Lost shops - Debenhams in Stockport town centre

A look at Debenhams in Stockport town centre. Now a lost shop.

Putt18 World Pro League - Season Two, Week Two

I'll be teeing-off in week two of the Putt18 World Pro League at 6pm on Saturday 6th February.

You can watch my rounds live via the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.

Putt18 World Pro League

A total of 21 players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA are competing in the seven event series to find the world's best putter on the Putt18 Golf Putting Game System.

Week One Results

After shooting rounds of 71, 74, 80 and 77 for a 72-hole total of 302 I am currently in tied 12th place on 18 points and in tied 10th place in the strokeplay standings. Tom Loftus of the USA shot a 302 for 18 points too.

About Putt18

The Putt18 roll out putting mat allows players to compete on an 18-hole course from their own home - and against other people around the world. Players tee-off from one of six tee boxes and aim at each of the three holes in turn, starting with a par-4, followed by a par-5 and ending on a par-3. They then move to the next tee position and take aim at the holes in turn again.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.

Boom: Battle Bar opening in Coventry

Coventry will be home to a new Boom: Battle Bar.

Boom: Battle Bar at the Skydome in Coventry will include a Crazier Golf minigolf layout as well as a number of other competitive socialising activities.

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar Coventry Facebook Page for more information.

Related blog posts:

• Boom: Battle Bar
• Coventry

Putt18 World Pro League Results - Season Two, Week One

The results are in for the first week of the 2021 Putt18 World Pro League.

After shooting rounds of 71, 74, 80 and 77 for a 72-hole total of 302 I am currently in tied 12th place on 18 points and in tied 10th place in the strokeplay standings. Tom Loftus of the USA shot a 302 for 18 points too.

A total of 21 players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA are competing in the seven event series to find the world's best putter on the Putt18 Golf Putting Game System.

Matt Ansley, NZL leads the way, with Dave Gomm, GBR in second and Josh Mars, AUS in third place.

Check out the Putt18 website for more information.

Puttery mini golf

A new mini golf brand has been created and will launch in the USA this summer.

Puttery venues will offer high-tech indoor mini golf along with dining and drinking options.

Puttery is being developed by Drive Shack and the minigolf brand will be delivered in partnership with Rory McIlroy.

The first Puttery location will open in Dallas, Texas this summer. A further site is planned for Charlotte, North Carolina with another five Puttery venues opening in 2021. A further ten locations are planned to open in 2022.

Visit the Drive Shack website for more information.

New Crazy Golf course planned for Redcar

The Coatham area of Redcar in Teesside will be home to a new 18-hole Crazy Golf course on the site of the former Coatham Bowl.

We've been to Redcar a couple of times on our travels around Teesside and it'll be good to head back to play the new course in the future.

Results of the Putt18 Battle of the Brits tournament

Play has concluded in the 2021 Battle of the Brits Putt18 competition.

The first-ever Putt18 Battle of the Brits tournament has been completed - and I won it!

I scored a total of 281 over 72-holes - a new personal best four round total. My round of 67 was also a personal best. My scores were good enough for first place in Nett scores and third place in Gross un-handicapped scoring.

Eight players competed in the event. With David Gomm runner-up and Steve Lovell in third place.

The Putt18 World Pro League 2021

The 2021 Putt18 World Pro League has teed-off with 22 players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA competing in rounds using the Putt18 Golf Putting Game Mat between now and April.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.

Art Deco in Doncaster

We're big fans of Art Deco style, design and architecture and we've been remembering our trip to Doncaster last year and our stay at the superb Earl of Doncaster Hotel in Bennetthorpe.

Roaring twenties in the 2020s.

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We couldn't have asked for a better spot - Art Deco magnificence and the hotel was right next door to a park with a Crazy Golf course in it.

The Crazy Golf course at Elmfield Park

Danum House was another nice Art Deco building in the town centre.

We're looking forward to getting back out on our travels, exploring new places and revisiting our favourite spots when it's safe to do so in the future.

Putt18 World Pro League 2021

The 2021 Putt18 World Pro League tees-off today with players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA competing in rounds using the Putt18 Golf Putting Game Mat between now and April.

More information can be found on the Putt18 website and the 2021 Putt18 World Pro League Facebook Group.

From 20 to 1 in 2021

This time last year we'd already visited 20 minigolf courses!

What a difference a year makes. By this time last year we'd visited 20 minigolf courses as our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour got off to a flying start.

As it stands today we've been to one course in 2021. And that was just passing by it during a walk on New Year's Day.

Our travels in the first days of 2020 took us to miniature golf venues in Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Northwich, Doncaster and Castleford.

The last new course we played together before the pandemic was the Crazy Golf course at Sunnybank Gardens in Hatfield, Doncaster on the 19th January 2020

Minigolf in the time of coronavirus

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic we were closing in on visiting the final 40 courses of the original 600 we set out to play in 2006. We were also very close to hitting 1,000 course visits overall.

We were still able to visit a total of 46 courses in 2020, including revisits. 15 of them were new layouts to us. We visited eight courses during the pandemic (March to December), playing two of them.

The last new course we played was the Gator Adventure Golf at Escape Entertainment in Chorley in August

New minigolf courses in the UK

We've continued to research, monitor and promote the game and know about at least another 90 new courses now open, being built, in development or planned to open in the UK. It'll be nice to swing by them when it's safe to get back out on the road again.

The last pop-up Crazy Golf course I visited was at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London last February

Related blog posts

• The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2020
• 20 minigolf course visits in 20 days in 2020

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Putt18 Battle of the Brits competition

Update from the Putt18 Battle of the Brits putting tournament.

I competed in the Putt18 Battle of the Brits putting tournament yesterday evening and scored a total of 281 over 72-holes - a new personal best four round total.

My scores were as follows:

• Round 1 - 68
• Round 2 - 73
• Round 3 - 73
• Round 4 - 67

My round of 67 was also a personal best.

You can watch my rounds on the Putt18 Player Events Facebook Group.

Eight British players are competing in the event during January.

With one player left to compete I'm currently in first place in Net scores and third place in Gross un-handicapped scoring.

More information on the Battle of the Brits competition can be found on the Putt18 Facebook Group.

The 2021 Putt18 World Pro League tees-off today with players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA in action over the coming months.

Check out the Putt18 website for more information.

Putt18

Minigolfers, golfers and other players from around the world have been playing the Putt18 golf game mat for fun and in competitions during the pandemic.

The roll out putting mat allows players to compete on an 18-hole course from their own home - and against other people around the world. Players tee-off from one of six tee boxes and aim at each of the three holes in turn, starting with a par-4, followed by a par-5 and ending on a par-3. They then move to the next tee position and take aim at the holes in turn again.

Emily and I competed in the first Putt18 Four Nations Cup in May last year and I played in the inaugural Putt18 World Pro League that was completed in October 2020.

The Putt18 World Pro League was a fun and interesting way to keep on putting and compete during the pandemic. It was also a first in terms of getting players from around the world to compete on the same playing surface in a regular league format.

With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic and with Stockport in the highest level of restrictions it looks like we'll be doing a lot more putting at home and socialising via competitive isolation activities for some time to come.

Link:

• Putt18

Related blog posts:

• Putt18
• Putting at Home
• Competitive Isolation

What day is it?

Today is Penguin Appreciation Day and National Cheese Lover's Day.

Are you aware of the Putting Penguin minigolf review website?

Pat, Mandy & Putt of the Putting Penguin team and guest contributors have reviewed 366 courses on the site since 2001.

A penguin obstacle on the Surfside Crazy Golf course at Pensarn Beach in Abergele, Wales

Did you know there's a minigolf obstacle called "Käse"?

It can be found on Eternit Miniature Golf courses.

The Käse on the Kelsey Park Mini Golf course in Beckenham

National Cheese Lover's Day is not to be confused with National Cheese Day in June.

Minigolfing in Doncaster a year ago today

This time last year we were playing Crazy Golf at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

The course was one of 20 we visited in the first 20 days of 2020.

Little did we know then that it would be the last course we'd play together until we managed a round again in August last year!

The 11-hole layout at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm was the 945th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm on Facebook for more information.

The trip to Doncaster was our last holiday too and while exploring the town we found a Crazy Golf course at Elmfield Park in Bennetthorpe and a layout at Hexthorpe Flatts Park.

Join our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter mailing list

Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Vickersway Park in Northwich, Cheshire. January 2020.

Back in September 2016 the 9-hole course became the 700th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We've now been to 956 courses since September 2006.

American Golf National Adventure Golf Championship

A look back at the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championship at The Belfry.

The American Golf National Adventure Golf Championship is on YouTube (from 26m 55s).

It was brilliant to compete in the event alongside Peter Jones at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in 2017 and showcase tournament miniature golf to a national TV audience.

Peter Jones in action in our semi-final match-up

I'm looking forward to playing in minigolf competitions again in the future.

Playing hole 3 of the Ryder Legends Mini Golf course at The Belfry

The nation's 'craziest' putting couple

Check out the new issue of Today's Golfer magazine (March issue, number 409) to see a minigolf feature on us!

In October 2015 Richard was named 'Officially Britain’s Craziest Golfer' by Today's Golfer magazine and we were both named 'Britain's Barmiest Golfers' by the magazine in November 2016.

It's nice to have now been named as 'The nation's 'craziest' putting couple' too!

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

A look at the retail entertainment and minigolf boom.

Minigolf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Some of these retailtainment activities are permanent, while others are pop-ups catering to a mix of audiences, from children and families, to adults looking for competitive socialising fun.

Miniature Golf has grown in popularity in the last decade and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall, create awareness and attract people to a location. Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

New minigolf courses in the UK

In 2020 we found out about a lot of new minigolf courses opening in the UK and already this year we've heard about four new locations in planning and development.

We know of 91 new miniature golf courses opening, in planning or under construction since the pandemic hit the UK.

Check out the new courses page for more information.

New minigolf courses in the UK

In 2020 we found out about a lot of new minigolf courses opening in the UK and already this year we've heard about four new locations in planning and development.

We know of 91 new miniature golf courses opening, in planning or under construction since the pandemic hit the UK.

Check out the new courses page for more information.

A Couple of Putts see in the New Year

Many thanks to our friends Tom & Robin at A Couple of Putts for sending us this ace new miniature golf postcard.

The minigolfing duo are seeing in the New Year by posting a hole-in-one video from a different course each day throughout January to #Make2021aHoleInOne.

Happy New Year! We’re feeling hopeful about 2021 and we’re kicking it off with some fun. Let’s have an ace of a new year!

Posted by A Couple of Putts on Thursday, 31 December 2020

Check out the A Couple of Putts website for more information.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

While there is some down time in lockdown why not check out my minigolf marketing ebook - The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing.

Created after years of playing, promoting and consulting the book gives players, courses, federations, associations and clubs a guide to the world of marketing.

You can buy the ebook from Amazon and Kobo.