Old Miniature golf postcards from Brighton

A look at four old miniature golf postcards from Brighton.

Emily and I have found some brilliant old postcards at fairs, charity shops, car boot sales, antique shops and online over the years. Some are quite new and date from the 2000's, while others are from the early 1900's. We also really enjoy finding brand new postcards on sale at minigolf courses we visit.

Three of the same location.

One of the first minigolf course postcards I bought is also the earliest dated minigolf postcard I have of Brighton. The colourised card shows the 'Miniature Golf Links, Brighton' and was posted from Brighton to West Harrow on the 29th August 1927.

Miniature Golf Links, Brighton. Postally used 29 August 1927. Publisher unknown

The next dated card I have shows the 'New Miniature Golf Course and Carpet Gardens, Brighton' - the same course as above - and was posted from Wolverton in Buckinghamshire to Rochester, Kent on the 27th May 1928.

New Miniature Golf Course and Carpet Gardens, Brighton. Postally used 27 May 1928. Publisher unknown

The Tuck's card No. 2162 I have shows the same area and is captioned 'Lower Parade & Miniature Golf course, Brighton'. It was posted from Brighton to Fulham on the 10th October 1928. However, looking at the course, surrounding area and the clothing people are wearing I would suggest the course was the first to be on the site and was there pre-1927.

Lower Parade & Miniature Golf course, Brighton. Postally used 10 October 1928. Tuck's Photogravure Postcard No. 2162

The pier in the background of those three postcards is the West Pier.

One of a different old course

The next dated card was posted from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire to Lancing, Sussex on the 15th April 1945. This card is captioned 'Aquarium & Palace Pier showing Miniature Golf Links, Brighton'.

Aquarium & Palace Pier showing Miniature Golf Links, Brighton. Postally used 15 April 1945. Publisher unknown

Playing minigolf in Brighton

We've played minigolf in Brighton a number of times over the years but haven't been to the south coast seaside resort for quite some time. We'll need to revisit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to see what's new there.

The 12th course visited on our travels was on the seafront in Brighton. This was back in July 2007

One of the first courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Crazy Golf on the seafront near the Palace Pier back in 2007.

A minigolf postcard from Great Yarmouth. Sent in 1927

Stepping back in time for a look at minigolf in Great Yarmouth in the 1920s.

One of the earliest miniature golf postcards I have in my collection is this one showing the Putting Green on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Putting Green, Great Yarmouth. Postcard postally used on the 11th November 1927

The postcard was sent to Hayes, Middlesex on the 11th November 1927.

You can see the Hippodrome in the left of the image and this building is still standing and is the Hippodrome Circus on St George's Road. If you visit now you'll find a row of buildings in front of the Hippodrome itself!

You will also find that there is still a minigolf course on the same spot as the Putting Green.

Castaway Island Adventure Golf on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth in 2016

Now called Castaway Island Adventure Golf the site was an Arnold Palmer Putting Course that we played a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth in June 2011

It's proof, if proof were needed, that Great Yarmouth has long been a minigolf hot-spot.

Minigolf Putting in the UK

The first miniature golf course in the world was created at St Andrews in Scotland in 1867. That links course is still there.

The decades that followed saw a boom in the game with minigolf courses popping up around the country. In 1926 the first Crazy Golf course opened in England, with the layout created on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire.

Minigolf in Great Yarmouth

There are a number of brilliant mini, crazy, putting and adventure golf courses on the seafront in Great Yarmouth, as well as in the wider Greater Yarmouth areas of Gorleston-on-Sea and Hemsby.

The minigolf courses in the seaside resort will play host to the Big Mini Golf Tour - a campaign to highlight the courses in the area this Spring and Summer season.