with a score of 54 each.

Emily putts into one of the factory's machines. This one was really tough

Putting from the back of the green

There was a BIG minigolf loop-di-loop on one of the holes

My favourite hole at The Golfing Hole. Though quite what a green 'grass' minigolf layout with sandy bunkers was doing inside a 'factory' I don't know. Very crazy golf!

Emily putts out after playing through a cabin/site office in The Golfing Hole factory

Hole 13 led into the blacklight area, while the tee-off point for hole 14 was inside

This hole was really difficult as the gap at the top of the ramp wasn't much bigger than the golf ball

Playing out the UV hole

Emily tees-off inside the blacklight room

And putts out in the light of the factory

Related blog posts:

Richard Gottfried

Mini-Golf at Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour in London

There will be mini-golf at Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour.

Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour is opening at Mr Fogg's City Tavern on Liverpool Street in London. Among the games on offer will be mini-golf.

All of the games at Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour have been 'Victorianised', giving them a very retro feel.

As well as mini-golf there will be Victorian takes on bagatelle, beer pong, darts and parlour quoits.

Games are played in a booth, with six games played in 80 minutes in a self-contained area.

It's interesting to see bagatelle - it's a very rare game to see out in the wild (we've only played it once, in Chester).

Check out the Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour website for more information.

Richard Gottfried

One month until National Miniature Golf Day

There is one month to go until National Miniature Golf Day 2026.

Minigolf courses we've played on Miniature Golf Days

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.

Richard Gottfried

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

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

The answer was - the mini golf course at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.

Mini Golf at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham

The Mini Golf course at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy in Rotherham was the 1,004th visited and 562nd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Peter Cowen Golf Academy website for more information on the course.

Richard Gottfried

Guess the Minigolf course location...

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

Richard Gottfried

Saturday, April 04, 2026

Adventure Golf in Clevedon, North Somerset

The minigolf course at Salthouse Fields in Clevedon, North Somerset is set to be redeveloped.

The crazy golf course Salthouse Fields in Clevedon look set to be updated as part of improvement works of Salthouse Fields - including reopening the miniature railway - and Clevedon seafront.

Playing Clevedon Crazy Golf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In July 2011 we visited the 9-hole Crazy Golf on the seafront at Salthouse Fields. It became the 400th course visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

The course was a tricky one to play and a lot of the shots needed to be very firm to carry them over some subtle obstacles within the course's concrete construction.

Richard Gottfried

The Art of Mini Golf at Battersea Arts Centre

A mini golf exhibition is opening at Battersea Arts Centre in London.

Battersea Arts Centre in London will be home to The Art of Mini Golf this summer.

The Art of Mini Golf at Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) is a playable exhibition consisting of 9-holes.

The Art of Mini Golf is by RISING Melbourne curated by Grace Herbert. The exhibition was formerly known as Swingers: The Art of Mini Golf when it was a playable art minigolf exhibition installation at Flinders Street Station is opening in Melbourne, Australia last summer.

The Art of Mini Golf at Battersea Arts Centre runs from the 17th June to 26th July 2026.

Find out more on the Battersea Arts Centre website.

The art exhibition chose miniature golf as its focus as the game was created to allow women to play. The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews, Scotland was created in 1867 specifically for female players to use.

Richard Gottfried

Adventure Golf at East Sussex National Golf Club

There are plans for an adventure golf course to be created at East Sussex National Golf Club in Little Horsted, near Uckfield.

The new adventure golf course would be part of new additions at East Sussex National Golf Club that would also include padel courts and a driving range.

Find out more on the East Sussex National Golf Club website.

Richard Gottfried

Thursday, April 02, 2026

Putting Green and Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton

A look at the Putting Green and Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

We spent a couple of hours in the seaside town of Hunstanton on our recent trip to Norwich and Norfolk to visit family and friends. While there we swung by North Promenade for a look at the miniature golf courses.

Sign for the Putting Green and Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton

Photos of the Putting Green and Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton.

Putting Green and Crazy Golf in Hunstanton

The 9-hole Crazy Golf course at the Victorian Pavilion on the seafront in Hunstanton became the 1,116th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

The last time we visited Hunstanton was in 2011. Back then there was a different crazy golf course on the other side of the path. This new crazy golf course also takes up the lower part of what was a two-tier grass putting green.

Sign showing prices for the Putting Green and Crazy Golf course in Hunstanton

Videos of the miniature golf courses.

Videos:

Richard Gottfried

Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Toys R Us at TGJones in Norwich

There's a Toys R Us at TGJones in Norwich city centre.

You can find a Toys R Us concession at TGJones in Norwich, Norfolk. It differs to many of the other new Toys R Us shops I've seen since the return of the brand by having a shopfront of its own next door to the TGJones (formerly WHSmith) that it is housed within.

The end of WHSmith, and the start of TGJones.

The start of July 2025 marked the end of WHSmith on the British high street after 233 years. Following the sale of the business to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital earlier this year WHSmith shops have been undergoing a rebrand to the new name of TGJones.

WHSmith on the high street, and travel stores.

There were around 500 high street WHSmith shops, and another 580 travel stores in the UK. The WHSmith shops at railway stations, service stations and airports etc. are not affected by the rebrand as they were not part of the sale.

Toys R Us at TGJones and WHSmith.

As well being inside the rebranded TGJones shops, the relaunched Toys R Us brand can be found in sections of some travel hub WHSmith stores.

Toys R Us at Hobbycraft.

You can also find Toys R Us concessions at Hobbycraft stores.

Toys R Us in 2026.

Toys R Us returned to the UK shopping scene with an online presence in 2022 and with concessions opening inside some WH Smith shops in 2023. There are currently 146 Toys R Us stores open nationwide.

Working at Toys R Us.

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton Toys R Us store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

The old Toys R Us.

At its peak there were 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited several of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

Find out more.

Visit the Toys R Us and TGJones websites for more information.

Green Day Cafe Mini Golf course at Westminster Park in Chester

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

The answer was the Green Day Cafe Mini Golf course at Westminster Park in Chester, Cheshire, England.

Emily visited the course in March 2025.

Find out more.

Visit the Green Day Cafe Mini Golf website for more information.

Richard Gottfried

Crazy Golf in Hunstanton, Norfolk

A look at the Crazy Golf course on North Promenade in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

The 9-hole Crazy Golf course at the Victorian Pavilion on the seafront in Hunstanton became the 1,116th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006 when we visited the seaside town on Sunday 29th March 2026.