Pirate Cove Adventure Golf at the New York Thunderbowl in Kettering

Playing the indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl tenpin bowling centre in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

Last Thursday we visited our 900th minigolf course in the British Isles.

The location of our milestone game of miniature golf was the indoor Pirate Cove Crazy Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl tenpin bowling centre in Kettering.

The 9-hole minigolf course is on a mezzanine above the arcade games in the tenpin bowling centre and has been very well made.

A pirate's eye view of the course

Playing hole 2

We really enjoyed our game and a drink in the bar afterwards. Chilling out in the pirate themed bar was well earned after a very long drive down to Kettering from Stockport. If the journey had taken any longer we might have arrived after the course had closed!

Emily playing hole 7

In trouble on the course

The result of our minigolf match-up was a tie as we both shot rounds of 23.

Hole 1

Visit the New York Thunderbowl website for more information, opening times and prices for all of the activities at the centre.

Playing hole 6

We've found that minigolf courses are becoming popular additions to tenpin bowling centres.

A view of the course

The very first course we played was a pirate-themed adventure golf layout. We wonder whether the 1,000th course will be too?

Hole 4 - I fired a cannon to win a free game on the very first course we played

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

The entrance to hole 7 

Hole 7

Hole 7

The pirate theming was very well done throughout the venue

Sharks AND an alligator! 

Sharked!

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Happy Christmas Jumper Day

Today is Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day.

In my Pac-Man Christmas jumper

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

Darts at The Players' Entrance in Stockport

Playing darts at The Players' Entrance indoor sports park in Stockport.

Darts at The Player's Entrance in Stockport

Earlier today I called in to The Players' Entrance in Stockport's Merseyway shopping centre as the venue was hosting a special darts event.

Stockport darts superstar Nathan 'The Asp' Aspinall is competing in the PDC World Championships this month and the event saw the launch of a new partnership with the Stockport Disability Darts League and a link up with The Players' Entrance and Stockport schools.

The Stockport Disability Darts League set-up at The Players' Entrance

Nathan Aspinall is ranked number 12 in the world and is the 2019 UK Open champion, the 2019 US Darts Masters champion and was a semi-finalist in the 2019 PDC World Championships.

It was brilliant to meet Nathan and I had the chance to play against him in two games on one of the electronic soft-tip dartboards.

Nathan 'The Asp' Aspinall and me after our two games of darts. Guess who won?

The Playerss Entrance now has a disability darts area with dartboards and oche set-up so that players of any ability can compete against each other. The backing board has two dartboards - one for standing players and one for those seated - that can be quickly flipped after each player's throw.

I'm a big fan of both playing and watching darts. It's an inclusive game and can be picked up and played easily.

Visit The Players' Entrance website for more info, opening times and prices for the sports and games on offer.

Check out Stockport Disability Darts League for more information.

Visit Nathan 'The Asp' Aspinall's official Facebook Page too.

National App Day

Happy National App Day.

Today is National App Day.

On our travels to more than 900 miniature golf courses we've seen a few places that have introduced an app to compliment or replace the traditional paper scorecard. Some of these apps are really good and help to enhance the experience.

The apps we've found offer a range of scoring functions, loyalty and reward schemes, games, reviews, contests, information and tips.

The excellent 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.

• 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, Plymouth, Rushden Lakes and Sheffield
• Popstroke, USA
• Rainforest Adventure Golf in Dundrum, Ireland
• Stagecoach Greens, San Francisco, USA
• Swingers Crazy Golf
• The Clubhouse Stoke
• The Putter King game
• The Putting Penguin minigolf review site
• Volcano Falls Adventure Golf in Castleford

Do you know of any other minigolf apps? Do you use them when you visit a course? Do you have a favourite? Do let me know in the comments below.

Dodgeball - getting back in the game

Playing dodgeball in Cheadle.

Last night I played dodgeball for the first time in over six years as I attended a session with the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club.

One of the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club balls

My last matches were with the Harpenden Dodgeball Club back in April 2013 so it was superb to be back in action.

The Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club run sessions on Tuesday evenings and it was brilliant to see a mix of people, ages and abilities playing the fun game.

Dodgeball is a fantastic game to play. It's easy to get into and you can play for fun or take it more seriously if you like

I'm looking forward to playing more dodgeball over the coming months.

Back in dodgeball action. I also picked up a win in the Last Man Standing match!

Check out Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club website for more information.


My all-time Dodgeball Win-Loss Record:

• 2005-2013 - Played 959, Won 437, Lost 478, Tied 44.
• 2014-2018 - Inactive.
• 2019-present - Won the Last Person Standing match (10/12/19).

Associations / Rules played under:

• Dodgeball UK (2005-2007)
• Get Back Into/UKDBA (2010-2011)
• England Dodgeball (2011-2013)
• British Dodgeball (2019-)

Teams played for:

• New Lutonians (2005-2006)
• The Dodgeball Assassins (2005-2006)
• Abingdon Dodgeball Alliance (2005-2007)
• Luton Dodgeball Club (2010-2011)
• Harpenden Dodgeball Club (2011-2013)
• Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club (2019-)

Related blog posts:

- Dodgeball

- Dodgeball - Then & Now (2010)

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - the story so far

A look at the last 13 years of our crazy golfing adventures.

Last week we hit our 900th minigolf course visit in the British Isles when we played the Pirate Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl in Kettering.

When we began our quest to visit every minigolf course in the UK there were 600 layouts. We visited our 600th UK course at Goodrington Sands in Devon in June 2015. There are now around 1,200 courses in the UK, with new courses opening all the time.

Since September 2006 we've been to 900 courses in six countries of the British Isles including England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

We've also visited 39 courses in eleven overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

You can see the list with links to all of the courses we've been to at Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Out to Play exhibition at the Manor House Museum in Kettering

A visit to the Out to Play exhibition at the Manor House Museum in Kettering.

While in Kettering last week we called in to the Manor House Museum in the town centre as we'd spotted a poster for the Out to Play exhibition there.

We're big fans of museums, sports and games and it's always interesting to see different displays and exhibitions.

Kettering is home to the famous Wicksteed Park and the exhibition included a number of items from the amusement park.

It was nice to spot something minigolf related on display.

There were a lot of postcards used in the exhibition.

A nice old postcard of Wicksteed Park

Visit the Manor House Museum website for more information.

Our main reason for being in Kettering was to play the indoor Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl, our 900th course visit in the British Isles.

There is a Crazy Golf course and a Putting Green at Wicksteed Park and it's on our to visit list when the weather is nicer.

Magical Golf at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe

A look at the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusement Arcade in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Last Friday we swung by the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe. It's one of our most visited courses and we've been going there since November 2006.

Back then the indoor Adventure Golf course was known as Golf FX. At that time it was one of only two indoor minigolf courses in the UK.

It's also been known as Magical Golf FX and Harry Putter Crazy Golf. It's currently called Magical Golf.

The course was the fifth visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 939 courses.

Visit the Manning's Amusements website for more information.

One of the long minigolf holes at the indoor course

Our 900th minigolf course visit in the British Isles

Visiting our 900th minigolf course in the British Isles.

Last Thursday we played the indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl tenpin bowling centre in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

The 9-hole layout was the 900th minigolf course we've been to in the British Isles.

The Pirate Adventure Golf course at the New York Thunderbowl is a hidden gem in landlocked Northamptonshire

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 at Goodrington Sands in Paignton, Devon.

We've now been to 900 courses in the British Isles and 939 courses overall.

Our 900th course visit, including overseas venues, was at the North Bay Crazy Golf course in Scarborough earlier this summer.

More pics and info from our visit to the New York Thunderbowl to follow.

There's no I in Christmas

Spotted in Cheadle.

What's wrong with this picture?

I don't mind Christmas being shortened to Xmas, but I draw the line at this dropping of the 'i'.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe

A return to the Fantasia Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe.

The Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road in Felixstowe is one of our most visited courses. We've been playing there since November 2006.

Hole 3

The course was the seventh visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 900 courses in the British Isles and 939 overall.

Hole 4

We visited the course on our return to the seaside town last Friday.

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2 

Hole 9

Savage Golf minigolf pop-up in Norwich

A look at the pop-up Crazy Golf course in Norwich.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour member Christopher Gottfried played the new 9-hole Savage Golf pop-up in Norwich yesterday.

The Savage Golf course and cocktail bar is open until Saturday 21st December and can be found on St Stephens Street in Norwich city centre.

Visit the Savage Golf website for more information.

Together we've now visited 962 courses on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New Adventure Golf at Sittingbourne Golf Centre in Kent

A new Adventure Golf course is being built at Sittingbourne Golf Centre in Kent.

Sittingbourne Golf Centre in Tonge, Kent will be home to a new Adventure Golf course next year.

Work is underway to create the new minigolf course as part of developments at the golf centre.

We look forward to playing the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.