Monday, July 20, 2020

Social distancing at Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

A look at the social distancing and hygiene measures at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage.


Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at Mr Mulligans Lost World Adventure Golf in Stevenage, Hertfordshire for sending over details of the social distancing and hygiene measures they've put in place.



There are two 18-hole indoor adventure golf layouts at the centre at Stevenage Leisure Park - the Jungle Explorers and Ocean Adventurers courses.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Find out more

Visit the Mr Mulligans website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
The cups have been partially filled so balls are easier to retrieve

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
Another filled cup

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf Stevenage. Photo by Raquel Xavier, July 2020
A minigolf rhyme!

Finding Mr Mulligan

You can find Mr Mulligans courses in Basildon, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Castleford, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes (indoor and outdoor), Newcastle, Nottingham, Sidcup, Stevenage Tonbridge and Woking.

Playing at Mr Mulligans

We've visited all the Mr Mulligans courses apart from the ones in Basildon, Bournemouth, the indoor course in Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Tonbridge. We had planned to go on holiday to Bournemouth in April and would've played the courses there then.

Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage
On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to Mr Mulligans Lost World Golf in Stevenage

The last Mr Mulligans venue I played at was the three-course space-themed centre in Birmingham last October.

Mr Mulligans Space Golf in Birmingham
At Mr Mulligans Space Golf course on the day before Halloween last year - back then the only thing to worry about was a little bit of radioactive material on the course

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Putting at Home with the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club

We found out about the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club in Knowle West, Bristol last month and have joined the club's Putt Party online events.


Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club

The Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club have created a home-based minigolf club and work is underway to build brand new minigolf course at the Filwood Community Centre.

Members of the club have been designing and making their own crazy golf holes using a wide-range of materials. The 16 households are putting the finishing touches to the layouts ahead of a competition to declare the best design this coming Saturday. Emily and I are really looking forward to being guest judges at the event. We've seen some superb designs so far.

Check out the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club's Facebook Group and the Filwood Community Centre website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter in Norwich

The new indoor games venue is opening at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich this month.


Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Norwich's new indoor entertainment venue is opening its doors on the 23rd July. Boom: Battle Bar is home to a minigolf course, boules piste, axe throwing arena, electric darts and shuffleboard.

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at HM Adventure Golf for sending over photos of the minigolf course there.

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020
  
Boom: Battle Bar Norwich. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information, opening times, prices and booking details.

We're looking forward to playing at Boom: Battle Bar in the future.

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Caddy Shack now open at Sol Central in Northampton

The new Caddy Shack Mini Golf course at Sol Central in Northampton is now open.


Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack is a New York-themed venue and home to a minigolf course, tenpin bowling and darts and is part of the Gravity Activity Entertainment centre at Sol Central.

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Many thanks to the team at HM Adventure Golf for sending over photos of the minigolf course there.

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020
  
Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

Caddy Shack Northampton. Photo courtesy of HM Adventure Golf, July 2020

We're looking forward to visiting Caddy Shack and playing the crazy golf course there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Check out the Caddy Shack website for more information.


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Old Iceland

Spotting some old Iceland signage on a modern Iceland store.


I had to take a second look when I saw these signs on the Iceland supermarket in Holywell, North Wales.

Iceland in Holywell, Wales
Iceland with pre-year 2000 branding. In 2018

I hadn't seen Iceland signage and branding like this for a while!

There can't be many other branches of Iceland still carrying this old style can there...?

It's always interesting finding quirky signs and old shopfronts on my travels. In recent years I've seen the ghostly remnants of Tandy, Radioshack, Woolworths, Blockbuster Video, Toys R Us and Kwik Save on the high street.

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Foxes Afloat - Bun Throwing in Abingdon

The team from the Foxes Afloat narrowboat vlog recently stopped off in my home town of Abingdon where they looked at the tradition of Bun Throwing.


Check out my World of Bun Throwing blog for more information about the tradtion.

One day left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

There is now only one day left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.

Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

Friday, July 17, 2020

New Plonk! Golf course in London Fields

The team at Plonk! Golf have opened a new venue in London Fields, Hackney.


The new East London venue is home to an outdoor 9-hole Crazy Golf course, cocktail bar, arcade and pinball parlour, sandwich shop and ice cream shack.

Plonk! Golf in Shoreditch, London. March 2019
Plonk! Golf in Shoreditch in March 2019, one of a number of Plonk! Golf courses we've been to on our travels

Check out the Plonk! Golf website for opening times, prices, booking information and details of other Plonk! Golf locations.

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Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre in Abergavenny

There's a Crazy Golf course at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny, Wales.


Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown for letting me know there's a Crazy Golf course at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny.

He spotted the course listed on a sign at the pub on a recent trip to the town.

Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny by Simon Brown. July 2020

Unfortunately the pub is still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic so he wasn't able to see the course.

Crazy Golf at the Crown & Sceptre pub in Abergavenny by Simon Brown. July 2020

It's another interesting one for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're next down in Y Fenni.

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British Minigolf Association tournaments - 2020

Play is set to resume on the British Minigolf Association tour.


British Minigolf Association

The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) will resume the 2020 season with a double-header weekend of events at Dunton Hills in Essex in August.

The Cambridgeshire & Essex Minigolf Club Open is on Saturday 15th August, with the BMGA British Doubles Championship taking place the following day.

The last minigolf tournament held in the UK before lockdown was the 19th edition of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Open held on the 1st March. The season-opening Thanet Open had been held in Margate, Kent on 9th February.

Details of BMGA minigolf tournaments in the UK can be found on the British Minigolf Association website.

The UK's next competition in 2020

The first mid-pandemic socially distanced minigolf tournament in the UK is taking place on Sunday 26th July. Organised by the Welsh Minigolf Club the 2020 Dragon Classic will be held on the Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry.

Competitions around the world this year

In April the World Minigolf Sport Federation made the decision to cancel all 2020 international (world and continental) tournaments.

During the coronavirus pandemic a number of minigolf events and competitions have been held in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the USA, Czech Republic, Portugal, Turkey and Poland.

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Two days left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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There are just two days left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.

Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course proposed for Raphael Park, Romford

A planning proposal has been submitted for a new Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course at Raphael Park in Romford, Essex.


An Enchanted Garden Adventure Golf course has been proposed to be built in Raphael Park, Romford, Essex

The themed minigolf course would be an 18-hole layout located at the Raphael Park Cafe.

The course would be created by Saturn Rock Creative.

It'll be interesting to see what the course looks and plays like. It'll be another new place to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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Putt18 World Pro League - Week 1 Results

Results from week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League.


Play has been completed in week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League

Play has been completed in week 1 of the Putt18 World Pro League. New Zealand's Matt Ansley won the week with a four-round total score of 266 after rounds of 67, 68, 65 and 66.

Cameron Couper of New Zealand is in second place in the ranking list, with Australia's Allan Cox in third-place.

Dave Gomm is the top British player in sixth position.

Pat Sheridan is the leading player from the USA and is in 11th place.

A total of 21 players from four countries are competing in the inaugural Putt18 World Pro League.

After a shaky start I'm in the basement alongside James Gilderdale of New Zealand and Karl Barth of the USA.

The Putt18 World Pro League ranking list after week 1
The Putt18 World Pro League ranking list after week 1

Week 2 of the Putt18 World Pro League tees-off next Wednesday.

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More information on the Putt18 golf game mat can be found on the Putt18 website.

Three days left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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There are now only three days left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.


Pitch & Plakks Mini Golf Board Game

We're looking forward to getting hold of our Pitch & Plakks set later this year. It'll be out just in time to play over Christmas and New Year.

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Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship 2020

Unfortunately the annual Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship will not be taking place at the current time.


Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in Manchester

The annual large participation event was due to tee-off today and run until close of play on Sunday.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in Manchester

The decision is understandable, but we're really looking forward to playing in the event again in the future.


The team at Paradise Island Adventure Golf are hoping to reschedule the event later this year.


Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship at the Trafford Centre in Manchester last year, while I won the 2018 competition.

Emily Gottfried, 2019 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion
Emily Gottfried, 2019 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion

Emily scored a course record of 30 on the Temple Ruins layout - the course par is 42 - which was enough to fend off the challenge of thousands of other players who competed over the four-day event. Her round included seven holes-in-one on the 18-hole course.

Richard Gottfried, Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion 2018
Richard Gottfried, 2018 Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Champion

The annual PIAG Open competition takes place across the brand's eight venues and is the largest Open minigolf tournament in the UK with thousands of players competing across three age categories at each venue.


All of the Paradise Island Adventure Golf centres have now reopened following lockdown and have social distancing measures in place.



More information on the PIAG courses in Manchester, Cheshire Oaks, Glasgow, Livingston, Sheffield, Derby, Rushden Lakes and Plymouth can be found on the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website.


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Crazy Golf at Walton on the Naze in Essex

A look back at the Crazy Golf course we visited at Walton on the Naze in Essex.


Crazy Golf at Walton on the Naze in Essex

We visited the Crazy Golf course at Coronation Gardens in Walton on the Naze, Essex back in 2013.

Crazy Golf at Walton on the Naze in Essex

It was the 535th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf at Walton on the Naze in Essex

There was also a grass Putting layout next to the Crazy Golf.

Putting Green at Walton on the Naze in Essex

Sadly both were closed because of bad weather. It was a shame as Swedish Felt type courses are always interesting to play. The Putting Green looked fun too.

Putting Green at Walton on the Naze in Essex

Related blog posts:
Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Essex
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Essex

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Wednesday, July 15, 2020

New Iron Age themed Adventure Golf course to be built in Andover, Hampshire

Plans for the new Iron Age themed Adventure Golf course in Andover, Hampshire have been approved.


A new Iron Age themed Adventure Golf course to be built in Andover, Hampshire

The new course will be built by Greenspan Projects and it'll completely replace the existing layout at Charlton Leisure Centre.

Adventure Golf course in Andover, July 2011
The existing Adventure Golf course as it looked nine years ago

That Adventure Golf course was the 255th we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in July 2011. We've now been to 949 courses since 2006.


New minigolf courses

The plans for the new Adventure Golf course in Andover were the first I heard about for a new course since before the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the plans were announced we've heard about a number of other new courses being planned, built and opened during the pandemic.

We're looking forward to getting back out on the road and visiting courses again in the future.

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Junkyard Golf opening in Newcastle upon Tyne

A new Junkyard Golf crazy golf venue is set to open in Newcastle this year.


Junkyard Golf opening in Newcastle upon Tyne

The new Junkyard Golf venue in Newcastle has been given the green light and will open on Newgate Street in the city centre.

Junkyard Golf Newcastle will be home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

The last minigolf course I played before lockdown was at Junkyard Golf on First Street in Manchester back in March.

You can also find Junkyard Golf courses in London, Leeds, Oxford and Liverpool.

Visit the Junkyard Golf website for more information.


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Four days left to back Pitch & Plakks on Kickstarter

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There are now just four days left to back the new Pitch & Plakks minigolf game on Kickstarter.

Pitch & Plakks minigolf game

The campaign has been incredibly popular with more than 1,300 backers so far helping reach a number of stretch goals.

Dragon Classic minigolf tournament at Fontygary Leisure Park

Details of the Welsh Minigolf Club's Dragon Classic competition at Fontygary Leisure Park in Barry.


Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry, Wales
The Dragon can be found on holes 2 and 18 of the Fontygary Leisure Park course

The first mid-pandemic socially distanced minigolf tournament in the UK is taking place on Sunday 26th July.

Organised by the Welsh Minigolf Club the 2020 Dragon Classic will be held on the Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry.

Entry is limited to 18 players and more information can be found on the Welsh Minigolf Club's website and Facebook page.

Good luck to all of the players in the event.

Playing the course

I played the 18-hole Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park during my trip to compete in the Welsh Double's Championship in May last year.

Dragon's Quest Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose, Barry, Wales
There are some superb views from Fontygary Leisure Park and it's well worth a visit

Other tournaments

The last minigolf tournament held in the UK before lockdown was the 19th edition of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Open held on the 1st March. The Thanet Open had been held in Margate, Kent on 9th February.

Details of minigolf tournaments in the UK can be found on the British Minigolf Association website.

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Bart the Plumber!

My recent post about the Itchy & Scratchy graffiti in Manchester reminded me I spotted this bit of Simpsons bootleggery in Rhyl last year.


Bart the Plumber
If Bart doesn't fix your plumbing you'll have to wash yourself with a rag on a stick

Happy tenth birthday to the Crazy Golf Museum

The Crazy Golf Museum is ten years old today.


The Crazy Golf Museum

Many happy returns to the Crazy Golf Museum as it marks it's tenth birthday today.

I set-up the museum with Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies back on the 15th July 2010, the virtual museum is a treasure trove and archive for all things related to minigolf.

It's been an incredibly interesting decade!

Prior to the pandemic

There were so many marvellous things going in the world of minigolf prior to the Coronavirus pandemic. New courses were being built, tournaments held and interesting items and ephemera were being created.

Some of this is on-hold as the world tackles Covid-19.

Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus

I've been using some of my time during lockdown documenting 'Minigolf in the time of coronavirus' and creating a time line of the game during the pandemic.

After the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 and during part of the Great Depression minigolf boomed and we have some records of the time. But to actually be living through such a life changing time is something else!

There are still milestones and anniversaries to be celebrated and courses to be supported for when it's ready to get out and play again.

The future of minigolf

Minigolf is still being played and new courses continue to be planned, developed and built. Thankfully the game will go on, albeit in a different form for a while.

There will be lots of minigolf fun to be had again.

Visit the Crazy Golf Museum website, like our Page and join our Group on Facebook, check us out on Twitter, and see our Instagram for information, photos, items, ephemera, stories, videos, postcards, games and more...

If you'd like to contribute any items, merchandise, course history, current developments or guest blog posts please do get in touch.