Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Where in the world would you find this miniature golf course?

A minigolf mystery...


Where in the world would you find this miniature golf course?
Where in the world would you find this miniature golf course?

It's one of the 1,004 visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

Saturday, October 01, 2022

54 Problems minigolf podcast

Have a listen to the latest 54 Problems minigolf podcast for a minigolf tour with a difference.


54 Problems minigolf podcast

I was a guest on the new episode of the 54 Problems minigolf podcast.



Do give the 54 Problems Facebook Page a like too.

Thursday, September 08, 2022

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update

We have now been to 1,002 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


We have now been to 1,002 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

957 of the courses have been in the British Isles (UK home nations, Jersey & the Isle of Man) plus 45 in eleven overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (& Lanzarote, Canary Islands), Sweden and the USA.

In 2006 we set out to visit every miniature golf course in the UK. When we began there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, with new courses opening all the time.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Keep following the brown signs

A blog post about brown tourist signs.


Miniature Golf brown tourist sign in Lytham St Annes

I was pleased to hear that my fellow blogger, 'dull' person and fan of the quirky Amanda from Follow The Brown Signs was back in action after a hiatus.

We've always been interested in straying off the beaten path and even before we found out about Follow The Brown Signs we would look for and find different things to see and do while out and about on our travels.

Golf centre Canolfan golff in Wrexham, Wales

Finding out about Amanda's mission and website in 2011 gave us even more ideas as well as another outlet for us to share tips and stuff from our own quest.

Just last week I spotted a brown sign, followed it and found a Pumpkin Garden!

Pumpkins at a Farm Shop in Handforth

Check out the Follow The Brown Signs website for more information and inspiration.


Here's a selection of brown tourist signs from our adventures.


Milestones Museum brown tourist sign in Basingstoke

Playing a brown tourist sign crazy golf hole in London

Brown tourist sign for Penarth Seaside and Golff Mini

Brown tourist sign for a Chair Making Museum in High Wycombe

Playing a brown tourist sign minigolf hole in London

A brown tourist sign for Oak Mead Family Golf Centre

Friday, April 30, 2021

Minigolfing in the Netherlands. In Andover

We played an around-the-world themed indoor minigolf course in Andover, Hampshire back in May 2019.


Glo-Golf indoor Crazy Golf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover

Each of the holes was themed after a different country. Hole 1 was the Netherlands.

Glo-Golf indoor Crazy Golf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover

The Glo-Golf course at the Riverside Bowl in Andover was the 882nd course visited and 514th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 958 courses since September 2006.

We're yet to play in the Netherlands itself. However, my brother Christopher - a charter member of the tour - has played a Time Travel themed GlowGolf course in Amsterdam and swung by the Midget Golf course in Muiderberg.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Art Deco in Doncaster

We're big fans of Art Deco style, design and architecture and we've been remembering our trip to Doncaster last year and our stay at the superb Earl of Doncaster Hotel in Bennetthorpe.




Roaring twenties in the 2020s.


We couldn't have asked for a better spot - Art Deco magnificence and the hotel was right next door to a park with a Crazy Golf course in it.

Crazy Golf at Elmfield Park in Doncaster
The Crazy Golf course at Elmfield Park

Danum House was another nice Art Deco building in the town centre.

Danum House in Doncaster

We're looking forward to getting back out on our travels, exploring new places and revisiting our favourite spots when it's safe to do so in the future.

Friday, December 04, 2020

Travel in 2020

I've barely travelled outside of Greater Manchester this year so it was nice to 'get away from it all' with a trip to Miami, California and Italy this afternoon.

Miami Sun Centre, California Wines Express and Little Italy on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton
Miami Sun Centre, California Wines Express and Little Italy on Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton

These shops are all on the Wigan Road in Deane, Bolton.

Related blog posts:

- Holidays at home - Stockport, 2020

- A postcard from Stockport

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

A look back at July 2017

A look back at the 2017 Dull Men's Club calendar.


2017 Dull Men's Club calendar

We featured in the Dull Men's Club calendar for 2017 where our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was highlighted for the month of July.

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
July 2017

What a year. Halcyon days.

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
The dullest people in the UK in 2017

2017 Dull Men's Club calendar
The 2017 Dull Men’s Club calendar celebrated the men and women who were born to be mild

The Dull Men's Club is where dull men, and women who appreciate dull men, share thoughts and experiences about ordinary things. Visit the Dull Men's Club website for more information.

Check out the latest blog post on the Dull Men's Club website, it's about us and how we've been coping during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

I've spoken at Dull Men's Club conferences and events in Preston and Manchester.

Related blog posts:
- Calendar
- Dull Men's Club

Friday, June 26, 2020

20 minigolf newsletters in 2020

While we haven't been out visiting and playing minigolf courses since mid-March we have been writing a lot about the game.

We've just sent out our 20th newsletter of the year.

At the Crazy Golf course in Wythenshawe Park, Manchester
At the Wythenshawe Park Crazy Golf course in Manchester

Pandemic stops putting


Prior to the coronavirus pandemic we were closing in on visiting the final 40 courses of the original 600 we set out to play in 2006. We're also very close to hitting 1,000 course visits overall.

Before the lockdown hit and our out-of-home putting was paused we'd visited 948 courses since September 2006.

20 courses in 20 days in 2020


We had a strong start to the year and visited 20 courses in the first 20 days of 2020.

Our travels took us to miniature golf venues in Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Northwich, Doncaster and Castleford.

A revisit


We went to Wythenshawe Park just over the border in Manchester for our daily outdoor exercise last Sunday and revisited the Crazy Golf we first played in 2009. While there we also visited the currently closed Pitch & Putt Miniature Golf course. That became course visit 949 and the first new course we've been to since the pandemic hit.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions.

Social distancing at a railway station in Finland

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival John Mittler for sending me this social distancing sign from Tikkurila railway station in Vantaa, Helsinki metropolitan area. He noticed it while making an essential journey into Tampere.

Social distancing sign from Tikkurila railway station in Vantaa, Helsinki. By John Mittler, June 2020
As John put it "Please socially distance yourself from the train, for your own safety."

He knows me well.

I enjoy seeing different and funny signs around the world, I'm a train nerd and I'm also documenting as many social distancing / Covid-19 signs & posters during the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Our plans for 2020

Our plans for 2020

While our out-of-home putting has been paused by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown we've been putting at home.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

A visit to the Crazy Golf course at Elmfield Park in Bennetthorpe, Doncaster.


Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

We visited our 943rd miniature golf course while in Doncaster earlier this month.


Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Unfortunately it was out-of-season so we couldn't game on the Crazy Golf course at Elmfield Park in Bennetthorpe.


Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Elmfield Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Check out videos from our visit to the course.

Elmfield Park in Doncaster
The Crazy Golf course is next to the bowls greens

We had a brilliant time in Doncaster. We've previously played minigolf courses on the outskirts of the town and nearby, but never been to the centre.

We were really impressed by the town's markets and enjoyed visiting a few different pubs. We stayed at the wonderful Earl of Doncaster hotel, a marvellous Art Deco hotel right next to Elmfield Park.

Earl of Doncaster hotel
The Earl of Doncaster is a fantastic Art Deco building

Earl of Doncaster hotel
The lobby

Earl of Doncaster hotel
The restaurant

Travelling around the UK visiting minigolf courses has taken us to so many interesting places, many of which wouldn't be considered a 'normal' tourist spot. We really enjoyed our time in Doncaster and look forward to going back again in the future.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - the story so far

A look at the last 13 years of our crazy golfing adventures.


Last week we hit our 900th minigolf course visit in the British Isles when we played the Pirate Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl in Kettering.


When we began our quest to visit every minigolf course in the UK there were 600 layouts. We visited our 600th UK course at Goodrington Sands in Devon in June 2015. There are now around 1,200 courses in the UK, with new courses opening all the time.


The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - an infographic

Since September 2006 we've been to 900 courses in six countries of the British Isles including England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

We've also visited 39 courses in eleven overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

You can see the list with links to all of the courses we've been to at Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Monday, October 07, 2019

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - an infographic

A look at the last 13 years of our crazy golfing adventures.

Infographic about the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Related blog post:

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Pac-Man ghost street art in Düsseldorf, Germany

Spotting the Pac-Man ghost stickers in Düsseldorf.


Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany

Emily recently returned from Düsseldorf, Germany and while there noticed a lot of Pac-Man ghosts stuck up around the city.


Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany
This was the first Pac-Man ghost Emily spotted

The Pac-Man ghost stickers are the work of the street artist known as Pdot who has put up 2,000 of the stickers in Düsseldorf!


Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany

We're big fans of video games, Pac-Man and street art, so it was a nice surprise for Emily to see them on her trip.

Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany
A yellow ghost. The stickers by Pdot are only found on the back of street signs

Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany
A red ghost. And oh look, a tram too!

Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany

Pac-Man ghost sticker street art by Pdot in Düsseldorf, Germany
They're hidden in plain sight everywhere!

Related blog posts:
- Pac-Man
Germany
- Street Art