The Minigolf-Atlas

Check out the Minigolf-Atlas - a map listing miniature golf courses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

I recently found out about the Minigolf-Atlas, a project to map all of the minigolf courses in Germany and surrounding countries!

The project is run by the team at Miniatur-Golf-Club Wetzlar eV. They are based in central Germany and created the project to record all the minigolf facilities throughout Germany. This includes locations where clubs are based and tournaments take place, as well as the many course locations where no competitions are held.

It's brilliant to see the efforts put into the project, and it'll be an excellent resource for people to get out and play for leisure, fun, and for competition and club play.

The Minigolf-Atlas team are putting together lists of courses in other countries, and it'll be interesting to see the website develop over time.

Take a look at the Minigolf-Atlas website for more information.

It'll be a handy resource if we can find the time to visit Germany again in the future! There are still some minigolf systems, including Cobi Golf and Star Golf that we haven't yet played, and these are localised in Germany (Cobi Golf) and Germany & Austria (Star Golf).

I've played Felt Golf in Vienna, Austria at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark. That was an incredibly tough course, and the longest Swedish Felt course in Europe!

The Askoe Wien Swedish Felt Minigolf course in Vienna, Austria

I didn't get a chance to play the 'Eternit' aka Miniature Golf course there as it was out of season.

The Askoe Wien Eternit Miniature Golf course in Vienna, Austria

It was also the first place I saw the minigolf/snooker hybrid game of Pit-Pat.

Pit-Pat in Vienna, Austria

My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and his family have visited a few courses in Germany and one in Luxembourg on their branch of the tour:

• Nittel, Germany - Minigolf
• Zeltingen-Rachtig, Germany - Beton Minigolf

Minigolf in Zeltingen-Rachtig, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Traben-Trarbach, Germany - Eternit Miniature Golf
• Kobern-Gondorf, Germany - Abenteuergolf
• Kobern-Gondorf, Germany - Eternit Miniature Golf

Miniature Golf in Kobern-Gondorf, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Bernkastel-Kues, Germany - Minigolf

Minigolf in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Gutach, Germany (Adventuregolf Gutach) - Adventure Golf
• Sasbachwalden, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany (Höfner Stübl Minigolf) - Eternit Miniature Golf

Höfner Stübl Miniature Golf in Sasbachwalden, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Remich, Luxembourg - Eternit Miniature Golf

Miniature Golf in Remich, Luxembourg. Photo by Christopher Gottfried 

To date, we've visited 1,044 miniature golf courses. 997 of those have been in the British Isles, while 47 have been in overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (& Lanzarote, Canary Islands), Sweden and the USA. When we began our travels there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, with new courses opening all the time.

The Hole In Wand mini golf in Chester

A new magical minigolf course is opening in Chester, Cheshire.

The Hole In Wand mini golf

The team at the Potions Cauldron Group will be creating their third indoor crazy golf course as The Hole In Wand is set to open in Chester this year.

The Hole In Wand mini golf

The Hole In Wand Chester is scheduled to open in May.

The first of The Hole In Wand indoor minigolf courses opened in York, with a second venue opening in Blackpool.

The Hole In Wand mini golf

Emily played The Hole In Wand Wizard Golf in York on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour last year. We haven't been to Blackpool for a while so haven't had a game at that venue yet.

Visit The Hole In Wand mini golf website for more information.

Japanese-themed mini golf course planned for London

A new indoor mini golf venue could be opening on Fleet Street in London.

Tokyo Hit is planned to be a Japanese-themed mini golf course, complete with bars and food served in an immersive Tokyo environment.

Emily has been to Japan before and I'm hoping to visit one day too. In the mean-time Tokyo Hit sounds like it could be really cool.

It'll be interesting to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A minigolf move in Basingstoke

There are plans for a new Great Wolf resort in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

The proposed Great Wolf resort in Basingstoke would be created on the site of Basingstoke Golf Centre.

The new Great Wolf resort is an indoor water park - that would also feature a mini golf course as one of the activities.

Basingstoke Golf Centre is home to a Knights Realm Adventure Golf course. We haven't played the Knights Realm course yet, but did play the course it replaced several times, including some tournaments.

Visit the Basingstoke Golf Centre and Great Wolf Lodge resort websites for more information.

Hopefully we get back to Basingstoke to play the Knights Realm Adventure Golf course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour before it is removed. And we'll have to return again to have a game on the new Great Wolf mini golf course when that opens in the future.

Work is underway on the first Great Wolf Lodge in the UK that is set to open in Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire. Like the US locations, that site looks set to be home to a miniature golf course too.

Pop-Up Crazy Golf in Bishop's Stortford

A free Crazy Golf course will be available to play in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire this Easter.

The 9-hole layout is free to play, but donations to the East Herts Chairman’s chosen charity, Isabel Hospice, are welcome.

You can play a game of Crazy Golf on Thursday 4th, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th April.

Visit the East Herts Council website for more information.

The Putting Shed Mini Golf at Twenty Pence Garden Centre in Wilburton

There's a mini golf course at the Twenty Pence Garden Centre in Wilburton, Cambridgeshire.

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival Steve 'Sheila' Lovell for letting us know about the The Putting Shed Mini Golf course at Twenty Pence Garden Centre in Wilburton, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Looking at the garden centre's website and YouTube video of the course it opened around 2021.

 

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

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa

A look at the Kleine Hazen Putting Park miniature golf course at Hazendal in South Africa.

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

A big thank you to my friend PJ Goedhals for sending me these photos of the 27-hole Kleine Hazen adventure putting park at the Hazendal wine estate.

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Hazendal is a wine estate located in the Stellenbosch winelands, 30 minutes from Cape Town.

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Visit the Hazendal website for more information.

Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

It was also very kind of PJ to post me a copy of the scorecard and golf ball for inclusion in the Crazy Golf Museum.

A scorecard from the Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

A scorecard from the Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

A golf ball from the Kleine Hazen Putting Park at Hazendal in South Africa. Photo by PJ Goedhals, 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden

A look at the indoor minigolf course at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden.

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

My friend and minigolf rival Martyn Williams sent me these photos of the indoor minigolf course at Golfbaren Sundbyberg.

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Check out the Golfbaren website for more information about the brand's courses.

Minigolf at Golfbaren Sundbyberg in Sweden. Photo by Martyn Williams, April 2023

Martyn, of the Welsh Minigolf Club, took the photos of the course during a trip to Sweden to compete in the City Golf Tour 1 event last year.

We've played Golfbaren Sundbyberg's sister course in Vasastan, Stockholm on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Toys R Us at Gateway Retail Park in Reading

Spotting an abandoned Toys R Us store in Reading, Berkshire.

We were surprised to see an old Toys R Us store while driving through Reading back in September 2022.

The shop unit at Gateway retail park looked to be in great condition and most of the signage and branding was still on display.

This particular branch of Toys R Us was only open for five months before the brand ceased trading in the UK.

Toys R Us closed its UK operation in April 2018.

It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Former Toys R Us locations we've visited on our travels:

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gateway retail park in Reading
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby