Lost minigolf courses - Abingdon-on-Thames Crazy Golf

A look back at the old Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon-on-Thames.

One of the courses we've visited and played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels but has since become a 'lost' course was the 10-hole Crazy Golf layout at the Abbey Meadows in my home town of Abingdon.

The course was the first one I ever played way back in the early 1980's.

The course had been in the park since the 1950's but was removed at the end of the 2016 season as part of renovations to the area.

It's always sad to see an old miniature golf course removed. Especially so when it's not replaced by a new one.

The last hole of the first course I ever played

In August 2007 the course became the 31st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing hole 5 in 2007

Playing hole 5 in 2012

Playing hole 5 for the very last time in 2016

We also revisited in June 2012 and December 2014.

The course was very mossy on our visit in 2014

New Mini Golf course at Bury Knowle Park in Oxford

Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Oxford has a new Mini Golf course.

The outdoor mini golf course can be found at Bury Knowle Pavilion at Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Oxford.

Check out the Bury Knowle Pavilion website for more information.

Bury Knowle Park used to be home to a Swedish Felt B-Run type of minigolf course. We played that course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in August 2009.

Crazy Golf at Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Oxford (August 2009)

I look forward to giving the new course a play on a revisit to my home city.

Crazy Golf at Banbury Mayor's Funday

There will be a Crazy Golf course set up as part of the entertainment on offer at the Banbury Mayor's Funday in Banbury, Oxfordshire on Sunday 14th July.

The Mayor's Funday will be held at People's Park in the town from 11.30am to 4.30pm this Sunday.

Visit the Banbury Town Council website for further information.

Mini Golf at The Light cinema in Banbury

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

The Light cinema in Banbury, Oxfordshire is now also home to a 10-hole mini golf course.

The course is a film-themed layout.

The indoor glow-in-the-dark crazy golf course will be another new one for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're back in my home county.

Visit The Light Banbury's website for more information.

Plans for a new mini golf course in Oxford

There are plans to create a new mini golf course at Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Oxford.

The mini golf would be an addition to the park along with several other activities including table tennis and shuffleboard.

Bury Knowle Park in Headington used to be home to a Swedish Felt B-Run type of minigolf course.

This was the old course at Bury Knowle Park

Back in August 2009 we played that course - along with the layouts at Florence Park in Cowley, and at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park - in one day on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing the old the old course at Bury Knowle Park in the late noughties. How time flies!

It'll be interesting to see if the plans for the new course are approved and I look forward to giving it a play on a revisit to my home city if it does.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

A look at Crazy Croc's Mini Golf course at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

While back in Abingdon for the traditional Bun Throwing event we swung by Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Unfortunately the weather was against us so we were unable to have a game.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

The park used to be home to a Swedish Felt B-Run type of miniature golf course. We played that layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2009. We also visited it when it was closed the year before.

Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Crazy Golf at Millets Farm in Frilford near Abingdon

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Millets Farm in Frilford near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

My mum sent me some photos of the Crazy Golf course at Millets Farm in Frilford.

A new 18-hole Adventure Golf course has opened at Millets Farm Centre and there are signs up for the farm-themed layout in the local area.

I grew up in Abingdon and visited Millets Farm a lot in the 80s and 90s. It's good to know the Crazy Golf course is still there. They'll be two more courses to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Millets Farm website for more information.

Mini Golf in Banbury, Oxfordshire

There are plans for a Mini Golf course to open at The Light cinema and entertainment centre at the Castle Quay Waterfront in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Visit the Castle Quay Waterfront website for more information.

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

Adventure Golf at Millets Farm

A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Millets Farm in Oxfordshire.

A new 18-hole Adventure Golf course is opening at Millets Farm Centre in Frilford, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire this summer.

Check out the Millets Farm website for more information.

I grew up in Abingdon and visited Millets Farm a lot in the 80s and 90s. It'll be fun to return and have a game on the new farm-themed course.

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

Millets Farm has previously been home to a Crazy Golf course as part of the Maize Maze attraction.

15 years ago today

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 in 2006. On a bitterly cold 23rd December 2006 Emily, Christopher and I headed along to the Horse and 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 revisited the course 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 982 courses in the last 15 years.

Together with Christopher and his family we've now been to a grand total of 1,017 courses since we all picked up a putter on the 30th September 2006.

Crazy Golf at Millets Farm near Abingdon

I've found out there's a Crazy Golf course at Millets Farm Centre near my hometown of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

The Crazy Golf course is part of the Maize Maze attraction part of Millets Farm Centre in Frilford, near Abingdon.

I haven't been to Millets Farm for years, but have got lots of great memories of visiting with my family when I was growing up. It was brilliant fun doing Pick Your Own and going on the tractor rides there.

It'll be nice to revisit and have a game on the Crazy Golf course as part of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Millets Farm Centre website for more information.

New Adventure Golf course in Henley

Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire could become home to a new Adventure Golf course.

There are plans to create a new 9 or 18-hole Adventure Golf course on the site of the Putting Green at Mill Meadows in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

It'll be another new course to play in my home county!

Social distancing signs in Abingdon's Market Place

I've been documenting the Covid-19 social distancing signs I've seen during the coronavirus pandemic here and on my Instagram.

The ones in my home town's Market Place are nice and clear. They also include the Abingdon-on-Thames town crest which I think is a nice touch.

The Market Place is famous as the location for Bun Throwing and the starting point for the Michaelmas Fair. Both events normally see thousands of people pack in or pass through to be a part of the occasions.

Minigolfing in Oxford's Parks

A look back at three minigolf courses in Oxford's Parks.

On this day in 2009 we played three Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Oxford.

We first visited the three Swedish Felt type minigolf courses in my home city on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in December 2008. We got to play them on the 13th August 2009 at the start of a nine-day road-trip that took us around the coast of Wales. Back then you could find layouts in Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park and Florence Park in Cowley.

Mini Golf in Bury Knowle Park, Headington.

Emily playing the first of many crazy golf holes we played on the holiday

This Swedish Felt Mini Golf was called Crazy Golf...

...and Putting!

A lesser spotted type of rules sign

Spectating

Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses contain some tricky optical illusion obstacles

Here's another lane that requires precision

Mini Golf at Florence Park in Cowley.

Teeing-off on the second of three courses in Oxford

Emily playing a very tricky obstacle

A nice line

Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

At the third Swedish Felt Mini Golf course in the third park

Another long, straight shot required

And another!

An uphill dog-leg lane

Mini Golf in Oxford

Sadly the Florence Park Minigolf course was removed in March this year.

The course at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park is now Crazy Croc's Mini Golf.

As far as I'm aware the course at Bury Knowle Park in Headington is still there.

Other places to play minigolf in Oxford include Gravitee Adventure Golf at the Ozone Leisure Park and Junkyard Golf venue in the Westgate Centre.

Earlier this year I found out there's also a minigolf course at the Fulbrook Centre at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

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