The Himalayas Miniature Golf course at St Andrews

A look at The Himalayas putting course in St Andrews, Scotland - the world's first Miniature Golf course.

Emily playing The Himalayas course at the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club back in 2012

Playing The Himalayas course at the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club

The layout was created in 1867 and is the world's first Miniature Golf course.

When we visited there were two courses to play, an 18-hole course and a 9-hole layout. They were an absolute pleasure to play and one of my very best putting experiences.

The two courses at The Himalayas became the 292nd and 293rd miniature golf courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club website for more information.

How many minigolf courses are there in the UK?

There are lots of new minigolf courses being built, in development or planned to open in the UK.

Minigolf is an incredibly popular activity for all ages and there are new courses opening up all the time in a wide-range of outdoor and indoor locations.

Whereas the game in the UK has traditionally been a seaside pastime, over the last decade it has grown to be a game enjoyed by people in more and more towns and cities - with many catering to a late night audience.

How many minigolf courses are there in the UK?

As at September 2024 there are approximately 1,350 minigolf courses around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, and other islands). This includes public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations.

Developments over the last two decades

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the British Isles. Only two of those original courses were indoor venues. Now the indoor game is booming and you can find minigolf courses indoors at shopping centres, retail parks, and in town and city centres around the country.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've now been to a total of 1,064 miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, with 1,007 of them in the UK. Our travels have been recognised by the Guinness World Records, and I'm a record holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press). Check out the Guinness World Records 2024 book to see a lot more minigolf records too!

Of the original list of 600 we've still got to visit 39 of the public courses. In addition there are a further 150 courses at pay to enter attractions, hotels and holiday parks that we've not yet been to.

On top of these 189 courses from the original list there are hundreds more courses that have opened over the last 18 years! We tracked 320 courses that opened between May 2020 and July 2023. And between August 2023 and September 2024 a further 150 courses have opened, or are in development.

More new courses to come

There are around 100 new courses being created each year - some are on old sites/locations, some are completely new venues, others are short-term 'pop-ups', while others are in planning/development, or under construction.

A few things to note

Please note that minigolf in the UK is not an exact science and courses are opening, in planning/development, and being 'lost' quite often. Others are being refurbished, and some are completely renovated to the point where they could be considered entirely new courses.

Find new courses

For information about new minigolf, crazy golf, and adventure golf courses opening in the UK take a look at the posts with the New course tag here on the Ham & Egger Files minigolf blog where I regularly update about new places to play the game.

Let's talk minigolf

If you know of a new course opening in the UK please do get in touch and let us know.

Putting Green at Club de Golf Los Leones in Santiago, Chile

Finding a Putting Green with a view of the Andes.

Emily visited the first of two miniature golf courses in South America on her recent trip to Santiago, Chile.

The first was the Putting Green at Club de Golf Los Leones in Santiago.

Visit the Club de Golf Los Leones website for more information.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,064 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Türkiye, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,111 courses visited!

Atomic Golf in Las Vegas

A new miniature golf course is opening as part of a golfing venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Atomic Golf opens next to The STRAT in Las Vegas this month.

The venue will be home to a variety of golf games, including the Putting District - which is described as a modernized putting game experience.

Check out the Atomic Golf Las Vegas website for more information.

It'll be another new minigolf venue to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on our next next trip to the city.

Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing

A look at the grass Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing, West Sussex.

I swung by the Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing on my recent trip to the seaside town.

We first visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2010.

Putting Green at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead

Finding a Putting course at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead.

Look at those prices!

We had a holiday in Minehead, Somerset last month and visited three more miniature golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of which was the 18-hole Putting Green at Blenheim Gardens.

Putting Green at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead

Putting Green at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead

Putting Green at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead

The grass Putting course at Blenheim Gardens in Minehead town centre was the 996th course visited since September 2006. It was pretty easy to find - once you spotted the brown tourist signs for it!

This way

That way

Follow the brown sign(s)

This way to the Putting Green

Putting Green at Station Park in Moffat

A look at the Putting Green course at Station Park in Moffat, Dumfriesshire.

Our friend and minigolf rival John Moore sent us this photo of the Putting Green at Station Park in Moffat. It's not a course we had on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour radar before now!

Putting Green at Station Park in Moffat. Photo by John Moore, May 2022

Visit the Station Park website for more information.

A mini golf putting postcard from Burgh Hall in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

A look at a miniature golf postcard from our collection.

Here's a postcard showing a mini golf grass putting course at Burgh Hall Country Club Chalet & Caravan Park in the 1970s.

The card was posted to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne from Lowestoft, Suffolk on the 24th May 1977.

BURGH HALL COUNTRY CLUB postcard. Posted 24 May 1977

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

Grass Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley

We visited the grass Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire last week.

The Mini Golf Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley

It became the 975th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

 

Putting Course in Northcliffe Park, Shipley

A visit to the Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

We swung by Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire on our recent journey back from Leeds as we'd seen the park was home to a Putting Course.

The entrance to the course

The course looked like a nice layout and in good condition.

A fine looking green

You get a lovely view of the area from the course

The course is played on a sloping layout

One of the long miniature golf holes

A view from the green of the last hole

Unfortunately the Ticket Office was closed (and looked long since abandoned!) and there was nowhere else to hire clubs and balls from.

The Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley became the 975th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Thatched Roof Putting at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft

A revisit to the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

We swung by the Putting Green at Kirkley Cliff in Lowestoft, Suffolk during our East Anglian Road-Trip in August.

We first visited the Kirkley Cliff Putting Green on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in February and June 2009. We played it when we returned in August 2011. It was the 264th course played on our travels.

The course is now known at the Thatched Roof Putting and the layout still looks to be in excellent condition.

As with many things in Lowestoft, the grass miniature golf course at Kirkley Cliff is the most easterly thing of its type in the British Isles.

Visit The Thatch Restaurant website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A revisit to the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire.

We were in Northwich at the weekend and while there had to swing by the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park.

The 9-hole layout was the 700th course overall we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in September 2016. We returned in January last year - it was one of the last courses we visited before the pandemic hit!

A Covid-19 sign at the Vickersway Park Crazy Golf course

We've now been to 973 courses on our minigolfing travels since September 2006. 934 of them have been in the British Isles.

Vickersway Park in Northwich is a very pleasant spot and lovely for a wander.

Vickersway Park is also home to nice grass Putting Course.

The Putting Green at Vickersway Park

New Minigolf Putting Course to open in Chester

A new artificial grass Putting Course is planned to open at Westminster Park in Chester, Cheshire.

The layout will be on the site of a former grass Putting Green.

Westminster Park is also home to a Pitch & Putt course.

We're looking forward to playing both the Pitch & Putt and the new Minigolf Putting Course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

The course is being designed and built by Creative Golf Design. You can see a computer animation of the layout in the video below.

Park Square Putting Green in Cheadle Heath

A look at the snowy Park Square Putting Green in Cheadle Heath.

Unplayable

The Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath was the first miniature golf course we visited this year.

An old Putting Green postcard from Blackpool

A look at an old miniature golf postcard from Blackpool.

This old postcard showing the Putting Green at the North Shore in Blackpool was posted on the 10th of October 1938.

We've visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Unfortunately the kiosk was closed so we couldn't get a game. At that time in 2009 there was also a Crazy Golf layout next to the grass Putting Course.

Mini Golf at Canoe Lake in Southsea

A look at the Mini Golf course at Canoe Lake in Southsea, Hampshire.

The 12-hole course was the 669th visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in August 2015.

It was one of the best grass putting courses I've played on my travels and the sort of course I could play all day long.

We've now visited 954 courses since September 2006. The very first course was also in Southsea!

It'll be marvellous when we're able to get back to the seaside.

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Mini Golf Putting at Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding out about a hotel Putting Course in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

A big thank you to our friend Philip Walsh for sending over some snaps of a grass Putting Course he found during his recent stay on the Isle of Wight.

It looks like a nice little course for a putt around.

Visit the Luccombe Hall Hotel website for more information.

We're looking forward to a return visit to the Isle of Wight on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've had a couple of day trips there in the past and played quite a few courses, but need at least a long weekend to play them all.

Philip has also been to the brand new Shanklin Crazy Golf course, Rylstone Crazy Golf and Tea Gardens in Shanklin and the Mini Golf course and Billiard Golf tables in Puerto Colón, Tenerife this year.

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Crazy Golf at Walton on the Naze in Essex

A look back at the Crazy Golf course we visited at Walton on the Naze in Essex.

We visited the Crazy Golf course at Coronation Gardens in Walton on the Naze, Essex back in 2013.

It was the 535th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

There was also a grass Putting layout next to the Crazy Golf.

Sadly both were closed because of bad weather. It was a shame as Swedish Felt type courses are always interesting to play. The Putting Green looked fun too.

Related blog posts:
- Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Essex
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Essex

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