The Floodgate is about to open

A new indoor activity entertainment centre is opening in Digbeth, Birmingham.

The Floodgate social sports and games bar is opening soon in Digbeth and will offer people the chance to play the game of Pit-Pat.

Pit-Pat is similar to minigolf, but is played on elevated tables where you use cues to play the ball, rather than putters.

Playing the only other Pit-Pat course to have previously been in the UK

The Floodgate opens at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham on Friday 1st November.

The Pit-Pat layout at The Floodgate will be the UK's first indoor Pit-Pat and the only playable course. Until a few years ago the UK's first and only other Pit-Pat layout was on the seafront at Western Putting on Banjo Road in Littlehampton.

The now sadly closed Western Putting in Littlehampton was home to a Pit-Pat layout, Crazy Golf and a grass Putting course

A view of the UK's first Pit-Pat course

Here's me scoring a two in a crazy way!

Emily scoring a two.

Shooting through a hoop.

I first saw the game of Pit-Pat aka Hindernis Billard while on a minigolfing trip to Austria in March 2010.

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

Pit-Pat Hindernis Billard at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Austria

As well as Pit-Pat the indoor competitive socialising venue will feature a curling rink and baseball batting cages.

We're looking forward to a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to The Floodgate.

Visit The Floodgate website for more information, opening times and prices.

Check out my other Pit-Pat related blog posts.

Golfer's Putter Pool

While perusing the charity shops in Felixstowe at the weekend Emily spotted this brilliant looking golf/pool crossover game - Golfer's Putter Pool! At three quid it was a must buy.

Golfer's Putter Pool

We've been collecting miniature golf items since 2006 and hadn't seen this particular game before.

The game was made in the year 2000

We have however seen a few variations of hybrid minigolf/golf/pool/snooker/billiards games including Crazy Golf Pool and Pit-Pat, as well as some Crazy Golf obstacles that have used pool and snooker tables.

In October we played Crazy Golf Pool at Krazy Golf Lydney in the Forest of Dean

I first saw the game of Pit-Pat (obstacle billiards) in Vienna, Austria - it's like Crazy Golf but played with cues

The 7th hole of the Golf Apocalypse course in London used a snooker table

Hole 5 of the Plonk Golf course at Efes Snooker Hall in Dalston, London involved a pool table

Emily spotted the Snooker Golf course in Blankenberge, Belgium

Betway, sponsors of the UK Snooker Championship, have also created a version of Crazy Snooker. Check out the Putterfingers blog to see more.

Foot Pool at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands

Playing another new game on our travels.

We recently stayed at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands for a Holiday on the Buses fanclub event and while there we got to play a new game - Foot Pool!

The Foot Pool / Football Pool table at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Camp

It was great fun and an interesting mix of the two sports.

The Rules

In our match-up I defeated Emily two games to nil.

Emily playing a shot

Booting the footpool football

Link:
- Pontin's Prestatyn Sands

Related blog posts:
- Sports and Games Played
- Holiday on the Buses
- Pontins
- Prestatyn

A return to the Leopoldpark minigolf courses in Blankenberge

A revisit to the Mini Golf courses at the Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily recently returned to Blankenberge in Belgium she noticed there was a large Christmas decoration still standing next to the miniature golf courses at the Leopoldpark.

Not a wacky waving inflatable, but a decent looking snowman Christmas decoration

You can see the snowman to the left of the snookergolf course

While there Emily also took a few more snaps of the colourful minigolf, crazy golf and snooker golf courses at the Leopoldpark. They do look marvellous and we can't wait to return and actually play them!

The Blankenberge Crazy Golf course

Hole 1 of the Mini Golf course at the Leopoldpark

 

The Snookergolf layout

The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Another view of the Snookergolf course. It looks like a brilliant game

On her last visit Emily spotted there was also a Petanque terrain at the Leopoldpark. This time she spotted there are some undercover pistes there too. Looks like a great spot to play some boules.

The uncovered Petanque pistes

The undercover Boulodrome

Visit the Leopoldpark website for more information about the courses, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Miniature Golf courses at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily recently visited three courses and a new country on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when she was in Blankenberge, Belgium.

What a sight for minigolf fans

The seaside resort is home to a Minigolf course, a Crazy Golf and a Snookergolf layout. The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on the tour.

The Minigolf course (left) and Crazy Golf course (right) at Leopoldpark

Photos of the Minigolf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Crazy Golf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Snookergolf Billiards course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

We've got some great old postcards from Blankenberge that show the miniature golf courses which used to be at Leopoldpark. It's great to know there are still courses on the same spot today.

The whole place looks marvelously bright and colourful. We'll definitely have to return for a fair few games on the miniature golf courses and petanque in Blankenberge.

The Petanque terrain at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Visit the Leopoldpark website for details of opening times and prices.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Plonk Golf Crazy Golf at Efes Snooker Hall in London

Playing the pop-up crazy golf course at Efes Snooker Hall in Dalston.

On St George's Day 2015 I attended the preview launch night of London's newest mini golf course - Plonk Golf.

Along with former minigolf Pro Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd we went along to put the course through its paces ahead of its full launch to the public on Wednesday 29 April.

Hole 7 - the half-pipe-tunnel - looks like an easy ace...it's not

The Crazy Golf course layout is within Efes Snooker Club on Stoke Newington Road and is set-up on either side of the snooker hall with 9 very tricky holes to master.

The second half of hole 5 involves a Pool table!

Plonk Golf has been created from reclaimed materials that have been repurposed to create a very unique miniature golf course. There's a working volcano on the first hole, a birdcage on the hill at the third, a loop-di-loop to tackle on the fourth, and a pool table making up half of the hole on the fifth hole. There are also more pipes and tunnels than you can shake a stick (or golf club) at!

The working and smoking volcano on hole 1 at Plonk Golf!

The Plonk Golf course is the brainchild of the team at The House of Revelry and will be open on Wednesdays (6pm to 12.30am) and Thursdays (12pm to 1am) from the 29 April. A round on the course will cost £7.50 per player.

Plonk Golf poster

The course was the 596th visited and 360th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At minigolf course visit #596

In our match-up on the Plonk Golf course I defeated Brad in round one, scoring a 20 to his 27 and setting the clubhouse record.

Hole 6 was one of my favourite holes

In our second game we both shot scores of 20. we were very happy to both finish with a hole-in-one on the incredibly tricky 'Jump into the bucket' shot on the ninth hole!

Brad about to play the 6th hole at Plonk Golf

The minigolf course will be changing through the duration of its pop-up at Efes, with new obstacles and hole configurations, which'll certainly make it even more crazy.

Results of the Plonk Golf Pro Challenge

You can find Plonk Golf at Efes Snooker Club, 17B Stoke Newington Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 8BH. The nearest station is Dalston Kingsland (Overground).

Efes Snooker Hall is housed in a nice Art Deco building on Stoke Newington Road

For more information and booking details check out the Plonk Golf website.

Links:
- Plonk Golf website
- Plonk Golf on Facebook
- Plonk Golf on Twitter
- Efes Snooker Hall on Twitter
- The House of Revelry website

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Plonk Golf in Dalston, London

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.