The 2008 Minigolf Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

A look back at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland.

We made our Great Britain team debuts at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland 17 years ago this week.

Where has that time gone!

The GB team playing the Beton Concrete Minigolf course in Tampere, Finland during a practice session

In international action on the Eternit Miniature Golf course

Our Great Britain Minigolf team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, finished the tournament in 13th place. In the individual rankings I finished in 51st place and Emily was 53rd.

The 2008 Great Britain squad - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

Since the 2008 Nations Cup we've also played for the GB national team in tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England.

Receiving some tips on the Middle Hill Eternit Miniature Golf hole from Crazy Golf legend Tim 'Ace Man' Davies

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere was the 50th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 51st and the Swedish Felt Minigolf course was the 52nd played.

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,082 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (including Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

The Pyramid-like Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour

A look at the Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel.

We visited Southampton back in May 2021 and spotted this pyramid hotel.

Check out the Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour website for more information.

This Saturday is National Miniature Golf Day

Where will you be celebrating National Miniature Golf Day this Saturday?

This year National Miniature Golf Day is on Saturday 10th May. Where will you be playing a round?

Playing the Championship Adventure Golf course in New Brighton, England on National Miniature Golf Day in 2017

Last year I played a round at the excellent Prestatyn Crazy Golf course in North Wales.

We're not yet sure about which course we'll get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour this National Miniature Golf Day.

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2025 that will be Saturday 10th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2025 that will fall on a Sunday.

There are so many places to play minigolf now, with new courses opening up all the time. Including public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations you can find over 1,300 miniature golf layouts around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and other islands)!

TallyHo Golf minigolf scorecard app

Finding out more about the TallyHo Golf minigolf scorecard app.

We're always looking for new things and innovations in the world of minigolf and recently found out about the TallyHo Golf minigolf app.

We've blogged about the minigolf apps we've found on our minigolf adventures over the years, and we've used some of them to keep scores on our games and record loyalty points.

A TallyHo Golf scorecard

The TallyHo Golf minigolf app is free to download and you can use it straight away as a Guest, or you can create a username for a fuller experience.

The home screen

Speaking with Vito Leone, the man behind the TallyHo Golf minigolf app, he provided us with further information as well as some imagery from the app which you can see throughout this post.

A game card

Vito tells us that the benefits for miniature golf courses include:

• Saving on paper scorecards.
• Custom branding on the app's interactive map page to stand out from the competition.
• Hole-by-hole clickable advertising and detailed stat tracking.
• Eliminating the need to distribute pencils and paper around the course.
• Easily creating and managing minigolf tournaments and leagues.

And for players there is:

• No more dealing with awkward-sized paper scorecards and pencils during games.
• Automatic score calculation so you can just play and enjoy the round.
• Access to course-specific and local deals through sponsorships.
• The ability to save games to revisit memories any time.
• The feature to track lifetime stats and performance.
• Connecting with friends and keep score live across multiple devices.

In addition to the electronic scorecard function, the TallyHo Golf app allows users to record and track their scores over time - noting and analysing improvements and progress at courses. Another feature is to share stats and compete with friends (and rivals) who are also using the app.

A game example screen

As our never-ending Crazy World of Minigolf Tour involves a lot of research into locations of courses, another feature of the app was interesting to see, as with the location enabled on your device you can locate courses near to you.

Course locator

As keen competitors it's interesting to see tournaments listed in the app too.

A final score screen

Check out the TallyHo Golf website for more information and links to download the free app for Android and iOS.

The Course Admin Panel

Have you used the TallyHo Golf app in your games of minigolf? Do let us know in the comments.

Lost Minigolf Courses - Moroccan Adventure Golf course at Pleasureland in Southport

A look at the old Moroccan Adventure Golf course at Pleasureland in Southport in 2009.

We visited Southport for the first time back in September 2009. It was the last Friday of the summer season but Pleasureland had closed down so we weren't able to play the Moroccan-themed Adventure Golf layout.

It's one of my favourite lost minigolf courses as it had a theme we hadn't seen before and haven't seen since.

  

Pleasureland Southport has undergone several changes in the years since we visited, and is now known as Adventure Coast Southport.

Adventure Coast Southport is home to a Viking-themed Adventure Golf course.

We haven't been to Southport for a few years, so the Viking Golf at Adventure Coast Southport will be a new one to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Point - a pyramid in Milton Keynes

A look at The Point in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

The Point in February 2022

The Point in Milton Keynes was completed in 1985 and opened as a cinema.

During its life the Milton Keynes pyramid has also been home to a bingo hall, charity shop, record shop, a bar and a pizza restaurant.

The Point in February 2022

The Point currently stands empty and there is an ongoing campaign to save the landmark building.

Check out The Point website for more information.

The Point in October 2023

May the 4th be with you

Today is Star Wars Day!

Luckily I wasn't someone these Stormtrooper's from the UK Garrison were looking for at the Trinity Walk 'Star Walk' event last weekend!

The Oxford Place in Leeds - a 100% gluten free restaurant

This month is Coeliac UK Awareness Month and I highly recommend a visit to The Oxford Place - a 100% gluten free restaurant in Leeds.

My favourite restaurant is The Oxford Place in Leeds. We try to visit as often as possible as it's one of the very few 100% gluten free places, and somewhere I feel safe dining at as I have Coeliac Disease. We last visited in January this year, and I'm looking forward to returning next month.

It's going to be superb returning and seeing what's on the menu.

We've tried so many excellent dishes there over the years. It's such a nice environment where I've been able to relax and try new food and drink.

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Find out more about Coeliac UK Awareness Month 2025 on the Coeliac UK website.

About Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease ('Celiac' in the USA and Canada) is a lifelong autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In Coeliac Disease the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This can trigger a number of painful, horrible, and uncomfortable symptoms.

Living a gluten free life

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008! It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, lifelong gluten free diet.

Happy Star Wars Day

May the Fourth be with you.

Jabba The Putt at Trailer Trash Jim's Crazy Golf at Level Preston

One week until National Miniature Golf Day

Where will you be celebrating National Miniature Golf Day?

Course we've played on previous 'Miniature Golf Days'

There's just one week until National Miniature Golf Day on Saturday 10th May. Where will you be playing a round?

Playing the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Skegness on National Miniature Golf Day 2015

Last year I played a round at the excellent Prestatyn Crazy Golf course in North Wales. We're not yet sure about which course we'll get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour this National Miniature Golf Day.

At Prestatyn Crazy Golf on National Miniature Golf Day 2024

There are two 'miniature golf days' each year.

• National Miniature Golf Day is always on the second Saturday in May. In 2025 that will be Saturday 10th May.
• The other minigolf day, Miniature Golf Day, is always on the 21st September. In 2025 that will fall on a Sunday.

There are so many places to play minigolf now, with new courses opening up all the time. Including public courses, as well as those at pay to enter attractions, holiday parks, hotels and other 'non-standard' locations you can find over 1,300 miniature golf layouts around the UK and British Isles (including Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and other islands)!

Masterpiece Mini-Golf at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia

The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, USA is launching a new interactive and imaginative attraction - Masterpiece Mini-Golf - on Saturday 10th May 2025.

As big fans of minigolf, and curators of the Crazy Golf Museum, it's always interesting seeing minigolf/museum/arts & artists crossovers.

Masterpiece Mini-Golf at the Workhouse Arts Center is part of the Second Saturday event series and blends art history, interactive education, family competition, and creative fun.

The artist designed minigolf course will eventually be a playable 18-hole exhibit, with the first nine holes opening on Saturday 10th May (which is also National Miniature Golf Day), and the second nine holes opening in June.

See the Workhouse Arts Center website and this news item on the Center's website for more information on how you can visit and play the Masterpiece Mini-Golf course exhibit.

Gator Golf at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton

There's a new minigolf course at Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Crocodiles of the World in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire has opened a new 15-hole outdoor Gator Golf minigolf course.

Crocodiles of the World is the UK's only crocodile zoo!

Check out the Crocodiles of the World and Gator Golf websites for more information.

Many thanks to the team at Veridian Outdoor for letting me know about the new course.

I never knew Crocodiles of the World existed! It'll be fun checking out the zoo and Gator Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

A cool retro shopfront at The iT Store in Canterbury

How cool is this window display at The iT Store in Canterbury?

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Halloween

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at the Postwick Village Hall Halloween Party 2024.

A sighting of a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Postwick, Norfolk!

This wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man was in action at the Postwick Village Hall Halloween Party last year.

Many thanks to my brother Christopher for sending over the video.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing ebook

I published my minigolf marketing ebook eight years ago today.

My ebook to help minigolf players better market themselves, their clubs, tournaments and courses is available to purchase from Amazon.

Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle as you can download the Kindle App on iOS, Android, Mac & PC.

Minigolf Marketing

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and 20+ of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game.

I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Emily and I have visited 1,082 courses in the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've got 39 from that original list left to visit.

However, they've been joined by hundreds more new courses opening up across the UK, making our travels never-ending!

The minigolf boom continues

The game is really booming and new courses are being announced all the time.

100+ new courses are being created each year - some are on old sites/locations, some are completely new venues, while others are in planning/development, or under construction.

There are also quite a few other adventure golf, crazy golf and minigolf courses that are short-term 'pop-ups', some of which have been used as proof of concept businesses and developed into permanent courses. 

The minigolf world has a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing gives federations, associations, courses, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Much of the guidance could also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Buy The Minigolfer’s Guide to Marketing ebook on Amazon.

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Didcot Tyre Services

A sighting of a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

My mum sent me some snaps of this wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man advertising Didcot Tyre Services (DTS) that she recently spotted while out for a drive with my dad.

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man at Didcot Tyre Services

May is Coeliac UK Awareness Month 2025

This month is Coeliac UK Awareness Month.

Coeliac UK's Awareness Month takes place throughout the month of May, with the charity for people affected by Coeliac Disease sharing stories to help recognise the symptoms and take the first steps on the road to recovery.

Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition that affects 1 in 100 people in the UK (I'm one of those '1's') and according to Coeliac UK only 36% are medically diagnosed, meaning there are an estimated 500,000 people living in the UK who are experiencing symptoms - and these symptoms are having a big impact on their lives.

Find out more about Coeliac UK Awareness Month 2025 on the Coeliac UK website.

About Coeliac Disease

Coeliac Disease ('Celiac' in the USA and Canada) is a lifelong autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In Coeliac Disease the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This can trigger a number of painful, horrible, and uncomfortable symptoms.

Living a gluten free life

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008! It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, lifelong gluten free diet.