From a minigolf course to a hotel and drive-thru

The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course is in the process of being turned into a hotel and drive-thru.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

A new Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru are being built on the location of England's first Crazy Golf course.

The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire has been derelict since 2018, and work is progressing on the site with the new businesses set to open in 2025.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game has become widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

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

It's sad to hear about the loss of this piece of miniature golf history. I'm glad we got to visit the course when we did in 2011 and 2015.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

We've also got some nice old postcards of the course in our collection, including this one when it was known as 'Craz-e-Golf'.

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977

Skegness is home to several other minigolf courses. We've haven't been there since 2015, but did visit as many as we could the last time. At least one new adventure golf course has opened there since then.

We'll have to revisit and see what's changed...

Crazy Golf history: from a minigolf course to a hotel

The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course is being turned into a hotel.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

A new Travelodge hotel and Starbucks drive-thru are being built on the location of England's first Crazy Golf course.

The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire has been derelict since 2018, and now work on the site is set to begin soon.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK. Crazy Golf is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK holidaymakers.

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

It's sad to hear about the loss of this piece of miniature golf history. I'm glad we got to visit the course when we did in 2011 and 2015.

The Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness (2015)

We've also got some nice old postcards of the course in our collection, including this one when it was known as Craz-e-Golf.

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness by E.T.W Dennis & Sons Ltd S.2142 postally used on 21 June 1977

Skegness is home to several other minigolf courses. We've haven't been there since 2015, but did visit as many as we could the last time. At least one new adventure golf course has opened there since then.

We'll to revisit again soon and see how things have changed...

New Crazy Golf course in Addlethorpe, Skegness

There are plans for a new Crazy Golf course in Addlethorpe, Skegness.

The new Crazy Golf course is planned to be built as part of a new holiday park on land that was formerly Addlethorpe Golf Club.

Skegness was home to England's first Crazy Golf course and the town is a real hot-spot for the game with ten courses and 120-holes there at my last count. The first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

We're looking forward to getting back there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Happy Miniature Golf Day!

Did you know: The Original Crazy Golf course opened in Skegness in 1926.

It was the first Crazy Golf course to open in England

We visited the South Parade course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2011 and 2015.

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Definitions of minigolf - Crazy Golf

A look at names for the game of minigolf.

Crazy Golf – Crazy Golf is a name most commonly used in the UK. It is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK natives.

England's first Crazy Golf opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926 and the game is widely known by that name in the UK.

At The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness back in May 2015

See other definitions for other names of the game of minigolf

Posted from Skegness

A look at a minigolf stamp from the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness.

Playing the course in May 2011

Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness as part of our Minigolf Weekender in 2015

Of the places we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Skegness is the town with the most minigolf courses in the UK. Skeggy has 120-holes spread across ten seafront courses.

A Typical Butlin Monorail

A look at an old Butlins postcard from Skegness.

I'm always on the lookout for old minigolf postcards and when I'm sorting through them at fairs, car boot sales, or in charity or antique shops I always keep an eye out for holiday camp postcards too.

This is one of the wonderful Butlin's cards from the late 1960's and it ticks a number of my interest boxes.

Firstly it's got a prominent view of a miniature golf course being played.

Secondly it's a Butlin's holiday camp card.

And thirdly it's got a monorail on it!

A Typical Butlin Monorail. I have two other versions of this card, but with the caption of 'Butlin's Skegness Monorail' instead. One was postally used on 27th July 1971

Two firsts

Skegness was the first Butlin's holiday camp and it opened its doors on the 11th April 1936.

The camp at Butlin's Skegness was the location for the UK's first commercial monorail. It opened in 1965.

Since then a number of camps opened and closed, underwent facelifts and rebranding exercises and offered marvellous holidays to millions of people.

Holidaying at Butlin's

My parents met at the Butlin's holiday camp in Clacton-on-Sea in the 1970's. My family often went on holiday to the Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead. We also had one stay at the Bognor Regis and Ayr camps. I spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp, itself a former Butlin's camp.

I have not yet visited the Skegness camp, but have had some brilliant holidays in Skeggy itself.

We also used to ride the monorail at Butlin's Minehead all the time.

My brother Christopher foudnd this snap of us riding the monorail at Butlin's Minehead back in the early 90's while looking through some old family photos

National Miniature Golf Day 2019

National Miniature Golf Day is coming up on Saturday 11th May. Where will you be playing minigolf?

A shot from the National Miniature Golf Day tournament held in Skegness in 2015

Related blog post:
- Key minigolf dates for the year ahead

Atlantis Adventure Golf in Skegness

New Adventure Golf course opening soon in Skegness.

A brand new Adventure Golf course is nearing completion and will be opening soon in Skegness, Lincolnshire.

The team at HM Adventure Golf have almost finished building Skegness Aquarium's new 18-hole Atlantis Adventure Golf course at Tower Esplanade.

Skegness is a real hotspot for minigolf and the first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

Once Atlantis Adventure Golf opens the number of courses on the seafront will hit double digits. At the last count there were 102-holes spread across nine seafront courses in the town. There is also a Pitch & Putt course and a Crazy Golf layout at the North Shore Holiday Centre a short walk from the front, as well as an Adventure Golf course at the town's Butlin's.

Keep an eye on Skegness Aquarium's website for more information on the course opening in March 2019.

We're looking forward to playing the Atlantis Adventure Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Mini Golf in Skegness
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

Link:
- Skegness Aquarium

A Crazy Golf postcard from Skegness

A look at a minigolf postcard from Skegness sent in 1946.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection of minigolf cards and among them was this nice old postcard showing the waterways and pier in Skegness. Also clearly in view is a Crazy Golf course.

The Waterways and Pier, Skegness. The Graphic Series postcard. Postally used on 14 August 1946

The course in the card was on North Parade. On our last visit to Skegness in 2015 we found an abandoned Indoor Jungle 3D Mini Golf course at the Lost World Adventure Park. A world away from the course in the postcard that was on more or less the same spot 70 years before!

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

There are a number of miniature golf courses in Skegness with 102-holes spread across nine seafront courses

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Postcards
- Craz-e-Golf at Skegness

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

Is Skegness as bad as Pyongyang?

Skegness rated as one of the world's worst holiday destinations.

As a fan of the British seaside experience I was shocked to read that Skegness had been rated amongst the world's worst holiday destinations.

Skegness in May 2015

The list of 11 Worst Travel Destinations in the World You Should Skip was published by the Destination Tips website in November 2014 and recently picked up by news outlets and social media.

Playing the classic Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Skegness on Miniature Golf Day in May 2015

We've been to Skegness - aka Skeg-Vegas - on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels and we love it there. There's no other town in the UK with as many miniature golf courses as Skeggy. On our last visit in 2015 we counted nine Crazy Golf, Putting, Adventure Golf and Pitch & Putt courses on the seafront alone, not to mention those in holiday camps and caravan parks in the area and the neighbouring resort at Ingoldmells.

Skegness was also the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. There's still a playable course on the same spot on South Parade.

The site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. The game has been played on this spot since 1926

In addition to Skegness and Pyongyang, Destination Tips also suggests you give a wide berth to:
- Bogota, Colombia
- Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
- Damascus, Syria
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Kiev, Ukraine
- Mogadishu, Somalia
- Moscow, Russia
- Port au Prince, Haiti
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

My friend Dylan Harris runs Lupine Travel, a company which takes adventurous tourists to far-flung and often troubled destinations. On one of Lupine's excursions to North Korea the holidaymakers played in the first Pyongyang Minigolf Open Tournament.

Pyongyang's Miniature Golf course

Maybe there are comparisons to be drawn after all...

Related blog posts:
- Skegness
- Skeg-Vegas!
- Mini Golf in Skegness
- Mini Golf in Pyongyang, North Korea

Link:
- Destination Tips website

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

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Mini Golf in Skegness

Details of Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf and Minigolf courses in Skegness.

In May 2011 we visited Skegness as part of a road trip along the Lincolnshire coast. In May 2015 we returned for some more fun and games in the seaside resort. Here's a list of the courses we know of in Skegness.

- Arnold Palmer Putting Courses on North Parade - includes two Crazy Golf courses (one 9-hole, one 18-hole) and an 18-hole grass Putting course.

The start of the 9-hole Crazy Golf course at the Arnold Palmer Putting course. The rocket ship in the top right of the photo is an obstacle on the 18-hole course

The excellent grass Putting Mini Golf course at the Arnold Palmer site

- Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach - a 9-hole course.

Hole 2 of the Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach. You can see part of the Cactus Canyon River Ride to the right of the photo

- Jolly Roger Adventure Golf course on Grand Parade - includes two 9-hole layouts.

A view of one of the two courses at the Jolly Roger Adventure Golf. We played them both in May 2011

- Miniature Golf at the North Shore Holiday Centre and Caravan Park - an 8-hole course.

One of the holes of the Miniature Golf courses at the North Shore Holiday Centre. It's not too far from the seafront or town centre and is worth a play. The nearby pub is called The Pitch & Putt Inn

- Pitch and Putt course on Princes Parade - a 9-hole course.

We're yet to play the Pitch & Putt course and on our most recent visit we were there too early in the season

- Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach - a 9-hole course.

We were able to play the Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course on our second visit to the seaside resort. It's well worth a play

- The Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade - a 12-hole layout.

This is the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. The game has been played in the town since 1926!

We've also visited and played a number of other courses in Lincolnshire.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Skegness

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

Spot the Difference

Spot the Differences between our visits to the Original Crazy Golf course in Skegness.

We've visited the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire twice on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The first time was in May 2011, followed by a return trip to the seaside resort in May 2015. On both occasions we found the Crazy Golf course that stands on the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf layout to be closed.

Spot the Differences

Check out the posts from our visit in 2011 and 2015 to see how the course has changed in the past few years.

Related blog posts:

- Skegness (South Parade) - Crazy Golf - Closed on Visit
- Crazy Golf on South Parade in Skegness

- Skegness
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness

A revisit to the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness.

A view of England's first Crazy Golf course location

In May 2011 we visited Skegness as part of a road trip along the Lincolnshire coast. In May 2015 we returned for some more fun and games in the seaside resort.

At the Crazy Golf course on South Parade

When we arrived on the Friday afternoon we had a wander along the seafront to see what had changed with the minigolf courses. Unfortunately the Crazy Golf course on South Parade was once again closed.

Recreating my look of sadness from May 2011

The course is noted as England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. There's a relatively new sign at Grand Parade advertising the course and the date it was established is listed as 1926.

The new sign for the old Crazy Golf course

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've now visited 598 courses, playing 363 of them. As well as the visit to England's first course, we've played England's first Pitch & Putt (opened in Southsea in 1914) and the world's first Miniature Golf course (the Himalayas in St Andrews was created in 1867).

There has been Crazy Golf on this site since 1926

On the Saturday the course was once again closed, so we played an impromptu Aces Competition on National Miniature Golf Day using an 11-Wood that Chris Jones had just bought in a charity shop. The course became the 363rd played on our tour.

Finally having a play on the course

Chris Jones having a putt on an obstacle that wasn't there in 2011, nor I doubt in 1926

As we were leaving on the Sunday we noticed it was open!

The course was open on the Sunday

People having a round on the course

Check out more photos of the 12-hole course.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Skegness (South Parade) - Crazy Golf - Closed on Visit
- Crazy Golf on South Parade in Skegness

- Two Miniature Golf Firsts
- Skegness
- Skegness Minigolf Championship 2015
- National Miniature Golf Day Tournament 2015
- Holiday on the Buses Reunion Mini Golf Competition in Skegness

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