Holidaying at home - a postcard from Bournemouth

A blog post about not going to Bournemouth.

We were supposed to be starting our holiday in Bournemouth today and were going to be staying at the Miramar Hotel. The hotel was once home to a Putting Green.

Sea and South Frontage, Hotel Miramar, Bournemouth. Eversheds. St Albans. Postally unused

We'd planned visits to 16 miniature golf courses in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks area of Dorset on the trip. We've now been to 948 courses since September 2006.

We've collected quite a few old postcards of minigolf courses in the area. Some are still there, such as the Lower Gardens course in Bournemouth, while others, like the Alum Chine course are long gone.

Postcard of Alum Chine, Bournemouth. Printed by Deardon & Wade Bournemouth.Postally unused. Undated

The 'Miniature Golf in Central Gardens, Bournemouth' postcard by The Photographic Greetings Cards Co Ltd, London was posted from Bournemouth to Cleveleys in Lancashire on the 24th July 1970

Mini-Golf at the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth, Dorset. J. Arthur Dixon postcard. PDO/89332 Posted August 1990

A Boscombe Crazy Golf postcard. JH 40 Plastichrome by Colourpicture. Pub. by J. Hammersley, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Posted in 1967

Crazy Golf and Rockery, Sandbanks, Poole. P.2674 Dennis Productions Postcard. Postally used. Date unknown

The Isle of Wight from Highcliffe-on-Sea. PT3098

We're looking forward to visiting the area on holiday next year.

The Himalayas at St Andrews

A look at The Himalayas putting course, the world's first Miniature Golf course.

Playing The Himalayas course at the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club back in 2012.

The layout was created in 1867 and is the world's first Miniature Golf course.

When we visited there were two courses to play, an 18-hole course and a 9-hole layout. They were an absolute pleasure to play and one of my very best putting experiences.

Visit the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club website for more information.

The two courses at The Himalayas became the 292nd and 293rd miniature golf courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 948 courses since September 2006.

Crazy Golf in Onchan, Isle of Man

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Onchan Pleasure Park on the Isle of Man.

In the summer of 2018 we had a holiday on the Isle of Man and clocked up five more course visits on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of which was the Crazy Golf course at Onchan Pleasure Park.

The 9-hole course at Onchan Pleasure Park became the 825th visited and 490th played on our travels.

Happy National Picnic Day

Today is National Picnic Day.

To mark the occasion I might eat a miniature Scotch Egg in the garden washed down with a glass of fizzy orange before getting stang off of a bee and then going indoors.

Back in May 2009 Emily and I actually helped set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Picnic ever in the UK. Over 8,300 people took park in that effort.

The previous holder of the Guinness World Record for "The Largest Picnic across multiple venues" was Tenerife, Spain which set the record with 8,000 picnickers in 1999.

Looking at other picnicking records the Largest Picnic ever was held in June 2009 when 22,232 people gathered in Lisbon, Portugal.

Remember social gatherings?

Happy World Book Day

Today is World Book Day.

Please do check out my minigolf marketing ebook.

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

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

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and years 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.

I've been so pleased to see the book bought and used by a number of competition players, course owners and managers, bloggers, course reviewers, minigolf associations and federations around the world.

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).

The Putting Penguin Pandemic Putt Off

Information about The Putting Penguin Pandemic Putt Off minigolf competition.

The team at The Putting Penguin minigolf review site have organised a Pandemic Putt Off.

Pat of the Putting Penguin playing minigolf in London when we were allowed outdoors

As many minigolfers around the world are in lockdown, self-isolation or quarantine the Putting Penguin has challenged all minigolf professionals, fanatics, and casual players to build a minigolf hole in their homes. Players who film themselves playing it, and post it to the Putting Penguin's Facebook page will be entered into the judging to win a prize pack of swag.

Putting Penguin team members Mandy and Pat will judge the holes based on the same criteria they use on their website: creativity, difficulty, and atmosphere.

More details and competition rules can be found on The Putting Penguin's Facebook Page.

The closing date for entries is Saturday 9th May (National Miniature Golf Day).

With Pat Sheridan of The Putting Penguin review site at Putt in the Park, Wandsworth in 2015

The 2020 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society #Putt4Pledges Challenge

Details of the 2020 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society #Putt4Pledges Mini Golf Challenge.

The team at Jack-Putt are organising the 2020 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society #Putt4Pledges Challenge on Saturday 9th May.

Participants will have the option to design their own minigolf / golf hole at home, or at a local miniature golf / golf course (subject to Shelter in Place permits / lockdown situation).

Players are asked to obtain pledges through family, friends and followers to support their efforts.

Players will putt live on Instagram or Facebook on the 9th May (National Miniature Golf Day) with each competitor having ten putts.

Check out the 2020 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society #Putt4Pledges Mini Golf Challenge website for more information and competition rules.

Jack-Putt organises minigolf events and challenges in the USA. The driving force behind Jack-Putt is 'Mister Mini Golf' Karl Barth. Visit the Jack-Putt website for more information.

I'm looking forward to an 'outside world' minigolf match-up against Karl in the future as he's the Putt4Dough Championship Title belt holder!

Mini Golf Champion Mister Mini Golf Karl Barth

Build a Crazy Golf course during isolation

Things to do while in quarantine.

The Olympic Channel has suggested building a Crazy Golf course during isolation.

I built a home minigolf hole as part of the Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt a few years ago. I've got a few ideas for a new home minigolf layout

It's nice to see the Olympic movement getting involved in the craze for putting at home during lockdown.

The last 8 years since the London 2012 Olympic Games have flown by!

It's one of the suggestions we made on the Big Mini Golf Bucket List created at the start of the lockdown.

Our friends at the Putting Penguin are hosting a Pandemic Putt Off encouraging people around the world to create minigolf holes, obstacles and courses during these times of social distancing.

Have you built a minigolf hole or course? What other 'competitive isolation' fun are you having?

Adventure Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Solihull

A look at the Adventure Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge.

The excellent 18-hole Adventure Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull was the 770th visited and 457th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in September 2017.

Check out the Four Ashes Golf Centre website for more information.

National Miniature Golf Day 2020 - Saturday 9th May

National Miniature Golf Day 2020 will be on Saturday 9th May.

I played the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course in Aberavon, Port Talbot, Wales on National Miniature Golf Day last year.

Playing the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course in Aberavon, Port Talbot

I was runner-up in the 2019 National Miniature Golf Day tournament, and the next day's Welsh Doubles Championship.

I guess we'll be minigolfing indoors at home, or in the garden this year.

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Miniature Golf Day 2020 will be on Monday 21st September.

Crazy Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Solihull

A look at the old 12-hole Crazy Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull.

A view of some of the tricky and testing holes on the old Crazy Golf course

We heard today that the course has now been removed.

It was one of the first courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and one we played in many tournaments over the years.

Playing in the 2015 Midlands Minigolf Open at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

It was such a superb test of putting skill.

Playing Crazy Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre

There is now an excellent 18-hole Adventure Golf course at the centre.

Adventure Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull

Back in September 2008 the old minigolf course became the 72nd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Four Ashes Golf Centre website for more information.

Crazy Golf at Fletchers Family Garden Centre in Eccleshall

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Fletchers Family Garden Centre in Eccleshall, Staffordshire.

We played the course a year ago.

Playing Crazy Golf at Fletchers Family Garden Centre

It was the 505th played and 863rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

There's a nice Miniature Railway at the garden centre too.

Riding the rails on the miniature railway at Fletchers Family Garden Centre

Visit the Fletchers Family Garden Centre website for more information.

Check out my blog post about Garden Centre minigolf courses.

It’s Putter Madness in the world of Crazy Golf

A look into the world of Putter Madness minigolf.

We love travelling around, playing minigolf and having fun. The coronavirus pandemic means we’re in lockdown and are putting at home.

We’ve been chatting to the team at Putter Madness for a while now and although our paths haven’t managed to cross in the outside world we have talked a lot about the world of minigolf on social media.

We're looking forward to playing the Putter Madness crazy golf course on our tour soon

It’s brilliant having guest posts on the blog as we get to hear from different people here in the UK and around the world, as well as seeing a range of different minigolf courses.

Here’s some more info on Putter Madness.

Richard: Can you tell us some more about Putter Madness?
Kieran: Putter Madness was born in 2019. We are an exciting, creative and contemporary portable crazy golf company looking to add fun and some light-hearted competitiveness to all types of events. Our tee-rific courses contain obstacles, humps and bumps, aimed at entertaining guests of all ages and abilities. We have enjoyed setting up our portable crazy golf course at all types of festivals, weddings, corporate events, and family events.

R: What’s the idea behind the madness?
K: In the last few years, my wife and I have become big fans of competitive socialising, especially crazy golf. The first time we experienced competitive socialising was at a wonderful crazy golf venue called Urban Putt in San Francisco, we couldn't believe how much fun it was! Since then we have been to some amazing venues such as Ghetto Golf, Swingers Crazy Golf, Flight Club darts and Bounce Ping Pong.

When we were planning our wedding in the summer of 2019 we decided we wanted something different to entertain our guests that would make our big day that extra bit special. Along with the fact that a wedding can be a very long day we needed something to keep our guests occupied. We thought; what if we could bring our love for crazy golf and competitive socialising to our wedding day, *Light Bulb Moment* that's when our portable crazy golf idea was born.

Founded in January 2019, we have been lucky to have toured the UK entertaining people with our crazy golf idea and we haven’t looked back! We have been so overwhelmed with all of the interest, enquiries, and bookings we’ve had in our first year.

R: Why did you pick crazy golf?
K: Crazy golf is that one timeless activity. It never gets old and it is an all-ages pleaser. If you're 8 years old or 80 years old it brightens up everyone’s day. We love to see the competitiveness come out when people are playing, especially when they are dressed in glamorous dresses and jewels at a wedding.

Crazy golf works so well as a time filler at weddings and a great way of mixing with people you’ve never met before. It also works well at public events such as festivals and fetes, private events such as birthday parties and celebrations, and corporate events such as product launches and team building days. In fact, it works at any type of event!

R: How are things for you at the moment?
K: We are currently living through some very surreal times. Unfortunately due to the COVID-19 outbreak a number of our upcoming events, including a lot of weddings have had to be postponed to later dates in the year. Luckily so far, we have been able to rearrange suitable future dates.

In the meantime, we have been able to put our free time to good use, by giving our crazy golf course some TLC and we're also using our time to come up with new and exciting ideas for the near future, watch this space!

R: What are you plans in the near future?
K: We have big plans for Putter Madness including adding additional portable courses to our existing layout and plans to appear at more and more events around the UK. In our first year alone, we couldn’t believe how many bookings we were getting, especially for weddings. We hope to keep our fun, light-hearted business going for people to have fun with. This is only the beginning.

For more information about Putter Madness visit their website.

If you’d like to guest blog on the Ham and Egger Files do get in touch. It’s brilliant finding out about new minigolf courses, businesses, innovations and more.

Happy birthday Nintendo Game Boy

Happy 31st birthday to the Nintendo Game Boy.

The Nintendo Game Boy was released in Japan on this day in 1989.

I got mine in 1992 or 93. I've still got it too.

Lazlos' Loop for the Nintendo Game Boy, the last game I bought for the Game Boy. I picked this up earlier this year

Game Boy Minigolf

We've seen a few Game Boy inspired minigolf holes, obstacles and artwork on our travels.

This Game Boy inspired hole can be found at Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry.

Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry

This Game Boy inspired graffiti art can be found on the Ghetto Golf indoor minigolf course at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.

Ghetto Golf in Digbeth, Birmingham

This Game Boy inspired graffiti art can be found at Ghetto Golf in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Ghetto Golf in Newcastle upon Tyne

Happy National Tea Day

Today is National Tea Day.

A tea-themed minigolf hole

Hole 1 of Putters Adventure Golf at Superbowl Warrington is tea-themed.

Teeing-off on hole 1 of the tea cups hole

2020's National Tea Day is the fifth edition of the event.

For more info visit the National Tea Day website.

The tea cups obstacles on hole 1 of the Superbowl minigolf course

National Tea Day supports Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity.

Minigolf in and around Birmingham

A look at miniature golf courses in and around Birmingham.

We should've been at a friend's birthday part in Birmingham at the weekend. Unfortunately the coronavirus pandemic lockdown put paid to that trip.

Playing hole 1 at Joe Joe Jim's Crazy Crazy Golf at Fletcher's Arcade in Cofton Hackett

While we were there we would very likely have grabbed a game at one of the many minigolf courses in the city.

The last new indoor course we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was at That Funky Golf Place in Wythall, Birmingham.

That Funky Golf Place in Wythall

The first course we ever played in Birmingham was Adventure Island Mini Golf at Star City back in 2008.

Adventure Island Mini Golf at Star City

En route to that layout to play in the weekly Monday night league I used call in at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull. There's an adventure golf course there now. That's in addition to the older minigolf course.

Adventure Golf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull

There's an 18-hole indoor crazy golf course at Ghetto Golf at the Custard Factory in Digbeth.

Ghetto Golf at the Custard Factory in Digbeth

The city's Cannon Hill Park is home to two 18-hole Golden Putter Adventure Golf courses.

Golden Putter Adventure Golf at Cannon Hill Park

In Cofton Hackett you will find probably the craziest crazy golf course in the UK. It's called Joe Joe Jim's Crazy Crazy Golf and can be found at Fletcher's Arcade.

Joe Joe Jim's Crazy Crazy Golf at Fletcher's Arcade in Cofton Hackett

At Mr Mulligan's Space Golf you'll find three 12-hole indoor adventure golf courses at the Broadway Plaza just outside the city centre.

Mr Mulligan's Space Golf at the Broadway Plaza 

As well as minigolf you can also find a Pit-Pat Table Golf course at The Floodgate in Digbeth.

Pit-Pat Table Golf at The Floodgate in Digbeth

The midlands has a number of minigolf courses and we've enjoyed games in Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, West Bromwich, Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Walsall.

Where are you looking forward to playing minigolf after the COVID-19 lockdown?