Showing posts with label Mini Golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mini Golf. Show all posts

Monday, December 23, 2024

Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

A visit to the Scrapyard Golf course at the Banbury Bowl Discobowl venue in Banbury, Oxfordshire.


Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

Scrapyard Golf at Banbury Bowl

Check out the Banbury Bowl website for more information.


Banbury Bowl

Mini Golf at The Light in Banbury

There's a mini golf course at The Light cinema in Banbury, Oxfordshire.


Mini Golf at The Light in Banbury

Mini Golf at The Light in Banbury

Mini Golf at The Light in Banbury

Visit The Light Banbury's website for more information.

Friday, December 20, 2024

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.


Information about new adventure golf, crazy golf and miniature golf courses 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.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

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

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
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.

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 1

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 2

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 3

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 3

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 4

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 5

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 6

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 7

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 7

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 8

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
Hole 9

King Pins Mini Golf at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester
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.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Puttify Golf opening at Center Parcs Woburn Forest

Center Parcs Woburn Forest will be home to one of the UK's first Puttify Golf courses.


Center Parcs Woburn Forest will be home to one of the UK's first Puttify Golf courses

The new indoor mini golf course will be opening at Center Parcs Woburn Forest in 2025.

Puttify Golf is a new type of interactive mini golf. You can find out more about Puttify Golf on the Greenspan website.


Visit the Center Parcs website for more information on the Woburn Forest holiday park.


Emily and I haven't been to a Center Parcs before, however my brother Christopher and his family have holidayed at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Norfolk and played the outdoor Treasure Island Adventure Golf course there on their branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A snowy day at two lost minigolf courses in Luton

A look back at a snow day on the minigolf courses in Wardown Park, Luton.


Mini & Crazy Golf in Wardown Park, Luton
Snow play allowed. This was back in January 2010

When we lived down in Luton, Bedfordshire our local park had two miniature golf courses. One was a 9-hole grass Mini Golf layout, the other was a 9-hole fibreglass Crazy Golf course.

Crazy Golf in Wardown Park, Luton
That's hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course under the snow

The grass course at Wardown Park opened in 1934 and was an interesting one to play. It was too big to be considered to be a Putting Green, but not large enough to be classed as a Pitch & Putt, even though you were issued with an iron and a putter when you played.

Ticket for the Crazy Golf course in Wardown Park, Luton
You also received a paper ticket every time you played a round on the courses. A really nice touch and something we've rarely seen elsewhere on our travels

Sadly both courses are now long gone. Luckily we played a lot of games there in the latter half of the noughties.

The area where the two courses were was turned into a mini meadow in 2015.

Minigolf in Wardown Park

There is a new minigolf course near to where the other courses were. We visited it back in 2021.

Wardown Adventure Golf course in Wardown Park, Luton
Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton (2021)

You can find out more on the Wardown Adventure Golf website.

Monday, December 16, 2024

Puttify Golf opening at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre

Bath Sports and Leisure Centre will soon be home to the UK's first Puttify Golf course.


Bath Sports and Leisure Centre will soon be home to the UK's first Puttify Golf course

The new 9-hole indoor mini golf course will be opening at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre in Bath, Somerset on Friday 20th December.

Puttify Golf is a new type of interactive mini golf. You can find out more about Puttify Golf on the Greenspan website.


Puttify Golf at Bath Sports and Leisure Centre will be another new venue to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course

A revisit to the Lower Gardens Mini Golf course in Bournemouth.


Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course


Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course

Emily swung by for a look at the course on her recent trip to the seaside town.

Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course

The course location is one of the oldest sites of Miniature Golf in the UK. According to information on a board near the course a Putting Green was introduced to the Lower Gardens in 1931 and the present Mini Golf course was extensively remodelled in 2007.

Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course

We've got a fair few postcards in our collection showing the course over the years (here are links to a couple of them - 1 / 2). I've also got several photos of my parents playing the course in the 1970s!

Bournemouth's Lower Gardens Mini Golf course

Saturday, December 07, 2024

Playing Christmas Crazy Golf in Northwich

We recently played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich, Cheshire.



The Christmas-themed pop-up Crazy Golf course in Northwich was the 1,068th course we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 580th layout we've played on our travels.

Check out the Visit Northwich website for more about the town and its various events throughout the year. We visit Northwich a few times each year, and although Crazy Golf features at several of the events until today we'd not had a chance to have a go on the course.


You can find out more about hiring the pop-up course on the Lancashire Crazy Golf website.

Adventure Golf at The Railway Inn in Westerfield, near Ipswich (August 2024)

Playing the Adventure Golf course at The Railway Inn in Westerfield, near Ipswich, Suffolk.


We played the 9-hole outdoor Adventure Golf course in the pub beer garden of The Railway Inn in Westerfield, near Ipswich, Suffolk on a visit to the town to see family.


The Adventure Golf course at The Railway was the 1,064th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, the 1,007th we've been to in the British Isles, and the 575th course we've played on our travels since 2006.

Friday, December 06, 2024

Festive Crazy Golfing in Northwich

We recently played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich, Cheshire.



The Christmas-themed pop-up Crazy Golf course in Northwich was the 1,068th course we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 580th layout we've played on our travels.

Check out the Visit Northwich website for more about the town and its various events throughout the year. We visit Northwich a few times each year, and although Crazy Golf features at several of the events until today we'd not had a chance to have a go on the course.


You can find out more about hiring the pop-up course on the Lancashire Crazy Golf website.

Monday, December 02, 2024

Christmas Crazy Golfing in Northwich

We recently played the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich, Cheshire.



The Christmas-themed pop-up Crazy Golf course in Northwich was the 1,068th course we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 580th layout we've played on our travels.

Check out the Visit Northwich website for more about the town and its various events throughout the year. We visit Northwich a few times each year, and although Crazy Golf features at several of the events until today we'd not had a chance to have a go on the course.


You can find out more about hiring the pop-up course on the Lancashire Crazy Golf website.

Winter Wonderland Mini Golf at Holey Molies

Holy Molies Mini Golf course in Skelton-in-Cleveland has been given a festive makeover.


Holy Molies Mini Golf course in Skelton-in-Cleveland has been given a festive makeover

Winter Wonderland Mini Golf at Holey Molies in Skelton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire is now open.

Check out the Holey Molies website for more information.


The 18-hole indoor Mini Golf course at Holey Molies Leisure Complex was the 845th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 807th in the British Isles back in September 2018.

Holey Molies Mini Golf in Skelton-in-Cleveland

Sunday, December 01, 2024

Christmas Crazy Golf in Northwich

Playing the Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich, Cheshire.


Christmas-themed minigolf course from Lancashire Crazy Golf at the 2024 Northwich Christmas Extravaganza in Northwich
On hole 10 of the festive minigolf course in Northwich

The Christmas-themed pop-up Crazy Golf course in Northwich was the 1,068th course we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 580th layout we've played on our travels.




Check out the Visit Northwich website for more about the town and its various events throughout the year. We visit Northwich a few times each year, and although Crazy Golf features at several of the events until today we'd not had a chance to have a go on the course.


You can find out more about hiring the pop-up course on the Lancashire Crazy Golf website.


Scoring a hole-in-one on hole 8 of the pop-up Christmas Crazy Golf course in Northwich
Scoring a hole-in-one on hole 8 of the pop-up Crazy Golf course

Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich (November 2024)

A walk round the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire.


The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich

We revisited the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park while in Northwich for the town's Christmas Extravaganza. We really like the park, it's a nice and pleasant spot just outside the town centre.

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 1

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 2

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 3

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 4

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 5

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 6

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 7

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 7

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 7

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 7

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 8

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich
Hole 9

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich

The Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich

The 9-hole Crazy Golf layout at Vickersway Park was originally the 700th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in September 2016.



As well as the Crazy Golf course the park is also home to a grass Putting course.