Scrapyard Golf at Discobowl Banbury

Banbury Bowl is now known as Discobowl Banbury.

We visited the Banbury venue on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour last December - it's home to an indoor minigolf course called Scrapyard Golf

The indoor minigolf course (December 2024)

You can find Scrapyard Golf courses at Discobowl venues in Chatham, Nottingham, Nuneaton, Worcester and Banbury.

Check out the Discobowl Banbury website for more information.

Jurassic Jungle Crazy Golf at The Farm Shop at Ombersley

There's a Jurassic Jungle Crazy Golf course at The Farm Shop at Ombersley, Worcestershire.

Visit The Farm Shop at Ombersley and Jurassic Jungle Crazy Golf websites for more information.

The 18-hole outdoor Jurassic Jungle Crazy Golf is another new one for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Adventure Golf at Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park in Fleetwood

There's an Adventure Golf course at Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

The outdoor Adventure Golf course opened in 2024.

Check out the Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park website for more information.

The course was created by Easigrass Artificial Grass.

Palm Beach Adventure Golf at Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay

There's a 9-hole Adventure Golf course at Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay, Cornwall.

The outdoor Palm Beach Adventure Golf course opened in 2024.

Find out more about the Palm Beach Adventure Golf course on the Hendra Holiday Park website.

Putt Darts at King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester

There's a darts-themed hole on the King Pins Mini Golf course at the Trafford Palazzo shopping and entertainment centre in Manchester.

Find out more about King Pins locations on the King Pins website.

The King Pins Mini Golf course at Trafford Palazzo became the 1,072nd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We played Mini Golf at King Pins at the Manchester Arndale last year.

Radioactive Mini Golf in Manchester

There's a 'toxic waste' hole at King Pins in Manchester!

Find out more about King Pins locations on the King Pins website.

The King Pins Mini Golf course at Trafford Palazzo became the 1,072nd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We played Mini Golf at King Pins at the Manchester Arndale last year.

Eleven months until Christmas!

There are 'just' 334 days to go until Christmas 2025.

Last November we played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the Northwich Christmas Extravaganza

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe is closing

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk is going to be demolished.

The Sea Road Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe will be closed and the site turned into residential properties after plans were approved for the work to go ahead.

It's a shame to see minigolf courses close down. Fantasia Adventure Golf has always been fun to play.

The sun is setting on the Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe 

It's one of our most visited courses and was originally the 7th we went to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We last swung by in August last year.

The course opened in 1997/98 and was one of the first adventure golf layouts to open in the UK.

Mr Mulligan Crazy Golf in Bournemouth

Playing the Mr Mulligan Crazy Golf course in Bournemouth.

Mr Mulligan Crazy Golf in Bournemouth

The Mr Mulligan indoor Crazy Golf course in Bournemouth, Dorset was the 563rd courses played, and 1,016th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in March last year.

Mr Mulligan Crazy Golf in Bournemouth

Check out the Mr Mulligan website for more information about the Bournemouth location, and other Mr Mulligan venues around the UK.

Mr Mulligan Crazy Golf in Bournemouth

We've been to the Mr Mulligan courses in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes (indoor and outdoor venues), Newcastle, Norwich, Sidcup, Stevenage, Woking and Worcester.

We've yet to get to the Mr Mulligan courses in Basildon, Bristol, Hemel Hempstead, Nottingham and Tonbridge.

Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport

What a name for a takeaway!

We spotted the new Kebab Near Me takeaway in Bridgehall, Stockport over Christmas.

Bravo to the team at Kebab Near Me in Bridgehall, Stockport for selecting the name for the takeaway.

This is one way to be found!

Check out the Kebab Near Me website.

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

There's something familiar about this shop's name and sign...

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

Morrisan Supermarket in Manchester

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2024

We visited 33 miniature golf courses this year.

Our minigolf adventures have taken us around the world - this is the Golf Planet Indoor Mini Golf course in Santiago, Chile

Courses played in 2024:

• 574 (1,053) Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (Twilight Zone by Monster Mini Golf) - 18-hole indoor course at the Horseshoe
• 575 (1,064) Westerfield, Ipswich (The Railway pub) - Adventure Golf
• 576 (1,034) Milton Keynes (Volcano Falls Adventure Golf) - Coney Island Carnival course - previously visited but not played in October 2023
• 577 (1,066) Manchester, Arndale (Roxy Ball Room) - Crazy Pool
• 578 (1,063) Manchester, Arndale (King Pins) - Mini Golf
• 579 (1,067) Warrington (Level Up Warrington) - Mini Golf
• 580 (1,068) Northwich (Christmas Extravaganza pop-up Crazy Golf course by Lancashire Crazy Golf) - Christmas-themed Crazy Golf

PopStroke Mini Golf in Las Vegas

Courses visited in 2024:

• 1,045 Bournemouth (Boom Battle Bar) - Crazier Nolf
• 1,046 - 1,047 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (PopStroke Las Vegas) - Black and Blue courses at Town Square Las Vegas
• 1,048 - 1,052 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (Swingers Las Vegas) - five 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses at Mandalay Bay - under construction
• 1,054 Bury St Edmunds (Abbey Gardens) - Crazy Golf - Revisited in August 2024 (the course had moved locations in the park)
• 1,055 (1,000th visited in the British Isles) Bury St Edmunds (Sneaky Links Crazy Golf) - Crazy Golf - Revisited in August 2024
• 1,056 Lincoln (Urban Putters) - Crazy Golf
• 1,057 Lincoln (GH Golf Lincoln) - Crazy Golf
• 1,058 Blackpool (The Hole In Wand) - Magical Mini Golf
• 1,059 Blackpool (Putt Above Mini Golf & Bar) - High-tech indoor minigolf
• 1,060 King's Lynn (Octoputts) - Indoor Crazy Golf
• 1,061 Santiago, Chile (Club de Golf Los Leones) - Putting Green
• 1,062 Santiago, Chile (Golf Planet at Open Plaza Kennedy) - Circuito de Minigolf
• 1,063 Manchester, Arndale (King Pins) - Mini Golf
• 1,065 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (KISS World featuring KISS Mini Golf and KISS World Museum) - KISS Mini Golf
• 1,069 Haverhill (Go Wild Axe & Golf - Wild Blades) - Adventure Golf
• 1,070 Rugby (Strikes Bar at The Adventure Zone in Rugby Central shopping centre) - Crazy Golf
• 1,071 Manchester (Tenpin Parrs Wood) - Prison Putt indoor adventure golf
• 1,072 Manchester, Trafford Palazzo (King Pins) - Mini Golf
• 1,073 Banbury (Banbury Bowl) - Scrapyard Golf
• 1,074 Banbury (The Light) - Mini Golf
• 1,075 Frilford (Millets Farm) - Millets Farmyard Golf

Nolf - the not Crazier Golf game at Boom Battle Bar!

Courses revisited in 2024:

• Prestatyn Crazy Golf in Prestatyn
• Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf
• Princess Parade Crazy Golf in Blackpool
• Adventure Golf on Sea Road in Felixstowe
• Magical Golf FX in Felixstowe
• City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, USA
• FTW in Chicago, USA
• Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
• Mini Golf at Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate in Manchester
• Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich
• Putting Courses at Vickersway Park in Northwich
• Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course
• The abandoned minigolf course on Bournemouth's Exeter Road

We've now been to a total of 1,075 miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006, with 1,017 of them in the British Isles. Our travels have been recognised by the Guinness World Records, and Richard is a record holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited".

When our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the British Isles.

Of the original list of 600 we've still got to visit 39 of the public courses. In addition there are a further 150 courses at pay to enter attractions, hotels and holiday parks that we've not yet been to.

On top of these 189 courses from the original list there are hundreds more courses that have opened over the last 18 years! We tracked 320 courses that opened between May 2020 and July 2023. Between August 2023 and September 2024 a further 150 courses opened, or were in development. And between September 2024 and December 2024 another 27 new courses have been announced.

As of today there are approximately 1,370 minigolf courses around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, and other islands). This includes public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations.

For information about new minigolf, crazy golf, and adventure golf courses opening in the UK take a look at the posts with the 'New course' tag here on the Ham & Egger Files minigolf blog where we regularly post updates about new places to play the game.

If you know of a new course opening in the UK please do get in touch and let us know.

Merry Christmas 2024!

Happy Christmas!

We wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best for the festive season.

Christmas Crazy Golf courses from our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Blogiversary of the Ham and Egger Files

I've been blogging for 18 years today.

I'm often asked how is it that a blog about minigolf has the name the 'Ham and Egger Files'? The answer is that it didn't initially start out life as a minigolf blog.

The first post

I published my first post about how I planned to participate in as many obscure and minority sports as I could and see what would happen with the (limited amount of) sporting ability I had!

What is a Ham & Egger?

The term 'ham and egger' has connotations ranging from that of 'ordinary person' to that of 'loser'. The origin of the term comes from prize fighters whose modest skills wouldn’t let them win large purses. Therefore, the fighter or their manager - who received a percentage of any purses won - were never able to afford to eat better than ham and eggs.

Lots of blogs

Since that first post 18 years ago I have published more than 5,900 posts and received more than 3.5 million pageviews!

Admittedly, a large number of the blog posts have been about minigolf.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Our interest in minigolf and what would soon become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour had actually begun on the 30th September 2006, but I didn't publish a post about the sport until the 29th January 2007 when I announced that I had joined the British Minigolf Association - a competition circuit I made my actual debut on in Southend-on-Sea on the 28th April 2007.

We've now been to over 1,000 miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. 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).

When we began our travels there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,370, with new courses opening all the time.

Other sports & games are available

If you're wondering what happened to the quest to play lots of different sports, that has continued and I've participated in some very interesting events over the years!

A massive thank you goes out to everyone who has ever read one of my posts, commented, shared, or guest blogged on the site, it really is very much appreciated.

How many minigolf courses are there in the UK? (Update: December 2024)

There are lots of new minigolf courses being built, in development or planned to open in the UK.

Minigolf is an incredibly popular activity for all ages and there are new courses opening up all the time in a wide-range of outdoor and indoor locations.

Whereas the game in the UK has traditionally been a seaside pastime, over the last decade it has grown to be a game enjoyed by people in more and more towns and cities - with many catering to a late night audience.

How many minigolf courses are there in the UK?

As at December 2024 there are approximately 1,370 minigolf courses around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, and other islands). This includes public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations.

Developments over the last two decades

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the British Isles. Only two of those original courses were indoor venues. Both of these were on the East Anglian coast (in Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth). The indoor course at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe has recently been removed and is being replaced by a brand new layout that is set to open in the same location at Easter 2025.

Now the indoor game is booming and you can find minigolf courses indoors at shopping centres, retail parks, and in town and city centres around the country.

The game was traditionally played on days out, short breaks and holidays, either at the seaside or on holiday camps. While the game has always been enjoyed by people old enough to pick up a putter, it has become a game played as much by groups of adults as it is by families.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've now been to a total of 1,072 miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, with 1,014 of them in the British Isles. 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!

Of the original list of 600 we've still got to visit 39 of the public courses. In addition there are a further 150 courses at pay to enter attractions, hotels and holiday parks that we've not yet been to.

On top of these 189 courses from the original list there are hundreds more courses that have opened over the last 18 years! We tracked 320 courses that opened between May 2020 and July 2023. Between August 2023 and September 2024 a further 150 courses have opened, or are in development. And between September 2024 and December 2024 another 27 new courses have been announced.

More new courses to come

There are 100+ new courses being created each year - some are on old sites/locations, some are completely new venues, while others are in planning/development, or under construction.

There are quite a few other minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf courses that are short-term 'pop-ups', some of which have been used as proof of concept businesses and developed into permanent courses. 

A few things to note

Please note that minigolf in the UK is not an exact science and courses are opening, in planning/development, and being 'lost' quite often. Others are being refurbished, and some are completely renovated to the point where they could be considered entirely new courses.

Find new courses

For information about new minigolf, crazy golf, and adventure golf courses opening in the UK take a look at the posts with the New course tag here on the Ham & Egger Files minigolf blog where I regularly post updates about new places to play the game.

Let's talk minigolf

If you know of a new course opening in the UK please do get in touch and let me know.

Mini Golf at Worthing Winter Fest

There will be a pop-up mini golf course at Worthing Winter Fest this Sunday.

Globetrotters Golf will have a pop-up mini golf course at the Worthing Winter Fest event at Montague Place this Sunday, 22nd December.

Find out more on the Worthing Town Centre Initiative website.

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester

A look at the new King Pins Mini Golf course at the Trafford Palazzo shopping and entertainment centre in Manchester.

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester

An indoor mini golf course is part of the set-up at the King Pins tenpin bowling and entertainment venue at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester.

The 9-hole King Pins Mini Golf course opened at the Trafford Palazzo in July this year.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

Find out more about King Pins locations on the King Pins website.

The King Pins Mini Golf course at Trafford Palazzo became the 1,072nd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Earlier this year we played Mini Golf at King Pins at the Manchester Arndale.

Merry Puttsmas

'Tis the season - for festive Putting!

Have you played or seen any festive minigolf courses this holiday season?

We've heard about a few Christmas-themed minigolf courses either popping-up, or permanent courses being festively decorated in the run-up to the big day.

We also managed to have a game on the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich, Cheshire.

The Christmas-themed Crazy Golf course in Northwich, Cheshire

Crazy Pool at Roxy Lanes in Bristol

Roxy Lanes on Union Street in Bristol has added Crazy Pool to its range of activities.

A new 9-hole Crazy Pool layout has been added to the games and activities on offer at Roxy Lanes on Union Street in Bristol.

Crazy Pool is a mix of crazy golf and cue sports, with the game played on a table using a golf ball to tackle obstacles, and played with a cue rather than a putter.

This is one of the Crazy Pool tables/holes at our local Roxy Ball Room in Manchester

Visit the Roxy Lanes website for more information.

Treetop Golf at Cabot Circus in Bristol

The new Treetop Adventure Golf venue is opening at Cabot Circus in Bristol today, Tuesday 17th December 2024.

The venue is home to two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

You can find other Treetop Adventure Golf courses in Cardiff, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham and Gateshead.

Visit the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.