Scorecard from Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester

Here's a minigolf scorecard from the Paradise Island Adventure Golf venue at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, England.

A nice addition to our collection of minigolf scorecards and ephemera.

Collected on a revisit to the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Photos of the Paradise Island Adventure Golf course in Manchester

The 36-hole indoor Adventure Golf venue at the Trafford Centre opened in 2008. It was one of the very first of the new wave of themed indoor adventure golf venues.

The Tiki Hut Trail and Temple Ruins Adventure courses were the 85th and 86th courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2009.

Following our move north in 2016 Paradise Island Adventure Golf became one of our local places to play and we've returned for fun and tournaments at PIAG Manchester a lot over the years.

I won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships in 2018 and Emily won the tournament in 2019.

Visit the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website for more information about the PIAG courses in Cheshire Oaks, Derby, Glasgow, Livingston, Manchester, Plymouth, Rushden Lakes and Sheffield.

Mini Golf in the Guinness World Records 2024

Have you got the Guinness World Records 2024 book?

There's a whole page dedicated to minigolf (and I have a record in it!).

There's also a crazy golf element on the brilliant cover art challenge!

I'm a Guinness World Record Holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press).

A total of 2,638 records were selected, from nearly 30,000 applications, to appear in the Guinness World Records 2024.

Find out more about the 2024 edition of the book on the Guinness World Records website.

You can see the full list of courses Emily and I have visited since the 30th September 2006 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour page.

Golf Fang crazy golf now open in Nottingham

The new Golf Fang indoor minigolf venue in Nottingham opened on the 6th September.

Visit the Golf Fang and Big Fang Collective websites for more information.

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

Mini Golf at Golf Planet in Santiago, Chile

A look at the Golf Planet Mini Golf course at Open Plaza Kennedy in Santiago, Chile.

Emily visited the Golf Planet Mini Golf course at the Open Plaza Kennedy shopping centre in Santiago, Chile on her recent visit to the South American country.

Circuito de Minigolf is a new name for the game to us

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,064 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Türkiye, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,111 courses visited!

Putting Green at Club de Golf Los Leones in Santiago, Chile

Finding a Putting Green with a view of the Andes.

Emily visited the first of two miniature golf courses in South America on her recent trip to Santiago, Chile.

The first was the Putting Green at Club de Golf Los Leones in Santiago.

Visit the Club de Golf Los Leones website for more information.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,064 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Türkiye, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,111 courses visited!

Putt Club Crazy Golf Farnborough

A new Putt Club Crazy Golf course has opened in Farnborough, Hampshire.

As well as the new Farnborough course you can find Putt Club venues in Hull, Leicester, London Dockland, Edmonton in London, and Southampton.

Check out the Putt Club website for more information.

Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk

A look at the Lost World Adventure Golf course in Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Lost World Adventure Golf course in the seaside town of Hemsby, Norfolk is my favourite course. It was one of the first courses we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the theming there was superb. We've revisited several times over the years and look forward to many more rounds there in the future.

Check out the Lost World Adventure Golf website for more information.

Millport Crazy Golf on the Isle of Cumbrae

A look at the Crazy Golf course in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.

A big thanks to our friend and minigolf rival John Moore for sending over this photo of the Crazy Golf course in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland from his recent trip there.

Millport Crazy Golf course. Photo by John Moore

Earlier this summer another of our friends, Seth Thomas, sent us a snap of the course.

We played the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour ten years ago while in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games. It's a lovely island to visit and just a short ferry voyage from Largs.

One of the postcards in our collection is this nice Valentine's "Silveresque" style postcard that shows the Crazy Golf course as it looked in the 1960s. It's still recognisable today. The course has had the addition of felt/carpet to the holes since we visited a decade ago. Hopefully we'll return one day.

Crazy Golf, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae. A Valentine's "Silveresque" 3059V Style Postcard, published by Valentine & Sons Ltd. Dundee and London. Postally used at 4.15pm on the 4th June 1964 and mailed from Millport itself

Check out the Millport Crazy Golf Facebook Page for more information.

Two weeks until Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 21st September 2024

Will you be celebrating Miniature Golf Day on Saturday 21st September?

Each year there are two 'Miniature Golf Days' - National Miniature Golf Day is first up on the second Saturday in May, while Miniature Golf Day follows on the 21st September. This year the 21st September falls on a Saturday.

Mulligans Adventure Golf opening in Guildford

A new Mulligans Adventure Golf venue is opening in Guildford, Surrey.

A new Mulligans Adventure Golf course is opening in Guildford, Surrey as the brand's owners - Adventure Leisure Ltd - continue to expand.

You can find Mulligans minigolf courses in Basildon, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cheltenham, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Norwich, Sidcup, Stevenage, Tonbridge and Worcester.

Mr Mulligan's in Milton Keynes

We've played several Mulligan's courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years. The latest two were in Milton Keynes last October where we enjoyed rounds on the Enchanted Forest and Underwater Kingdom 12-hole indoor courses at the Theatre District venue.

Mr Mulligan's in Worcester

Visit the Mulligans website for more information on the brand's courses.

Crazy Golf in Troon, Scotland

A look at the seafront Crazy Golf course in Troon, Scotland.

My friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown sent over a photo of the hut at the seafront Crazy Golf course in Troon from his recent visit.

You can see photos of the course from January 2023 in this guest blog post from Simon.

The 18-hole Crazy Golf course in Troon was the 573rd miniature golf course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2014.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester

A look at the Paradise Island Adventure Golf venue at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

The 36-hole indoor Adventure Golf venue at the Trafford Centre opened in 2008. It was one of the very first of the new wave of themed indoor adventure golf venues. How time flies!

The Tiki Hut Trail and Temple Ruins Adventure courses were the 85th and 86th courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2009.

Following our move north in 2016 Paradise Island Adventure Golf became one of our local places to play and we've returned for fun and tournaments at PIAG Manchester a lot over the years.

I won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships in 2018 and Emily won the tournament in 2019.

Visit the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website for more information about the PIAG courses in Cheshire Oaks, Derby, Glasgow, Livingston, Manchester, Plymouth, Rushden Lakes and Sheffield.

Winning the 2009 Pleasure Beach Open minigolf tournament in Blackpool

A look back at a big minigolf win.

On this day in 2009 we were in Blackpool to play in the second Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open minigolf tournament that was held as part of the Illuminations celebrations.

We had a cracking time in the seaside resort and to top things off I won!

Toys R Us inside WH Smith at the Trafford Centre

Toys R Us has opened at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

The new Toys R Us concession is now open inside WH Smith at the Trafford Centre.

I spotted signs for the new Toys R Us opening inside the WH Smith at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on a trip to the shopping centre in June this year. 

While the last of the original Toys R Us stores in the UK closed on the 24th April 2018 the brand returned to the UK in 2022 with an online presence, and further expanded in 2023 with the opening of nine concessions inside WH Smith.

There are currently 39 Toys R Us concessions in WH Smith shops, with more planned to open through 2024. Visit the Toys R Us website for more information.

Working at Toys R Us

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.

Toys R Us concessions in the USA

Emily saw a Toys R Us at a Macy's department store in Fort Worth, Texas and a sign for one at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on a trip to the USA earlier this year.

The old Toys R Us

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 several of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Former Toys R Us locations we've been to 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
• Trafford Centre in Manchester
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Lost Toys R Us Stores

My book about Lost Toys R Us Stores is available to buy from Amazon.

There were once 105 Toys R Us stores in the UK. The business ceased trading in 2018 and all of those shops closed. It is still possible to find traces of the brand on some retail parks and shopping centres around the UK. The book takes a look at some of those old stores between 2019 and 2021.

Buy Lost Toys R Us Stores on Amazon.