Wednesday, January 09, 2019

Minigolf goodies from across the pond

Check out this brilliant selection of minigolf items from our friends at A Couple of Putts.



Many thanks to Tom and Robin at A Couple of Putts for sending over this great minigolf stuff
Many thanks to Tom and Robin at A Couple of Putts for sending over this great minigolf stuff

A BIG minigolf thank you goes out to Tom and Robin at minigolf review site A Couple of Putts for sending over this fine selection of minigolf scorecards, stickers and other stuff.

A Mini Golf is for EVERYONE bumper sticker designed by Tom and Robin at A Couple of Putts
A Mini Golf is for EVERYONE bumper sticker designed by Tom and Robin

We love seeing and collecting scorecards and other ephemera and merchandise from miniature golf courses around the world. Seeing these items gives a wonderful insight into the game and also showcases the variety of courses and venues out there. Hopefully we'll get to visit some of them in the future too.

A Big Thrill Factory Mini Golf course scorecard
A Big Thrill Factory Mini Golf course scorecard from the 18-hole course in Oakdale, Minnesota

A Big Thrill Factory Mini Golf course scorecard
A Big Thrill Factory Mini Golf course scorecard. Check out the course review at A Couple of Putts

A Can Can Wonderland mini golf course sticker
A Can Can Wonderland mini golf course sticker from the course in St Paul, Minnesota. Read the course review at A Couple of Putts

A coloring book from Goony Golf
A coloring book from Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota. Sadly this venue closed down in July 2017. You can read an extensive history of the location at A Couple of Putts

Three Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park scorecards
Three Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park scorecards

Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park scorecards
Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park scorecards

Scorecard for the Championship course at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Championship course at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Scorecard for the Championship course at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Championship course at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Scorecard for the Executive course 1 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Executive course 1 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Scorecard for the Executive course 1 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Executive course 1 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Scorecard for the Executive course 2 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Executive course 2 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Scorecard for the Executive course 2 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota
Scorecard for the Executive course 2 at Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park in Minnesota

Sticker from Goony Golf of Spring Lake Park

Scorecard for the Mini Golf course at the IMA
Scorecard for the Mini Golf course at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). Check out A Couple of Putts for two reviews of the course - including details of the holes they designed and built for the course in 2016 and 2017

Scorecard for the Mini Golf course at the IMA
Scorecard for the Mini Golf course at the IMA

Scorecard from Pocono Family Golf in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Check out the review at A Couple of Putts

Scorecard from Pocono Family Golf

Scorecard from the Walker Art Centre Artist Designed Mini Golf course
Scorecard from the Walker Art Center Artist Designed Mini Golf course. Tom and Robin have been involved with this art center and the various incarnations of the minigolf course there for a number of years. Check out the A Couple of Putts website for more info

Scorecard from the Walker Art Centre Artist Designed Mini Golf course
Scorecard from the Walker Art Center Artist Designed Mini Golf course

Scorecard from the Walker Art Centre Artist Designed Mini Golf course
Scorecard from the Walker Art Center Artist Designed Mini Golf course

Please do visit the A Couple of Putts website for stacks of course reviews and follow Tom and Robin's adventures on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Related blog posts:
A Couple of Putts
Sparkle City Mini Putt in Spartanburg, South Carolina

Adventure Golf at Worldham Golf Club

New Adventure Golf course at Worldham Golf Club in Hampshire.


There's a new Adventure Golf course at Worldham Golf Club

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival Matt Dodd for letting us know there's a new Adventure Golf course at Worldham Golf Club in Hampshire.

Another course for us to add to our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

You can find out more about the 12-hole Crazy Golf course on Worldham Golf Club's website.

Tuesday, January 08, 2019

Hollywood Drive-In Golf in Orlando, Florida

A look at the Hollywood Drive-In Golf courses in Orlando, Florida.


Hollywood Drive-In Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett 2018
Hollywood Drive-In Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett

Many thanks to our friend Shelley Barrett for sending us these snaps from her family holiday visit to the two 18-hole Hollywood Drive-In Golf courses in Orlando, Florida. The courses look superb.

Hollywood Drive-In Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett 2018
Hollywood Drive-In Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett

Check out the Hollywood Drive-In Golf website for more info.

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf

Souvenirs from Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf.


Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett 2018

Many thanks to our friend Shelley Barrett for sending us a scorecard and pencils as souvenirs from her family holiday to Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf in Orlando, Florida.

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Scorecard and pencils from Shelley Barrett

Walt Disney World is home to two 18-hole minigolf courses known as Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf.

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Scorecard from Shelley Barrett

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Scorecard from Shelley Barrett
The scoring and rules side

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Scorecard from Shelley Barrett
The story side of the scorecard

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Pencils from Shelley Barrett
Four minigolf pencils from Disney World

Our friends over at The Putting Penguin and A Couple of Putts minigolf review sites have played the courses:
- The Putting Penguin review
- A Couple of Putts review 1 and 2

Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. Photo by Shelley Barrett 2018
It's always nice to see a leaderboard at a minigolf course

You can find out more about the Winter Summerland Miniature Golf courses on the Walt Disney World website.

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool

A visit to Ghetto Golf in Liverpool.


Ghetto Golf in Liverpool

In October last year we met up with our friend and old Dodgeball rival 'Rowdy' Russell Fenner in Liverpool and swung by the Ghetto Golf indoor Crazy Golf course at Cains Brewery.

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool became the 847th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
That's a real fruit machine on the course

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
I wouldn't fancy looking in this fridge

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
A pot(ting) shed 

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
The green 

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
There's a very BIG minion at the course 

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
Some Ghostbusters graffiti

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
Tenpin bowling golf 

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
The UV section of the course features a number of video-game characters

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
Space Invaders!

Ghetto Golf in Liverpool
Pac-Man is there too!

We've also been to the Ghetto Golf course in Digbeth, Birmingham. That venue was the 780th course visited on our minigolfing travels.

Link:
- Ghetto Golf

Related blog posts:
- Ghetto Golf
- Liverpool
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Monday, January 07, 2019

Tandy in Hitchin

Spotting some old Tandy branding in Hitchin.


Tandy in Hitchin

We were recently back in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and spotted the electronics shop at Churchgate had closed down. Electronic Universe had been trading in the town since 1982 and closed due to retirement last February. The old shop signs had been taken down and luckily for us we were able to see some even older branding from when the shop was a Tandy dealer! A nice blast from the past.

Tandy in Hitchin
A once familiar sight on UK high streets. Circa 1990

While visiting Hitchin Market back in March 2016 I spotted a great old Tandy sign at the back of the shop at Biggin Lane that brought back happy memories for me.

Tandy in Hitchin
The Tandy sign round the back of the shop

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

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

I thought the Tandy brand name was still defunct, but it's not as Tandy lives on as an online retailer of electronic components and kits!

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

There is still a RadioShack trading in the UK. It's in Lytham Saint Annes.

Retro videogame graffiti in Luton

Spotting some retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton.

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Last weekend we revisited our old hometown of Luton and while walking down George Street it was brilliant to see this retro videogame graffiti at The Mall shopping centre. It certainly brightened up the space.

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

The mural features a whole host of retro game characters and was created by Demograffix.

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton
 
Retro videogame graffiti at The Mall Luton

Related blog posts:
- Luton
- Art

Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis

A look at the Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf course at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis.


Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019
A view of the 18-hole Adventure Golf course in Hotham Park. Photo by Matt Dodd

Our friends and minigolf rivals Matt and Helen Dodd were recently in Bognor Regis and swung by the new Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf course at Hotham Park.

Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

Matt said the course was good but tough and had quite a few holes he’d never seen before.

Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

The Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf course was built by the team at HM Adventure Golf. You can find out more about the Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf course on the Tivoli Lifestyle website.

Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf at Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

While in the park Matt also had a look at the old Crazy Golf layout which is now a picnic area.

Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

Hotham Park in Bognor Regis. Photo by Matt Dodd, January 2019

We're yet to play the Wildforest Falls Adventure Golf course. The old minigolf layout at Hotham Park and the Putting course that was formerly on the site were the 273rd and 274th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2011.

Related blog posts:
- Matt Dodd
- Bognor Regis