The 'Mini Masters' in Manchester

A look back at the 'Mini Masters' minigolf tournament in Manchester.

I won the 'Mini Masters' minigolf competition in Manchester back on the 11th April 2009. Time certainly flies!

Mini Master

The 'Mini Masters' was the first of two tournaments I won on the 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course at what was then Playgolf Manchester. The second event being the 'Miniature Open' in July 2009.

Putting in the Mini Open

I won the Mini Masters with a three round total of 81 (-24) after scoring 26, 27, and 28.

In second place with a score of 86 (-19) was the then current BMGA British Number One Chris Harding. Paul Johnson was third with 87 (-18).

One of the very long minigolf holes on the course

The course was the 84th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then the course wasn't one of our local layouts as we still lived in Luton and travelled up for the events.

A large water hazard on the course!

The Championship Miniature Golf course is no longer at the centre, but you can find an expanded Championship Miniature Golf layout with two 18-hole courses in New Brighton. The centre is no longer a Playgolf venue either. It's now known as the Trafford Golf Centre and is also home to two 18-hole dinosaur adventure golf courses. I won the Dino Falls Masters Adventure Golf competition there in 2018 too!

Link:

• Richard Gottfried's minigolf player profile

New Roxy Ball Room in Leeds

A new Roxy Ball Room is opening in Leeds.

The new Roxy Ball Room venue in Leeds is replacing the former Roxy Arcade on Merrion Street. The location will be home to a Crazy Pool course as well as Duckpin Bowling, Bank Shot Shuffleboard, ping pong, beer pong and pool.

Crazy Pool is a cross-between Crazy Golf and Pool, with players using a cue to 'putt' past a range of obstacles on a variety of table shapes.

Check out the Roxy Ball Room website for more information.

We've played Crazy Golf at Roxy Ball Room in Leeds and at the Manchester Deansgate venue.

We're yet to play Crazy Pool. There are two Roxy Ball Room locations in Manchester city centre and the new one at Withy Grove has a Crazy Pool layout.

We visited Roxy Arcade on our last trip to Leeds in November 2019!

GOLF PROHIBITED at Meriton Road Park in Handforth

No golf allowed at Meriton Road Park in Handforth, Cheshire.

We saw a number of other Borough of Macclesfield NO GOLF signs on a daily walk in Poynton last June.

Former Blockbuster Video stores

A look at some lost Blockbuster Video stores.

Since first spotting the remains of the former Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 we've been on the lookout for other remnants of the brand. Sometimes we've been lucky and found an old QuikDrop box or piece of signage and on occasion we've been really lucky and seen full shopfronts and branding left inside stores.

However, on some occasions we haven't been as fortunate. That's been the case when visiting Chorley, Telford, Abingdon, Great Moor and Wythenshawe.

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Chorley Retail Park in Chorley, Lancashire (August 2020)

Now a restaurant and takeaway

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rampart Way, Telford, Shropshire (September 2020)

This was a large store

The last remnants of Blockbuster in Telford

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Peachcroft, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (November 2020)

This was my local Blockbuster video shop when I was growing up

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Buxton Road, Great Moor, Stockport (March 2021)

At least this former store is still blue and yellow

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rowlands Way, Wythenshawe, Manchester (April 2021)

Another tile shop

To date we've been to former Blockbuster stores in:

• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Colne, Lancashire
• Chester, Cheshire
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Wythenshawe, Manchester
• Billingham, Teesside

Alice at the Movies Crazy Golf at Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch, Dorset

A new Alice at the Movies themed Crazy Golf course is opening at Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch, Dorset next month.

Visit the Adventure Wonderland website and Facebook Page for more information.

Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf in Hove

There's a new adventure golf course in Hove, East Sussex.

Visit the Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf website for more information.

Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf in Hove is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The former British Home Stores in Stockport

While having a walk round Stockport yesterday evening it was amazing to see the old ghost sign on the rear of the store had been uncovered!

The old BHS shop in the Merseyway shopping centre in Stockport was a Poundland, but that store closed last month.

BHS became defunct in August 2016, but there are still traces of the brand if you know where to look.

As well as the newly uncovered ghost sign you can see name as part of the mural artwork along the side of the store as well as on two small signs in the doorways where the fireman's switches are.

NO GOLF at Lacey Green Park in Wilmslow

NO GOLF allowed at Lacey Green Park in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

We saw a number of other Borough of Macclesfield NO GOLF signs on a daily walk in Poynton last June.

Hove Lagoon Mini Golf

There's a minigolf course at Hove Lagoon in East Sussex.

Check out the Hove Lagoon Fun Play Facebook Page for more information.

Hove Lagoon Mini Golf is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're next down that way.

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing

A look at the Splash Point Mini Golf course in Worthing's Denton Gardens.

We last got to visit and play at Splash Point Mini Golf in Denton Gardens, Worthing in April 2019. It's one of the best courses in the country and a favourite of ours to play.

The unique 18-hole layout has a range of challenging holes to play and we've enjoyed playing official tournaments and 'fun' competitions between ourselves there over the years.

It'll be ace to be able to get down for another game there again soon.

The front nine

The back nine

Minigolf in Denton Gardens

Minigolf has been played in Denton Gardens since 1924 and the excellent 18-hole Splash Point Mini Golf course opened in 2010 and has proved popular with locals, holidaymakers, day trippers and professional minigolfers ever since.

Worthing, Denton Gardens, Putting Green. The Photochrom Co Ltd. Posted  to Birchington, Kent on 30 July 1928

The layout was the 181st course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We're now up to 956 courses visited on our travels since September 2006.

Visit the Splash Point Mini Golf website and follow the course on Twitter.

Puttstars Mini Golf at Rochdale Riverside

A look at the Puttstars indoor minigolf centre in Rochdale.

Emily swung by the Puttstars indoor minigolf centre at Rochdale Riverside entertainment, leisure and shopping centre yesterday.

Puttstars is a new minigolf brand from the Hollywood Bowl Group. The Rochdale venue is home to three 9-hole minigolf courses.

Check out the Puttstars Mini Golf website for more information.

New Adventure Golf course at Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park

There's a new adventure golf course at Llwyngwair Manor Hotel & Holiday Park in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.

Visit the Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park website for more information.

Mini Crazy Golf at the Gateway Resort in Bynea, Carmarthenshire

There's a Funny Farm Mini Crazy Golf course at the Gateway Resort holiday park in Bynea, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Martyn Williams of the Welsh Minigolf Club for letting me now about the minigolf course at the Gateway Resort holiday park in Bynea, Carmarthenshire.

The description of the course is quite unique as it states the layout contains "some worryingly realistic cowpats"!

Visit the Gateway Resort website for more information.

It's another new course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New Adventure Golf course at Jump Heaven in Stockport

A new adventure golf course is being built at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove is opening a new adventure golf course.

The layout is being built by the team at Adventure Golf Solutions.

It'll be a very local course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Jump Heaven on Pepper Road in Hazel Grove was the UK's first trampoline, Ninja Warrior, Parkour and Total Wipeout arena.

Visit the Jump Heaven website for more information.

Calbourne Water Mill Crazy Golf on the Isle of Wight

A view of the Adventure Golf course at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight.

Thank to my friend and minigolf rival Matt Dodd for sending me photos from a course visit he made while on the Isle of Wight last summer. They are from the dragon-themed Miniature Golf course at Calbourne Water Mill in Calbourne, Newport.

Visit the Calbourne Water Mill website for more info, opening times and prices.

Matt and his family have visited hundreds of courses on their crazy golf adventures and it's always brilliant to meet up with them for a game. Matt has managed to track down and play quite a lot of courses that we've yet to get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour! It's always fun to find out about even more places to play, especially when they are unique layouts like the one at Calbourne Water Mill.

The American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship

Looking back at the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship.

My team-mate Peter Jones and I qualified for the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship Final by winning the Welsh Regional Qualifier at Clays Golf Centre on this day in 2017. Where has that time gone!

Minigolf champions

In action on the course

Each of the holes on the 9-hole Miniature Golf course at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham are based on famous holes from regular golf.

The American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship Final was played at The Belfry in September 2017 and was televised on Sky Sports Golf. You can watch the tournament in the video below from 26m 55s.

The American Golf Championship Tour Season Review programme can also be watched on the American Golf YouTube Channel with the Adventure Golf competition starting at 31m 33s.

Players earned their places in the final by competing in qualifying events at courses in England, Scotland and Wales:

• Great Western Golf Clydebank
• World of Golf Croydon
• Top Golf Watford
• Bristol Golf Centre
• Trent Lock, Long Eaton
• Clays Farm Golf Centre, Wrexham

On telly at The Belfry

Links:

• American Golf
• Clays Golf Centre

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

We found a miniature railway at one of our local parks at the weekend!

We've spent a lot of lockdown visiting different parks and outdoor spaces in and around Stockport. On Easter Sunday we went for a walk in Handforth where we found a miniature railway at Meriton Road Park.

Two trains were running!

We're big fans of miniature railways and even though we've lived nearby for almost five years never knew it existed! We've never seen any signs for it even though we've walked and parked near to it many many times before.

There was a Scarecrow Trail in the town - this was The (not so) Fat Controller

Visit the Handforth Model Engineering Society website and Handforth Miniature Railway Facebook Page for more information.

End of the line

Nearby miniature railways

Handforth is in Cheshire East and borders the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. The borough is home to three miniature railways - at South Park in Cheadle Hulme, Brookside Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Poynton and the Dragon Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Marple.

Related blog posts:

• Miniature Railways
• Handforth

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

You can buy my minigolf marketing ebook on Amazon.

Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle as you can download the Kindle App on iOS, Android, Mac & PC.

The ebook is also available on Kobo.

It's just £1.99.

Minigolf marketing

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 since I published the guide in 2017.

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.

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).

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

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Emily and I have visited 956 courses in the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've got 40 from that original list left to visit.

The minigolf boom

The game is really booming and new courses are being announced all the time!

There are a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community. The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing should give federations, associations, courses, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Sports marketing

Much of the guidance can also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Links:

• The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing on Amazon
• The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing on Kobo
• Minigolf and marketing consultancy

Coeliac UK Awareness Week 2021 - 10th-16th May

This year Coeliac Awareness Week runs from the 10th to the 16th May.

What is Coeliac Disease?

Coeliac Disease ('Celiac' in the USA and Canada) is a lifelong autoimmune condition, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In Coeliac Disease the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This can trigger a number of painful, horrible, stressful and uncomfortable symptoms.

In the UK it's estimated that 1 in 100 people have the condition.

Visit the Coeliac UK website for more information.

Living a gluten free life

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008. It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a Gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, life-long gluten free diet.

Putt18 World Pro League 2021 - Week 6 Scores

Update from week 6 of the Putt18 World Pro League 2021.

I played my latest rounds in the 2021 Putt18 World Pro League on Saturday evening and shot scores of 79, 81, 77 and 80 for a total of 317.

There is one week and four rounds left to play in the first Putt18 World Pro League of 2021. My next rounds will be at 6pm on Saturday 17th April.

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.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.