Thursday, May 16, 2019

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park

Playing the new Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry, Wales.


Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park

Earlier this month I heard about the new Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park from the team at Greenspan Projects. Luckily I was in South Wales for the Welsh Mini Golf Club's Double Championship in Aberavon at the weekend so was able to swing by on my way home.

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Look at the size of that dragon!

It was great to have a round on the 18-hole Dragon's Quest Adventure Golf course. It looks really nice and has some interesting features, most noticeably the BIG red dragon!

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park

The Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park became the 887th visited and 517th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
A funny looking character on the course. And what I believe is a Dragon Slayer model

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
I really liked the look of the mining hole 

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The course is in a very nice setting and looks lovely

The minigolf course at Fontygary Leisure Park is open to the public, with a round costing £7 for adults and £5.50 for children. Check out the Fontygary Leisure Park website for more information.

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf scorecard from Fontygary Leisure Park
I shot a round of 41 on the 18-hole course

Photos of the 18-hole Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course.

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 1

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 2

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 2

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 3

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 4

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The mine theming on hole 4

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
I really like the derailed effect on the hole

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The green of hole 4

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 5

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
A tunnel through a barrel to the cup on hole 5

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The water jets vary in height on hole 6 so you need to time your shot just right

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 6

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 7

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Into a tunnel on hole 8

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 8

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 8

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The green and raised cup on hole 8

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
A view of hole 8

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 9

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 9

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 9

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 10

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 10

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 10

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 11

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 12

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 13

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 14

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 14

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 15

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 16

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
The green on hole 16

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 17

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 18

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 18

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf at Fontygary Leisure Park
Hole 18

Related blog posts:
- Wales
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - update from Wales

Looking back at the Dull Men's Club's Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston

A look back at the Dull Men's Club's Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston.


A year ago yesterday I was a speaker at the Dull Men's Club's 'Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening' at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.


Richard Gottfried, guest speaker at the Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening at UCLan in Preston
Talking (minigolf) balls

Where has the last year gone*.


Richard Gottfried,  guest speaker at the Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening at UCLan in Preston
Showing off my Putter to the audience

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr Sandi Mann, aka ‘Dr Boredom’, author of The Science of Boredom: The Upside of Downtime, who spoke to the attendees about the benefits of boredom and her research on the Thirty Habits of Boring People.

The Dull Men's Club is where dull men — and women who appreciate dull men — share experiences of enjoying everyday, mundane things, far from glitz and glam — "Celebrating the Ordinary".

The Dull Men's Club celebrates the ordinary

Some highlights of my presentation covered my travels on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and how I, along with Emily, had - up to that point - visited 815 miniature golf courses since 2006.

The desk space in the lecture theatre was a lovely shade of grey
The desk space in the lecture theatre was a lovely shade of grey

Some of the intricacies of the sport were also discussed, with the show & tell element on minigolf balls being a particular highlight.

Later that evening I visited the 816th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when I swung by the indoor Crazy Golf course at Level Preston. We've now visited 887 courses.

Trailer Trash Jim's indoor Crazy Golf course at Level Preston
One of the holes at Trailer Trash Jim's indoor Crazy Golf course at Level Preston

Following the event we've since met up with fellow dull man and writer Elliot Windmill who profiled us on his excellent website.

Playing Crazy Golf with Elliot at Manor Park in Glossop
Playing Crazy Golf with Elliot at Manor Park in Glossop

One of the other guests we met at the event was Martin, head of the Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society. Interestingly (for some) Telegraph Pole Appreciation Day and Miniature Golf Day both fall on the 21st September each year. Martin also wrote a nice blog post following the event.

A telegraph pole I spotted on our visit to the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway heritage steam railway in the Lake District last year
A telegraph pole I spotted on our visit to the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway heritage steam railway in the Lake District last year

What a wonderfully dull world we inhabit.

Related blog posts:
- A Delightfully Dull, Brilliantly Boring Evening in Preston
- Meeting the Dull Men of Great Britain – The Crazy Golfers
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Dull Men's Club
- Preston

Links:
- Dull Men's Club
- Lossul
- Sandi Mann's website

* I would have put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence, but they are frowned upon by the Dull Men's Club.

Glo-Golf indoor Crazy Golf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover

A visit to the Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover.



Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Ah, Andover - the Paris of Hampshire

Our road-trip to Southampton and back saw us visit 18 more courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of them was the indoor Glo-Golf course at the Riverside Bowl in Andover, Hampshire.


Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Playing in Holland

Each of the holes on the Glo-Golf course is themed after a certain city or country. It looks superb.




In our minigolf match on the 9-hole Glo-Golf course Emily won with a score of 30 to my 34.

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Emily Putting in New York City

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
London. In Andover

The Glo-Golf indoor minigolf course at the Riverside Bowl in Andover, Hampshire was the 882nd course visited and 514th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.



The Glo-Golf course in Andover was the only indoor course visited on this trip



Minigolf holes on the Glo-Golf course at the Riverside Bowl in Andover.

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 1

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 2

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 2

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 3

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 3

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 4

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 5

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 6

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 7

Hole 8

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 9

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Hole 9

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

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
Another minigolf course scorecard added to the collection

Glo-Golf indoor minigolf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover
A glow in the dark crocodile, or alligator

Related blog posts:
- Andover
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - 883 courses visited

The World's Oldest Bowling Green

A visit to Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green.



Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

As a fan of sporting history it was very interesting to stumble upon the World's Oldest Bowling Green during our minigolfing road-trip to Hampshire.


Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

Southampton Old Bowling Green - the World's Oldest Bowling Green

We've not played a game of bowls before. But we do play Petanque. We've also played minigolf on a number of bowling greens that have been used as Putting courses, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and at the Wales National Crown Green Bowling Centre in Rhyl. We also found an excellent pair of Putting courses in Looe, Cornwall. Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has also seen us play miniature golf at the bowling club in Aberdovey, Wales.

Putting course at Looe Bowling Club in Looe, Cornwall
The Putting Green above the Bowling Green in Looe, Cornwall

Related blog posts:
- Bowls
- Bowling Green
- Southampton