Mini Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

A look at the Mini Golf course at Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull.

It was a very wet Saturday when we called into the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

On Saturday 9th September we visited the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge to play the new 18-hole Adventure Golf course. While there we also had to have a look at the 12-hole Mini Golf course - we've played it so many times over the years. It was the 72nd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008.

Hole 1

A nice hole to start your round - but it can be a tough second putt if you don't get your reboud right

Hole 2

The optical illusion can trick you into playing too hard a shot. This will leave you with a tough second putt

Hole 3

A nice ace opportunity

Hole 4

A nice tester

Hole 5

Another good chance of a hole in one

Hole 6

A good ace hole too

Hole 7

A potential round killer!

Hole 8

You need to play a perfectly paced shot on this hole. The reward is a lovely hole in one

Hole 9

You do not want to end up in the ditch

Hole 10

I don't think I've ever scored a hole in one on this hole

Hole 11

Another potential round ruiner!

Hole 12

A nice way to end your round

Visit the Four Ashes Golf Centre website for more information, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf Course Number 72 - Dorridge 
- Minigolf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge
- Dorridge
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Adventure Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre

Link:
- Four Ashes Golf Centre website

Video:
- Mini Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

Minigolf Apps

A look at minigolf apps.

There are a lot of apps about to enhance your minigolf experience and they offer a range of scoring functions, loyalty and reward schemes, games, reviews, contests, information and tips.

The Hastings Adventure Golf App and hole 2 in real-life - it's the trickiest hole on the Crazy Golf course in Hastings

There's certainly a real mixed bag of apps available on Android and iPhone. Links below are to the Google Play Store location:

• Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull
• Golf Kingdom in Romford - home of Moby Golf
• Golf Mini game
• Hastings Adventure Golf
• International Pitch & Putt Association (IPPA)
• Oasis Fun in Bournemouth
• Paradise Adventure Golf in Täby Centrum, Sweden
• Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Cheshire Oaks, Derby, Glasgow, Livingston, Manchester and Sheffield
• Rainforest Adventure Golf in Dundrum, Ireland
• Swingers Crazy Golf
• The Putter King game
• The Putting Penguin minigolf review site
• Volcano Falls Adventure Golf in Castleford

Have you had the chance to use one of these apps whilst enjoying a round recently? How do they compare with paper scorecards? Or do you know of any others? Let us know in the comments.

Related blog posts:
- New Mini Golf App
- App

Crazy Golf at the Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea

Playing the Crazy Golf course at the Rhos Fynach pub and restaurant in Rhos on Sea.

You can find the course on Rhos Promenade

We began our holiday in North Wales at Colwyn Bay and Rhos on Sea on Miniature Golf Day. To celebrate the occasion we teed-off on the Crazy Golf course at the Rhos Fynach pub and restaurant in Rhos on Sea.

Holing out on The Pirates Skull hole

The sign has a nice map of the course

Nice to see a windmill on the course

The Crazy Golf at the Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea became the 462nd played and 781st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The green of the windmill hole has a plateau on it too

In our match-up on the 9-hole course I won with a score of 31 to Emily's 34.

Playing out the windmill hole

Hole 3 - The Squid - is one of two holes on the course that has a choice of cups to aim for. A 'Kids' and an 'Adults' version - both were pretty tough!

The pirate ship on the 6th hole

 

Always nice to see some Crazy Golf advertising

The course has an excellent scorecard with a nice map of the layout.

The course map is a neat touch

The results of our round

Check out the Rhos Fynach website for more information, opening times and prices.

"Rules is Rules"!

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Rhos on Sea
- Wales

Link:
- Rhos Fynach

Videos:
- Crazy Golf at Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea - Hole 1
- Crazy Golf at Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea - Hole 5

Broomy Hill Miniature Railway in Hereford

Visiting another miniature railway on our travels.

On Sunday 8th October we made an unexpected visit to a miniature railway. On our recent road-trip we made a stop in Hereford to look for a miniature golf course at Bishops Meadow (#788 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour). While driving over the bridge into the town we spotted a sign for a miniature railway, so after finding the minigolf course we had to go to the railway as well. We're very glad we did as it was superb.

The Broomy Hill Miniature Railway is next to the Waterworks Museum and when we arrived just after lunch we found the trains well under steam.

The Broomy Hill Miniature Railway is spread out over a nice area

There are actually two miniature railways at Broomy Hill - a 'normal' miniature railway with larger miniature engines and an elevated track with model engines. Wonderful stuff.

One of the larger trains passes by the line out of Compton High Level Station

We had to have a go on both tracks and so joined the queue to buy our tickets. It was nice to see the railway busy. The weather was lovely and there were a number of groups, families and couples enjoying the afternoon.

The Rules

Ticket number one

The second 2nd Class ticket

If you're a fan of miniature railways then you'll love Broomy Hill.

Broomy Hill was the eleventh miniature railway we've visited since last year!

Riding the Santa Fe

There were plenty of trains running so we didn't spend too long queuing for our go

Broomy Hill Miniature Railway is operated by the Hereford Society of Model Engineers Ltd. Visit their website for more information and opening times.

Some of the model trains

There are plenty of spots for a nice sit down along the lines too.

Howards Halt

What a view

Having a sit down in Compton

Related blog posts:
- Miniature Railways
- Hereford

Link:
- Broomy Hill Miniature Railway / Hereford Society of Model Engineers

Videos:
- The Sante Fe on the Hereford Miniature Railway
- A L.N.E.R. steam engine on the Hereford Model Railway

Happy World Tripe Day

Celebrating World Tripe Day 2017.

Today is World Tripe Day - an opportunity for tripe lovers to celebrate their love of tripe.

There's plenty of tripe at the market in Leeds 

Check out the Tripe Marketing Board's blog for some top tips for celebrating World Tripe Day.

Ever since I first spotted tripe on a butcher's stall at Wigan Market in 2012 I've been following the Tripe Marketing Board with interest. Although not enough interest to have actually eaten tripe. I'm fairly certain that cow's stomach is something of an acquired taste.

Tripe spotted in Stockport

I'm all for truth in advertising, but blimey!

The Tripe Marketing Board is dedicated to educating the public about eating tripe as part of a healthy, balanced diet and was formed as an industry-wide response to the continuing post-war decline in tripe sales in the UK. This was due to the ending of rationing, increasing affluence and a widespread perception that it is not fit for human consumption.

The Tripe Marketing Board tell me that up until the 1960s you could find hundreds of tripe shops throughout Lancashire, with many of the shops run by United Cattle Products (UCP) and offering nose-to-tail food at the attached cafes and restaurants. The country's last remaining Tripe Shop is in Stalybridge. I'll have to go there when I eventually get round to travelling on the once a week Parliamentary one-way rail service from Stockport to Stalybridge.

Visit the Tripe Marketing Board website for more information about tripe. You can also use Tripe Adviser to locate sellers of the delicacy.

Links:
- Tripe Marketing Board website
- Tripe Marketing Board on Twitter
- Tripe Marketing Board on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Marketing
- Tripe
- Food
- Tripe in Stockport
- There's truth in advertising and then there's this!

Putting Course at Bishops Meadow in Hereford

A visit to the Putting Course at Bishops Meadow in Hereford.

Hole 1

On Sunday 8th October we stopped off in Hereford to visit the Putting Course at Bishops Meadow. Unfortunately the course wasn't open so we couldn't have a game.

Bishops Meadow Putting Green in Hereford

Another unplayed course added to our tour

There's no hole on hole 1

Hole 2

Having a wander around the 18-holes it looked like holes 5-8 to have disappeared as part of some building work.

The fairway of hole 5

The Putting Course at Bishops Meadow in Hereford was the 788th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Hole 12

On our previous visit to Hereford we played the Adventure Golf course next to the Bowling Alley. That course was #194 on the tour.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Hereford

Adventure Golf at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham

Playing the two Adventure Golf courses at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham.

On Saturday 9th September we swung by Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham to play the two 18-hole Golden Putter Adventure Golf courses.

The second hole on the Red course. One of only two holes I aced on our visit

The courses were the 458th and 459th played, and 771st and 772nd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

You could take an interesting route to reach the cup on this hole

In our minigolf match-up on the Black course I won with a score of 46 to Emily's 56. On the Red course we tied with scores of 43.

The weather in the morning had been dreadful and made for some extra tricky putting!

 

A very soggy green

As well as the courses in Birmingham, Golden Putter has layouts in Wroxham, Rotherham and Warwick. Visit the Golden Putter website for more information, opening times and prices.

The Rules

Cannon Hill Park was really nice and we had a pleasant time having a wander. The mac theatre and arts centre in the park is well worth a visit too.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Mini Golf at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham
- Cannon Hill Park
- Birmingham

Link:
- Golden Putter website

Videos:
- Adventure Golf at Golden Putter Adventure Golf in Birmingham 1, 2