Showing posts with label Removed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Removed. Show all posts

Thursday, June 22, 2017

A view of Wardown Park in Luton

A look at an old Crazy Golf location in Luton.

My mate and Lutonian Martin Morrin recently sent me a snap from Luton's Wardown Park showing the site of the old miniature golf courses. There used to be a grass Putting course and a Crazy Golf layout in the park.

Wardown Park in Luton. Photo by Martin Morrin, June 2017
The shed has been replaced with a different wooden structure. The bench is looking a little wonky these days

In 2015 the two courses were removed to make way for a year-long project to monitor how local Luton residents and insects reacted to a variety of new meadows.

Over the years we played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout became the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

Wardown Park Crazy Golf course in Luton
A remnant of hole one of the old Wardown Park Crazy Golf course

It's a shame to see the area isn't being used for anything anymore.

You can see what the courses used to look like in our Crazy Golf in Wardown Park blog post.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Adswood Park Miniature Golf course

Finding out about the Adswood Park Miniature Golf course in Cheadle.


Since we moved to Cheadle Hulme last summer we've enjoyed exploring the area's parks and finding out about the borough's history. Through the Stockport Heritage Trust Group we've found out there used to be a Miniature Golf course in Adswood Park on Councillor Lane on the Cheadle / Cheadle Hulme border!

Adswood Park on Councillor Lane in Cheadle
Adswood Park on Councillor Lane in Cheadle

During a discussion about Adswood Hall on the group's Facebook Page one of the Stockport Heritage Trust Group members posted a link to an old map of the area and Emily noticed the words 'Miniature Golf Course' in Adswood Park. Further investigation uncovered one photo on the Stockport Archives website showing a Putting Green with a flag in it.

Adswood Park opened in 1913 and it's our nearest greenspace. When we first arrived in Cheadle Hulme and had a wander round the park we thought we saw some raised edges / bunker type bumps in the park. They may very well be a remnant of the old grass minigolf course. One of the other Stockport Heritage Trust Group members recollects that the course had around 6-holes and may have been there until the early or mid-nineties.

Adswood Park in Cheadle, Stockport
The Miniature Golf course used to cover this part of Adswood Park

In our time up here we've also found a grass Putting course at Park Square offices just up the road in Cheadle Heath, a Pitch & Putt course at Bruntwood Park in Cheadle and we recently heard there was once a Crazy Golf course in Alexandra Park, Edgeley.

Links:
- Stockport Heritage Trust Group
- Stockport Archives
Adswood Park

Related blog posts:
- Adswood Park
- Cheadle
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Miniature Golf course at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Hulme
Pitch and Putt at Bruntwood Park, Cheadle
- Old Crazy Golf course at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport

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.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Luton Mini Golf Meadows

Visiting the new meadows in Wardown Park, Luton.

Photo of Luton Mini Golf Meadows in Wardown Park
Luton's new Mini Golf Meadows

Earlier this week I read about the developments at the old minigolf and crazy golf site in Luton's Wardown Park and today Emily and I headed down for a look at the new 'Luton Mini Golf Meadows'.

Photo of Luton Mini Golf Meadows in Wardown Park
The area does look really nice

As part of our visit we met the project's co-ordinator Helen Hoyle who told us about the project, while we were able to tell her more about the minigolf courses that used to be there. We also completed a survey for the research while we wandered around the meadow.

Photo of Luton Mini Golf Meadows in Wardown Park
Exploring the Mini Golf Meadows and completing my survey of 'Plot G'. Emily did 'Plot H'

The year-long project has been set-up to monitor how local Luton residents and insects react to the new meadows.

Photo of Luton Mini Golf Meadows in Wardown Park
One of the pretty plots in the meadow

Over the years we played the minigolf courses in the park a fair bit. The Crazy Golf course that used to be in Wardown Park was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 5th May 2007. The Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout became the 19th played on the 19th May. Until the meadows were planted minigolf had been played in the park since the 19th June 1934.

Photo of the old Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park
I spotted a metal cup from one of the grass minigolf holes sitting on the 'green' of the old Crazy Golf course. As a connoisseur of derelict minigolf courses it was interesting to see what had become of the old holes

Photo of the Crazy Golf course in Wardown Park, Luton
Hole 1 as it used to look

Photo of the old Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park
Hole 1 now

Photo of the old Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park
A view of the old Crazy Golf site. The markings from the old fibreglass holes are still clear to see

Photo of the old Mini Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park
Out standing in his field. In the middle of what once was a grass putting course

It was nice to see at some signs that the area was once home to two miniature golf courses.

A view of the Luton Mini Golf Meadows from the old Crazy Golf course
A view of the Luton Mini Golf Meadows from the old Crazy Golf course

Photo of Luton Minigolf Meadows in Wardown Park
Hole 8 is no longer this way. You can find plots A-D there though

Two old golf balls in Luton's Minigolf Meadows in Wardown Park
Signs of golf still exist 'in the rough'

Photo of the Miniature Golf course in Wardown Park, Luton
Playing the Miniature Golf course back in 2010

Links:
- Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield
- F3ues Urban BESS project
- Green Estate
- Pictorial Meadows
- Luton Borough Council

Related blog post:
- Crazy Golf in Wardown Park Luton

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Crazy Golf in Wardown Park Luton

The Crazy Golf and Minigolf courses in Luton's Wardown Park are no more!

Miniature Golf in Wardown Park, Luton
The sign for the Miniature Golf courses is still there

On Wednesday 25 March my friend and sometimes minigolf rival Simon 'Practice' Hall let me know that the minigolf and crazy golf courses in Luton's Wardown Park had been removed, so I had to head down for a look.

The Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Wardown Park, Luton on the 25 March 2015
The fibreglass holes of the Crazy Golf course have been dug out of their foundations and put in a pile. The muddy patch in the background is where the miniature golf grass putting course was

The Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Wardown Park, Luton on the 25 March 2015
The old Crazy Golf holes piled on top of hole 1

The Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Wardown Park, Luton on the 25 March 2015
A view of the Crazy Golf course area, with the 'grass' Minigolf layout on the left

The grass Miniature Golf course had been in Wardown Park since 19 June 1934 when it was opened by the town's Mayor. The fibreglass Crazy Golf course was a much later addition.

Hole 6 of the Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park in May 2007
Hole 6 of the Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park in May 2007

The Crazy Golf course was the 18th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on 5 May 2007, with the Grass Putting Miniature Golf layout the 19th played on 19 May.

Emily playing Crazy Golf in Luton's Wardown Park in July 2007. The very green grass putting layout is on the other side of the fence
Emily playing Crazy Golf in Luton's Wardown Park in July 2007. The very green grass putting layout is on the other side of the fence

I hadn't seen or heard anything in the local media about changes to the minigolf area of the park and the staff in Wardown Park Museum didn't have any further information on the removal of the courses.

I asked Luton Borough Council why the Crazy Golf and Minigolf Putting courses in Wardown Park have been dug up?

They responded telling me it's a new meadow planting project with Sheffield University. There'll be nine plots, pathways and 'picnic zones'.

I then asked what was going to happen to the obstacles from the course and was told that the course will be reinstalled in another area of the park.

Mystery solved.

It'll be interesting to see what the area looks like when it's finished and where the Crazy Golf holes end up.

Playing hole 3 of the Wardown Park Crazy Golf course in Luton in 2007
Playing hole 3 in some golfing attire in 2007

An Autumn/Winter look to the Crazy Golf course Wardown Park, Luton in November 2011
An Autumn/Winter look to the course in November 2011

Hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course in Luton's Wardown Park as it used to look in May 2007
Hole 1 as it used to look

Playing the miniature golf grass putting in Wardown Park, Luton in May 2010
Playing the miniature golf grass putting in Wardown Park in May 2010

Check out the links below for photos and videos of the courses since we first visited them in 2007.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf & Minigolf Courses in and around Luton, Bedfordshire
- Course Played #18 Luton (Wardown Park) - Crazy Golf
- Course Played #19 Luton (Wardown Park) - Miniature Golf
- Wardown Park in Luton - Changes to the Crazy Golf Course & Ducks Fighting
- Crazy Golf at Luton's Wardown Park - November 2010
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf at Luton's Wardown Park
- More Snow - Sledging & Crazy Golf
- Snow halts play
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Luton

Videos:
- View of the Crazy Golf Course at Wardown Park in Luton
Crazy Golf course changes at Wardown Park in Luton