Minigolf balls

A look at a few of my favourite minigolf balls.

Clockwise from top left, balls from Holeymolies, Minigolfnews, the Putter King, KISS Minigolf, the Asian Open Championships and the World Minigolf Sport Federation

As is often the way in sport you will find a wide-range of specialist equipment to use to play the game. While most people will use the club and ball provided at the course, tournament minigolfers will delve into their bag of balls to find the optimum one to make the best attempt at a hole-in-one.

In the world of competitive minigolf specialist balls are big business. 10,000+ minigolf sport balls have been produced in the last 80 years!

Each ball has different properties including bounce, hardness and surface finish and will react differently based on temperature.

These special qualities allow for a variety of shots to be played on the range of different courses and obstacles - the balls range from 'dead' where there is no bounce, through to super bouncy balls for multiple rebounds.

Sometimes though, the most important factor is whether it has a cool or interesting graphic, design or logo on it.

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Session Ale from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm

A look at some minigolf beer from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm, Sweden.

As today is International Beer Day here's a look at the Session Ale from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm.

Swing by Golfbaren was the landmark 800th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in February 2018.

From the Crazy Golf Museum's stores - Session Ale from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm, Sweden.

Have you tried this minigolf beer before?

It's a superb indoor miniature golf venue with two courses hidden within the speakeasy.

Visit the Swing by Golfbaren and Golfbaren websites for more information.

We're looking forward to visiting Sweden again in the future and playing the other Golfbaren courses.

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One for International Beer Day - Crazy Golf in Beer, Devon

A look at a crazy golf scorecard from Pecorama in Beer.

Happy International Beer Day.

Here's an item from the Crazy Golf Museum archives - a minigolf scorecard from the Crazy Golf course at Pecorama in Beer, Devon. Donated by Nigel Lutt.

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In the Crazy Golf Museum - minigolf membership cards

A look at minigolf association and club membership cards in the UK.

As a collector of minigolf items and ephemera and Curator of the Crazy Golf Museum it's always nice to look back at things we've picked up along the way during our minigolf adventures.

British Minigolf Association

I joined the British Minigolf Association in 2007 and received my first BMGA membership card entitling me to discount at certain courses and entry into BMGA competitions.

British Minigolf Association membership card 2007

Here are my BMGA Tour Cards from 2008-2015.

British Minigolf Association membership cards 2008-2015

Midlands Minigolf Club

In 2007 I was invited to become a member of the Midlands Minigolf Club and am a member of the club to this day. While we don't have an official membership card the club does have an official Ball of Fame to commemorate the second BMGA British Club Championship title we won in 2015. The MMGC is now a three-time national title winning team.

The Midlands Minigolf Club Ball of Fame

Green Mini Golf Club

During the 2010 and 2011 seasons I was also a member of the Green Mini Golf Club in Hither Green, London. The GMGC was a superb club and the venue was home to the UK's only full-size Swedish Felt Mini Golf course. The GMGC held weekly Tuesday night tournaments and I enjoyed travelling from Luton to Hither Green and back after work each week to compete. I won the club's first-ever weekly tournament in 2010.

The Green Mini Golf Club membership card

European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation

I have competed in European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation competitions in Finland, England and Sweden and although a WMF player license is allocated to players a physical document is not issued. We did however have some very nice player cards created for us at the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland.

At the 2008 Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

Are you a member of a minigolf club or association? I'd love to see and share more examples of membership cards from around the world.

Happy tenth birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum

The Crazy Golf Museum is ten years old today.

Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's tenth birthday today.

I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010, the virtual museum is a treasure trove and archive for all things related to minigolf.

It's been an incredibly interesting decade!

Prior to the pandemic

There were so many marvellous things going in the world of minigolf prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. New courses were being built, tournaments held and interesting items and ephemera were being created.

Some of this is on-hold as the world tackles Covid-19.

Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus

I've been using some of my time during lockdown documenting 'Minigolf in the time of coronavirus' and creating a time line of the game during the pandemic.

After the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 and during part of the Great Depression minigolf boomed and we have some records of the time. But to actually be living through such a life changing time is something else!

There are still milestones and anniversaries to be celebrated and courses to be supported for when it's ready to get out and play again.

The future of minigolf

Minigolf is still being played and new courses continue to be planned, developed and built. Thankfully the game will go on, albeit in a different form for a while.

There will be lots of minigolf fun to be had again.

Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, like our Page and join our Group on Facebook, check us out on Twitter, and see our Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...

If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.

Putt-Putt items from Cape Town, South Africa

A look at some ephemera from the Putt-Putt Golf centre at Moullie Point in South Africa.

It was marvellous to receive these Putt-Putt Golf items from Cape Town, South Africa!

A scorecard, discount card, free game card (two free games remaining) and a Putt-Putt Golf ball from South Africa

Many thanks to my friend, supporter of The Crazy Golf Museum and international jetsetter PJ Goedhals for sending them to me. They are from his local course at Moullie Point in South Africa.

The Putt-Putt miniature golf course in Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point / Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals

Some of my cousins have visited the course too.

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Putt-Putt's birthday

Today marks 66 years since the world's first Putt-Putt miniature golf course opened.

The first Putt-Putt Golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA back in 1954.

A new Putting Pencil

One of the nicest things about visiting a new minigolf course is seeing what scorecards and branded pencils they have. Not all courses have them and at present some courses have stopped giving them out. Other courses use apps for players to use as scorecards while others use a mix of the old-school approach mixed with technology and offer both scoring options.

On our travels to 948 miniature golf courses we've collected quite a few putting pencils.

Earlier this week I blogged about the fact you can now play Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge from The Simpsons! It's available as an online game as well as a download.

Do you think you can reach the Parking Lot with a Putter?

I bought the downloadable version and as a nice bonus you receive a scoring pencil.

It's something different to add to my collection of minigolf ephemera.

Putt-In-Play - a 1930's minigolf toy

We love the look of this 1930's parlor golf putting game made by Gibbs Toys of Canton, Ohio, USA.

The wooden set originally consisted of the 9-holes, two wooden shafted 5 1/2" putters with metal heads, six steel golf balls, rules, blank score cards and a golf bag.

Do you have a favourite minigolf game or toy? Do let us know.

A 2016 Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card

A look at a Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card from 2016.

Being stuck at home during lockdown I've had a bit more time to look back through my minigolf collection and the Crazy Golf Museum's vaults.

One of the nice items to share is this Carl Carmoni Mini-putt Trading Card from 2016.

Signed by the legend himself

Mini-putt courses are similar in appearance to Putt-Putt courses however they have distinct standardised hole designs and are particular to Canada.

"Mini-putt" is the Québécois term for the game of minigolf, thanks largely to the popularity of the Quebec cable sports show 'Défi Mini-putt' (Mini-putt Challenge) in the 1970s and 80s.

Check out a compilation of hole-in-ones Carl Carmoni scored on the Défi Mini-putt show.

We haven't played the Mini-putt format of the game yet. We're looking forward to a trip to Quebec in the future. It'd be ace to meet Carl and play in a tournament there.

With the great Mini-putt merch in 2016

Emily wearing a Mini-putt t-shirt

Carl Carmoni is a player after my own heart as he reacts with a triumphant shout of "BIRDIE!" every time he hits an ace. I'm known to shout "YEE-HA!" when I score a hole-in-one in competition play.

Check out Carl Carmoni's website and Mini-putt for more information.

My friend, minigolf team-mate and rival Jon Drexler also has a trading card. You can see that card in my blog post from 2013.

Links:
- Carl Carmoni
- Mini-putt
- Richard & Emily Gottfrid at Mini-putt

2016 - what a year

A look at a minigolf calendar from 2016.

During lockdown I've been looking through the archives and vaults of the Crazy Golf Museum and one of the things I found was this signed Matt "Mattie 5" Bellner calendar from 2016.

What an item!

What a year!

Matt is a professional Putt-Putt player and a member of the US national minigolf team. Check out the Mattie 5 website for more information.

If you had a time machine would you go back in time or forwards into the future?

Putt'n Score minigolf game

A look at the Putt'n Score minigolf game by Hilco Corporation, 2001.

One of a number of minigolf games in the Crazy Golf Museum.

Do you have a favourite miniature golf game, board game or toy?

Putt-In-Play by Gibbs Toys, circa 1930

A look at a Parlor Golf putting game from the 1930s.

We love finding and showcasing games, interesting items, ephemera, stories and history from the world of minigolf.

The Crazy Golf Museum is home to a number of fun, old and interesting items.

Yesterday I posted about the Parlor Golf game made by Parlor Golf MFGR. Co. of La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA in the USA.

Putt-In-Play

Today's putting game for Minigolf Monday is the Putt-In-Play set by Gibbs Toys of Canton, Ohio, USA.

A 9-hole set up of Putt-In-Play

Also known as The Parlor Golf Game, the 9-hole wooden set has a nice range of obstacles to putt through.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

 

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

The Putt-In-Play set originally consisted of the 9-holes, two wooden shafted 5 1/2" putters with metal heads, six steel golf balls, rules, blank score cards and a golf bag.

It's ace to look back at historic items from days gone by. The Putt-In-Play layout looks quite similar to Beton and Eternit types of miniature golf that were created in the 1950s and are still very popular in Continental Europe.

Do you have a favourite miniature golf game, or know of any others?

Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website for more minigolf toys and games.

Parlor Golf

A look at a minigolf game from 1930.

The Crazy Golf Museum is home to a number of interesting, fun and old items from the world of miniature golf.

One such item that ticks all three boxes is this, Parlor Golf from 1930. The game was made by Parlor Golf MFGR. Co. of La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA.

The set instructs players on how to create an 18-hole course by using the four wooden base plates and five obstacles.

By making the holes shorter and varying the placement of the obstacles you can create even more combinations.

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more minigolf toys and games.

Do you have a favourite putting game, minigolf board game, or know of any others? Do let us know.

Related blog posts:
- Board Games
- Putt at home
- The Crazy Golf Museum

Museum Week 2020

This week is Museum Week.

Running from today to the 17th May, MuseumWeek has returned for a seventh edition.

This year MuseumWeek celebrates togetherness. The theme was adopted earlier this year and with the coronavirus pandemic reaching almost all areas of the world the idea of togetherness has come to take on more meaning in these times of social and physical distancing.

Over the week there are seven different hashtags focusing on a different area, with the overall theme of togetherness.

The hashtags are:
#HeroesMW
#CultureInQuarantineMW
#TogetherMW
#MuseumMomentsMW
#ClimateMW
#TechnologyMW
#DreamsMW
#MuseumWeek

Check out the MuseumWeek website for more information.

The Crazy Golf Museum

The Crazy Golf Museum is celebrating it's tenth year in 2020. The worldwide archive of miniature golf memories, histories and ephemera opened it's online doors to the world on the 15th July 2010.

Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, Facebook Page & Group, Twitter and Instagram to see more.

Putt at Home - play the Waddingtons Crazy Golf Machine board game

Taking a look at the Waddingtons Crazy Golf Machine Board Game.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of the brilliant Crazy Golf Machine Board Game by Waddingtons for just £1 at a car boot sale at Stonham Barns a few years ago. It was an absolute bargain.

MuseumWeek 2020

MuseumWeek 2020 runs from the 11th to the 17th May.

Running from the 11th to 17th May, MuseumWeek is back for a seventh edition. This year MuseumWeek celebrates togetherness. The theme was adopted earlier this year and with the coronavirus pandemic reaching almost all areas of the world the idea of togetherness has come to take on more meaning in these times of social and physical distancing.



Over the week there are seven different hashtags focusing on a different area, with the overall theme of togetherness.

The hashtags are:
#HeroesMW
#CultureInQuarantineMW
#TogetherMW
#MuseumMomentsMW
#ClimateMW
#TechnologyMW
#DreamsMW
#MuseumWeek

Find out more on the MuseumWeek website.

The Crazy Golf Museum is celebrating it's tenth year in 2020. The worldwide archive of miniature golf memories, histories and ephemera opened it's online doors to the world on the 15th July 2010.

Minigolfnews guest blog post about the Crazy Golf Museum

My latest guest blog at Minigolfnews is about the Crazy Golf Museum.

Happy National Pencil Day

A selection of minigolf pencils from our travels.

Thanks to the Derwent Pencil Museum for reminding us of this important day.

We love playing minigolf courses and it's brilliant when we find one that has branded pencils to score the game with.

It's a superb bit of minigolf marketing too.

If you'd like your minigolf course pencil (or other items of merch and ephemera) displayed and archived in the Crazy Golf Museum please do get in touch.

Just one of the many minigolf pencils in the Crazy Golf Museum - from the Wye Valley Miniatvre Golf course in Symonds Yat West

You can see miniature golf course pens and pencils on the Crazy Golf Museum website.

A scorecard and pencils from Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf in Orlando, Florida from our friend Shelley Barrett

Arnold Palmer Putting Courses Crazy Golf pencils from the course in Prestatyn

A pencil from Lumberjax Mini Golf in New Zealand from our friend James Astrop

A pencil from Urban Putt in San Francisco from our friend and minigolf rival (and sometimes team-mate) Kevin Moseley

A pencil from Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf

Minigolf pencil from Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm, Sweden 

A pencil from Swingers Crazy Golf in London

A pencil from the CLUB GOLF crazy golf pop-up at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London. This was the last course I played before the UK went into coronavirus pandemic lockdown / quarantine