Showing posts with label 2026. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2026. Show all posts

Friday, January 09, 2026

A minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco

A look at an abandoned minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco.


Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

A big thank you to our friend Kieran from Putter Madness for sending us these photos of an old and abandoned minigolf course he found on his recent holiday in Marrakesh, Morocco!

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Minigolf course in Marrakesh, Morocco. Photo by Putter Madness, January 2026

Guest blog posts.

As well as the blog posts about our own crazy golf travels, we've posted guest blogs from friends and family from their visits to courses around the world.

It's excellent receiving photos, information and updates from - and about - crazy golf, minigolf, miniature golf putting, pitch & putt, adventure golf, and Putt-Putt courses around the world. There's such a wide-range and variety of courses out there.

We've met so many people and made some great friends on our travels since 2006. Many of whom have contributed to our travels by telling us about new courses, letting us know about course refurbs, or by sending over photos of courses they've been too. We've also received excellent photos of miniature golf courses from our family, friends, our networks, and course owners, managers, designers and builders themselves.

With this post about the course in Marrakesh, Morocco we've now published guest blog posts from 32 countries!

Related blog posts:


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Tuesday, January 06, 2026

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour is 20 years old in 2026

This year is the 20th year playing on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


2026 sees us hit another big minigolf milestone as we mark 20 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels.

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire, England

How it started.

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire, England on Saturday 30th September 2006. At the end of our 9-hole round I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole!

When we got home from the weekend away we found a list of 600 or so minigolf courses in the UK and wider British Isles on the excellent MiniatureGolfer.com website that Tim 'Ace Man' Davies had compiled. We thought it'd be fun to see how many of them we could visit on day trips and weekends away to the seaside.

How its going.

To date we've been to 1,114 miniature golf courses. 1,053 of them have been in the British Isles.

As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (including Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

From 600 courses in the UK to more than 1,300.

When our crazy golfing travels began in 2006 there were around 600 miniature golf courses in the UK and wider British Isles.

There are now more than 1,400 - and there are lots of new places to play the game opening all the time.

Unfortunately, several courses have closed over the years. But on a brighter note, some others have been refurbished, redeveloped, or completely transformed into new layouts.

All of the changes and updates have meant that our minigolfing quest to visit every course is becoming never-ending!

When we originally set off to visit as many courses as possible the target list was 600 in the British Isles. And almost 20 years later, we've still got around 50 of those original courses to visit!

Minigolf record makers.

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 and the GWR website to see a lot more minigolf records too!

Where next on our crazy minigolfing adventures?

Where do you think we should visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour next? Do get in touch to let us know your suggestions and recommendations, or drop your top picks for minigolf places in the comments.

Related blog posts:


Link:

Minigolf did you knows...?

Did you know these things about minigolf?


Did you know these things about minigolf?

  • The world's first miniature golf course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867.
  • James Barber opened the first minigolf course in the USA in 1916. The 'Lilliputian' miniature golf course was called 'Thistle Dhu' and located in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
  • A Miniature Golf contest was part of the Olympic Games at the 1904 St Louis Games in the USA.
  • Crazy Golf is 100 years old in 2025. The first course using the name 'Crazy Golf' opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England in 1926.
  • 1926 also saw the first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA. Garnet Carter opened the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • The first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place on the 23rd October 1930.
  • The first Putt-Putt brand miniature golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA in 1954.
  • There are several Guinness World Records for achievements in Minigolf, Miniature Golf, Crazy Golf, Adventure Golf, and Putt-Putt. The 2024 edition of the Guinness World Records book featured a whole page about minigolf and you can find details of the records on the Guinness World Records website.
  • There are approximately 1,400 miniature golf courses in the British Isles.
  • Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour is 20 years old in 2026! In that time we've visited over 1,000 courses.
  • The Crazy Golf Museum is 16 years old in 2026. The virtual online museum is a treasure trove and archive for all things related to minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf, miniature golf, Putt Putt, and putting.
  • There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.
    • 'National Miniature Golf Day' is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.
    • The other minigolf day, 'Miniature Golf Day', is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Do you have any other interesting minigolf facts or stats? If you do, get in touch and let us know what they are.

Sunday, January 04, 2026

New minigolf courses in the UK

I'm always on the lookout for new minigolf courses.


Richard Gottfried at Pirates Cove Adventure Golf course at Kingswood Golf Centre near Doncaster

I post about new places planned, in development and opening using the 'New course' tag here on the blog.

If you know of a new minigolf, crazy golf, or adventure golf course opening please do get in touch.

How many minigolf courses are there in the UK today?

As of July 2025, our research indicated there were approximately 1,436 minigolf courses around the UK (and the British Isles including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and other islands). This figure included public courses, as well as those at pay-to-enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels, and other 'non-standard' locations. Some of these courses were also under construction / in development. Over time some locations have also been partially or fully refurbished, while others have completely swapped out an old course for a new one in the same spot. Since our last update we've also discovered and unearthed several courses we didn't previously know about that have opened in the last year or so!

Related blog posts:

Saturday, January 03, 2026

'Crazy Golf' is 100 years old this year

Crazy Golf is 100 years old in 2026.


The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England (2011)

The first miniature golf course using the name 'Crazy Golf' opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England in 1926.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first 'Crazy Golf' course opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In May 2015 The Original Crazy Golf course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We'd first visited the course in 2011.

A sign for The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)
This sign for The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness was located a little further down the road and next to another adventure golf course

From a Crazy Golf course to a hotel.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness had been derelict since 2018 and the site has now had a Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru built on it.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

Crazy Golf postcards from the course.

Here are two minigolf postcards from our collection showing the same location.

CRAZY GOLF. SKEGNESS. A Sapphire Card. LS2225. Posted from Skegness to New Basford, Nottingham in 1972
CRAZY GOLF. SKEGNESS. A Sapphire Card. LS2225. Posted from Skegness to New Basford, Nottingham in 1972

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
This postcard shows the course, note the name for the games is 'Craz-e-Golf'. This is interesting to see, and a name we'd not seen before

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
The postcard was sent to Liverpool from Skegness on the 21st June 1977 (a Tuesday). Note the nice postcard cancellation on the card too

The first miniature golf course.

The world's first miniature golf course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867.

The Himalayas course is the world's first miniature golf and is home to the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club. If you visit you'll find two superb grass putting layouts there - one 18-hole course and one consisting of 9-holes.

Friday, January 02, 2026

Miniature Golf 'Days' in 2026

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.


There are two 'miniature golf days' each year

National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.

The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Minigolf courses we've played on Miniature Golf Days in previous years
Minigolf courses we've played on Miniature Golf Days in previous years

Thursday, January 01, 2026

Happy New Year 2026!

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year

All the very best for 2026.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour is 20 years old in 2026

Next year will be the 20th year playing on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


2026 will see us hit another big minigolf milestone as we mark 20 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels.

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire, England

How it started.

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire, England on Saturday 30th September 2006. At the end of our 9-hole round I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole!

When we got home from the weekend away we found a list of 600 or so minigolf courses in the UK and wider British Isles on the excellent MiniatureGolfer.com website that Tim 'Ace Man' Davies had compiled. We thought it'd be fun to see how many of them we could visit on day trips and weekends away to the seaside.

How its going.

To date we've been to 1,114 miniature golf courses. 1,053 of them have been in the British Isles.

As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (including Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

From 600 courses in the UK to more than 1,300.

When our crazy golfing travels began in 2006 there were around 600 miniature golf courses in the UK and wider British Isles.

There are now more than 1,400 - and there are lots of new places to play the game opening all the time.

Unfortunately, several courses have closed over the years. But on a brighter note, some others have been refurbished, redeveloped, or completely transformed into new layouts.

All of the changes and updates have meant that our minigolfing quest to visit every course is becoming never-ending!

When we originally set off to visit as many courses as possible the target list was 600 in the British Isles. And almost 20 years later, we've still got around 50 of those original courses to visit!

Minigolf record makers.

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 and the GWR website to see a lot more minigolf records too!

Where next on our crazy minigolfing adventures?

Where do you think we should visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour next? Do get in touch to let us know your suggestions and recommendations, or drop your top picks for minigolf places in the comments.

Related blog posts:


Link:

Monday, December 01, 2025

'Crazy Golf' is 100 years old in 2026

Date for your diary - Crazy Golf will be 100 years old in 2026.


The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England (2011)

The first miniature golf course using the name 'Crazy Golf' opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England in 1926.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first 'Crazy Golf' course opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In May 2015 The Original Crazy Golf course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We'd first visited the course in 2011.

A sign for The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)
This sign for The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness was located a little further down the road and next to another adventure golf course

From a Crazy Golf course to a hotel.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness had been derelict since 2018 and the site has now had a Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru built on it.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

Crazy Golf postcards from the course.

Here are two minigolf postcards from our collection showing the same location.

CRAZY GOLF. SKEGNESS. A Sapphire Card. LS2225. Posted from Skegness to New Basford, Nottingham in 1972
CRAZY GOLF. SKEGNESS. A Sapphire Card. LS2225. Posted from Skegness to New Basford, Nottingham in 1972

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
This postcard shows the course, note the name for the games is 'Craz-e-Golf'. This is interesting to see, and a name we'd not seen before

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977
The postcard was sent to Liverpool from Skegness on the 21st June 1977 (a Tuesday). Note the nice postcard cancellation on the card too

The first miniature golf course.

The world's first miniature golf course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867.

The Himalayas course is the world's first miniature golf and is home to the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club. If you visit you'll find two superb grass putting layouts there - one 18-hole course and one consisting of 9-holes.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

2026 British Minigolf Association Calendar of Events

Details of the British Minigolf Association Tour Calendar of Events for the 2026 Season.


The British Minigolf Association - the National Governing Body for the sport of minigolf in the UK - has released details of its 2026 Tour Calendar of Events.

18 events have been announced, with the Thanet Open at Lost Island in Margate, Kent teeing-off the season on the 1st February 2026. The 2026 BMGA Tour season is capped off with the British Indoor Minigolf Open at Volcano Falls in Castleford, West Yorkshire on the 29th November 2026.

British Minigolf Association Tour Calendar of Events for the 2026 Season

Find out more

Check out the BMGA website for information about the British Minigolf Association, minigolf competitions, minigolf clubs and more.

The 2025 BMGA Tour Season.

The current BMGA Tour Season draws to a close on the 7th December with this years British Indoor Minigolf Open at Volcano Falls in Castleford.

Playing on the BMGA Tour.

Emily and I were full members of the BMGA from 2007 to 2015 and played in hundreds of minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf tournaments around the UK during that time.

I'm a seven-time winner on the UK national minigolf circuit, including two BMGA British Club Championships in 2008 and 2015, and a four-time finalist in the World Crazy Golf Championships. Through the BMGA I represented Great Britain in Nations Cup international tournaments in Finland and Sweden in 2008 and 2011.

Emily made her debut in the 2007 Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships and won 'The Gommery' Aces Title at the World Crazy Golf Championships in 2014 & 2015. A two-time WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Champion, Emily is also the British Women's Record Holder on the Eternit system of Miniature Golf with an 18-hole round of 24 (-12) at the Nations Cup in Stockholm in 2011.

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

King Pins opening in Edinburgh

A new King Pins venue is opening in Edinburgh, Scotland.


King Pins

King Pins will be opening a new location in Edinburgh in early 2026.

The King Pins Edinburgh venue will be home to tenpin bowling, crazy golf, ice free curling, shuffleboard, pool and more.

Mini Golf at King Pins at the Arndale Centre in Manchester
Mini Golf at King Pins at the Arndale Centre in Manchester

Find out more

Check out the King Pins website for more information on King Pins venues in Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow, and Belfast.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've played Mini Golf at Kings Pins at the Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Palazzo locations on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing Mini Golf at King Pins at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Playing Mini Golf at King Pins at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester

We swung by the King Pins venue at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds earlier this year.

Crazy Pool at King Pins at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds
Crazy Pool at King Pins at the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds

We've also been bowling and played ice free curling at King Pins.

Ice Free Curling at King Pins at the Arndale Centre in Manchester
Ice Free Curling at King Pins at the Arndale Centre in Manchester

Link:


Related blog posts:

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Christmas Crazy Golf at The Winter Gardens in Beckenham Place Park

The Winter Gardens in Beckenham Place Park, London will have a crazy golf course.


The Winter Gardens in Beckenham Place Park, London will have a crazy golf course

Plonk Golf will have a 9-hole Christmas-themed crazy golf course at The Winter Gardens in Beckenham Place Park from Saturday 22nd November 2025 until Sunday 4th January 2026.

Find out more.

Check out the Beckenham Place Park, The Winter Gardens, and Plonk Golf websites for more information.

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

New indoor adventure golf at two Parkdean Resorts holiday parks

Highfield Grange Holiday Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex and Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk will soon have new indoor adventure golf courses.


Highfield Grange Holiday Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex and Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk will soon have new indoor adventure golf courses

New indoor adventure golf courses are being created at Parkdean Resorts holiday parks in Clacton-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth.

Highfield Grange Holiday Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex and Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk plan to have the new indoor adventure golf courses open ready for spring 2026.

Find out more.

Visit the Parkdean Resorts website for more information.


Related blog posts:


Links:

Sunday, November 09, 2025

Bay View Mini Golf in Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby

There's a new mini golf course in Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby, North Yorkshire.


There's a new mini golf course in Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Bay View Mini Golf is a new course in Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby

Bay View Mini Golf opened at the Tennis & Bowling Club in Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby this year. It's closed for the season, but re-opens in 2026.

Find out more.

Visit the Bay View Mini Golf Facebook Page for more information.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. 

Bay View Mini Golf in Robin Hood's Bay looks like an interesting and unique course - it's a crazy golf course with raised borders, but played on a grass putting surface! It's always interesting to see new and different types of courses. We look forward to checking it out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Friday, September 26, 2025

Plans for an Adventure Golf course in Scarborough

There are plans for an adventure golf course to be installed in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.


There are plans for an adventure golf course to be installed in Scarborough, North Yorkshire

The 18-hole outdoor adventure golf course would be installed by the team at Observation Wheel UK and be in place until October 2027.

Find out more.

Visit the Observation Wheel UK website for more information.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Scarborough is a minigolf hot-spot and we're looking forward to a return trip to the seaside resort on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Two 'Miniature Golf Days'

Dates for your minigolf diary in 2026.


There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.
  • National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2026 that will be Saturday 9th May.
  • The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2026 the 21st falls on a Monday.

Minigolf courses we've played on Miniature Golf Days in previous years
Minigolf courses we've played on Miniature Golf Days in previous years

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Roxy Ball Room opening in High Holborn, London

A new Roxy Ball Room is opening in High Holborn, London in 2026.


Roxy Ball Room at Deansgate in Manchester (July 2025)

Next year will see a new Roxy Ball Room venue opening in High Holborn, London.

Roxy Ball Room in High Holborn will be the second London location for the competitive socialising brand, following the opening of Roxy Ball Room at St Mary Axe.

Roxy Ball Room venues have a range of competitive socialising games including American Pool, Ping Pong, Beer Pong, Shuffleboard, Karaoke, Ice Free Curling, Darts, Crazy Pool, Shooting Galleries, Crazy Golf, Duck Pin Bowling, Shuffleboard, Tenpin Bowling and more.

It'll be interesting to see what games will be on offer at Roxy Ball Room in High Holborn.

Roxy Ball Room venues have a range of competitive socialising games
Roxy Ball Room, Merrion Street in Leeds (May 2025)

Find out more.

Check out the Roxy Leisure website for more information.

Roxy Ball Room Deansgate Manchester (July 2025)

You can currently find 20 Roxy Ball Room venues in Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and York.

Visiting Roxy Ball Rooms.

We've visited several Roxy Ball Room locations on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and played Crazy Golf and Crazy Golf there, as well as games of shuffleboard and pool.

Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room Deansgate in Manchester (July 2025)
Crazy Pool at Roxy Ball Room Deansgate in Manchester (July 2025)

We're looking forward to a return to Roxy Ball Room Deansgate (one of two locations local to us in Manchester) for a game of Tech Darts - as it includes a minigolf mini-game within it!

Tech Darts and Karaoke at Roxy Ball Room Deansgate in Manchester (July 2025)
Tech Darts and Karaoke at Roxy Ball Room Deansgate in Manchester (July 2025)

Related blog posts:

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Mini Golf in the Guinness World Records 2026 Book

There's a minigolf record listed in the 2026 edition of the Guinness World Records book.


You'll have to check out a copy of the book to see which one it is!

Guinness World Records 2026 Book

Mini Golf in the Guinness World Records 2024 Book

The 2024 edition of the Guinness World Records book had a whole page dedicated to minigolf records. Including one I hold.

The book also has a crazy golf element on the brilliant cover art challenge.

My Guinness World Record

I'm a Guinness World Record Holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press).

Richard Gottfried playing the Ryder Legends Mini Golf course at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield
Playing the Ryder Legends Mini Golf course at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield

You can see the full list of courses Emily and I have visited since the 30th September 2006 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour page. We're currently at a combined total of 1,099 courses visited over the last 19 years.

Richard & Emily Gottfried at the Southend Pier Crazy Golf course
At the Southend Pier Crazy Golf course in 2016

Minigolf Guinness World Records

Make sure to visit the Guinness World Records website to see all of the minigolf Guinness World Records.