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Saturday, July 27, 2019

Lost minigolf courses - the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth

A look at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth, Devon.


Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth

We stayed in Exmouth, Devon for part of our summer holiday in June 2015 so we could visit the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on the seafront.


Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
Sadly the course wasn't open when we swung by in June 2015

Unfortunately the course wasn't open on the day we visited and even more unfortunate is the fact that the course is now consigned to history as it was demolished in 2016.


Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
A view of the 10-hole course

I'm a BIG fan of Arnold Palmer Putting Courses and the Exmouth layout looked superb.

Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
The classic windmill obstacle was on hole 3 at Exmouth

It was a 10-hole course, with a lucky 11th hole where you could win a free game if you rang the bell with your shot.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 4

Hole 5

The Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth was the 611th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
Hole 10 was a waterwheel obstacle

Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
The venue in Exmouth was also home to a grass Putting course

The first Arnold Palmer Putting Course in the UK opened in Coventry in 1965 and was part of an Arnold Palmer Driving Range. A course was also located at a Driving Range in Sheffield.

Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Exmouth
A classic Arnold Palmer Putting Course sign

Sadly over the years a number of Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK have been closed, abandoned, demolished or converted beyond recognition.

As well as the loss of the Exmouth Arnold Palmer course, the two Arnold Palmer courses in Great Yarmouth have been replaced by one Adventure Golf course. The two courses in Cliftonville, Margate were closed in 2014 and removed shortly after. The course that was once in Folkestone is no longer playable - as it was used to make an art installation on the promenade.

Luckily you can still find playable examples of Arnold Palmer Putting Courses - in varying conditions and some with modifications - in the following locations:

  • Bognor Regis - built in 1993
  • Broadstairs - built in 1995
  • Caister-on-Sea (Haven Holiday Park)
  • Canvey Island (9 holes of an 18 hole course remain)
  • Cleethorpes
  • Filey (Primrose Valley Holiday Park)
  • Gorleston-on-Sea
  • Hastings
  • Mablethorpe (Haven Golden Sands Caravan Holiday Park)
  • Mablethorpe (Hooks Island)
  • Prestatyn
  • Skegness x2 (9 and 18 hole courses)
  • Southend-on-Sea (1 of 2 courses remain - the 'East' course) - upgraded
  • Southport
  • Weston-Super-Mare
  • Whitby


A scorecard from the Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in Skegness - this has a wonderful listing of other courses. Some of these still exist, while others have closed
A scorecard from the Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in Skegness - this has a wonderful listing of other courses. Some of these still exist, while others have closed

Lost Arnold Palmer Putting Courses:

  • Ayr (Haven Craig Tara Holiday Park, formerly Butlin's)
  • Battersea
  • Blackpool, Starr Gate
  • Bognor Regis (Butlin's)
  • Camber Sands - now a Car Park
  • Cliftonville, Margate (2 courses)
  • Coventry
  • Eastbourne
  • Exmouth
  • Folkestone - now an Art Installation on Beach Huts!
  • Goodrington
  • Great Yarmouth (2 courses) - turned into Castaway Adventure Golf
  • Hornsea Potteries
  • Hove
  • Ladram Bay
  • Leicester
  • Manchester
  • Minehead (Butlin's)
  • Nottingham
  • Prestatyn
  • Pwhelli (Butlin's)
  • Rhyl
  • Scarborough
  • Sheffield
  • South Shields
  • Southend-on-Sea ('West' course demolished)
  • Tynemouth
  • Weymouth
  • Whitley Bay
  • Withernsea


If you know of any Arnold Palmer Putting Courses missing from the lists above please do get in touch.

Of the 912 courses we've visited since September 2006, 25 have been Arnold Palmer Putting Course locations.

Related blog posts:
- Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Exmouth

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