Mini Golf at the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA

A look at the Mini Golf course at the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA.

The 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo has a 9-hole Mini Golf course

A big thanks to my friend PJ Goedhals for sending over some photos from the miniature golf course he found on a recent trip to the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

The course was free to play after the $6 entry fee to the petting zoo was paid.

An interestingly shaped hole

Check out the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo website for more information.

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

A look at the Mini Golf course at the UberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

My brother Christopher recently swung by the the UberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA and sent me these photos of the minigolf course there.

The course became the 1,006th visited on our overall Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

An End to Sleep Miniature Golf at von ammon co in Washington DC

There's an art-based minigolf course at the von ammon co art gallery in Washington DC, USA.

I've found out about a new art-based minigolf installation at the von ammon co art gallery in Washington DC.

The playable six-hole miniature golf installation has been created by Detroit based artist Tony Hope and is called "An End to Sleep", with each hole based on a scene from the Nightmare on Elm Street films.

The course opened on the 11th September and is playable up to and including Halloween itself.

Visit the von ammon co website to find out more.

We've played a number of art-based courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We're big fans of horror movies and Halloween too so An End to Sleep Miniature Golf would be a very interesting layout to view and play.

Halloween Mini-Golf at Lahey Family Fun Park in Pennsylvania

There will be Halloween-themed mini-golf at Lahey Family Fun Park in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, USA.

Lahey Family Fun Park is hosting Halloween Miniature Golf on its 18-hole course. Starting on the 24th September you can then tee-off on the haunted course every weekend in October.

Check out the Lahey Family Fun Park website for more information.

The Putt Park Annual Mini-Golf Tournament Las Vegas

Looking back at The Putt Park Annual Mini-Golf Tournament Las Vegas.

I won The Putt Park's Annual Mini-Golf Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA back in September 2011.

We had first played miniature golf at The Putt Park on our holiday to Las Vegas the year before. It was the 178th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing at The Putt Park

Sadly The Putt Park is no longer there. It was a brilliant 18-hole course and at the time the only outdoor minigolf course in Las Vegas.

Haunted Miniature Golf at Putt'n Around in Delray Beach, Florida

Putt'n Around in Delray Beach, Florida, USA will be having a Haunted Miniature Golf course throughout October.

It's always fun to hear about Halloween-themed minigolf courses and events.

Putt'n Around Delray Beach is home to two 18-hole miniature golf courses. Hopefully we'll get to play them on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour one day.

They've got a fun mascot at the course too.

Check out the Putt'n Around Delray Beach website for more information.

Minigolf scorecards from New Jersey, USA

A big thank you to Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin for sending over some minigolf scorecards from New Jersey.

Pat was in New Jersey for a recent minigolf tournament with the O-Street Mini Golf team.

The first scorecard is from Tee Time Miniature Golf on the Boardwalk at Ocean City.

The second is from The Sandtrap at 23rd & Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom.

It's always brilliant scorecards and other ephemera from miniature golf courses around the world and Pat has provided lots from his travels for fun and tournaments in the USA. They are a marvellous addition to the archives of the Crazy Golf Museum.

Check out The Putting Penguin minigolf review website for details of lots of US courses and a number of others from around the world.

Trick or Treat Mini Golf and Glow Golf at Fun Fore All Family Fun Park

The team at Fun Fore All Family Fun Park in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, USA are getting ready to tee-off Trick or Treat Mini Golf and Glow Golf at the 18-hole miniature golf course there.

Trick or Treat Mini Golf runs from the 1st October and finishes on Halloween night itself.

Each evening at dusk the course will become a Glow Golf layout.

Check out the Fun Fore All Family Fun Park website for more information, opening times and prices.

Fun Fore All Family Fun Park is on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour 'To Visit' list and we're looking forward to a game there. Hopefully our trip to Pennsylvania co-incides with one of the themed, seasonal events at the fun park.

Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course in Denver, CO, USA

A new magic-themed pop-up minigolf course is opening in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Potion Putt is opening in the city at an as yet to be announced secret location in February 2022.

The 9-hole magical golf course is being created by Explore Hidden. You can find out more about Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course on the Explore Hidden website.

Magical minigolf

Magic-themed miniature golf courses are becoming more popular and we've seen a few on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It'd be nice to return to Denver in the future. I had a great time in the city back in 2009. On that occasion I got to play some minigolf at the Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

I didn't realise there were Nathan's Famous hot dog restaurants in the UK until I spotted this one on a recent trip to Southampton.

This is one of two Nathan's Famous in the UK - it's in Portswood, Southampton. The other is in Bournemouth.

We saw Nathan's as we were on our way to check out the Only Foods and Sauces food van in the area.

It's always fun finding US brands where you wouldn't expect to see them. We saw quite a few 7 Elevens in Sweden on our last visit.

Happy National Hot Dog Day

Today is National Hot Dog Day.

National Hot Dog Day (in the USA) is today!

In the UK National Hot Dog Day is on Friday 10th September.

July is National Hot Dog Month.

Find out more about hot dogs in general, National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website.

A RadioShack blast from the past

How cool is this RadioShack radio controlled truck?

I found it in a retro shop in Bristol on my recent visit to the city.

It's in superb condition. Especially when you consider it's from 1979!

A very nice piece of retail history.

My first job was at a Tandy shop back in the late 1990's and I sold lots of RadioShack products, including radio controlled cars and trucks.

Happy National 7-Eleven Day

Today is National 7-Eleven Day.

7-Eleven convenience stores celebrate National 7-Eleven Day on when else but the 11th July.

We were surprised to see a number of 7-Eleven stores in Stockholm on our last trip there in 2018. We'd only ever seen them in the USA before that

The first 7-Eleven Day was held in 2002.

Today is Summerween!

Happy Summerween.

Summerween is celebrated annually on the 22nd June.

A Summerween Jack-o-Melon

The quirky holiday originated in Gravity Falls, Oregon and in some calendars is also marked on the second to last Friday of the month of June. That was last Friday, the 18th.

So you get two bites of the cherry (or should that be watermelon) to celebrate this made up event.

Swingers Crazy Golf in Washington D.C.

The new Swingers Crazy Golf venue opens in Washington D.C. this week.

The first Swingers Crazy Golf location in the USA is opening at Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. tomorrow (Friday 18th June).

There are already plans for a second Swingers Crazy Golf in the US with courses being built at the new Virgin Hotel on Broadway in the Flatiron District of New York City.

Check out the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

We played the first Swingers Crazy Golf pop-up course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in Shoreditch back in September 2014. The brand has grown since then, with Swingers in The City opening next to the Gherkin in 2016 and Swingers West End following in 2018.

Emily about to score a hole in one on hole 4 of the Swingers Crazy Golf course in London's West End

Playing Mini Golf at Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado

I played Mini Golf at Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado, USA twelve years ago today!

I played the two miniature golf courses at Boondocks Fun Center in the town of Northglenn on this day in 2009.

My visit came during a trip to Denver to attend a week-long sports conference in the city. During some down time I travelled outside the city limits to play miniature golf in the Boondocks.

At the two courses at Boondocks Fun Center

As it was '$12 Tuesday' I had unlimited play on the minigolf courses - the Caverns Mill and Hillbilly Hallow - that sit next to Interstate-25. I managed to fit in three rounds on the two layouts.

They were the 82nd and 83rd courses played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A token from Boondocks

Check out the Boondocks Fun Center website for more information, opening times and prices.

RadioShack is back

Electronics retailer RadioShack is back in business.

US electronics brand RadioShack is aiming to make a comeback with an online shopping mall concept alongside other brands owned by its new parent company. Check out the RadioShack website.

Funnily enough I was at a RadioShack in Denver, Colorado twelve years ago today!

Digital camera quality was something else in 2009!

RadioShack in the UK

I also found a RadioShack shop in Saint Annes on the Sea on the Fylde Coast in June 2017. Sadly it closed down in 2019.

RadioShack in Saint Annes on the Sea - it was the last RadioShack shop in the UK 

Luckily I did manage to shop in there a few times before it disappeared.

It was worth shopping there for the bag alone!

Stepping into the RadioShack store was like a time warp. It was brilliant having a chat to the man behind the counter about Tandy and RadioShack too.

Looking through my photo archive I also found this RadioShack sign from a shop in Whitstable, Kent.

Tandy

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in my hometown of Abingdon, Oxfordshire where I sold a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

This Tandy signage was on display in Hitchin in 2019

Tandy said goodbye to the UK high street in 2001 as the last of the shops were converted after acquisition by Carphone Warehouse.

Round the back of the shop in March 2016

Last year I discovered that the Tandy brand is still alive and kicking. While there are no longer any Tandy shops on the high street I actually bought some Tandy brand rechargeable batteries from the Tandy online shop.

I also found a new old stock Tandy EC-500 Multilingual electronic translator in a charity shop in Stockport last November. That was a bargain buy - it cost me more to buy new CR2032 batteries to go in it!

Interestingly the name Tandy comes from one of the founders of a leather goods company called Tandy Leather - a business that later became RadioShack.

Related blog posts:

• Lost Shops - RadioShack in Saint Annes on the Sea
• Lost Shops - Tandy in Hitchin

Happy 9th Anniversary to KISS by Monster Mini Golf!

Today is the 9th Anniversary of KISS by Monster Mini Golf in Las Vegas.

Congratulations to the Monster Mini Golf team on the milestone.

Emily was lucky enough to play the course in its original location on Paradise Road in September 2014. It was the 580th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. 

Emily putting into The Demon's mouth at KISS Monster Mini Golf

You can now find KISS by Monster Mini Golf at the Rio Hotel & Casino. Visit the Monster Mini Golf website for more information.

I was last in Las Vegas ten years ago so haven't played the course yet.

We're looking forward to a return to Las Vegas in the future and playing both the KISS Monster Mini Golf and Twilight Zone Mini Golf courses in the city.

New Swingers Crazy Golf courses opening in the USA

Swingers Crazy Golf courses to open in Washington D.C. and New York.

The first Swingers Crazy Golf courses outside of the UK will be opening in Washington D.C. and New York.

The first of the new indoor minigolf venues will be opening at Dupont Circle in Washington this June.

The second Swingers Crazy Golf in the US will be opening at the new Virgin Hotel on Broadway in the Flatiron District of New York City later this year or in early 2022.

Visit the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

Emily playing at Swingers West End in 2019

Swingers Crazy Golf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We played the first Swingers pop-up Crazy Golf course in Shoreditch back in September 2014. The brand has grown since then, with Swingers in The City opening next to the Gherkin in 2016 and Swingers West End following in 2018.

Crazy Golf and competitive socialising

The phrase 'competitive socialising' has become a popular way to describe going out and having fun, with a number of new businesses catering to the demand of a public who wanted to compete at something while eating and drinking in a nice setting.

Whether it is table tennis, darts, shuffleboard, bingo, tenpin bowling, arcade games, or my personal favourite crazy golf, people are finding new ways to quench their thirst, have fun and compete without signing-up to a full sports league or taking things too seriously.

Puttery mini golf

A new mini golf brand has been created and will launch in the USA this summer.

Puttery venues will offer high-tech indoor mini golf along with dining and drinking options.

Puttery is being developed by Drive Shack and the minigolf brand will be delivered in partnership with Rory McIlroy.

The first Puttery location will open in Dallas, Texas this summer. A further site is planned for Charlotte, North Carolina with another five Puttery venues opening in 2021. A further ten locations are planned to open in 2022.

Visit the Drive Shack website for more information.