From Crazy Golf to Padel at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke

The old crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke is being replaced with four padel courts.

The crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke has been out of use for quite some time.

We visited the crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2019.

Crazy Golf at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island

A look at the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island, Essex.

Last week I asked the question "Where in the world was this crazy golf course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour?".

The answer was the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at Fantasy Island on Canvey Island in Essex.

At the time I visited and played the course in April 2009 it was a 9-hole layout - it had originally been an 18-hole course. We revisited the course in 2011.

It's now a lost course. However, Fantasy Island is still home to a crazy golf course - one we're yet to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Find out more on the Fantasy Island Canvey Island Facebook Page.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, Dorset

Looking back at The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth, Dorset.

I visited and played The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth on the 11th October in both 2008 and 2009 while in town for the Weymouth Open Adventure Golf tournament at the Pirate Adventure Golf course at the nearby Sea Life Centre.

It's the only time I've seen a Flintstones-themed miniature golf course on my travels.

The Rules of The Flintstones Crazy Golf

Photos of The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth in October 2008.

Photos of The Flintstones Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth in October 2009.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course in Weymouth was the 77th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2008. It's long gone now.

The Flintstones Crazy Golf course is almost as distant a memory as prehistoric times! 

Lost minigolf courses - The Golfing Hole Adventure Golf course in Swindon, Wiltshire

A look back at The Golfing Hole indoor adventure golf course in Swindon, Wiltshire.

At The Golfing Hole indoor Adventure Golf course in Swindon

We visited Swindon, Wiltshire in January 2015 to play our first miniature golf course of the New Year. The location was The Golfing Hole Indoor Adventure Golf course at the Spectrum on Mead Way.

Emily playing hole 2 - a big ramp that led to a spiral

The course was the 589th visited and 355th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006. In 2014 we visited 46 courses and played 28 of them.

Putting into a machine

During our match we played through each of the obstacles, rather than taking the easier line and putting around the lumps and bumps of the greens. Some of the holes in the pipes were easier to get the ball into than others, with a few of them causing a lot of frustration. The result of our contest was a draw, with a score of 54 each.

Emily putts into one of the factory's machines. This one was really tough

Putting from the back of the green

There was a BIG minigolf loop-di-loop on one of the holes

   

My favourite hole at The Golfing Hole. Though quite what a green 'grass' minigolf layout with sandy bunkers was doing inside a 'factory' I don't know. Very crazy golf! 

Emily putts out after playing through a cabin/site office in The Golfing Hole factory

Hole 13 led into the blacklight area, while the tee-off point for hole 14 was inside

This hole was really difficult as the gap at the top of the ramp wasn't much bigger than the golf ball

Playing out the UV hole

Emily tees-off inside the blacklight room

And putts out in the light of the factory

Related blog posts:

• Swindon
• Wiltshire
• Adventure Golf
• Lost course

Mini-Golf to Padel at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster

There are plans to create four padel courts in place of the minigolf course at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster, Lancashire.

We've not yet visited the Birdies, Bogeys, Eagles and Pars Crazy Golf course at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Lancaster council website for more information on Salt Ayre Leisure Centre.

Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf in Cleethorpes

Looking back at Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

On our holiday in Cleethorpes in May 2018 we revisited a number of miniature golf courses, two of which were Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course and the Putting Green next to it.

A view of the Crazy Golf course

The Putting Green

When we arrived the courses were closed, as they were when we first visited in May 2011. Luckily the courses were open the next day so we were able to have a round.

It was nice to finally play the traditional seaside Crazy Golf course. It'd had a lick of paint since our last visit

Sadly Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course has been demolished. We're glad we got to play the colourful and unique crazy golf layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Photos of Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf and Putting courses on the 18th May 2018.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Related blog posts:

• Cleethorpes
• Terry's Traditional
• Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
• Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf and Putting in Cleethorpes

19 years ago on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

A look back at the 10th course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We visited the 10th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on this day 18 years ago.

On a bitterly cold 23rd December 2006 Emily, my brother Christopher and I headed along to the Horse & Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne, Oxfordshire to have a game on their beer garden Crazy Golf course.

And what a course it was - we'd not seen anything like it before! And we haven't seen anything quite like it since!

Crazy Golf at the Horse and Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne, Oxfordshire - December 2006

We visited the course again in April 2011 and while it was a bit drier, it was still a very mossy layout.

Crazy Golf at the Horse and Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne, Oxfordshire - April 2011

Little did we know back then that our interest in crazy golf would become an obsession and that we'd visit 1,114 courses over 19 years.

Together with Christopher and his family we've now been to a grand total of 1,168 courses since we all picked up a putter in Southsea on the 30th September 2006.