Crazy Golf at Wonderland in Telford, Shropshire, England

Last week I asked the question - Where in the world was this crazy golf course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour?

The Jolly Rodger Crazy Golf course at Wonderland Telford in July 2012

The answer - Wonderland in Telford, Shropshire, England.

The crazy golf course was the 300th played and 500th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Wonderland website for more information.

Putt Putt Social Crazy Golf Tournaments in Norwich, Gloucester, Telford and Bedford

Putt Putt Social indoor minigolf centres in Norwich, Gloucester, Telford and Bedford will be holding Crazy Golf tournaments at the venues on Friday 17th May.

The event format will see teams compete for the prizes.

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

Putt Putt Social Crazy Golf Tournament in Telford

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Telford on Friday 17th May.

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue.

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

New Putt Putt Noodle Crazy Golf courses

There are new Putt Putt Noodle minigolf courses opening in several locations in the UK.

Those katakana characters on the left of the logo translate as 'Lucky'

The new Putt Putt Noodle minigolf venues will include:

• Aberdeen
• Bedford
• Basingstoke
• Bristol
• Central London
• London E6
• Colchester
• Glasgow
• Liverpool

There are currently Putt Putt Noodle courses in Norwich, Poole and Telford.

Visit the Putt Putt Noodle website for more information.

Former Blockbuster Video stores

A look at some lost Blockbuster Video stores.

Since first spotting the remains of the former Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 we've been on the lookout for other remnants of the brand. Sometimes we've been lucky and found an old QuikDrop box or piece of signage and on occasion we've been really lucky and seen full shopfronts and branding left inside stores.

However, on some occasions we haven't been as fortunate. That's been the case when visiting Chorley, Telford, Abingdon, Great Moor and Wythenshawe.

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Chorley Retail Park in Chorley, Lancashire (August 2020)

Now a restaurant and takeaway

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rampart Way, Telford, Shropshire (September 2020)

This was a large store

The last remnants of Blockbuster in Telford

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Peachcroft, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (November 2020)

This was my local Blockbuster video shop when I was growing up

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Buxton Road, Great Moor, Stockport (March 2021)

At least this former store is still blue and yellow

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rowlands Way, Wythenshawe, Manchester (April 2021)

Another tile shop

To date we've been to former Blockbuster stores in:

• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Colne, Lancashire
• Chester, Cheshire
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Wythenshawe, Manchester
• Billingham, Teesside

Treasure Island Adventure Golf at Wonderland Telford

A look at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course at Wonderland Telford in Telford Town Park in Shropshire.

We had a look at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course at the Wonderland Telford theme park in Telford Town Park earlier this month!

We first visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour while en route to Oswestry on Friday 13th July 2012. It was the 500th course we'd been to and the 300th played!

We really enjoyed our visit to Wonderland Telford and are looking forward to returning in the future.

Visit the Wonderland Telford website for more information.

Dinosaur at Wonderland Telford!

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've visited a total of 956 courses since our adventures began at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea on the 30th September 2006.

We've been to 46 courses in 2020, with 15 of those being new courses visited. We've swung by eight new courses in the time of coronavirus.

We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a lot of new courses to play at too!

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Social distancing at Telford Town Park's Adventure Golf course

A look at the social distancing and Covid-19 measures on the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park.

We revisited the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park while on a recent trip to Telford, Shopshire.

The course is open but currently has restrictions on the opening times, with online bookings required to enter the course.

 

Visit the Telford Town Park website for more information.

A look at minigolf and competitive socialising in the time of coronavirus and social distancing

I've been blogging about the world of minigolf since 2006 and have seen how the game boomed in the last decade.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works into the whole world and as such minigolf courses and competitive socialising venues have taken a hit.

I've collated a number of blog posts from recent months, looking at the rise of competitive socialising, tenpin bowling and minigolf combinations, minigolf in a retail setting, technological innovations through minigolf scoring and loyalty apps, as well as the popularity of mixing art and minigolf.

You can read more about social distancing at minigolf courses in this blog post - Social distancing minigolf.

Minigolf in the time of coronavirus

My specialist knowledge and experience in the worlds of minigolf and marketing were recently demonstrated in InterGame's discussion of the opportunities and challenges of operating a mini-golf venue amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can watch the Minigolf in the time of Covid-19 video on the InterGame website and YouTube.

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Adventure Golf in Telford Town Park

A look at the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park.

We swung by the Adventure Golf course in Telford Town Park while on a recent trip to Telford, Shopshire.

The 12-hole Adventure Golf course was made by City Golf and has a Telford-theme to it featuring local landmarks.

It was the 716th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when I first visited it in October 2016. we've now been to 956 courses since September 2006.

Unfortunately it hasn't been open on either occasion I've been there.

The course is open but currently has restrictions on the opening times, with online bookings required to enter the course.

Visit the Telford Town Park website for more information.

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Jolly Rodger Crazy Golf at Wonderland Telford

A look back at our visit to the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course at Wonderland Telford.

We visited the 500th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour while en route to Oswestry on Friday 13th July 2012.

It was memorable for a number of reasons. As well as being a landmark course visit we clearly remember how bad the weather was on that day. It was tipping it down! We were the only people brave (foolish) enough to play the course. It was also one of the most unique layouts we've played as each of the holes had a different playing surface. Some were concrete, others had felt, others were wooden and some were a mixture!

Watering Hole was an incredibly appropriate name for this hole!

The obstacle and shape of this hole reminded us of some Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses. Except it had metal rails and a concrete base!

That's a huge obstacle in the way!

Pitching my putt

You wouldn't want to over hit your shot into the end of this hole 

The Treasure Island Adventure Golf course at Wonderland Telford became the 300th course we managed to play on our travels.

Emily won our minigolf match-up on the 9-hole course with a score of 29 to my round of 30.

On board the wooden Pirate Ship hole

Emily playing hole 1

Quite the follow-through on my shot

We've now been to 949 courses since September 2006.

About to walk the plank

Check out the Wonderland Telford website for more information.

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Happy 18th October

A look back at minigolf courses played on this day.

I've managed to play a few different minigolf courses on the 18th October in previous years.

On Thursday 18th October 2012 I played an intriguing Mini-Golf course that had been set-up in Covent Garden in London by the golf and knitwear brand Lyle & Scott as part of Wool Week. The course was the 307th played and 511th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At the Woolly Golf minigolf course in Covent Garden

On Friday 18th October 2013 I visited the 12-hole Putt in the Park Minigolf course at Wandsworth Park in London for a ‘friendly’ round of Crazy Golf against friends and minigolf rivals Gareth Holmes, Alan Norman and Paul O'Connor. The course was the 323rd played and 538th visited on our travels.

Playing at Putt in the Park, Wandsworth

On Saturday 18th October 2014 we headed to Mead Open Farm in Billington, Bedfordshire for a morning of fun on the farm. And some Crazy Golf. The course was the 350th we've played and 584th visited on our tour.

Playing Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm in Billington, Bedfordshire

On Thursday 18th October 2016 I was in Telford so had a look at the Adventure Golf course at Telford Town Park. Unfortunately it wasn't open so I didn't get a game. The course was the 716th visited.

The Adventure Golf course at Telford Town Park in Shropshire

We've now visited 925 miniature golf courses since September 2006.

Fingers crossed I'll get another round in today.