A blog about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. With a sprinkling of nostalgia and urban exploration for good measure.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Cumberland Golf planning a tour of Cumbria
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Happy National Pencil Day
Today is National Pencil Day.
We enjoy visiting courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and it's marvellous when we find one that has a branded pencil to score the game with.
Pencils and promotional scratchcards from Congo River Golf in Orlando, Florida, USA |
It's a superb bit of minigolf marketing too.
A minigolf pencil from Christopher Gottfried's Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Magic Carpet Golf in Galveston, Texas, USA |
We've seen several minigolf courses switching to virtual scorecards (and scoreboards), and app-based scorecards. Others are using a mixture.
We think, and hope, there's space and a place for all methods of scoring to continue in the game.
Our friend Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin minigolf review website (among his many other hats in the game) has contributed quite a few pencils and scorecards to the Crazy Golf Museum that he's picked up on his own minigolf adventures.
One of the most peculiar minigolf pencils we've seen is this one Pat sent a snap of, as it's a real life pencil for a virtual minigolf game!
A pencil from the Walkabout Mini Golf VR game |
If you'd like your minigolf course pencil (or other items of merch and ephemera) displayed and archived in the Crazy Golf Museum please do get in touch.
Just one of the many minigolf pencils in the Crazy Golf Museum - from the Wye Valley Miniatvre Golf course in Symonds Yat West |
You can see more miniature golf course pens and pencils on the Crazy Golf Museum website.
A scorecard and pencils from Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf in Orlando, Florida, USA from our friend Shelley Barrett |
Arnold Palmer Putting Courses Crazy Golf pencils from the course in Prestatyn |
A pencil from Lumberjax Mini Golf in New Zealand from our friend James Astrop |
A pencil from Urban Putt in San Francisco from our friend and minigolf rival (and sometimes team-mate) Kevin Moseley |
A pencil from Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf |
A minigolf pencil from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm, Sweden |
A pencil from Swingers Crazy Golf in London |
A pencil from the CLUB GOLF crazy golf pop-up at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London. This was the last course I played before the UK went into coronavirus pandemic lockdown / quarantine |
A pencil from the Putt 18 indoor putting game - we played a lot of this during the pandemic |
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Mini Golf Cumberland at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven
Mini Golf Cumberland Edition has opened at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria.
Visit The Beacon Museum website for more information.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Happy 13th birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is 13 years old today.
Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's 13th birthday today.
I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010.
It's certainly been a very interesting 13 years!
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum's website, like the Page and join the Group on Facebook, check it out on Twitter, and see Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...
If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.
Monday, June 05, 2023
Museum Week 2023
This week is Museum Week.
MuseumWeek is an annual offline and online event based on the mechanism 7 days, 7 topics, 7 hashtags.
Find out more on the Museum Week website.
The Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum |
Did you know:
- The world's first Miniature Golf course was created at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867. The Himalayas is still there now and is a real pleasure to play.
- The first minigolf course in the USA opened in 1916. James Barber opened the 'Thistle Dhu' layout in Pinehurst, NC.
- A Miniature Golf contest was part of the Olympic Games at the 1904 St Louis Games.
- The very first Crazy Golf course in the UK opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.
- The first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA in 1926 when Garnet Carter created the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
- The first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place on the 23rd October 1930.
- The first Putt-Putt Golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA back in 1954.
- National Miniature Golf Day always falls on the second Saturday in May.
- Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September.
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website and check out these Crazy Golf Museum-related blog posts for more info.
Monday, August 29, 2022
Freighter Golf at the National Museum of the Great Lakes
There's a unique pop-up minigolf course at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio, USA.
There's a minigolf course at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo |
Check out the National Museum of the Great Lakes website for more information.
Friday, July 15, 2022
Happy twelfth birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is twelve years old today.
Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's twelfth birthday today.
I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010.
It's certainly been a very interesting twelve years!
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum's website, like the Page and join the Group on Facebook, check it out on Twitter, and see Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...
If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Scorecard from Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby
Collected on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and this year's Big Mini Golf Tour.
Scorecard from Stonehenge Adventure Golf in Hemsby
Here's a minigolf scorecard from Stonehenge Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.
Scorecard from Stonehenge Adventure Golf in Hemsby |
Scorecard from Stonehenge Adventure Golf in Hemsby |
Collected on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and this year's Big Mini Golf Tour.
Monday, June 13, 2022
Museum Week 2022
This week is Museum Week.
MuseumWeek is an annual offline and online event based on the mechanism 7 days, 7 topics, 7 hashtags.
- 13 June: #innovationMW
- 14 June: #creatorsMW
- 15 June: #freedomMW
- 16 June: #sexualityMW
- 17 June: #environmentMW
- 18 June: #lifeLessonsMW
- 19 June: #danceMW
Find out more on the Museum Week website.
The Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum |
Did you know:
- The world's first Miniature Golf course was created at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867. The Himalayas is still there now and is a real pleasure to play.
- The first minigolf course in the USA opened in 1916. James Barber opened the 'Thistle Dhu' layout in Pinehurst, NC.
- A Miniature Golf contest was part of the Olympic Games at the 1904 St Louis Games.
- The very first Crazy Golf course in the UK opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.
- The first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA in 1926 when Garnet Carter created the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
- The first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place on the 23rd October 1930.
- The first Putt-Putt Golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA back in 1954.
- National Miniature Golf Day always falls on the second Saturday in May.
- Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September.
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website and check out these Crazy Golf Museum-related blog posts for more info.
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Mini Golf at Beamish Museum
A new mini golf course is part of a 1950's area created at the Beamish Museum for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Visit the Beamish Museum website for more information.
Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Bagatelle at the Hyndburn Heritage Museum in Accrington
Spotting a Bagatelle display at the Hyndburn Heritage Museum in the Accrington Arndale.
Playing Bagatelle
Visit the Hyndburn Heritage & Community Group website for more information.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Happy eleventh birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is eleven years old today.
Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's eleventh birthday today.
I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010, the virtual museum is a treasure trove and archive for all things related to minigolf.
It's certainly been an incredibly interesting eleven years!
The future of minigolf
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum's website, like the Page and join the Group on Facebook, check it out on Twitter, and see Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...
If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.
Monday, June 07, 2021
This week is MuseumWeek
Happy MuseumWeek 2021.
- Monday, June 7: #OnceUponAtimeMW
- Tuesday, June 8: #BehindTheScenesMW
- Wednesday, June 9: #ChildrensEyesMW
- Thursday, June 10: #EurekaMW
- Friday, June 11: #CaptionThisMW
- Saturday, June 12: #ArtIsEverywhereMW
- Sunday, June 13: #WordsForTheFutureMW
Check out the MuseumWeek website for more information.
- 1916 - The first minigolf course in the USA. James Barber opened the 'Thistle Dhu' layout in Pinehurst, NC.
- 1926 - The very first Crazy Golf course in the UK opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.
- 1926 - The first artificial miniature golf course in the USA. Garnet Carter created the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
- National Miniature Golf Day always falls on the second Saturday in May.
- Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September.
The Crazy Golf Museum
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, Facebook Page & Group, Twitter and Instagram to see more.
Monday, March 01, 2021
New Putt in the Park at Gunnersbury Park
There are plans for a new Putt in the Park miniature golf course at Gunnersbury Park in London.
Visit the Putt In The Park and Gunnersbury Park & Museum websites for more information.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
My first bun throwing in Abingdon
A Bun Throwing was held in my home town of Abingdon on this day in 1981. It was the first one I attended.
The curious tradition sees the mayor and other dignitaries climb to the top of the old County Hall to throw hundreds or thousands of currant buns down to the townsfolk gathered in the market place below.
The team at Abingdon Museum posted about the Bun Throwing that took place in Abingdon to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on this day in 1981.
From our #bunthrowing #collection, here's a bun decorated with the initials CD to mark the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer #onthisday 1981.#abingdon #traditions #museumfromhome pic.twitter.com/h4aJpp7b8Q— Abingdon County Hall Museum (@AbingdonMuseum) July 29, 2020
Abingdon County Hall Museum has a collection of buns preserved from bun throwings dating back many years. These are the currant buns from the Bun Throwing that celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012. A total of 6,000 buns were thrown on that occasion |
The last bun throwing held in the town to date was in 2018 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. That bun throwing was the 35th event since 1761.
Check out my World of Bun Throwing blog for more information.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Happy tenth birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is ten years old today.
Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's tenth birthday today.
I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010, the virtual museum is a treasure trove and archive for all things related to minigolf.
It's been an incredibly interesting decade!
Prior to the pandemic
There were so many marvellous things going in the world of minigolf prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. New courses were being built, tournaments held and interesting items and ephemera were being created.Some of this is on-hold as the world tackles Covid-19.
Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus
I've been using some of my time during lockdown documenting 'Minigolf in the time of coronavirus' and creating a time line of the game during the pandemic.After the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 and during part of the Great Depression minigolf boomed and we have some records of the time. But to actually be living through such a life changing time is something else!
There are still milestones and anniversaries to be celebrated and courses to be supported for when it's ready to get out and play again.
The future of minigolf
Minigolf is still being played and new courses continue to be planned, developed and built. Thankfully the game will go on, albeit in a different form for a while.There will be lots of minigolf fun to be had again.
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, like our Page and join our Group on Facebook, check us out on Twitter, and see our Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...
If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Happy International Museum Day
Today is International Museum Day 2020.
International Museum Day is organised by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and has been held each year since 1977.
The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness about the fact that “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”
The Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is celebrating it's tenth year in 2020. The worldwide archive of miniature golf memories, histories and ephemera opened it's online doors to the world on the 15th July 2010.
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, Facebook Page & Group, Twitter and Instagram to see more.
Monday, May 11, 2020
Museum Week 2020
This week is Museum Week.
Running from today to the 17th May, MuseumWeek has returned for a seventh edition.
This year MuseumWeek celebrates togetherness. The theme was adopted earlier this year and with the coronavirus pandemic reaching almost all areas of the world the idea of togetherness has come to take on more meaning in these times of social and physical distancing.
Over the week there are seven different hashtags focusing on a different area, with the overall theme of togetherness.
The hashtags are:
#HeroesMW
#CultureInQuarantineMW
#TogetherMW
#MuseumMomentsMW
#ClimateMW
#TechnologyMW
#DreamsMW
#MuseumWeek
Check out the MuseumWeek website for more information.
The Crazy Golf Museum
The Crazy Golf Museum is celebrating it's tenth year in 2020. The worldwide archive of miniature golf memories, histories and ephemera opened it's online doors to the world on the 15th July 2010.
Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, Facebook Page & Group, Twitter and Instagram to see more.
Wednesday, April 08, 2020
MuseumWeek 2020
MuseumWeek 2020 runs from the 11th to the 17th May.
Running from the 11th to 17th May, MuseumWeek is back for a seventh edition. This year MuseumWeek celebrates togetherness. The theme was adopted earlier this year and with the coronavirus pandemic reaching almost all areas of the world the idea of togetherness has come to take on more meaning in these times of social and physical distancing.
Over the week there are seven different hashtags focusing on a different area, with the overall theme of togetherness.
The hashtags are:
#HeroesMW
#CultureInQuarantineMW
#TogetherMW
#MuseumMomentsMW
#ClimateMW
#TechnologyMW
#DreamsMW
#MuseumWeek
Find out more on the MuseumWeek website.
The Crazy Golf Museum is celebrating it's tenth year in 2020. The worldwide archive of miniature golf memories, histories and ephemera opened it's online doors to the world on the 15th July 2010.