Lucky 19th Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011
One of the aims of the game of minigolf is - once the 9, 12 or 18-holes of regulation play is done, and if they have one - to 'WIN A FREE GAME' on the 'Lucky Last Hole', aka the 'Top Hole'.
Lucky 10 Hole at the Arnold Palmer Mini Crazy Golf Putting Course in Whitby in 2015
Not every minigolf course has one of these 'Lucky Last Holes', but those that do come with a variety of obstacles in your way to the top hole, and that prized free game!
Lucky 13 Hole - Top Hole - at Broadstairs Minigolf in 2008
When you do 'Ace' the top hole you may find a cannon is fired, a bell rung, or a voice talks to you!
On our very first minigolf course visit on the 30th September 2006 I managed to Fire the Cannon and win a free game at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea - that was one of the things that really sparked off our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!
Emily about to win a FREE GAME on the Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
I seem to have had a lot of luck winning FREE GAMES at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea over the years
But I then had to wait until the 4th of September 2009 and my 150th course visit, at the Arnold Palmer Masters Putting Course, aka Crazee Golf, in Southport until my next win!
Playing the Free Game Hole at The Masters Putting Course in Southport
Today we're celebrating 13 years of our minigolfing adventures.
At our 900th minigolf course visit earlier this year
While we were visiting my brother Christopher at uni in Portsmouth back in 2006 we played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea. At the end of our round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole.
We last played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea on the 30th September 2016 to celebrate ten years of our travels. I won another free game then too. I also won a free game when we revisited the course on the fifth anniversary of our tour on the 30th September 2011. Incredibly I won again on the 7th August 2015
The first course we visited on what would become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
How different would our lives have been if I'd missed my shot on the final hole?
The lucky last hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf
When our travels began there were around 600 courses in the UK. That number has grown massively in the last eight years. When we first set out to visit all the courses in the country there were only two indoor courses, one in Felixstowe and one in Great Yarmouth. Both are still open and have been joined by around 100 other indoor minigolf venues!
My brother Christopher has now been to 30 courses in the UK and nine overseas countries on his own branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Altogether we've visited 947 courses.
A revisit to the Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport.
On Saturday 8th October we revisited Southport for the first time since 2009 and had to see if we could get a game on the Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park. Luckily for us the course was open.
The Crazy Golf course at Hesketh Park in Southport
In our minigolf match-up I defeated Emily 21-27, scoring two aces along the way.
As a brilliant bonus I won a FREE GAME on the LUCKY LAST HOLE to add another FREE GAME TICKET to my collection.
Winning
The course was £1.50 for a round, and while the course looks a little rough around the edges it plays really rather well.
You can actually play some quite skillful angle shots and a hole-in-one is possible on almost all of the holes. Although at some point in the course's history some of the holes were a bit longer!
Hole 1
There definitely used to be more hole there by the look of it
We also found out there's another Crazy Golf course very close to Hesketh Park, but only realised this after we left! Luckily we're heading back to the seaside town again next month so will definitely look up the Mini Golf course at the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown then.
Finding out about the miniature golf courses at Paradise Fun Park in Canada.
As a big fan of all things minigolf-related I was very pleased to receive a package from paradise - Paradise Fun Park in Canada that is.
A great selection of minigolf ephemera and promotional material from Paradise Fun Park
I've been in touch with the team at the seaside resort in British Columbia since 2011 and it's really nice to speak to other people within the world of miniature golf. I love finding out about new and interesting courses, and it's always wonderful to get ephemera and merchandise for my collection and that of The Crazy Golf Museum.
Five postcards from Paradise Fun Park showing the miniature golf courses - Surf 'N Turf and Treasure Island
I do like seeing courses putting in time and effort to their scorecards. This is a well designed and useful tool - it's packed with adverts for local businesses
In addition to the two Miniature Golf courses, Paradise Fun Park is home to Bumper Boats, a Games Arcade, Snack Bar and Ice Cream Parlour, motel, and an RV park and camping ground. The park on Vancouver Island is located beside Parksville Bay and its sandy beaches.
The brochure for Paradise Fun Park
Two lovely pieces of minigolf ephemera
A look inside the brochure for Paradise Fun Park - the mini-golf courses have some very BIG obstacles including a fully rigged pirate galleon, treasure cave, water mill, Victorian mansion, Bavarian clock and a Dutch windmill
You can find Paradise Fun Park at 375 West Island Highway, Parksville, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Visit the Paradise Fun Park website for more details of the park, opening times, prices and photos of the minigolf courses.
A token from the games arcade at Paradise Fun Park
I look forward to visiting Paradise Fun Park in the future. It sounds like exactly my kind of place.
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea")
.JPG "The Masters Putting Course in Southport")
.JPG "The Masters Putting Course in Southport")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Great Yarmouth in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2011")
.jpg "Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022")
.jpg "Lucky Last Hole at Bognor Regis Crazy Golf in 2022")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011")
.JPG "Lucky Last Hole at Crazy Hills Putting Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Weston-Super-Mare in 2011")
.JPG "The Paradise Fun Park mini-golf scorecard")
.JPG "The rules for Paradise Mini-Golf")
.JPG "I do like seeing courses putting in time and effort to their scorecards. This is a well designed and useful tool - it's packed with adverts for local businesses")
.JPG "The brochure for Paradise Fun Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada")
.JPG "A look inside the brochure for Paradise Fun Park - the mini-golf courses have some very BIG obstacles including a fully rigged pirate galleon, treasure cave, water mill, Victorian mansion, Bavarian clock and a Dutch windmill")
.JPG "A token from the games arcade at Paradise Fun Park, Parksville, Canada")