Swingers Crazy Golf in London

Swingers Crazy Golf teed-off in London nine years ago today.

We played the first Swingers Crazy Golf course back on the 24th September 2014. The indoor minigolf venue was initially a pop-up concept set-up in Shoreditch, London.

We attended the pre-launch event on the 24th, with the course opening to the public for the first time on the 25th September.

Swingers Crazy Golf in September 2014

The original Swingers Crazy Golf was the 581st miniature golf course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 1,030 courses since September 2006. When our travels began there were 'only' around 600 courses in the UK - and only two of those were indoor courses!

Swingers now

Swingers Crazy Golf on our visit in October 2019

Since the first pop-up as The Institute of Competitive Socialising, Swingers Crazy Golf has opened two permanent venues in London, with courses now in New York City and Washington DC too. There are also plans for a Swingers Crazy Golf to open MGM's Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Visit the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

Crazy Golf in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire

The seafront Crazy Golf course in Ardrossan, Scotland is being refurbished.

The Ardrossan Community Development Trust is undertaking work to develop the promenade in the seaside town. Part of the redevelopment will see the 18-hole Crazy Golf being refurbished.

We visited the Crazy Golf in Ardrossan on our trip to Scotland for the Glasgow 2014 Comonwealth Games. The course was right outside our hotel.

Crazy Golf in Ardrossan, July 2014

Visit the Ardrossan Community Development Trust website and Facebook Page to find out more about the project.

We really enjoyed our holiday along the Scottish coast and really need to book a return visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Mini Golf courses visited in 2014

A look at the miniature golf courses visited and played this year.

At the Pirate Island Adventure Golf course at Hoebridge Golf Centre in Old Woking, Surrey - the 352nd course played on our tour

Since September 2006 we've visited 588 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. During 2014 we visited 46 courses that added to our tally.

Playing Moby Adventure Golf in Romford, Essex in June. The course was the 337th played

The first new course of the 28 we played in 2014 was the Indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Island Amusement Arcade in Whitby, Yorkshire.

At the indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course in Whitby in March. The layout was the 544th visited and 327th played

During the summer we visited and played fourteen courses in Scotland.

One of the most picturesque views in Minigolf. Playing the Crazy Golf course in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae in July

The final new course of the year played was the Jungle Island Adventure Golf at Horton Park Golf Club in Epsom, Surrey, while the last new Crazy Golf layout putted on was the UrbanCrazy minigolf hole at a wedding aboard the HMS President on the River Thames!

Emily playing minigolf at Swingers Crazy Golf in Shoreditch, London on the launch night in September

Courses played 20th March 2014 - 27th November 2014
327 Whitby (Pleasure Island Amusement Arcade) - Indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course
328 Harrogate (Valley Gardens) - Crazy Golf

329 Blaby (Blaby Golf Centre) - Congo River Adventure Golf

330 Nottingham (The Cornerhouse) - The Lost City Adventure Golf - The Temple Trail

331 Nottingham (The Cornerhouse) - The Lost City Adventure Golf - Sacred Skull Pass

332 Long Eaton (Trent Lock Golf Centre) - 6-hole Putting Green

333 Long Eaton (Trent Lock Golf Centre) - Pirate's Landing Adventure Golf

334 Littlehampton (Harbour Park) - Sharksville Adventure Golf

335 Gillingham (Strand Leisure Park) - Wild Frontier Crazy Golf

336 Milton Keynes (thecentre:MK) - Pirate Adventure Golf

337 Romford / Chadwell Heath (Golf Kingdom) - Moby Golf adventure golf

338 Windsor (Alexandra Gardens) - Adventure Golf - a replacement for the old concrete miniature golf course (visited in May 2009)

339 Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland - Crazy Golf

340 Largs - Mackerston Putting Green

341 Ayr (Pirate Pete's) - Mini Championship Golf

342 Ayr (Seafront) - Crazy Golf

343 Ayr (Seafront) - Putting Green

344 Portaputt - Llanwrtyd Wells

345 Croydon (Platform Ruskin Square) - Putt Putt #2 Crazy Golf Art Installation by TURF Projects

346 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - KISS by Monster Mini Golf

347 Shoreditch, London (Swingers Crazy Golf by the Institute of Competitive Socialising) - indoor Crazy Golf

348 Prestatyn (Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Village) - Crazy Golf

349 Rhyl (East Parade Bowling Club at the Wales National Crown Green Bowling Centre) - Mini Golf Grass Putting

350 Billington, near Leighton Buzzard (Mead Open Farm) - Swedish Felt B-run Crazy Golf

351 Camber Sands (Pontins Camber Sands Holiday Park) - Crazy Golf

352 Old Woking (Hoebridge Golf Centre) - Pirate Island Adventure Golf

353 Epsom (Horton Park Golf Club) - Jungle Island Adventure Golf

354 London - an UrbanCrazy minigolf hole at a wedding aboard the HMS President on the River Thames

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour wouldn't be the same if we hadn't been to a number of closed or derelict courses. This year we arrived at 18 courses to find them in an unplayable condition.

At the derelict Eternit Miniature Golf course on Ayr seafront in July. It was the 230th unplayable course on our tour and 572nd visited overall

The first was the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on North Terrace in Whitby, with the last unplayable course being Ohana Mini Golf in Las Vegas which was closed when Emily passed by at 6am.

At the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Whitby in March. The course was the 545th visited and 218th unplayable one on our tour

Courses visited but not played 20th March 2014 - 14th September 2014

- Whitby (North Terrace) - Arnold Palmer Putting Course
- Whitby (North Terrace) - Pitch & Putt Mini Golf
- Harrogate (Valley Gardens) - Pitch & Putt Mini Golf
- Derby (Mundy Play Centre at Markeaton Park) - Crazy Golf
- Gillingham (Strand Leisure Park)
- Barton's Point Coastal Park, Sheerness (Isle of Sheppey)
- Margate (Temporary mobile theme park)
- London (Clerkenwell Design Week 2014)
- Ardrossan (Seafront) - Crazy Golf - derelict course.
- Largs (Putting on the Ritz) - 18-hole Putting course
- Largs (Putting on the Ritz) - 18-hole Putting course #2
- Largs (Mackerston Putting Green) - 18-hole Putting course
- Largs (Aubrey Park) - Crazy Golf
- Ayr (Seafront) - Derelict Minigolf
- Troon (Seafront) - Crazy Golf
- Prestwick (Seafront) - Putting course
- Falkirk (Callendar Park) - Crazy Golf
- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Ohana Mini Golf

We've revisited a number of courses this year, notably in Prestatyn, West Horndon, Abingdon-on-Thames, and quite a few during the 2014 tournament season.

Emily putting her way to victory in the Holiday on the Buses Pro Minigolf Championship at the Central Beach Crazy Golf course in Prestatyn in September

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list for links to all of the courses we've visited and played to date.

Update from the World Alternative Games 2014 in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

Calendar of events announced and new World Alternative Games Facebook page launched for 2014 Games.

This year's World Alternative Games will see over 60 different sports and activities taking place between Friday 8th and Monday 25th of August in Britain's smallest town - Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales. 

The organisers of the 2014 World Alternative Games have launched a new Facebook page for the 18-day festival of sport.

Among the sports people can compete in will be Finger Jousting - with the World Finger Jousting Federation hosting its first official World Championship on Sunday 10th of August.

The Finger Jousting competitors at the World Alternative Games 2012

In 2012 Emily and I organised the World Alternative Games Finger Jousting Championships that saw competitors from five countries take part in the first Finger Jousting tournament on UK soil! Check out the World Alternative Games 2012 Finger Jousting Championships report on the WFJF website for more info, results, photos and facts & stats from the event.

The crowd looks on as Chief Umpire Emily officiates the Finger Jousting contest between Joachim Davidse (NED) and Alain G (FRA) at the 2012 World Alternative Games

We had a brilliant time in Llanwrtyd Wells and can't wait to return to be a part of the excellent event.

Other sports on offer include Bog Snorkeling, Wife Carrying, Man vs Horse Race and a huge number of other interesting, weird, wacky and wonderful sports and games and designed to appeal to a wide-range of people of all sporting abilities.

As well as organising the Finger Jousting I also competed in the Egg Throwing Championship alongside Jas Kukielka and we took a very surprising Gold Medal in the event!

Jas Kukielka, me and Seve Kukielka with our World Alternative Games medal haul for Egg Throwing at the 2012 Games

The World Alternative Games calendar of events for 2014 is available online and you'll be able to see the vast array of activities on offer!

For further information about the World Alternative Games 2014 check out the website and Facebook page of the games.

The website also has details of places to stay. In 2012 we stayed received a very warm welcome at the Bryncelyn Guest House and had a great (gluten free) meal in the restaurant at the Lasswade Country House hotel in the town.

One of my favourite pubs in the world is the town's Neuadd Arms Hotel - which is also the Headquarters of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Me and Jas Kukielka outside the Neuadd Arms Hotel in Llanwrtyd Wells - Headquarters of the Monster Raving Loony Party!

Links:

- World Alternative Games 2014

- World Alternative Games 2014 on Facebook

- World Alternative Games on Twitter

- World Finger Jousting Federation

- World Finger Jousting Federation on Facebook

- World Alternative Games 2012 Finger Jousting Championships report

- 'Dame' Julia Galvin, sportswoman extraordinaire

Related blog posts:

- 2014 World Alternative Games in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

- Becoming a World Champion in Egg Throwing!

- Finger Jousting to feature as a sport at the 2012 World Alternative Games!