World Book Day - The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

Today is World Book Day.

My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, tournaments and courses is available to purchase from Amazon.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

I’ve been really pleased to see the ebook bought and used by a number of minigolf associations and federations, course owners and managers, bloggers, course reviewers and competition players around the world.

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and years of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It’s a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I’ve worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game. I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

When Emily and I began travelling around the country on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour there were around 600 courses in the UK. We’ve now visited more than 1,000 courses, including 47 overseas.

My sports, games and travel blog at the Ham & Egger Files contains over 5,400 posts that have attracted 3.1 million page views.

There are a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community. The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing should give federations, associations, courses, clubs and fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Buy The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon.

Other minigolf books

While you're at it I also recommend checking out the following books about miniature golf:

• Amazing Strokes by Gretchen Smith
• Tilting at Windmills: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Sport by Andy Miller
• The Path Behind the Green Jacket by Olivia Prokopová
• 10 Courses for 10 Years by The Putting Penguin
• Mini Golf by photographer Simon Martin

There are a number of other books about the game listed at the Crazy Golf Museum.

Mini Golf at Gulliver's Land Theme Park Resort in Milton Keynes

A look at the Mini Golf course at Gulliver's Land Theme Park Resort in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

My brother Christopher and his family visited Gulliver's Land Theme Park Resort in Milton Keynes and sent these snaps of the mini golf course there.

The combined total of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour is now at 1,090 courses visited since September 2006!

Check out the Gulliver's Land Theme Park Resort website for more information.

Crazy Golf Meets the Movies! at Uredale Mill in Askrigg

A pop-up crazy golf course is opening at Uredale Mill in Askrigg for Easter.

The Crazy Golf Meets the Movies! 18-hole indoor minigolf course will be open at Uredale Mill in Askrigg, North Yorkshire from the 23rd March to the 7th April.

Visit the Uredale Mill website and Incredible Artists Facebook Page for more information.

World Crazy Golf Championships 2024

The 2024 World Crazy Golf Championships will be held in Hastings, East Sussex from the 7th to the 9th June.

Entries are open for the 2024 World Crazy Golf Championships at Hastings Adventure Golf.

The major miniature golf tournament will see the main event take place on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June. A juniors event will be held on Saturday 8th June. And a team event will be held on Friday 7th June.

You can find out all the details on the Hastings Adventure Golf website, and the new Facebook Page for the World Crazy Golf Championships.

Richard Gottfried playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships

We both made our debuts in the 2007 edition of the event back when it was known as the Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships. It was Emily's first ever miniature golf tournament.

Emily Gottfried playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships

The competition is played on the 18-hole Crazy Golf course at Hastings Seafront. The layout is of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course variety. The course was the 39th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2007.

The World Crazy Golf Championships began in 2003 and has been held at Hastings Adventure Golf every year, except 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The current champion is Adam Kelly who is enjoying his second reign as world champion having also won the 2022 event.

Crazy Golf at The Friars Head at Akebar

The Friars Head pub at Akebar in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire has a free-to-play Crazy Golf course.

The Friars Head pub at Akebar is reopening on the 1st March and there's a free-to-play Crazy Golf course at the venue.

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out The Friars Head website for more information.

Mini Golf in Maryport, Cumbria, June 2023

Playing a round at the Lake District Coast Aquarium Crazy Golf course in Maryport.

The Lake District Coast Aquarium Crazy Golf course in Maryport

Back in April 2012 we swung by the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport, Cumbria while en route to Scotland as we'd heard about the minigolf course there. Unfortunately we arrived just after 5pm so couldn't have a game. The Maryport Crazy Golf course was the 469th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Luckily in June 2023 we were able to return and this time managed a round on the Swedish Felt B-Run type of minigolf course.

Check out this blog post to see more of the course.

Minigolf at Retrodome in Barnsley

The Retrodome arcade in Barnsley, South Yorkshire is adding a minigolf course.

Retrodome - a retro arcade in Barnsley - will soon be home to a new indoor minigolf course.

Check out the Retrodome website for more information.

As fans of minigolf AND retrogaming this sounds like a superb mix!

It'll be nice to visit Barnsley on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Puttcast minigolf podcast - "Global Mini Golf Trends"

Check out the new episode of the Puttcast minigolf podcast - "Global Mini Golf Trends - An Interview With Richard Gottfried".

It was brilliant being a guest on the show with my friends, fellow minigolf enthusiasts (and sometimes competition rivals!) Tom Loftus and Pat Sheridan and diving into the world of minigolf as it is now - and what the future may hold...

New miniature golf courses in the UK

Information about new adventure golf, crazy golf and miniature golf courses opening in the UK.

If you're looking for information about new adventure golf, crazy golf and miniature golf courses in the UK, please do check out this blog post and the New course tag.

If you know of a new course opening, do let me know too.

Indoor Mini Golf at Ballerz Clubhouse in Farnham

There's an indoor minigolf course at Ballerz Clubhouse in Farnham, Surrey.

Ballerz Clubhouse opened in August 2023. The venue is home to a 9-hole indoor mini golf course.

Check out the Ballerz Clubhouse website for more information.

It's another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling in Solihull

A new indoor minigolf course is opening in Solihull.

The Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling venue will be located in Touchwood shopping centre.

Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling in Solihull will be the third Spinners location. There are also venues in Reading and Plymouth.

Visit the Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling website for more information.

Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling in Reading, September 2022

It'll be a new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

One Under Mini Golf opens in Liverpool

A new One Under crazy golf venue is now open at the Lyceum Building in Liverpool.

The location is home to two indoor 9-hole minigolf courses.

There are also One Under minigolf venues in Glasgow and Brighton.

Visit the One Under website for more information.

The One Under courses will be new additions to our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Obstacle Golf at Hope Park in Keswick, Cumbria, June 2023

We revisited the Obstacle Golf course at Hope Park in Keswick, Cumbria during our short break in the Lake District last summer.

Obstacle Golf at Hope Park in Keswick, Cumbria

There's also a grass Putting layout and a Pitch & Putt at Hope Park (and Boules) and there are some wonderful views of the Skiddaw mountain from the courses.

We first visited the park back in April 2012 and played the Putting course on that occasion.

Check out this blog post to see more of the course.

Mini Golf at Game On! in Carlisle

There's a new minigolf venue in Carlisle, Cumbria.

A new minigolf course has opened at Game On! in Carlisle.

The venue is also home to tenpin bowling.

Check out the Game On! website for more information.

It's another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New mini golf at Russell Park in Bedford

Bedford's Russell Park will be home to a new mini golf course.

The new mini golf course at Russell Park in Bedford, Bedfordshire will be a 12-hole layout and will replace the existing grass miniature golf course.

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford, July 2010

The Russell Park outdoor mini golf course will be themed with holes and obstacles containing local history.

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford, July 2010

The Putting Green at Russell Park in Bedford was the 184th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in July 2010 and we played it several times when we lived nearby.

New Crazy Golf at Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park in Norfolk

Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park in Norfolk will be home to a new Crazy Golf course.

The Crazy Golf course is part of a programme of renovations and upgrades at Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park.

Visit the Richardson's Hemsby Beach Holiday Park website for more information.

Art Mini Golf at The Minories in Colchester

An art-based Mini Golf course has been created at The Minories in Colchester, Essex.

The artist created minigolf course will be open from the 11th February to the 25th February.

Visit The Minories website and the Cuckoo Farm Artist in Residence: Tom Armstrong - Mini-ories Golf page for more information.

Crazy Golfing at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm

Videos of the Crazy Golf course at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

On this day in 2020 we visited our 945th minigolf course when we played the 11-hole layout at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

Visit the Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm on Facebook for more information and opening times.

Sunnybank Gardens Crazy Golf course in Hatfield, Doncaster

A look at the Sunnybank Gardens Crazy Golf course in Hatfield, Doncaster.

Time for minigolf

On this day in 2020 we visited our 945th minigolf course when we played the 11-hole layout at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

Sunnybank Gardens Crazy Golf course in Hatfield, Doncaster. January 2020

The course was one of 20 minigolf courses we visited in the first 20 days of 2020.

Check out the Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm Facebook Page for more information and opening times.

Sunnybank Gardens Crazy Golf course in Hatfield, Doncaster. January 2020

Minigolf at Bahia Principe in Tenerife, Spain

A look at the minigolf course at the Sunlight Bahia Principe hotel in Tenerife.

Many thanks to my cousin Elaine for sending over these photos from her recent holiday to Tenerife.

It's brilliant seeing different minigolf courses around the world.

We haven't been to Tenerife on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour yet. Emily has been to Spain, Lanzarote and Majorca though.

Check out these other guest blog posts about minigolf in Tenerife.