Crazy Golf at the Pleasure Gardens in Great Yarmouth

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Nelson Gardens in Great Yarmouth back in 1980.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this nice old postcard showing the Crazy Golf course at Nelson Gardens in Great Yarmouth.

Nelson Gardens Great Yarmouth postcard. A Sapphire Card. Postally used on 23 July 1980

We visited and played the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back on the 9th June 2007. The course was the 25th we played.

Unfortunately at the start of the 2008 summer season the 11-hole minigolf course was changed from a Safari Golf to a Segway Grand Prix!

The Pleasure Beach is still home to a 12-hole Adventure Golf course.

Visit the Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Great Yarmouth

A postcard of Hastings Mini Golf

A look at the Crazy Golf course in Hastings.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this nice old postcard of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Hastings, East Sussex.

A postally unused Hastings Mini Golf postcard C6911 by Judges Limited Hastings. The player is on hole 12

The Judges postcard shows the 18-hole Crazy Golf course in the foreground and you can just make out the grass Putting course in the background. The course on Hastings sea front is still recognisable today, although the area has had quite a few new additions - not least in the shape of two themed adventure golf courses.

How hole 12 of the Crazy Golf course looked in 2015

The Hastings Crazy Golf course was the 39th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we were in town for the World Crazy Golf Championships in October 2007. We've been back a number of times since.

Check out the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more info on the three courses on the site.

Related blog posts:
- Hastings
- Postcards

Putt-Putt Germiston in Johannesburg, South Africa

A look at a postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston in Johannesburg, South Africa.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this Putt-Putt advertising postcard/coupon. It's not the first version I've seen, but it was still well worth getting as it's such a nice piece of ephemera and minigolf history.

Putt-Putt Golf Courses - South Africa's Premier Putting Courses. A postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston, Johannesburg

This postcard is stamped for a free game at 'Putt-Putt Germiston', the other one I have is for 'Putt-Putt Southdale'. Sadly the Germiston location is no longer there.

The reverse of the postcard coupon good for one free round at Putt-Putt Germiston, Johannesburg

My expert minigolf contact from South Africa PJ Goedhals identified the location on the front of the card as the Putt-Putt miniature golf course at Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point/Sea Point in Cape Town - PJ's local course! Some of my cousins have also visited the course.

A photo of the Three Anchor Bay Putt-Putt course in January last year

Putt-Putt is the only patented game of miniature golf and began in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1954. In the 1960's Putt-Putt franchises began opening outside of the US, in locations such as the one on the postcard, as well as Australia and Japan. At one time there were even Putt-Putt courses in the UK. You can read the Putt-Putt story on the Putt-Putt Fun Centers website.

Related blog posts:
- Putt-Putt
- Postcard
- Postcards
- South Africa
- A Putt-Putt Postcard from South Africa

Miniature Golf at the Harbour Gardens in Morecambe

A 1930's view of the Harbour Gardens in Morecambe.

I found this wonderful old postcard showing the Harbour Gardens in Morecambe, Lancashire. What a spot it must've been to play minigolf.

Postcard showing Harbour Gardens, Morecambe. G.5021 by Allen & Sons, Blackpool 21A. The card was postally used on 19 August 1937 and sent to Leeds

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards

Pat Regan's Putting Green in Broadstairs

Who was Pat Regan?

A look at a mysterious postcard from Pat Regan's Putting Green in Broadstairs.

I found this interesting old miniature golf postcard at the recent Stockport Postcard Fair.

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

Pat Regan's Putting Green on the Thanet coast in Broadstairs, Kent was in the same spot that is now Lillyputt Minigolf.

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 859.

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

I haven't been able to find out anything about Pat Regan. Was he the course owner or a local golf pro? I'd love to know.

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.

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Broadstairs

A Crazy Golf 'holy grail'

Finding a rare Crazy Golf postcard.

As a keen postcard collector I'm always on the lookout for new views of miniature golf courses and while at the December postcard fair in Stockport I found something of a holy grail in the world of minigolf postcards.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Village. This Photo Precision Limited postcard was sent on the 8th July 1977

Not only is the card a full view of a Crazy Golf course, but it also has a message on the back about playing Crazy Golf! In the thousands of minigolf postcards I've got this is one of only a few that mentions playing the game and the only one specifically saying "Crazy Golf".

The sender was having quite the holiday in Prestatyn by the sound of it - playing Crazy Golf every day!

The Grand Hotel is now The Beaches Hotel. Sadly the Crazy Golf course is long gone. On our last holiday in Prestatyn we popped into the hotel bar for a drink. The patio area there has a nice sea view.

A view of the area in front of the hotel. The plot of land between the hotel and Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park is now a car park

Another view of where the Crazy Golf course once was

Luckily there is still a Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park. It's near the main entrance and back in 2014 became the 348th played and 582nd visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Crazy Golf course at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Prestatyn
- Pontins

A lovely postcard view

We had a brilliant time at the recent North Wales Postcard Club's fair in Craig-y-Don, Llandudno.

The pick of the 19 miniature golf postcards we found at the event was this view of Kleingolfplatz Überlingen next to Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and the Swiss Alps in the distance.

The postally unused postcard shows 'Bodensee-Promenade mit Schweisser Alpen' and 'Kleingolfplatz Überlingen'. Published by Erwin Burda, Freiburg

This postcard was just 10p!

A note on the unposted card says the visit took place on the 29th August 1960. It always amazes me to find cards in such excellent condition after so much time.

It's always marvellous to see views such as this. I wonder how many golf balls were lost in the lake over the years?

Related blog post:
- Postcards

Link:
- North Wales Postcard Club

Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

A look at the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide.

The Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide

As a big fan of the British seaside and traditional holiday entertainment I was pleased to find a Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide while sorting through some paperwork at home.

Seeing the Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide brought back so many happy memories.

My family used to go on holiday to Barry Island in the late 80's and 90's and loved it there. The holiday camp was absolutely marvellous, with everything from swimming to Crazy Golf, to snooker and darts, to the fun fair and more - all free of charge once you had checked in. My brother's and I would spend hours going from one activity to another and then spend the evening in the arcades playing games such as Blasteroids, Xybots, Double Dragon and Wardner. Halcyon days.

Check out the six-page Barry Island Resort 1995 Information & Entertainment Guide. As a former holidaymaker at the camp, fan of the British seaside, postcard collector and marketer it makes for interesting reading - especially some of the adverts!

What a cover

There was always so much to do at Barry Island

The entertainment continues

Back when you could still advertise cigarettes!

A great bit of marketing and use of a postcard image

I spent many an hour at building 5 - Princes Ballroom as that's where the Crazy Golf, snooker and arcade was 

Barry Island Resort was originally a Butlin's holiday camp in 1966 and was re-opened as a Majestic holiday camp in the 1980's. Sadly it closed for good in 1996 and was demolished to make way for housing.

I've returned to Barry Island - in 2009 and 2010. Apart from the disappearance of the holiday camp there were some new attractions, but the resort was still recognisable from the 90's. I'll have to return for another look as the last eight years since our last visit has flown by!

Barry Island in 2010

Outside the gates of the former holiday camp

Related blog posts:
- 45 minutes on Barry Island
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 121 - Barry Island / Ynys y Barri
- Barry Island
- Holiday Camp
- Postcards
- Butlin's

What a postcard!

A look at a Blackpool beach scene in 1975.

We bought this great old postcard from a car boot sale yesterday. It was just 10p. What a scene.

Look at that sunburn!

We've been to Blackpool a fair few times over the years, but we've never seen the beach anything like that. Although it was sunburn weather on my visit to nearby St Annes on Sea last year.

The card has a nice special postmark on it with a list of the resorts that make up the 'Happy Holiday Coast'

We'll be heading back to Blackpool soon as we've heard there's an Adventure Golf course up the Blackpool Tower!

Related blog posts:
- Blackpool
- Postcards

Mini Golf in Picture Postcard Monthly

Check out the February 2018 edition of Picture Postcard Monthly to read a feature I wrote about minigolf and crazy golf in Aberystwyth.

Links:

- Picture Postcard Monthly

- Blog post from our visit to the two miniature golf courses in Aberystwyth

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness

I picked up this great minigolf card at a Postcard Fair in Stockport. The course in the photo is in the same location as England's first Crazy Golf course.

Craz-e-Golf is an interesting name for the game and not one we've seen before

The card was posted to Liverpool from Skegness on the 21st June 1977 (a Tuesday). Note the nice postcard cancellation on the card too. I wonder if May played the Crazy Golf while in Skeggy? 

The first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

In May 2015 the course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A more recent look at the Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf on Skegness' South Parade
- The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness
- Postcards

A visit to the Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-under-Lyne

A look at the Collector's World exhibition at the Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-under-Lyne.

We recently visited Ashton-under-Lyne and the Portland Basin Museum to see the Collector's World exhibition which is on display until the end of February.

I'd seen the Collector's World listed in the Tameside Reporter newspaper and as a collector of many things myself it was interesting to see the varied display of people's collections in the museum.

The various collections were displayed in some very nice pods

Medal, sticker and bottle collections

The Portland Basin Museum is well worth a visit and the curators there were incredibly enthusiastic and helpful. We only had time for a flying visit, but we'll be back for a longer look around in the future.

We had a great time in Ashton-under-Lyne

The Portland Basin Marina

Interacting with one of the museum's social history exhibits in the 1914-1918 Street

Eat Less Bread. Wise words indeed

Visit the Portland Basin Museum website for details of upcoming displays and opening times.

Link:
- Portland Basin Museum

Related blog posts:
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Museum

The Gazeway 'All-Weather' Miniature Golf Course

Finding out about The Gazeway 'All-Weather' Miniature Golf Course from a minigolf postcard.

Emily and I enjoy a good mystery and after Emily found a great old minigolf postcard while browsing at the Room at the Top antique shop in Stockport Market's Produce Hall we had another bit of minigolf history to research.

The undated and postally unused card shows Room at The Gazeway 'All-Weather' Miniature Golf Course. A quick online search for this term returned no results!

The reverse of the postcard was no help

Luckily after a bit more digging we found details of the course in a 1930 issue of The Graphic magazine.

The Gazeway 'All-Weather' Miniature Golf Course was created by the company W.H. Gaze in 1930 and was located in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. The course was part of an old house on Portsmouth Road which the firm modernised, refurbished and furnished to showcase what the business did.

The company had its own miniature golf section, overseen by Mr H. C. Gaze and the Kingston-on-Thames course was created by a Captain G. B. Mallett - himself responsible for minigolf courses in Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Dating from 1930 the Gazeway 'All-Weather' Miniature Golf Course was one of the earliest artificial layouts in the UK. The first Crazy Golf course in England was created in Skegness in 1926.

At the time miniature golf was experiencing a boom period as the latest craze took hold. Portable and temporary courses could be found popping up in a number of different locations, including on the roof at Selfridges in London.

As is so often the case, history repeats itself and we're currently experiencing a high level of new course openings, as well as refurbishment of old courses and enjoyment of the more than 600 layouts in the UK.

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Miniature Golf

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Some new old minigolf postcards

A look at minigolf postcards from Woolacombe, Droitwich and Margate.

I recently bought some excellent old postcards from one of my favourite dealers and the batch included many we'd never seen before.

One was from the Once Upon a Time theme park in Woolacombe, Devon and features the attraction's mascot Pippa Pig enjoying the activities that were on offer - including an interesting looking Crazy Golf. Checking online, the Once Upon a Time theme park is long gone, having closed at the end of the 2005 season. The park had opened in the early 1990's and was based in the old Mortehoe and Woolacombe railway station.

Pippa Pig at Once Upon a Time Children's Theme Park, Woolacombe, N. Devon. Postally unused postcard published by Dowland Press Ltd,. Frome, Somerset. No date

Another of the brilliant cards shows the Putting Greens at the Raven Hotel in Droitwich, Worcestershire. It's the first minigolf card I've seen from Droitwich. Unfortunately I can't find any information on the exact location of the hotel but I'm fairly certain it's not there now. There are a number of other hotels in the area that are, or were, called the Raven. The closest looking one is the St Andrews Town Hotel.

The Putting Greens, Raven Hotel, Droitwich, Worcs. Postally unused 'Gravure' postcard by Lucas Engraving Co. Ltd., Birmingham. No date

The card showing The Oval in Cliftonville is the first I've seen that contains a full view of all 36-holes which used to form the Little Oasis Crazy Golf course. Luckily we managed to play both of the classic Arnold Palmer Putting Courses before they were removed in 2014.

The Oval, Cliftonville, PT4419. Postally used postcard postmarked from Thanet, Kent on the 24 September 1975. By Photo Precision Limited, St. Ives, Huntingdon

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- 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.

Butlin's postcards in November's Picture Postcard Monthly magazine

Check out the November issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine to read my article celebrating the 80th birthday of Butlin's.

I love the British seaside with all its quirks, eccentricity and traditional entertainment. My family often went on holiday to Butlin's holiday camps in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Ayr - and I spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp, which was formerly a Butlin's camp.

The Chalets, Butlins Holiday Camp, Skegness - Valentine's G.7241. A postally unused and undated card from my collection

As an avid collector of miniature golf postcards I've picked up a fair few Butlin's cards along the way - the courses at the camps featured some very big golf balls and tees and make for quite a striking image.

Holiday camps, miniature golf and monorails - three of my favourite subjects

As you can see, cards featuring monorails are a popular theme. In fact it was Butlin’s that introduced the UK’s first commercial monorail system, opening the loop at the Skegness holiday camp in 1965. The second monorail opened at Minehead in 1967 and that's the one I have great memories of.

Check out the Hi-di-Hi! feature in Picture Postcard Monthly magazine, available via the PPM website.

Links:
- Picture Postcard Monthly magazine
- Butlin's

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Butlin's
- Happy Birthday Butlin's

Happy Birthday Butlin's!

Today marks the 80th birthday of Butlin's Holiday Camps. On the 11th April 1936 Billy Butlin opened his first camp in Skegness, Lincolnshire - and the business is still going strong today.

I love the British seaside with all its quirks, eccentricity and traditional entertainment. I grew up on holidays at Butlin's holiday camps in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Ayr - and spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp which used to be a Butlin's camp.

I spent many great holidays at Butlin's Minehead. It was nice finding these badges at Hitchin Market recently

In fact my parents met at a Butlin's! At the Clacton-on-Sea camp way back in 1975 and this year they are celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary.

It's probably in no small part because of our childhood stays at holiday camps - and all the fun they had to offer - that Emily and I have spent the last ten years travelling around the UK coast on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also visited Butlin's Minehead (formerly Somerwest World) on one of our first holidays together in 2004.

As well as being home to the first Butlin's holiday camp, Skegness is also the site of England's first Crazy Golf course.
It opened in 1926

Over the years we've built up a great collection of miniature golf postcards, and we always keep an eye out for Butlin's cards. They're such colourful and fun cards, and seeing the monorail at Minehead brings back so many happy memories.

Within our postcard collection we've got a great selection of old and new Butlin's postcards. The images on the classic John Hinde are fantastic and it's been great to receive cards from our family when they've been to the camps in recent years. The oldest Butlin's card we have was posted on the 4th June 1951. It shows the Putting Green at Butlin's Luxury Holiday Camp in Pwllheli, Wales

Look at the size of the golf ball on the tee at the Butlin's Putting Greens. The monorails were marvellous too

Last summer we visited Skegness, and while we've not been inside that camp (yet) our friend Peter Jones was coincidently there at the same time for a Five Star concert and managed to buy me a stack of great badges for my collection.

Good luck to Butlin's and all the best for the next 80 years...

Links:
- Butlin's
- Butlin's blog
- John Hinde postcards

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Postcards

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.

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A miniature golf postcard from Helensburgh in Scotland

We recently added another great old minigolf postcard to our collection.

While at the Charing Cross Collector's Market in London we found a postcard showing the Putting Green and West Clyde Street in Helensburgh.

The real photograph postcard showing the Putting Green and West Clyde Street in Helensburgh. Published by Valentine's. Number 217052.J.V. Postally unused and undated, but believed to date from the early 1930's

We visited Helensburgh during a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour roadtrip in April 2012. Unfortunately it was a bit too early in the season for a game on the links Putting course.

A view of the (out of season) Putting Green in Helensburgh as it was when we visited in 2012

We love playing on grass miniature golf courses and the Putting Green in Helensburgh looked like a nice place for a game. There's been a course on the same spot since the 1920's so it's a very historic location.

You can find out more about Postcard Collecting in Picture Postcard Monthly magazine and the Picture Postcard Annual. Two publications which I contribute to and write for.

Related blog posts:
- Putting Green
- Putting Course
- Postcards
- Unplayed Minigolf Courses on our Roadtrip to Scotland & Back

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow Richard and Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

A postcard from Ham and Egg Parade in New Brighton

While on a recent day out in London we popped into one of the antique and collectibles shops on Cecil Court to shelter from the rain. Luckily there were a few old postcards to have a look through and the first one we found is a perfect addition to our collection.

The very prominent New Brighton Tower isn't there any more. After neglect during the First World War dismantling of the tower began in 1919.

The card was posted from a 'Harry' to a 'Nurse Drower' at the Woolwich Infirmary on July 19th 1906.

The message is still clear with Harry telling the Nurse that the area is "One of the most notorious places in the kingdom."

Consulting the excellent Postcardese book by Guy Atkins the stamp has been affixed with a secret message - the angle suggest the message is 'Forget me not'. The trend of secret messages via stamps reached its height in the Edwardian era

New Brighton's Ham and Egg Parade was 'famed' for serving Ham and Eggs to customers in its Tea Rooms. However, the area gained a very bad reputation for immoral 'goings-on' in these "Tea Rooms", and the situation got so bad that in 1907 the area was demolished and replaced by Victoria Gardens!

A ham and egger on Ham and Egg Parade

We visited New Brighton in March 2011. There weren't any immoral goings-on that we could see. There was an abandoned Crazy Golf course there though.

The old Crazy Golf course on King's Parade. Much like Ham and Egg Parade it no longer exists, having been replaced by a more salubrious new minigolf layout

We're looking forward to a return trip to New Brighton later this year. There's a pair of new Miniature Golf courses there that we're yet to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It's brilliant how much social history and amusement you can get from an old postcard. You can find out more about Postcard Collecting in Picture Postcard Monthly magazine and the Picture Postcard Annual. Two publications which I contribute to and write for.

Related blog posts:
- Ham & Egg Parade in New Brighton!
- New Brighton
- Postcards
- The Ham & Egger Files – An Introduction

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow Richard and Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.