The Floodgate is about to open

A new indoor activity entertainment centre is opening in Digbeth, Birmingham.

The Floodgate social sports and games bar is opening soon in Digbeth and will offer people the chance to play the game of Pit-Pat.

Pit-Pat is similar to minigolf, but is played on elevated tables where you use cues to play the ball, rather than putters.

Playing the only other Pit-Pat course to have previously been in the UK

The Floodgate opens at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham on Friday 1st November.

The Pit-Pat layout at The Floodgate will be the UK's first indoor Pit-Pat and the only playable course. Until a few years ago the UK's first and only other Pit-Pat layout was on the seafront at Western Putting on Banjo Road in Littlehampton.

The now sadly closed Western Putting in Littlehampton was home to a Pit-Pat layout, Crazy Golf and a grass Putting course

A view of the UK's first Pit-Pat course

Here's me scoring a two in a crazy way!

Emily scoring a two.

Shooting through a hoop.

I first saw the game of Pit-Pat aka Hindernis Billard while on a minigolfing trip to Austria in March 2010.

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

As well as Pit-Pat the indoor competitive socialising venue will feature a curling rink and baseball batting cages.

We're looking forward to a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to The Floodgate.

Visit The Floodgate website for more information, opening times and prices.

Check out my other Pit-Pat related blog posts.

A return to the Leopoldpark minigolf courses in Blankenberge

A revisit to the Mini Golf courses at the Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily recently returned to Blankenberge in Belgium she noticed there was a large Christmas decoration still standing next to the miniature golf courses at the Leopoldpark.

Not a wacky waving inflatable, but a decent looking snowman Christmas decoration

You can see the snowman to the left of the snookergolf course

While there Emily also took a few more snaps of the colourful minigolf, crazy golf and snooker golf courses at the Leopoldpark. They do look marvellous and we can't wait to return and actually play them!

The Blankenberge Crazy Golf course

Hole 1 of the Mini Golf course at the Leopoldpark

 

The Snookergolf layout

The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Another view of the Snookergolf course. It looks like a brilliant game

On her last visit Emily spotted there was also a Petanque terrain at the Leopoldpark. This time she spotted there are some undercover pistes there too. Looks like a great spot to play some boules.

The uncovered Petanque pistes

The undercover Boulodrome

Visit the Leopoldpark website for more information about the courses, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Miniature Golf courses at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily recently visited three courses and a new country on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when she was in Blankenberge, Belgium.

What a sight for minigolf fans

The seaside resort is home to a Minigolf course, a Crazy Golf and a Snookergolf layout. The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on the tour.

The Minigolf course (left) and Crazy Golf course (right) at Leopoldpark

Photos of the Minigolf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Crazy Golf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Snookergolf Billiards course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

We've got some great old postcards from Blankenberge that show the miniature golf courses which used to be at Leopoldpark. It's great to know there are still courses on the same spot today.

The whole place looks marvelously bright and colourful. We'll definitely have to return for a fair few games on the miniature golf courses and petanque in Blankenberge.

The Petanque terrain at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Visit the Leopoldpark website for details of opening times and prices.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker in Littlehampton

Playing the game of Pit-Pat at Western Putting Miniature Golf in Littlehampton.

Back in March 2010 I visited the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Vienna, Austria and while there I saw an intriguing game that was a hybrid of Miniature Golf and Billiards! That game was Pit-Pat.

The Hindernis Billard layout at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Vienna, Austria (March 2010)

In April 2012 I managed to visit the UK's only known table*, at the Western Putting Minigolf in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Unfortunately my visit was a little late in the day, and out-of-season, so I didn't manage to play.

Western Putting (and Pit-Pat) in Littlehampton (April 2012)

That wasn't the case on our recent visit to the south coast as on Thursday 10th of April Emily and I made it to Western Putting on Banjo Road just before 4pm and were able to have a game of Pit-Pat, aka Crazy Snooker.

And it was brilliant!

Cue and carry-case in hand and ready to play Pit-Pat

A view of the Pit-Pat course in Littlehampton

The game is a version of the 'Eternit' style of Miniature Golf, most often found in continental Europe, but played on tables and with cues rather than putters.

My favourite table on the layout sees you having to play down table from a tee-off point right next to the hole!

The obstacles are very similar to those found on Mini and Crazy Golf courses and the balls used are like specialist Minigolf-sport balls, rather than standard Golf, or low-bounce, balls.

Emily sets up the skittles on table 1!

And I knock them all down in one go

Emily lines-up a shot on hole 2

Hole / Table 2

Emily plays up a ramp obstacle

Western Putting on Banjo Road in Littlehampton is also home to a Swedish Felt type of Minigolf course and a grass Putting Green

Emily shoots the green ball over a little ramp and onto a bigger one

The Pipe hole - often my nemesis on Eternit Miniature Golf...

...and no different on Pit-Pat as it was my worst hole!

It's a real novelty to be able to play on a course/set-of tables like the Pit-Pat in Littlehampton. You are provided with a little carry case containing four different coloured Pit-Pat balls, with the table legs painted to correspond with the ball you should use for that particular table/hole/lane.

The specialist Pit-Pat balls in their little red carry-case

This is very handy to know as each of the balls has different properties, meaning that some are more bouncy, while others are harder and deader.

The green Pit-Pat ball is a bit of a dead ball

The bouncy yellow Pit-Pat ball

The slightly squidgy purple Pit-Pat ball

The Red one

With our experience of playing tournament Minigolf in the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) since 2007 we were already thinking about how different shots could be played on different lanes by mixing the balls up a bit.

In our match-up on the crazy tables Emily and I drew on a score of 55 each. We can't wait for the rematch!

Videos from our visit:

Many of the Miniature Golf courses in Littlehampton are operated by Inspire Leisure. They also operate facilities in nearby Bognor Regis and all of those we've visited have been in great condition and had very friendly and helpful staff on duty.

There is an International Pit-Pat Association that consists of the Baden-Württembergischer Pit-Pat Association (in Germany), the Austrian Pit-Pat Sports Association and the Swiss Pit-Pat Association. The European Pit-Pat Championships taking place Fehring, Austria on the 31st of May and 1st of June this year. Check out the Pit-Pat TV YouTube Channel for videos of the sport.

Links:

- Inspire Leisure

- The International Pit-Pat Association

Related blog posts:

- Minigolf Course Visit #210(a!?) - Vienna, Austria (Askoe Wien Wasserpark) - pit-pat "Hindernis Billards"!

- A Stack of Minigolf Courses Visited in Littlehampton, but None Played!

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date

- Crazy Golf and Minigolf Putting at Hotham Park, Bognor Regis - Courses played #273 & 274

- Putting Course in Felpham, near Bognor Regis - Minigolf course played #276

- An unplayed Miniature Golf course in Bognor Regis - Marine Park Gardens

Videos:

- Playing Pit-Pat (Crazy Snooker) in Littlehampton 1 of 5 (intro)
- Playing Pit-Pat (Crazy Snooker) in Littlehampton 2 of 5 (hole-in-one)
- Playing Pit-Pat (Crazy Snooker) in Littlehampton 3 of 5 (hole-in-two)
- Playing Pit-Pat (Crazy Snooker) in Littlehampton 4 of 5 (two)
- Playing Pit-Pat (Crazy Snooker) in Littlehampton 5 of 5 (hoop)

* While in Skegness, Lincolnshire in May 2011 we saw a sign for 'Crazy Pool', however the 'tables' were long gone when we reached the (derelict) course.