Competitions at Aces Minigolf Gloucester

Two tournaments to tee-off at Aces Minigolf Gloucester.

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester is gearing up for the full opening by hosting two minigolf competitions on Sunday 4th July.

First up is an Amateur Championship with a great prize up for grabs to the winner.

This will be followed by the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Invitational Championship with some of the best minigolfers in the country invited to compete on the course.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester will be opening fully to the public on Friday 9th July.

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're really looking forward to having a game on the new 12-hole layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Happy Shopper in Hitchin

I've been on the lookout for other classic Happy Shopper shops since spotting the Happy Shopper in Preston last year.

I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in the 1980's and 90's but I didn't think there would be many left considering Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000.

Luckily I've found a few.

One of them is the Happy Shopper, aka the Nightingale Supermarket & Off License, on Nightingale Road in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. When we lived in Luton we drove past this particular Happy Shopper a fair bit.

I was down in Luton again recently and had to check out the Hitchin Happy Shopper to see if it was still there. I'm happy to report that it is.

A happy shopper at a Happy Shopper

Check out my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

• Lowestoft
• Preston
• Sheffield (Sharrow Lane)
• Sheffield (Page Hall Road)
• Ilkeston

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort

Marwell Resort in Winchester, Hampshire is home to a new adventure golf course.

A new adventure golf course is now open at Marwell Resort in Hampshire.

The 18-hole South Downs Way Adventure Golf course is themed on the local area.

Visit the Marwell Resort website for more information, opening times and prices.

The South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort was created by the team at Greenspan.

South Downs Way Adventure Golf at Marwell Resort is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Tandy in Hitchin

You can still see some Tandy signage at the old Electronic Universe shop in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

I recently passed through Hitchin en route to Luton and had to make a quick stop to see if the old Tandy signage was still up at the former Electronic Universe shop on Churchgate in the town centre. Luckily some of it still was. However, the sign at the rear of the store has now gone.

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire back in 1996 where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

It's always fun spotting old brands and signage and a real treat when it's something rare like Tandy. I've also seen some RadioShack signs on my travels.

While in Hitchin I also took a look at a classic Happy Shopper and in Luton took a look at my old local Blockbuster Video store.

Minigolf on the Isle of Wight

A look at minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight.

Emily recently returned from a trip to the Isle of Wight and while there played and visited a number of minigolf courses.

Sandown

Dino Islands Adventure Golf at Sandham Gardens in Sandown

Lost World Adventure Golf on Sandown Pier

Shanklin

Caddy Shack Crazy Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

The Pirates Cove course is next to the Jurassic course on Shanklin Seafront. When we first visited the Isle of Wight in 2007 the course was a grass Putting layout

Jungle Adventure Golf at Shanklin Village

Crazy Golf at Rylstone Gardens

Alum Bay

Jurassic Adventure Golf at The Needles

Ventnor

Putting Green at Ventnor Park

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

We've been to the Isle of Wight a few times over the years and have also played the Mini Golf Garden at Puckpool Park and the Pirate Adventure Golf at Peter Pan's on Esplanade in Ryde.

Other minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight include:

• The Cow Putt crazy golf course at Tapnell Farm Park in Yarmouth
• Crazy Golf at the Horse & Groom pub in Ningwood
• Crazy Golf at Calbourne Water Mill in Calbourne, Newport
• Mini Golf Putting at Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin

Lost minigolf courses on the Isle of Wight

There used to be another adventure golf course in Shanklin too - Jungle Jim's - but that closed a few years ago.

Some of the courses that are on the Isle of Wight now have been built on top of older courses or have totally replaced grass Putting courses that were there before.

It's certainly interesting seeing the changes and developments on the island.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've now been to a total of 965 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester opening next month

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester will be opening to the public on Friday 9th July.

The 12-hole course's opening hours will be:

• Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6pm (Last tee off time 5:15pm)
• Sunday 10:30am - 4:30pm (Last tee off time 3:45pm)

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're looking forward to playing the new course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Spinners Mini Golf opening in Reading

The new Spinners Mini Golf course in Reading, Berkshire is opening next week.

Spinners in Reading's Broad Street Mall will be opening its doors on Tuesday 29th June.

As well as the miniature golf course Spinners is home to tenpin bowling and darts activities.

Visit the Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling website for more information, opening times and prices.

Spinners is another new venue for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Abingdon bun throwing in the news

It was nice to hear that bun throwing was featured in the Abingdon Herald and Oxford Mail this week with a look at the town's bizarre and ancient tradition.

It was fun that a photo of me throwing a bun at the Royal Bun Throwing Championships in 2012 was included in the piece too! You can see the article on the Abingdon Herald and Oxford Mail websites.

Throwing a currant bun at the World Bun Throwing Championships at Abingdon Vale Cricket Club

The last bun throwing held in Abingdon-on-Thames was in November 2018 to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.

That bun throwing was the 35th event to take place since 1761.

Christmas Crazy Golf

It's only six months until Christmas Day!

Playing Christmas Crazy Golf at Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry at Easter 2019

A former Blockbuster Video store in Luton

A look at the former Blockbuster store in Luton.

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

My old local Blockbuster was on Park Street in Luton, Bedfordshire. Living very close by for many years I walked past the store on a daily basis, and probably popped in every other day while at uni.

We were recently back in Luton and had to take a look. The shop is still somewhat recognisable from its time as a video shop (if you know what you're looking for), with Blockbuster blue paintwork and the space where the QuikDrop box once was still framed.

The former Blockbuster store is now the Welcome Supermarket 

A windowed space sits where the QuikDrop box used to be

Check out my blog posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

A new crazy golf course is opening in Belfast

There are plans for a new entertainment centre in Belfast city centre.

Part of the former Debenhams store in Belfast is planned to become an entertainment centre with a crazy golf course, laser tag, escape rooms, VR experiences and more.

The new indoor minigolf course at CastleCourt in Belfast will be another new course and venue for us to visit on a return trip to Northern Ireland on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The last few years has seen a number of former retail units becoming entertainment venues with a fair few minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf layouts setting up shop in the locations.

With the demise of Debenhams as a high street presence there is a lot of empty real estate open to the opportunity that retailtainment offers.

Adventure Golf at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in Great Yarmouth

A look at the Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

My brother, and founding member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher was in Great Yarmouth recently and sent me some snaps from the Pleasure Beach Gardens.

We first played the 12-hole Adventure Golf layout at the Pleasure Beach Gardens in June 2007 and last played it in August 2011. Where has that time gone!

Back in June 2007 Emily and I played the 25th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Jungle Golf at the Gardens in Great Yarmouth. At the start of the 2008 Summer Season the 11-hole course was changed from a Safari Golf to a Segway Grand Prix!

It'll be brilliant when we can return to Great Yarmouth to see what's new and what's changed in the seaside resort.

We've got a nice old postcard in our collecation showing the Crazy Golf course when it was known as Nelson Gardens back in 1980.

Visit the Pleasure Beach Gardens website for more information on the Crazy Jungle Golf course there.

Crazy Golf at Branston Golf and Country Club near Burton

A new crazy golf course is opening at Branston Golf and Country Club near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire.

The 18-hole crazy golf layout will have a woodland theme.

Visit the Branston Golf and Country Club website for more information.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth

My brother, and charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher was recently in Great Yarmouth and sent me this snap of the sign at Merrivale Model Village as it includes Crazy Golf.

We played the course in August 2011. Time certainly flies!

The Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk is well worth a visit.

We're looking forward to our next trip to the seaside town.

Beach Golf in Great Yarmouth

There's a crazy golf course on the beach in Great Yarmouth.

My brother Christopher found a minigolf course on the beach in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk on his visit to the seaside resort yesterday!

Great Yarmouth was one of the first places we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and we've been back a number of times, although not since July 2016! It'll be fun to revisit and see what else is new there.

With Christopher's discovery of the Great Yarmouth Beach Golf course it brings the grand total of miniature golf courses visited by members of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to 992 since September 2006! 

Today is Summerween!

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 was last Friday, the 18th.

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

Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton

A look at the new Wardown Adventure Golf course in Luton.

We were back in our old home town of Luton, Bedfordshire on Saturday 19th June and while there swung by the new Adventure Golf course at Wardown Park.

The new Wardown Adventure Golf course opened in the park last month. It's a nice looking layout.

Wardown Park's first miniature golf course opened on the 19th June 1934 - so our visit came 87 years to the day since the first putt was taken in the park!

The 18-hole woodland-themed minigolf course is on an elevated bowling green in the park

Unfortunately we didn't have time for a game on the 18-hole course during our flying visit to the town. However, it was very nice to see the course proving popular with players.

It's nice to see a disused bowling green put to good use

We're looking forward to spending some time having some rounds there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Wardown Adventure Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

A Covid-19 sign at the entrance to Wardown Park

Miniature Golf at Wardown Park

Wardown Park's latest minigolf course opened in May this year.

The park was previously home to two minigolf courses. One was a crazy golf course, the other was a grass miniature golf course. Both were turned into a 'Mini Golf Meadow' in 2015.

We lived in Luton for 16 years and played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit during that time. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout was the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's new course is opening next month

The countdown is on to the launch of the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's new Crazy Golf course in Knowle West.

The Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club is getting ready to tee-off on the brand new community designed miniature golf course at the Filwood Community Centre in Knowle West, Bristol next month.

It was was brilliant meeting up with fellow members of the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club during the first lockdown last year.

We're looking forward to playing the layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club Facebook Group to find out more.

World Music Day

Today is World Music Day.

We've seen and played some musical-themed courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years.

Musical minigolf

One of my favourites is this Garden Minigolf course in East Finchley, London where you have to putt into a 'musical shed'!

The 503rd course we played on our travels was the indoor Rock N Golf Crazy Golf course at One Adventure in Droylsden, Tameside. The 12-hole layout has a rock music-theme.

The 529th course we played was Puttshack super tech mini golf at White City in London. One of the holes there requires you to play your shot over five drums. Emily aced the tricky shot.

Emily playing a musical hole at Puttshack

My friend and world traveller PJ Goedhals sent me some snaps from his visit to the music-themed minigolf course at O'Learys sports bar in Norrtull, Sweden in 2019.

Hole 5 of the Minigolf course at O'Learys Norrtull in Sweden. Photo by PJ Goedhals

Last summer there was a music and theatre themed pop-up minigolf course at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee. Our friend and minigolf rival 'Hacksaw' Jon Drexler was lucky enough to have a game there.

The green on the Memphis: The Musical hole. Photo by Jon Drexler

The video for the song Windmills by US-band Dracula's Miniskirt features a Crazy Golf windmill.

Our friends at A Couple of Putts in the USA let us know about a minigolf-themed song called Putt Putt Butt Butt by Koo Koo Kanga Roo.

One of the latest minigolf courses to open in the UK is Pop Golf - a pop-music themed indoor crazy golf venue at Boxpark Wembley in London.

Jurassic Mini-Golf heading to Stockeld Park in Yorkshire

Stockeld Park in Wetherby, Yorkshire will be home to a Jurassic Summer event.

Part of the dinosaur fun taking place between July and September will be a Jurassic Mini-Golf course.

Visit the Stockeld Park website for more information.

Princess Parade Crazy Golf course in Blackpool

Playing the Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore.

I finally got to play the Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore as it reopened last month. We've been to the course a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years but it had always been closed.

Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels and Blackpool Fulfilling Lives joined forces to refresh and reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore in 2019 and a number of other people and groups have been a part of the project.

The base of the course itself has changed very little since it was first created in the late 1950's and it's wonderful that the area is easily recognisable from old postcards from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

There have still been some noticeable improvements to the course and the whole area it sits in. Most notable are the repairs to the obstacles as well as the addition of professional putting carpet to the holes. It makes the course very nice to play.

Here are videos of me playing the crazy golf course on Blackpool's North Shore at the launch event on Friday 28th May 2021.

The course is now open to play at weekends with plans to increase the opening times in the future. Take a look at the Princess Parade Crazy Golf Facebook Group for more information.

It's been a pleasure to be a part of the Princess Parade Crazy Golf project and I've enjoyed working with the teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool & the Fylde Street Angels, Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Civic Trust to get the course reopened.

We're looking forward to getting back to Blackpool again later this summer and playing a few more rounds on the course.