Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Lucky Last Holes in minigolf

Hitting the 'Top Hole' in minigolf.


Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk in 2011
Lucky 19th Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011

One of the aims of the game of minigolf is - once the 9, 12 or 18-holes of regulation play is done, and if they have one - to 'WIN A FREE GAME' on the 'Lucky Last Hole', aka the 'Top Hole'.

Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Mini Crazy Golf Putting Course in Whitby, North Yorkshire in 2015
Lucky 10 Hole at the Arnold Palmer Mini Crazy Golf Putting Course in Whitby in 2015

Not every minigolf course has one of these 'Lucky Last Holes', but those that do come with a variety of obstacles in your way to the top hole, and that prized free game!

Top Hole at Broadstairs Minigolf in 2008
Lucky 13 Hole - Top Hole - at Broadstairs Minigolf in 2008

When you do 'Ace' the top hole you may find a cannon is fired, a bell rung, or a voice talks to you!



On our very first minigolf course visit on the 30th September 2006 I managed to Fire the Cannon and win a free game at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea - that was one of the things that really sparked off our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
Emily about to win a FREE GAME on the Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
I seem to have had a lot of luck winning FREE GAMES at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea over the years

But I then had to wait until the 4th of September 2009 and my 150th course visit, at the Arnold Palmer Masters Putting Course, aka Crazee Golf, in Southport until my next win!

The Masters Putting Course in Southport
Playing the Free Game Hole at The Masters Putting Course in Southport

The Masters Putting Course in Southport
And winning a FREE GAME on it

A look at some of the Lucky Last Holes we've found on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.


Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Skegness in 2015
Emily playing the Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Skegness in 2015

Lucky 19 Hole at the Little Oasis Crazy Golf course in Cliftonville, Margate in 2007
Lucky 19 Hole at the Little Oasis Crazy Golf course in Cliftonville, Margate in 2007

Lucky 19 Hole at the Little Oasis Crazy Golf course in Cliftonville, Margate in 2009
Lucky 19 Hole at the Little Oasis Crazy Golf course in Cliftonville, Margate in 2009

Lucky Hole 10 at Saltburn Minigolf course in 2019
Lucky Hole 10 at Saltburn Minigolf course in 2019

Lucky Last Hole at Hastings Adventure Golf in 2017
Lucky Last Hole at Hastings Adventure Golf in 2017

Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2007
Playing the Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2007

Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011
Playing the Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011
And winning a FREE GAME pass

Lucky Last Hole at the Crazy Mini Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport in 2016
Winning a FREE GAME pass on the Lucky Last Hole at the Crazy Mini Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport in 2016

Lucky Last Hole at the Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens in 2016
Lucky Last Hole at the Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens in 2016

Lucky Last Hole 13 at Peterborough Minigolf at Dobbies Garden Centre in 2015
Playing Lucky Last Hole 13 at Peterborough Minigolf at Dobbies Garden Centre in 2015

Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011
Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011
Emily playing the Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011
Playing the Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022
Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022

Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022
Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022

Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011
Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011
Playing the Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011

Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011
Winning another FREE GAME pass

Lining up a shot on the Lucky Last Hole at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Sheffield in 2016
Lining up a shot on the Lucky Last Hole at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Sheffield in 2016

Top Hole Lucky 19 at Prestatyn Crazy Golf in 2017
Top Hole Lucky 19 at Prestatyn Crazy Golf in 2017

Related blog posts:

20 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Celebrating two decades of our crazy minigolfing adventures.


The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour teed-off 20 years ago today!

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

How it started.

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire, England on this day in 2006.

At the end of our 9-hole round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole!

Richard Gottfried playing the Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

From 600 courses in the UK to more than 1,500.

When our crazy golfing travels began in 2006 there were around 600 miniature golf courses in the UK and wider British Isles.

There are now more than 1,500 - and there are lots of new places to play the game opening all the time.

Unfortunately, several courses have closed over the years. But on a brighter note, some others have been refurbished, redeveloped, or completely transformed into new layouts.

When we originally set off to visit as many courses as possible the target list was 600 in the British Isles. And 20 years later, we have around 50 of those original courses to visit.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've now been to 1,131 courses overall in the last 20 years, with 1,062 of those locations in the British Isles.

Together with my brother Christopher - a charter member of the tour - and his family, we've visited a total of 1,189 courses.

Minigolf record makers.

Our travels have been recognised by the Guinness World Records, and I'm a record holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press).

Check out the Guinness World Records 2024 book to see a lot more minigolf records too!

Minigolfing around the world.

Within the British Isles Emily and I have been to courses in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man. We've also travelled to courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (including Lanzarote & Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and Majorca in the Balearic Islands), Sweden and the USA.

Christopher and his family have travelled around the UK, as well as to courses in Türkiye, Spain (the Balearic Island of Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia, the USA, Thailand, and Canada.

That's a combined total of 22 countries visited outside the UK / British Isles. Interestingly our tour has only been to two of the same countries in both branches - Spain and the USA!

Our list of miniature golf courses visited - 2006-2026.

You can see all of the courses we've visited on this Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list.

Blogging about minigolf around the world.

As well as the blog posts about our own crazy golf travels, we've also posted guest blogs from friends and family from their visits to courses around the world.

It's brilliant receiving photos, information and updates from - and about - crazy golf, minigolf, miniature golf putting, pitch & putt, adventure golf, and Putt-Putt courses around the world. There's such a wide-range and variety of courses out there.

We've met so many people and made some great friends on our travels since 2006. Many of whom have contributed to our travels by telling us about new courses, letting us know about course refurbs, or by sending over photos of courses they've been too. We've also received excellent photos of miniature golf courses from our family, friends, our networks, and course owners, managers, designers and builders themselves.

Minigolf guest blog posts from 31 countries - and international waters!

Over the last 20 years of blogging we've published guest blog posts about courses in England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Croatia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Indonesia, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain (including Lanzarote, Tenerife and Majorca), Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the USA, on the high seas onboard the MSC Opera cruise ship (sailing from Italy - to Montenegro - to Greece), and even North Korea!

A BIG thank you to everyone we've met or spoken to on our crazy minigolf adventures over the pas two decades.

Related blog posts:

Link:

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales

A look back at our visit to the minigolf course at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales.


Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

We visited Gowerton Golf Range in Gowerton, Swansea, Wales to play the 9-hole minigolf course there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2009.

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009


Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Minigolf at Gowerton Golf Range in Swansea, Wales on the 16th August 2009

Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

A look back at the Time Machine Minigolf course at the Blue City shopping centre in Warsaw, Poland.


Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

The 723rd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Time Machine Minigolf course at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland.

Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

Emily swung by the Time Machine Minigolf course in March 2017.

Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

Time Machine Minigolf at Blue City in Warsaw, Poland

Find out more.

Visit the Arcade Bee website to find out more about the Time Machine Minigolf course.

Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

A look at the Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA.


It's been brilliant to see different minigolf courses around the world thanks to the photos and information sent to us from friends from their travels.

Back in 2015 our friend and minigolf rival Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain visited the USA and very kindly brought us back scorecards from the mini golf courses he visited out there.

One of the places he got to visit was Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells where he found five minigolf courses!

Miniature Golf at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

Photo of the Miniature Golf course at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

Miniature Golf at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

Miniature Golf at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells

At the Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center you can play Black Beard's 18, Captain Kidd's 18, Pirate's Lookout 18, Pirate's Challenge 18 or Captain Hook's 19.

Scorecard from the Miniature Golf courses at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells
The big minigolf scorecard from Pirate's Cove

Scorecard from the Miniature Golf courses at Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells
There are three more courses on the other side

Pirate's Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center in Wisconsin Dells is on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'to visit' list.

Find out more.

Check out the Pirates Cove Original Adventure Golf & Family Fun Center website for more information.