New Boom: Battle Bars opening soon

There are plans for lots of new Boom: Battle Bar indoor entertainment venues to open in the coming months.

As well as the existing locations in Norwich, Cardiff, Lakeside, Eastbourne and Liverpool there are plans for new Boom: Battle Bars to open in:

• Aldgate East, London
• Bath
• Blackpool
• Bournemouth
• Chelmsford
• Coventry
• Ealing, London
• Edinburgh
• Exeter
• Glasgow
• Hull
• Ipswich
• Leeds
• Manchester
• Oxford
• Oxford Street, London
• Reading
• Sheffield
• Southampton
• Swindon
• The O2, London
• Wandsworth, London
• Watford

Boom: Battle Bars are home to crazy golf courses, shuffleboard, darts, axe throwing and more.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

We played the 'Crazier Golf' course at the original Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich while on our recent Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to East Anglia.

Playing hole 1 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich

Puttshack Mini Golf at Lakeside in Essex

A look at the Puttshack indoor miniature golf venue at Lakeside shopping centre in Grays, Essex.

A big minigolf thank you to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown for sending me some photos from his visit to play Puttshack Mini Golf at Lakeside shopping centre last weekend.

Puttshack Lakeside is home to four 9-hole mini golf courses.

Visit the Puttshack website for more information, opening times and prices.

We're yet to visit the new Puttshack venue at Lakeside, but played the Westfield shopping centre location on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in October 2019. The course at White City was the 529th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also swung by the, then still under construction, Puttshack super-tech mini golf venue at Bank during that same trip to the capital.

Crazy Golf at Costa Del Kirkwall

There's a free-to-play minigolf course in Kirkwall, Orkney.

The miniature golf course is part of the Costa Del Kirkwall event in the town's Broad Street running until the 9th August.

Crazy Golf at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington

There's a pop up crazy golf course at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington this month.

A pop up crazy golf course has been set up at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington for free play on weekends in August.

Many thanks to Phil McFarlane for the heads up about the course.

Pop up Crazy Golf in Solihull town centre

There's a pop up crazy golf course set up in Solihull town centre for the summer.

Backyard Golf is open daily, 11am to 5pm and can be found on Theatre Square at the Touchwood shopping and entertainment centre in Solihull.

Summer Fair with Crazy Golf at the centre:mk

There's a free-to-play crazy golf course at the centre:mk's Summer Fair in Milton Keynes.

You can find the course in Middleton Hall at the centre:mk shopping centre until the 30th August.

We've played a number of courses in Milton Keynes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years, including three pop-ups at the centre:mk.

Par ‘n’ Bar mini-golf opening in Rugby

A new indoor mini-golf venue is opening Rugby, Warwickshire.

A cities of the world themed indoor minigolf course is opening at the Swan Centre in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Check out the Par ‘n’ Bar Facebook Page and website for more information.

It'll be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Spinners Mini Golf opening in Reading

The new Spinners Mini Golf course in Reading, Berkshire is opening next week.

Spinners in Reading's Broad Street Mall will be opening its doors on Tuesday 29th June.

As well as the miniature golf course Spinners is home to tenpin bowling and darts activities.

Visit the Spinners Crazy Golf & Bowling website for more information, opening times and prices.

Spinners is another new venue for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A new crazy golf course is opening in Belfast

There are plans for a new entertainment centre in Belfast city centre.

Part of the former Debenhams store in Belfast is planned to become an entertainment centre with a crazy golf course, laser tag, escape rooms, VR experiences and more.

The new indoor minigolf course at CastleCourt in Belfast will be another new course and venue for us to visit on a return trip to Northern Ireland on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The last few years has seen a number of former retail units becoming entertainment venues with a fair few minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf layouts setting up shop in the locations.

With the demise of Debenhams as a high street presence there is a lot of empty real estate open to the opportunity that retailtainment offers.

Plans for a new mini-golf course in Fife

There are plans for a new mini-golf course to open as part of a high street entertainment venue in Fife, Scotland.

As well as the indoor mini-golf course the location would be home to an escape room, shop and cafe.

The unit on Leven High Street was formerly a WHSmith.

The plans have been put forward by Brag Enterprises.

The indoor miniature golf layout will be designed with a local landmark theme.

The plans are the latest to tap into the retailtainment trend bringing entertainment and leisure to high streets, shopping centres and retail parks.

Emily is a big fan of escape rooms too and we haven't been to Scotland together since the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It'll be nice to have a holiday up there again in the future and swing by the new venue on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Nu Game Arcade in Southampton

It was a nice surprise to find the Nu Game Arcade in Southampton last month. It was also brilliant that we happened to be the first customers on the opening day too!

We spotted the sign for the Nu Game Arcade on the first floor as we were leaving the Marlands shopping centre. We're glad we did as it's been a while since I've played at an arcade.

It was brilliant to have a go on two of my favourite games - Metal Slug on the Neo Geo MVS and Robocop.

Check out the Nu Game Arcade Facebook Page for more information.

Elephant Parade in Southampton

Finding an art trail in Southampton.

We enjoy finding and following art trails on our travels and we spotted two while in Southampton. The first was The Mayor's Mayflower Mosaic Trail and the second was the Elephant Parade - the world’s largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues - where there were 25 elephant statues at the Westquay shopping, dining and entertainment centre.

Visit the Elephant Parade section of the Westquay website for more information.

New Crazy Golf centre opening in Norwich

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf planned for the Castle Quarter in Norwich, Norfolk.

Norwich city centre could soon be home to a new indoor minigolf venue as Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is looking to create three 9-hole themed layouts at the site in the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre.

It'll be a new set of courses for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. My brother and charter member of the tour doesn't live too far away so I'm sure we'll swing by for a game when it opens.

Retailtainment minigolf

Putt Noodle Crazy Golf is proposed to open in a retail unit in the centre and is the latest in the new wave of retail entertainment (retailtainment) activities opening up around the UK.

Indoor minigolf

When our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began in 2006 there were only two indoor places to play the game, both in East Anglia. Now there are around 100 indoor miniature golf courses around the UK, with more planned and opening all the time.

Crazy Golf Adventure at Lakeside Village in Doncaster

Looking back at the Crazy Golf Adventure at Lakeside Outlet Shopping Village in Doncaster, Yorkshire.

The pop-up miniature golf course in May 2016

The 9-hole pop-up Crazy Golf Adventure course at Lakeside Outlet Shopping Village in Doncaster, Yorkshire became the 397th course played and 678th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New adventure golf course opening in Maidstone

A new adventure golf course is opening in Maidstone, Kent.

There are plans for a new indoor adventure golf course to be created at the Prison Island escape room venue in Maidstone, Kent.

Visit the Prison Island website for more information.

It's another new course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It'll be interesting to see if the theme continues along the prison line. That'll be a relatively new theme for us to play.

Hole in Wand mini golf opening in York

The new Hole in Wand mini golf course in York city centre is opening in May.

The venue has a 9-hole indoor crazy golf course and bookings are available from the 17th May.

Hole in Wand in the Coppergate Centre is operated by the team behind Potions Cauldron shop in the Shambles.

Visit the Hole in Wand website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Coal Drops Yard in London

Pop-up Crazy Golf at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London.

The pop-up Crazy Golf course at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London is returning next month.

The 9-hole rave-inspired art-based pop-up minigolf course is planned to be set-up at Coal Drops Yard from the 6th April to the 9th May, with the course open to bookings between 12pm and 8pm.

Artists Baker & Borowski created the 9-hole themed Crazy Golf layout inspired by the rave culture in the King's Cross area back in the 1980's and 90's.

I called in to Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross to play the CLUB GOLF crazy golf pop-up in the shopping and dining area on the 25th February last year. It was the last course I played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour prior to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Visit the Coal Drops Yard website for more information and bookings.

Minigolf at Fayre on the Square in Salisbury

An event is planned to take place in Salisbury, Wiltshire this summer and it'll feature a pop-up minigolf course.

The Fayre on the Square in the city's Guildhall Square will also include a bar and food vendors.

More information can be found on the Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) website.

Mini Golf at Flip Out Croydon

There will be a mini golf course at the new Flip Out centre in Croydon.

Flip Out are creating a new super centre full of indoor entertainment at the Centrale Shopping Centre in Croydon, London.

The venue is planned to open this summer.

As well as mini golf the location will be home to inflatables, laser tag, an ice rink, an assualt course, interactive football, arcade games and a bumper car track.

Visit the Flip Out website for more information.

Crazy Golf in London

A look back at the CLUB GOLF pop-up minigolf course at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London.

My last trip down to London took place on the 25th February last year and I was lucky enough to get a game in on the pop-up Crazy Golf course at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross.

It was the last new minigolf course I played before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

The 9-hole rave-inspired art installation crazy golf course was the 948th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 542nd played.

Artists Baker & Borowski created the 9-hole themed Crazy Golf layout inspired by the rave culture in the King's Cross area back in the 1980's and 1990's.

I shot a round of 23 in my game - the scorecard noted that the maximum score allowed was 63! A seven on each hole.

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