An old postcard from Bournemouth's Lower Gardens minigolf course

A look at an old postcard showing Bournemouth's Lower Gardens minigolf course.

After writing about the old J. Arthur Dixon postcard showing the Mini-Golf course at the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth, Dorset I had a look through our collection to find the earliest posting date we had on a card of the course.

It was this one, posted 40 years ago this year!

The 'Miniature Golf in Central Gardens, Bournemouth' postcard by The Photographic Greetings Cards Co Ltd, London was posted from Bournemouth to Cleveleys in Lancashire on the 24th July 1970

You can see what the Lower Gardens Mini Golf course looks like now on the course's Facebook Page.

We're looking forward to replaying the course later this year.

A postcard from Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight

A look at an old postcard from the Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

While browsing through the many boxes at the Stockport Postcard Fair we spotted this nice old postcard showing the Rylstone Crazy Golf course and Tea Gardens at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Jarrold Publishing, Norwich postcard CKIW 2309

The card is un-posted but has had the year 1999 written on the reverse. The photo on the card was taken a long time before then.

We visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008. It was incredibly well signposted then, and still was on our return in 2016.

Rylstone Tea Gardens Crazy Golf course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight in 2016

In 2008 the course still looked very much like it does on the postcard. However due to decades of wear and tear the base of the 'tables' meant that a new concrete layout had to be created to house the original obstacles.

Rylstone Tea Gardens Crazy Golf course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight in 2008

Visit the Rylstone Tea Gardens & Crazy Golf course on Facebook for more info, opening times, events and prices.

It's the second copy of the postcard we've got as we received one in the post from the Isle of Wight itself after our friend Cat - aka WightHot on Twitter - found some in a charity shop on the island.

A mini-golf postcard from Bournemouth

A look at an old mini-golf postcard from Bournemouth.

One of the old postcards we found at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair was this J. Arthur Dixon card showing the Mini-Golf course at the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth, Dorset.

Mini-Golf at the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset. J. Arthur Dixon postcard. PDO/89332 Posted August 1990

It was sent from Bournemouth to Uttoxeter, Staffordshire in August 1990.

It's one of a number of postcards we've got that show the Lower Gardens minigolf course. By the look of the card the photo is from at least the early 80's.

We'll be down in Dorset soon and are looking forward to replaying the course.

The Bournemouth Gardens Classic Mini Golf course in the Lower Gardens has been in the gardens for decades. It re-opened following a refurbishment a few years ago. We first visited in 2009 and returned in 2013. The Lower Gardens have been home to miniature golf courses since 1931 when the first Putting Green was introduced to the park.

Minigolf at Bournemouth Lower Gardens

A Crazy Golf postcard from Sandbanks

A look at a long-gone Crazy Golf course in Sandbanks, Poole.

We found some brilliant old postcards at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair in the Town Hall.

One of which was this Dennis Publications postcard showing the Crazy Golf and Rockery in Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset.

Crazy Golf and Rockery, Sandbanks, Poole. P.2674 Dennis Productions Postcard. Postally used. Date unknown

The card was sent from Bournemouth to Winchester.

While that particular Crazy Golf course is no longer there, you can still play minigolf in Sandbanks on a much larger layout.

Sandbanks Crazy Golf is an fun and tricky 18-hole course. We've played tournaments there in the past.

Sandbanks Crazy Golf

We're looking forward to visiting and playing the courses down in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks areas in the Spring.

A postcard from the Putting Green in Denton Gardens, Worthing

A look back at the Putting Green in Worthing's Denton Gardens.

A postcard showing the Putting Green, Denton Park, Worthing - it's unposted and undated

Minigolf was first played in Denton Gardens on Tuesday 1st July 1924.

You can still enjoy a round of miniature golf on the 18-hole Splash Point Mini Golf course there.

Splash Point Mini Golf was the 181st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Worthing
- Splash Point Mini Golf
- A Putting Green postcard from Denton Park in Worthing

Princess Parade North Shore postcards from Blackpool

A look back at some views of Blackpool.

As an avid collector of minigolf postcards it was brilliant to find these two views of the Princess Parade area of Blackpool.

One is an undated and unposted Bamforth card of the Crazy Golf course at the North Shore and is one of a number in my collection showing the layout.

Crazy Golf, North Shore, Blackpool. 50. Bamforth Post Card. Unposted. Undated

The other is an undated and unposted Tuck's card and shows the area before it was home to the Crazy Golf!

Princess Parade, Looking North, Blackpool. Tuck's Post Card. Unposted. Undated

Before finding these postcards yesterday I had 21 postcards showing the North Shore Crazy Golf course with ten different views. Some of the cards have been postally used, while others are unused.

I have another copy of the Bamforth card. That one is also postally unused, but has the words 'Visited 14th April 1979' are written on the reverse.

We've visited the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course a number of times over the years. But we've never had a proper full round on the layout as it's never been open.

The teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels are working on a project to reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore. It'll be superb to play the updated course.

Related blog posts:
- Renovation of the North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool
- Princess Parade Crazy Golf course update
- A Crazy Golf postcard from Blackpool

A Putting Green postcard from Denton Park in Worthing

A look at a Putting Green postcard from Denton Park in Worthing.

Earlier this week I found a very nice old postcard showing the Putting Green in Denton Park in Worthing. The card was never posted and is undated.

Putting Green, Denton Park, Worthing - postcard. Unposted. Undated

Minigolf was first played in Denton Gardens on Tuesday 1st July 1924. Since 2010 the area has been home to the excellent Splash Point Mini Golf course.

The first minigolf courses in Denton Gardens were of the grass Putting variety, when both sides of the lawn in the gardens were given over to miniature golf Putting courses.

I've got a few other postcards showing the Putting Green in Denton Gardens, but this is the first one I've got showing this particular angle of the course.

89 years since the first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place

Celebrating 89 years since the first National Tom Thumb Championship was contested in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Garnet Carter created the first artificial miniature golf course in the USA in 1926. The first of the 'Tom Thumb Golf' brand of miniature golf course was an 18-hole layout located near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

By 1930 there were some 25,000 miniature golf courses in the USA, 3,000 of which were the now patented Tom Thumb course franchises.

The course and fantasy theming caught the imagination of visitors and on the 23rd October 1930 the final of the first-ever National Tom Thumb Championship took place.

Qualifying events had taken place in all of the then 48 states of the USA, with 200 players representing 30 states in the grand final. The event had a total prize fund of $10,000, with the champion winning $2,000!

Today hundreds of miniature golf competitions take place around the world and new courses are opening up all the time.

We haven't played a Tom Thumb Golf course on our travels, but we do have some nice old postcards of Tom Thumb courses in our collection. This one is of a course at Westende Bains in Belgium

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more details of minigolf history.

Greetings from Seacroft Holiday Club in Hemsby, Norfolk

Many thanks to our friend Steve from the On the Buses fan club who recently sent us this nice old postcard showing the Putting Green at the Seacroft Holiday Club in Hemsby, Norfolk. The card was posted in 1988 and is a very nice addition to our miniature golf postcard collection.

Greetings from Seacroft Holiday Club. Hemsby, Norfolk. By Fincom. Posted 1988

Looking online it appears that the Seacroft Holiday Club, also known as Seacroft Holiday Camp and Seacroft Holiday Village, was merged with its sister site Hemsby Beach Holiday Park in 2017. The current Richardson's holiday park is home to a Crazy Golf course.

We also have this nice postally used John Hinde card showing the Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Centre in our collection. It was posted on the 13th May 1985.

Pontin's Seacroft Holiday Centre, John Hinde (Dis.) Ltd. Postally used 13 May 1985

The latest issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine (July 2019) contains an article I wrote about Pontin's holiday camps.

We've enjoyed our trips to Hemsby on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Hemsby is home to one of my all-time favourite courses - the Lost World Adventure Golf. We're looking forward to a return visit in the future.

Putting Green at the Charterhouse Christian Guest House in Teignmouth

In among the haul of old minigolf postcards we found at the collector's fair in Stockport on Sunday was this one showing two holes of the Putting Green at the Charterhouse Christian Guest House in Teignmouth, South Devon.

Charterhouse Christian Guest House, Teignmouth, South Devon. E.T.W. Dennis & Sons Ltd. Posted on 29 April 1980

We've been to  Teignmouth on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and played the Jurassic Adventure Golf course on the sea front.

Looking online it appears that the Charterhouse Christian Guest House has long since closed. In its later years the house was used as a residential care home.

We've played and visited a number of miniature golf courses at hotels on our travels, including those at the Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel, The Imperial Hotel in Exmouth, The Victoria and The Belmont hotels in Sidmouth, The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, the Sutton Staithe Hotel in Norfolk, The Riviera Hotel in Weymouth and the Merlewood Hotel in Saundersfoot.

I wonder how many other hotels have minigolf or crazy golf courses 'hidden' in their grounds that we don't know about?

Putting Green at the Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth

Among the old minigolf postcards we found at a collector's fair in Stockport on Sunday was this one of the Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth.

You can see the flag for hole 3 on the far left of the postcard

We've been to Bournemouth a number of times over the years and are due a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour revisit to the town as some new courses have opened since our last trip to the south coast resort in 2013. I can't believe it's been six years since we were last down there!

Looking on the Hotel Miramar website it doesn't appear to have a minigolf course there anymore.

We've played and visited a few miniature golf courses at hotels on our travels, including those at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, the Sutton Staithe Hotel in Norfolk, The Riviera Hotel in Weymouth, the Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel, The Imperial Hotel in Exmouth, The Victoria and The Belmont hotels in Sidmouth and the Merlewood Hotel in Saundersfoot.

I wonder how many other hotels have minigolf or crazy golf courses 'hidden' in their grounds that we don't know about?

Pat Regan and Jack Nunn's Putting Green in Broadstairs

A look at postcards of Pat Regan and Jack Nunn's Putting Green in Broadstairs.

Since I first wrote about Pat Regan's Putting Green in Broadstairs, Kent last December I've found two more cards showing the course.

The first postcard I found of Pat Regan's Putting Green in Broadstairs

The postcard is postally unused, but interestingly is signed by Pat Regan himself

The postcard I have of Jack Nunn's Putting Green shows the same photo as the Pat Regard cards, albeit slightly larger

The second copy of the Pat Regan Putting Green postcard is in better condition that the one I bought last year

This time the card is signed by Pat Regan and certifies that a Mr David Somebody scored a hole-in-one o the 18th hole. It looks to be dated the 6th September 1969

The Putting Green in Broadstairs that once bore Pat Regan and Jack Nunn's names was in the same spot that is now Lillyputt Minigolf.

The Lillyputt Minigolf course in Broadstairs is a nice Arnold Palmer Putting Course layout

We visited and played the Lillyputt Minigolf course back in September 2007. It was the 35th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 911 courses.

You can find out more about the course on the Lillyputt Minigolf website. One of the photos in the gallery section shows the area as Jack Nunn's Putting Green.

I still haven't been able to find out anything further about Pat Regan or Jack Nunn or their tenures at the Broadstairs Putting Green. I would guess that they were the course owners. I'd love to know for sure.

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Broadstairs

Putting course at the Cober Hill Hotel in Scarborough

We bought some nice old minigolf postcards at a collector's fair in Stockport on Sunday, the first of which was found by Emily who spotted this card of the Cober Hill Guest House in Scarborough.

Cober Hill Guest House, Scarborough. E.T.W. Dennis & Sons Ltd. Undated and postally unused

It's now called the Cober Hill Hotel and look on the website they still have a grass Putting course there.

We were recently in Scarborough and visited all of the minigolf courses we knew about in the North Yorkshire seaside resort. The North Bay Mini Golf course was the 900th we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We'll have to swing by the Cober Hill Hotel on a return visit to Scarborough to see if we can have a game there too.

It's really fun and interesting to find new, old and forgotten courses and the multi-view postcard of the Cober Hill Guest House was a great way to find out about the Miniature Golf course.

The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool

A look at the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool.

We bought some superb old postcards at a collector's fair in Stockport yesterday. Among them was this card of the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool back when it was owned by Butlin's.

The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool is now operated by Britannia Hotels, the owners of Pontin's!

How the Metropole Hotel looked on my visit to Blackpool in May. Note the Pontin's flag to the right of the hotel

Originally built in 1776, the hotel was owned by Butlins from 1955 until 1998 when it was purchased by Grand Hotels. In 2004 the hotel was sold to Britannia Hotels.

I was recently at the seaside resort to visit the Crazy Golf course behind the hotel as part of the project to reopen the minigolf layout.

Mini Golf at Hotel Palma Nova, Mallorca

We found some old miniature golf postcards at a collector's fair in Stockport yesterday, including this very nice one showing the minigolf course at the Hotel Palma Nova in Mallorca.

Hotel Palma Nova, Mallorca. Postally used. Date unknown

Emily and I haven't been to Mallorca yet, but fellow Crazy World of Minigolf Tour member Christopher Gottfried has. He visited the minigolf course at Vista Alegre in Porto Cristo in 2015.

Looking at maps of the area it doesn't look like the hotel's course is still there. However, there is a large minigolf course at Golf Fantasia in Palma Nova.

Greetings from Pontin's Holiday Village, Camber Sands

We found this nice old Pontin's postcard at a collector's fair in Stockport yesterday.

Greetings from Pontin's Holiday Village, Camber Sands. Photo Precision Limited. Posted on 14 July 1975

The July 2019 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine contains an article I wrote about Pontins postcards.

The Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Camber Sands is where the playground and grass is in the top left image of the postcard above

My family stayed at Pontin's Camber Sands in the 1990's and we swung by the holiday camp to play the Adventure Golf there in 2014.

The course was the 585th visited and 351st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Pontins postcards in Picture Postcard Monthly

Check out the feature on Pontins postcards in the new issue of Picture Postcard Monthly.

The July 2019 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine contains an article I wrote about Pontins postcards.

The new issue of Picture Postcard Monthly is out now

Over the years I've collected quite a few postcards showing Pontins holiday camps dating back to the 1960s.

Greetings from Pontin's at Pakefield, Suffolk, Photo Precision Limited. PLC13118. Postally used on 28 Aug 1969

The majority of the cards I have are from the 1970s and 1980s and a lot of them show miniature golf courses.

One of my prized minigolf possessions and something of a crazy golf postcard holy grail as the sender wrote about the course depicted on the card

You can buy Picture Postcard Monthly magazine via the PPM website, or at postcard fairs around the country.

I'm a big fan of the seaside, holiday camps and crazy golf and have collected a large number of postcards showing various locations. In recent years we've also been on holiday to Pontins Prestatyn Sands for On the Buses fan club events.

Pontin's Holiday Centre Prestatyn, Bamforth & Co. Ltd. WT948. Postally used, date unknown

Growing up, my family went on holidays to camps at Barry Island, Minehead, Bognor Regis and Camber Sands. The November 2016 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly includes a feature I wrote about Butlin's cards.

Links:
- Picture Postcard Monthly magazine
- Pontins

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Pontins

Four years ago today we visited our 600th minigolf course in the UK!

Reaching a landmark on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Goodrington Sands Crazy Golf course in Devon

The Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Sands, Devon was the 600th course visited and the 370th we had played up until that point. A large number of courses we visit on our travels tend to be closed, derelict, abandoned or out-of-season.

Playing the Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Sands

Emily playing the Goodrington Sands Crazy Golf course

We visited a total of 62 miniature golf courses during our brilliant two-week holiday around the coast of South West England in the summer of 2015.

At Goodrington Sands

The 600th course visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Jurassic Golf course at Santa-Fe Adventure Park in Swanage, Dorset on Sunday 31st May 2015.

At minigolf course visit 600 in Swanage, Dorset

When our travels began in September 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've now been to 895 minigolf courses, including 39 overseas, and there are still a fair few for us to visit.

Course visit number 900 is getting very very close!

A Crazy Golf postcard from Blackpool

A look at a 'new' old Crazy Golf postcard from Blackpool.

As a collector of minigolf postcards I've found quite a few over the years. Among the most photographed location in my collection is the Crazy Golf course at Blackpool's North Shore and at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair I managed to find a new view of the course.

I've got 21 postcards showing the North Shore Crazy Golf course with ten different views. Some of the cards have been postally used, while others are unused.

The card below is the earliest posted example I have of the course and was sent to Manchester on the 4th June 1969.

The latest posted card of the course was sent to Porthmadog on the 6th August 1986.

Plans are underway to bring the North Shore Crazy Golf course back to life as it's been in a dormant state for a few years now.

How the North Shore Crazy Golf course looked on the 20th May 2019

I'm looking forward to seeing and playing the bright and fresh refurbished course.

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Blackpool
- Crazy Golf
- The North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool
- Renovation of the North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool

Renovation of the North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool

The old Crazy Golf course behind the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool is re-opening soon.

The North Shore Crazy Golf course last August

Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and Fylde Street Angels have come together on a new project to breathe life into the old North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool.

The project will help homeless people in Blackpool by giving them a chance to work on the Crazy Golf course so it is playable and then staffing it for the upcoming summer season and beyond. It sounds like a brilliant plan to give people the opportunity to receive work experience, while also bringing a disused minigolf course back to life.

You can find out more about the project on the Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and Fylde Street Angels websites and social media channels.

We always enjoy visiting Blackpool and have wanted to play the North Shore Crazy Golf course since we first saw it back in 2009. We've been back a number of times since and it's always been so sad to see it closed. We're looking forward to playing the refurbished course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Even though we've never played the course we have collected a large number of old postcards showing the course over the years. Here are four of them.

Crazy Golf at Blackpool. B.1531. A Dennis Postcard. Postally used and sent from Oldham to Luton. Undated

Crazy Golf, North Shore, Blackpool. Bamforth Postcard. Postally unused, but the words 'Visited 14th April 1979' are on the reverse

Princess Parade, Blackpool PT18819. Publisher unknown. Posted 15 September 1970

Sending you lots of LUCK from Blackpool. Bamforth Postcard. Postally used 6 August 1986

Related blog posts:
- Blackpool
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool in 2018
- North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool in 2016
- North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool in 2009