A minigolf postcard from Pontin's Holiday Village in Hemsby, Norfolk

A look at a minigolf postcard from our collection.

Here's a long-lost Crazy Golf course depicted on a Pontin's multi-view postcard of the Hemsby Holiday Village in Hemsby, Norfolk.

PONTIN'S HOLIDAY VILLAGE, HEMSBY, NORFOLK R5713 by Photo Precision Limited, St Ives. Unposted, undated

The layout is of the Eternit Miniature Golf style - a rarity on these shores.

We'll be heading back to Hemsby this summer for the Big Mini Golf Tour taking place across miniature golf courses in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea.

You can play minigolf at the Lost World Adventure Golf and Stonehenge Adventure Golf in the seaside town of Hemsby.

Blackbeard's Adventure Golf in Hunstanton

My little brother Christopher and his family were recently in Hunstanton, Norfolk for a day trip and sent this photos from Blackbeard's Adventure Golf.

Emily and I visited Blackbeard's Adventure Golf in Hunstanton back in 2011! The two courses there were the 246th and 247th courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Together we've now visited 1,019 courses since September 2006.

Check out the Blackbeard's Adventure Golf Facebook Page for more information.

Adventure Golf at Treasure Island in Center Parcs Elveden Forest, Norfolk

A revisit to the Adventure Golf course at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Thetford, Norfolk.

My brother Christopher and his family recently returned to Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Thetford, Norfolk and played the Adventure Golf at Treasure Island course there.

They'd previously visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2020.

Two months until the Big Mini Golf Tour tees-off

The Big Mini Golf Tour teeing-off in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea this summer.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 begins on National Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 14th May.

We have played in and organised lots of miniature golf competitions, tournaments, challenges and events over the last decade and a half and this year we are excited to be a part of the Big Mini Golf Tour in the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

Visit Great Yarmouth

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the “Big Mini Golf Tour”.

Check out the Visit Great Yarmouth website to find out about all of the activities and events taking place in the seaside resort this year!

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've been to almost 1,000 crazy, adventure and mini golf courses on our own Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of the first stops on our travels was to the East Coast seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.

The seaside town and local area is a real minigolf hot-spot with a brilliant mixture of miniature golf courses. You can find Adventure Golf courses, Crazy Golf and Indoor Adventure Golf in Great Yarmouth itself, Crazy Golf and Grass Putting in Gorleston-on-Sea and Adventure Golf courses in Hemsby.

Minigolf history

Miniature Golf has been played in the resort for almost a century and we have some superb old putting postcards showing people at play. Including one of a Putting Green on the promenade dating back to 1927! Interestingly you will find that there is still a minigolf course on the same spot as the Putting Green today.

Putting Green, Great Yarmouth Postcard. Sent on 11 November 1927

The town is also home to the several of the UK's first Adventure Golf layouts, as well as England's first indoor Crazy Golf course.

We're really looking forward to the Big Mini Golf Tour tee-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May and seeing people having fun on the greens.

Find out more

Check out the Big Mini Golf Tour on social media to find out more.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022

Find out more about the Big Mini Golf Tour - taking place in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea this summer.

Check out the Big Mini Golf Tour's website and give the event a follow on social media.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

Visit Great Yarmouth

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the “Big Mini Golf Tour”.

Take a look at the Visit Great Yarmouth website to find out about all of the activities and events taking place in the seaside resort this year.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off on Saturday 14th May

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 14th May.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

More information will be available across the Big Mini Golf Tour social media channels, here on the blog and from the minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting courses taking part.

The event tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

75 Days Until The Big Mini Golf Tour Tees-Off in Great Yarmouth

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off in 75 days - Adventure, Crazy and Mini Golf courses in Great Yarmouth, Clippesby, Hemsby & Gorleston-on-Sea will be taking part.

Day one of the event is on Saturday 14th May - National Miniature Golf Day.

Visit The Big Mini Golf Tour to find out more.

A minigolf postcard from Great Yarmouth. Sent in 1927

Stepping back in time for a look at minigolf in Great Yarmouth in the 1920s.

One of the earliest miniature golf postcards I have in my collection is this one showing the Putting Green on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Putting Green, Great Yarmouth. Postcard postally used on the 11th November 1927

The postcard was sent to Hayes, Middlesex on the 11th November 1927.

You can see the Hippodrome in the left of the image and this building is still standing and is the Hippodrome Circus on St George's Road. If you visit now you'll find a row of buildings in front of the Hippodrome itself!

You will also find that there is still a minigolf course on the same spot as the Putting Green.

Castaway Island Adventure Golf on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth in 2016

Now called Castaway Island Adventure Golf the site was an Arnold Palmer Putting Course that we played a number of times on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth in June 2011

It's proof, if proof were needed, that Great Yarmouth has long been a minigolf hot-spot.

Minigolf Putting in the UK

The first miniature golf course in the world was created at St Andrews in Scotland in 1867. That links course is still there.

The decades that followed saw a boom in the game with minigolf courses popping up around the country. In 1926 the first Crazy Golf course opened in England, with the layout created on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire.

Minigolf in Great Yarmouth

There are a number of brilliant mini, crazy, putting and adventure golf courses on the seafront in Great Yarmouth, as well as in the wider Greater Yarmouth areas of Gorleston-on-Sea and Hemsby.

The minigolf courses in the seaside resort will play host to the Big Mini Golf Tour - a campaign to highlight the courses in the area this Spring and Summer season.

The Big Mini Golf Tour - coming to Greater Yarmouth in 2022

The Big Mini Golf Tour - highlighting miniature golf courses in the Greater Yarmouth area.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

More information will be available across the Big Mini Golf Tour social media channels, here on the blog and from the minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting courses taking part.

Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the ‘Big Mini Golf Tour’. Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA uses money raised from a business improvement district levy which is designed to raise the profile of the area, increase the number of people visiting and staying, improve the visitor experience and increase repeat visits, encourage people to stay longer and to visit more attractions and to provide incentives and opportunities to spend more in local businesses.

Head to the Visit Great Yarmouth/Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area website for further information.

Minigolfing in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth was one of the first places we chose to visit on what has become our mammoth Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as we knew there were so many courses to visit there!

The seaside town and local area is a real minigolf hot-spot with a brilliant mixture of miniature golf courses. You can find Adventure Golf courses, Crazy Golf and Indoor Adventure Golf in Great Yarmouth itself, Crazy Golf and Grass Putting in Gorleston-on-Sea and Adventure Golf in Hemsby.

The town is also home to the some of the UK's first Adventure Golf layouts, as well as England's first indoor Crazy Golf course. Last summer my brother Christopher and his family even found a Crazy Golf course set-up on the beach!

We're really looking forward to returning to the Greater Yarmouth area again for some more putting fun.

Crazy Golf at The Ffolkes Inn and Hotel in Hillington, Norfolk

A new Crazy Golf course is being created at The Ffolkes Inn and Hotel in Hillington, Norfolk.

The Ffolkes Inn and Hotel in Hillington, Norfolk will be opening a new Crazy Golf course this year as part of development plans at the venue.

Visit The Ffolkes Inn website for more information.

The Ffolkes Inn and Hotel is near King's Lynn and that is something of a regular stopping point for us when travelling to visit family in Norfolk. It's great to know there'll be a new place there to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Gamestation in Norwich

Spotting at old Gamestation shop sign in Norwich.

Gamestation in Norwich, November 2021

I used to buy a lot of retro games at Gamestation but the brand left the high street in 2012.

Gamestation in Norwich

So I was a little surprised to see the shop sign still up at the former Castle Quarter shopping centre location in Norwich last month.

This URL now re-directs to Game.co.uk

Gamestation was founded in 1993 and was purchased by Game in 2007. The remaining stores were rebranded as Game in 2012.

Note the Covid-19 signs on the pillar

Other lost shops

It's interesting to see traces, remnants and signage of lost shop brands on our travels. We've also seen a number of former Blockbuster Video stores, a lot of Toys R Us shops, a handful of Woolworths, a British Home Stores or two, a Kwik Save, some Tandy and RadioShack shops, a few old Grainger Games stores, quite a lot of Debenhams, as well as some former Carphone Warehouse and JJB Sports stores.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

A look at the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at the Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

A big thanks to our friend, team-mate and minigolf rival Peter Jones for sending over these photos of the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at the Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

It's one of the few remaining Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

While the course has had some new obstacles added and fresh felt it is still easily recognisable as an Arnold Palmer Putting Course and appears to be in excellent condition.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

The final hole on the Arnold Palmer Minigolf course at Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park has a Punch & Judy obstacle

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses

The Arnold Palmer branded miniature golf courses were part of the Arnold Palmer Enterprises empire set-up in 1961 that saw the legendary golfer's name licensed and franchised to a wide-range of activities and products including Dry Cleaning centres and an Arnold Palmer brand foot detergent.

The first Arnold Palmer Putting Course in the UK opened in Coventry in 1965 and was part of an Arnold Palmer Driving Range. A course was also located at a Driving Range in Sheffield.

Only around 16 of the 46 Arnold Palmer Putting Course locations still exist today.

Playing minigolf at Haven holiday parks

Our friends Sophia and Karl Moles played the course while on holiday Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth back in 2012.

They've also played crazy golf at a few other Haven holiday parks over the year.

Hopefully we'll get to have a game on the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Haven website for more information.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

A look at the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Our friends and minigolf rival Peter Jones sent us these photos of the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Course at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby while on his recent trip to the Greater Yarmouth area.

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Arnold Palmer Minigolf at California Cliffs Holiday Park in Scratby, Great Yarmouth

Like it's neighbour at Haven Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park it's one of the few remaining Arnold Palmer Putting Courses in the UK.

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses

The Arnold Palmer branded miniature golf courses were part of the Arnold Palmer Enterprises empire set-up in 1961 that saw the legendary golfer's name licensed and franchised to a wide-range of activities and products including Dry Cleaning centres and an Arnold Palmer brand foot detergent.

The first Arnold Palmer Putting Course in the UK opened in Coventry in 1965 and was part of an Arnold Palmer Driving Range. A course was also located at a Driving Range in Sheffield.

Only around 16 of the 46 Arnold Palmer Putting Course locations still exist today.

The crazy golf course at California Cliffs Holiday Park is another that'd be ace to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Parkdean Resorts website for more information.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

Putt Noodle Mini Golf opening at the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Coming very soon...

The new Putt Noodle indoor crazy golf and Asian food venue at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich is planned to open this month.

We were a little too early when we swung by on a trip to Norwich last weekend.

Putt Noodle will be home to three minigolf courses and is opening in the former New Look unit in the Castle Quarter.

Putt Noodle Mini Golf at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The venue sits below Boom: Battle Bar - a business owned by the same team behind Putt Noodle.

Retailtainment and minigolf

Putt Noodle Mini Golf is one of the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

Minigolf is a big part of this boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Cream Me Up Scotty

We spotted Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market, Norfolk.

Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market

Cream Me Up Scotty in Downham Market

Mini Golf at Haven's Wild Duck Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

A look at the Mini Golf course at Haven's Wild Duck Holiday Park in Belton, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Our friends Sophia and Karl Moles sent over some photos of the Mini Golf course at Haven's Wild Duck Holiday Park in Belton, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk from their recent holiday there.

Sophia told us they enjoyed a couple of rounds on the course, with the best score from the group being a 25 by Karl. The course record is 24 on the 9-hole layout.

They also visited the course back in the summer of 2019.

Check out the Haven website for more information on the Wild Duck Holiday Park.

Minigolfing Moles

Karl and Sophia have been to quite a few different holiday camps with their family and have sent over minigolf snaps from trips to Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park, Pontins Pakefield, Allhallows Leisure Holiday Park, Jungle Adventure Golf at Parkdean's Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, as well as the Crazy Golf course at Suffolk Leisure Park in Ipswich, Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo in Arma, Italy and the miniature golf course on the MSC Opera cruise ship!