Sunday, December 08, 2019

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day.


The first Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day took place in 2007.


In 2017 Emily visited the Time Machine Minigolf course in Warsaw, Poland.


Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland
Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland

The 18-hole minigolf course takes players through a wonderful time travelling adventure - from the Big Bang, to the Jurassic era, through mankind's achievements and to a vision of the future!

My brother Christopher also visited the time travel themed GlowGolf minigolf course in Amsterdam in January 2017.

GlowGolf indoor minigolf course in Amsterdam by Christopher Gottfried January 2017
A Time Machine at the GlowGolf indoor minigolf course in Amsterdam

The closest I've been to time travel was when I saw my first real-life DeLorean earlier this year.

A DeLorean car in Didsbury, Manchester
My first DeLorean

Although back in 2012 I did play a Time Machine minigolf hole at the Golf Apocalypse in London.


If you could travel to any point in the history of minigolf from 1867 to the present day where would you go?

Thursday, December 05, 2019

New Adventure Golf for Southport Pleasureland

A new Adventure Golf course is planned to open at Southport Pleasureland.


A new Adventure Golf course is planned to open at Southport Pleasureland

A new year-round Dinosaur Adventure Golf course is planned to open at Southport Pleasureland


We've really enjoyed our visits to Southport Pleasureland, especially around Halloween.


Southport is one of our local seasides and we've played minigolf there a number of times over the years.

We first visited Southport back in 2009. At that time the old Pleasure Land theme park had recently closed down and therefore we were unable to play the Moroccan Adventure Golf course there.

The old Moroccan Adventure Golf course at Southport Pleasure Land in September 2009
The old Moroccan Adventure Golf course at Southport Pleasure Land in September 2009

The new Southport Pleasureland is well worth a visit.

Check out the Southport Pleasureland website.

Today is International Ninja Day

Happy International Ninja Day.


Ninja Golf! in Granger, Indiana, USA is one of the miniature golf courses in the USA that we really want to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


Ninja Golf! in Granger, Indiana, USA
One of the pieces of superb merch from Ninja Golf!

I bet our friend Pat Sheridan aka Accounting Ninja from The Putting Penguin will be celebrating.


Pat Sheridan aka Accounting Ninja from The Putting Penguin minigolf website at Putt in the Park, Wandsworth
This is what a Minigolf Ninja looks like

The Day of the Ninja was created by Ninja Burger in 2003.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

New scorecards in the Crazy Golf Museum

A look at two minigolf scorecards from the USA.


Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin minigolf review website has kindly contributed two new miniature golf scorecards to the Crazy Golf Museum's archives.


First is a scorecard from Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita, California, USA.

Minigolf scorecard from Mountasia Family Fun Center in Santa Clarita, California, USA


The second is from the Hole 19 pop-up bar and minigolf course in Los Angeles.

Minigolf scorecard from the Hole 19 pop-up bar and minigolf course in Los Angeles, USA

Minigolf scorecard from the Hole 19 pop-up bar and minigolf course in Los Angeles, USA

It's always brilliant to see minigolf scorecards and items from courses around the world.

Check out the The Putting Penguin minigolf review website to see more from Pat's minigolfing travels.

Happy National Dice Day

Today is National Dice Day.


Crazy Golf at Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, Southampton
Crazy Golf at Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, Southampton

We've rolled through a few dicey obstacles on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


All of them made by the team at DK Fibreglass.


Crazy Golf at the Vegas Amusements in Hunstanton
Crazy Golf at the Vegas Amusements in Hunstanton

Crazy Golf course at Ancaster Karting in Grantham
Crazy Golf course at Ancaster Karting in Grantham
  
Crazy Golf at Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, Southampton
Crazy Golf at Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, Southampton

Crazy Golf at the Victorian Pavilion in Hunstanton
Crazy Golf at the Victorian Pavilion in Hunstanton

Crazy Golf at the Merrivale in Great Yarmouth
Crazy Golf at the Merrivale in Great Yarmouth

Crazy Golf at Verulamium Park in St Albans
Crazy Golf at Verulamium Park in St Albans

Check out the National Day Calendar website for more information on National Dice Day.

600th blog post of the year

What a year of blogging and minigolf it's been.


This year has been my biggest year of blogging.


This is my 600th blog post of 2019.


October was also my bloggiest month of all-time as I published 101 posts on the site.

Earlier this month the Ham and Egger Files hit 1.6 million page views too!

Thank you to everyone for reading the blog and contributing with photos of courses, tips about where to play and news on new courses opening.

600 is a significant number for us.


When our minigolfing adventures began in 2006 there were 600 miniature golf courses in the UK. There are now around 1,200 places to play the game.


We visited our 600th course overall at the Santa Fe Fun Park in Swanage, Dorset in the summer of 2015.

Jurassic Adventure Golf in Swanage
Jurassic Adventure Golf in Swanage

We visited our 600th course in the UK on that same two-week road-trip when we played Mini Golf at Goodrington Sands in Paignton, Devon.

Mini Golf in Goodrington Sands
Mini Golf in Goodrington Sands

We've now been to 899 courses in the British Isles and 938 courses overall.

It's very very very likely that we'll visit our 900th miniature golf course in the British Isles this week!

enewsletter minigolf round-up

Even though winter has well and truly hit us here in Stockport we've still been busy getting out and about visiting and playing miniature golf courses.


Last weekend we went to Warrington for the first time and played the funfair and circus themed indoor adventure golf course at the Superbowl tenpin bowling fun centre. That was the 899th course we've been to in the British Isles!


Putters Adventure Golf in Warrington
On the Dodgems hole at Putters Adventure Golf in Warrington

Overall we've now visited 938 courses including the 39 overseas courses.


When you factor in the courses in the UK and nine overseas countries that Christopher Gottfried has been to on his own branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've visited 961 courses overall.

When our travels began back in September 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. That number has grown massively in the last eight years and there are now 1,200 or so places to play minigolf. When we first set out to visit all the courses in the country there were only two indoor courses. They have been joined by around 100 other indoor minigolf venues so there are a lot of places you can play minigolf year round.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses for links to the courses we've been to.

You can read the latest issue of our newsletter, subscribe and see past editions online.

Junkyard Golf's new London location is now open

Junkyard Golf is now open on Worship Street in London.


The team at Junkyard Golf have now moved locations in London with four new indoor Crazy Golf courses now set-up at a new site on Worship Street.


Junkyard Golf is now open on Worship Street in London

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


I played the courses at Junkyard Golf's former London location on Brick Lane in 2017.

Find out more on the Junkyard Golf website.

Related blog posts:
- Junkyard Golf
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

A Christmas Frog in Stockport

Stockport's Giant Leap continues...

We were in town yesterday evening to attend a wonderful performance of A Christmas Carol at the Garrick Theatre. On our wander from Redrock to the theatre we spotted there's a new Stockport Frog outside the Merseyway shopping centre!

Christmas frog in Stockport town centre
The new Christmas frog in Stockport town centre

Totally Stockport, the team behind Stockport's Business Improvement District (BID), organised Stockport's Giant Leap art trail consisting of 22 decorated giant frog sculptures dotted around the town centre during the summer.

It was a nice surprise to see the Christmas frog in town.

Christmas Jumper Day

Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day is on Friday 13th December.


Which Christmas Jumper shall I wear for it - Snowman or Pac-Man?


In my snowman Christmas jumper for the Chrizy Golf Masters
In my snowman Christmas jumper for the Chrizy Golf Masters

My Pac-Man Christmas jumper
My Pac-Man Christmas jumper

Visit Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day website for more information and details on how to donate.

Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Ludicrous Christmas trees in Stockport

What a pair!

Christmas tree in Stockport
Festive street furniture
 
Christmas tree in Stockport
So Christmassy

Christmas tree in Stockport
How the second tree looked in 2016

Related blog posts:
- Christmas
- Christmas Trees

Monday, December 02, 2019

Playing Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington

A visit to the Putters Adventure Golf course at the Superbowl in Warrington.


Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington

We had a very nice day out in Warrington, Cheshire on Saturday and visited Superbowl Warrington in the Golden Square shopping centre.


Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington

The 12-hole indoor Adventure Golf course has a funfair and circus theme and looks amazing. We've played miniature golf courses at funfairs, theme parks and at Circus Circus in Las Vegas but the Putters Adventure Golf layout in Warrington was the first we've played that has gone full on with the theme.


When we arrived we had to go to the tenpin bowling reception desk to ask to play. The member of staff who came over to the minigolf reception was really good and explained the layout. It was also a nice touch to be able to store our big coats and bags for free in the lockers next to the course.


The first hole eases you in by playing the Tea Cups. You then move on to the Dodgems, before riding the Carousel.

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 1

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 2

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Dodging the bumper cars

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Riding one of the big horses

Next up are the Waltzers and The Wall of Death before you enter a Haunted House - including a graveyard!

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 4

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Scream if you want to go faster!

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 5

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Inside The Wall of Death

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
The green on hole 5

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Outside the Haunted House

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
The green of hole 6 and the tee of hole 7

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
A creeping terror

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
The artwork in the graveyard is amazing

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
A skellington making a grab for my equipment!

After surviving the terror inside you putt through a nicely done Hall of Mirrors before shooting your ball through a cannon.

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Outside the Haunted House

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Emily on hole 11

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 11

The final hole is located inside the Big Top.

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
The final hole

Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington
Hole 12

In our match-up I scored 27 to take the win against Emily who shot a 31.

Visit the Superbowl Warrington website for more information, opening times and prices.

Tenpin Bowling fun centres and shopping malls are both fast becoming popular locations for new indoor miniature golf courses.

We've previously been to Walton Hall & Gardens in Warrington, but Saturday was the first time we've visited the town centre. We were impressed and look forward to returning. The Geeky Christmas Market at Warrington Indoor Market was really good, with a nice Return of the Jedi photo opportunity. We also had a superb time at Retro Arcade.

Videos from our visit to Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington.







Putters Adventure Golf was the 938th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006. It was the 899th minigolf course we've been to in the British Isles.

Seeing in 2020...

What do you do to see in the New Year?


Do you stay in on New Year's Eve or do you see it as a great excuse to get out for the night?


Last New Year's we took advantage of the superb all-in deal at Roxy Ball Room in Manchester and saw in the New Year playing Crazy Golf and American Pool.


Crazy Golf at Roxy Ball Room in Manchester
Emily taking one of her last putts of 2018 at Roxy Ball Room in Manchester

The best deal I've seen so far for this year is at Caddies Crazy Golf in Southend-on-Sea. Check out the Caddies website for more info on the unlimited crazy golf party deal.

Caddies Crazy Golf in Southend-on-Sea. Photo by Claire Bayley
We haven't made it to Caddies yet. The venue opened up just after our last visit to the seaside town. My cousin's who live in Southend have played there and really enjoyed it

If I lived in Southend I'd be having a Putt there to see in 2020.