Boom: Battle Bar heading to Lakeside

The Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock, Essex will be home to a new Boom: Battle Bar.

Boom: Battle Bars are competitive socialising venues and home to minigolf (known as crazier golf), axe throwing, electric darts, shuffleboard and more.

There are other Boom: Battle Bars in Norwich and Cardiff and plans for others in Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford and Coventry.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar Lakeside Facebook Page for more information.

Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

Read more in my blog post about the retailtainment and minigolf boom.

New Adventure Golf course in Skelmersdale

There are retailtainment plans for the Concourse Shopping Centre in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

As well as an indoor Adventure Golf course, the WonderWorld attraction at the Concourse Shopping Centre will include a wide-range of activities for adults and children including an inflatable assault course, darts, tenpin bowling, amusements, arcade games and more.

Link:

• Concourse Shopping Centre

Retailtainment

More and more shopping centres, retail parks and high streets are adding retail entertainment offerings to increase footfall, attract and retain customers. There are a lot of new minigolf courses, competitive socialising venues and family entertainment centres in development and under construction at the moment, all gearing up to be ready for the post-covid world.

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

A look at the retail entertainment and minigolf boom.

Minigolf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Some of these retailtainment activities are permanent, while others are pop-ups catering to a mix of audiences, from children and families, to adults looking for competitive socialising fun.

Miniature Golf has grown in popularity in the last decade and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall, create awareness and attract people to a location. Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

New minigolf courses in the UK

In 2020 we found out about a lot of new minigolf courses opening in the UK and already this year we've heard about four new locations in planning and development.

We know of 91 new miniature golf courses opening, in planning or under construction since the pandemic hit the UK.

Check out the new courses page for more information.

New indoor Crazy Golf opening in London

New Gravity Active Entertainment centre opening in Wandsworth, London.

A new indoor Crazy Golf course will be opening as part of a new Gravity Active Entertainment centre being created in a former Debenhams store in London.

The new Gravity Active Entertainment centre is planned to open in Summer 2021

The new Gravity Active Entertainment centre in Wandsworth will also be home to a bar & restaurant, pool, darts, high ropes, go-karting and more.

There are a number of Gravity Active Entertainment centres in the UK. The venue at Sol Central in Northampton opened last year and is home to a New York-themed minigolf course. The Maidstone venue has an Urban Street Mini Golf layout.

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

Minigolf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Some of these retailtainment activities are permanent, while others are pop-ups catering to a mix of audiences, from children and families, to adults looking for competitive socialising fun.

Miniature Golf has grown in popularity in the last decade and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall, create awareness and attract people to a location. Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

Link:

• Gravity Active Entertainment

Related blog posts:

• Retailtainment
• New minigolf courses in the UK
• Gravity Active Entertainment

New Boom: Battle Bar in Glasgow

A new Boom: Battle Bar with crazy golf and other indoor games is proposed to open in Glasgow.

Boom: Battle Bar Glasgow will be the fifth venue from the brand.

As well as an indoor crazy golf course - known as 'Crazier Golf' - Boom: Battle Bar at the St Enoch Centre in Glasgow will no doubt be home to other competitive socialising sports and games such as axe throwing, darts and shuffleboard.

My friend and crazy golf rival Simon Brown played the Boom: Battle Bar 'Crazier Golf' course at the Brewery Quarter venue in Cardiff last November.

The first Boom: Battle Bar opened at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich in July 2020.

There are also plans for Boom: Battle Bars to open in Liverpool and Oxford in 2021.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

New Boom: Battle Bar opening in Oxford

A new Boom: Battle Bar with crazy golf and other indoor games is planned to open in Oxford this year.

Boom: Battle Bar Oxford will be the fourth venue from the brand.

As well as a minigolf course - known as 'Crazier Golf' - Boom: Battle Bar in Oxford will no doubt be home to other competitive socialising sports and games such as axe throwing, darts and shuffleboard.

My friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown played the Boom: Battle Bar 'Crazier Golf' course at the Brewery Quarter venue in Cardiff in November last year.

The first Boom: Battle Bar opened at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich in July 2020.

There are also plans for a Boom: Battle Bar to open in Liverpool in 2021.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website and Boom: Battle Bar Oxford Facebook Page for more information.

Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

New Crazy Golf course in Aberdeen

There are plans for a new Flip Out trampoline park to open in a former BHS store in Aberdeen. The centre will also be home to an indoor crazy golf course.

The latest Flip Out trampoline and adventure centre opened in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire last month. That too opened in a former BHS.

Visit the Flip Out website for more information.

Retailtainment

A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

Boom: Battle Bar opening in Liverpool

A new Boom: Battle Bar with minigolf and more is planned to open in Liverpool next year.

Boom: Battle Bar Liverpool will be the third venue from the brand.

As well as a minigolf course - known as 'Crazier Golf' - the Liverpool venue will be home to axe throwing, shuffleboard and a number of other sports and games.

Boom: Battle Bar Liverpool will be located inside a former Poundland shop in St Johns shopping centre.

My friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown played the Boom: Battle Bar 'Crazier Golf' course at the Brewery Quarter venue in Cardiff last month.

The first Boom: Battle Bar opened at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich in July this year.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Cardiff

A look at the 'Crazier Golf' course at Boom: Battle Bar in Cardiff, Wales.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown who sent me some photos from his visit to play the 'Crazier Golf' course at the new Boom: Battle Bar in Cardiff, Wales.

The course differs from 'normal' crazy or minigolf (whatever that may be) and some of the holes include time limits, while others don't require the use of a putter at all!

You have to use hand pumps on the final hole!

For more information on the 9-hole Crazier Golf course visit the Boom: Battle Bar website.

Boom: Battle Bar in Cardiff's Brewery Quarter is the second indoor competitive socialising venue from the brand. As well as the crazy golf course you can play darts, axe throwing, ping pong, shuffleboard, VR games, arcade games and more there. The first Boom: Battle Bar opened in Norwich.

Mr Mulligans Space Golf in Birmingham

A visit to Mr Mulligans Space Golf in Birmingham.

I played the three indoor adventure golf courses at Mr Mulligans Space Golf centre at Broadway Plaza in Birmingham a year ago today.

The Supernova, Asteroid and Mars Base courses at Mr Mulligans Space Golf were the 929th, 930th and 931st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've now been to 956 courses on our travels since September 2006.

Check out the Mr Mulligan website for more information, opening times and prices.

Halloween in the City - Manchester 2020

The Halloween in the City Monster Trail is up and running until Sunday 1st November.

There are seven giant inflatable monsters to track down around the city centre.

The Halloween in the City Dragon at The Printworks last year

Check out the Visit Manchester website for more information and to download the location map.

Take a look at my blog posts from last year's Halloween in the City:

• Manchester's Halloween in the City
• Halloween in the City 2019
• Manchester Monster Invasion: Return of the Monsters
• Halloween in the City monster at Screamfields in Manchester

New UV Crazy Golf course opening in Hull

A new glow-in-the-dark Crazy Golf course is opening in Hull.

Hull will soon be home to a new UV Crazy Golf course as the team from the East Park Pirate Golf course are opening a venue at the Princes Quay shopping centre in the city.

Visit the East Park Pirate Golf Facebook page for more information.

Minigolf in Hull

There has been a real boom in minigolf courses opening in Hull, with the East Park Pirate Golf course joining Putt Club and the Pirate Adventure Golf course at One Stop Golf. The city will also be home to a new Lost City Adventure Golf venue soon.

Retailtainment

Minigolf has grown in popularity in the last eight years and has moved from being seen as a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Businesses also use portable and temporary pop-up minigolf layouts to boost footfall, create awareness, product launches and promotions.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Hull has been on our to visit list for a few years now. It'll be a busy trip with all of the new courses to play when we eventually get there!

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Crazy Golf in Fleet, Hampshire

There was a pop-up crazy golf course in Fleet, Hampshire yesterday.

Fleet's Business Improvement District arranged for a pop-up crazy golf course to be a part of a fun day in Fleet town centre yesterday.

   

Pop-up minigolf

During the summer Lincoln Business Improvement Group created Cornhill Cove, a seaside-style pop-up crazy golf, street food and drinking area in the city centre.

It was one of a number of pop-up minigolf courses we've seen over the last 14 years.

Retailtainment

Minigolf has grown in popularity in the last eight years and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall and create awareness and much like in the Fleet and Lincoln examples is a way to attract people to a location.

Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

Competitive socialising

Before the pandemic the phrase 'competitive socialising' had become a popular way to describe going out, with lots of new operators catering to the demand of a public who wanted to compete at something while eating and drinking in a nice setting.

Whether it was table tennis, darts, shuffleboard, bingo, tenpin bowling, arcade games, or minigolf, people were finding new ways to quench their thirst, have fun and compete without signing-up to a full sports league or taking things too seriously.

There are still new competitive socialising venues opening during the pandemic, including the new Roxy Ball Room at Withy Grove in Manchester.

Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus

Take a look at my blog posts about minigolf and competitive socialising in the time of coronavirus and social distancing.

You can also watch episode 1 of the InterGame Video Insights on Minigolf in the time of Covid-19.

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Minigolf marketing

With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience Emily and I offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more.

Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

You can also buy my minigolf marketing ebook on Amazon and Kobo.

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Minigolf in the time of coronavirus - Gator Golf in Chorley

A visit to the Gator Adventure Golf course in Chorley, Lancashire.

Last month we played our first round of minigolf in the time of coronavirus when we visited Gator Adventure Golf at the Escape Entertainment Venue in Chorley.

The course was the 955th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

After seeing the open signs we popped inside, sanitised our hands and headed upstairs for a quick look.

The process for getting us out on the course was straightforward and gave peace of mind. The three members of staff we spoke to - at a great distance - were all friendly and professional and our thanks go to them for helping us have a fun experience.

After giving our details for track and trace to one member of staff at the desk near the entrance another member of staff was getting our cleaned putters, golf balls, pencil and scorecard over by the course. We were told to leave our clubs and balls in the bucket at the exit.

After collecting our equipment we stepped onto the course and our first game of minigolf in the time of coronavirus got underway!

The venue was operating adjusted hours to normal so was closing at 8pm. We arrived at 7.30pm and luckily were able to have a quiet round with the course to ourselves. It was actually the perfect way to get back into the swing of minigolfing and nice to pick up a putter again after so long.

For more information, opening times and prices visit the Escape Entertainment website.

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New indoor minigolf course opening in York

A new minigolf course is planned to open in York city centre.

There are plans for a new indoor minigolf course to open in York early next year.

Hole in Wand will be a 13-hole indoor venue in the Coppergate Centre and will be operated by the team behind Potions Cauldron shop in the Shambles.

A crowdfunding campaign for Hole in Wand minigolf is underway with rewards on offer to backers.

Check out the Hole in Wand website for more information.

We're looking forward to playing the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

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New Treetop Adventure Golf opening in Birmingham

A new indoor Adventure Golf centre is planned for Birmingham's Bullring.

The Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham will be home to a new Treetop Adventure Golf centre.

The venue will be home to two indoor 18-hole adventure golf courses.

Treetop Adventure Golf in Birmingham is planned to open next Spring.

Treetop Adventure Golf venues

You can also find Treetop Adventure Golf courses at St David's Shopping Centre in Cardiff, at The Printworks in Manchester and at the Highcross shopping centre in Leicester.

Visit the Treetop Adventure Golf website for more information.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visits

We're looking forward to playing the new Treetop Adventure Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The tropical Trail course at Treetop Adventure Golf in Manchester was the 800th course we visited in the British Isles. We're now up to 955 courses visited overall.

We've also been to the Cardiff and Leicester courses.

New minigolf courses 

I heard about the new Bullring minigolf course in Birmingham back in June before it was known to be a Treetop Adventure Golf. It was the the second new course planned to open that I found out about during the pandemic. The other was the replacement for the old course in Andover, Hampshire.

Check out details of new minigolf courses in the UK.

Minigolf during the pandemic and retailtainment

Find out more about minigolf in the time of coronavirus.

Read more about the rise of shopping mall minigolf and retailtainment.

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With over twenty years of marketing and sales experience each we offer consultancy services to people and businesses looking to set-up miniature golf courses, review their operations, hole designs, contests, tournaments and more. Do get in touch for a chat to see how we can help and work together.

New Crazy Golf planned for Fulwood Central in Preston

There are plans for a new Crazy Golf course to be created at the Fulwood Central retail park in Preston.

It'll be another relatively local minigolf course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Retail parks, malls and shopping centres have become a popular location for minigolf courses and other activities as part of retailtainment offerings. This shoppertainment offers customers something extra to shopping and dining, as well as increasing footfall and dwell time at a venue.

Read more in my blog post - Shopping mall minigolf: The growth of shopping centre crazy golf and retailtainment.

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New Crazy Golf course opening in Aylesbury

A Crazy Golf course is opening at the new Flip Out trampoline and adventure centre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

The indoor Crazy Golf course will be among a number of activities within the attraction at the Flip Out venue opening in the old BHS shop in the town centre.

Flip Out in Aylesbury will also be home to the UK's first glow-in-the-dark ice rink!

Flip Out's Aylesbury adventure park is scheduled to opening in November this year.

We look forward to giving the Crazy Golf course a play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. The ice skating sounds cool too.

Check out the Flip Out website for more information.

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Puttstars Mini Golf in Rochdale

A look at the new Puttstars Mini Golf venue in Rochdale.

The new Puttstars Mini Golf centre at Rochdale Riverside was recently completed and the exterior signage is in place.

The approach to Puttstars at the new Rochdale Riverside shopping and entertainment centre

We're looking forward to having our first games at a Puttstars course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

You can find Puttstars Mini Golf next to the Rochdale Town Centre tram stop

As well as the new Rochdale location you can find Puttstars Mini Golf courses in Leeds and York.

A bit of tram nerdery!

Check out the Puttstars Mini Golf website for more information.

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New Crazy Golf course opening in Cardiff

A new Boom: Battle Bar venue is opening at the Brewery Quarter in Cardiff.

The second Boom: Battle Bar is opening in Cardiff's Brewery Quarter later this year. The indoor competitive socialising venue will be home to a crazy course, darts, axe throwing, ping pong, shuffleboard, VR games, arcade games and more.

Two of the things that also caught my eye about this particular Boom: Battle Bar is that it will also offer players Bar Billiards and the German game of Hammerschlagen.

Bar Billiards is a brilliant old cue sport and quite rare to find outside of the south of England and the Channel Islands.

Hammerschlagen is a game where players compete to hammer nails into a wooden beam!

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

We're looking forward to visiting and playing some games there in the future.

You can see photos of Norwich's Boom: Battle Bar in this blog post - Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

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