Congo Adventure Golf at Brean Sands in Somerset

A look back at our visit to the Congo Adventure Golf course at Brean Leisure Park in Brean Sands, Somerset.

The 519th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Congo Adventure Golf course at Brean Leisure Park in Brean Sands, Somerset back in November 2012.

On the day of our visit the weather was poor. It was also out of season so the course was closed.

A crocodile - or alligator - lurking near a tricky looking hole

Visit the Brean Leisure Park website for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Brean
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Brean Leisure Park

Smugglers Cove Pirate Adventure Golf in Brean

A look back at our visit to the Smugglers Cove Pirate Adventure Golf course in Brean Sands, Somerset.

While on our short break in Somerset back in November 2012 we called into the seaside town of Brean to see what minigolf we could find there. One of the unexpected discoveries was the Smugglers Cove Pirate Adventure Golf course.

The layout was fairly small, but plenty of piratey theming had been piled into the playing area.

Unfortunately as has so often been the case on our travels, the course was closed so we didn't get to play it.

Smugglers Cove Pirate Adventure Golf in Brean was the 518th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Brean
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Bar Billiards at The Blossoms pub in Stockport

Finding our first Bar Billiards table in Stockport.

On our walk back from a visit to the wonderful Christmas Tree Festival at St George's Church in Heaviley we stopped off at The Blossoms pub on the A6. We went in the main entrance and were very surprised to see a Bar Billiards table in the room to the right!

The Bar Billiards table at The Blossoms pub in Heaviley, Stockport

We're big fans of the old game and had searched online to see if there were any tables in the area when we moved here last year. It's brilliant to know there's a table just up the road from us.

We didn't play the finest game of Bar Billiards using the four-peg arrangement

We had three matches - the first using all four pegs and then two using the three peg rules we are more accustomed to.

Emily in action

We haven't seen too many four-peg tables on our Barmy Bar Billiards Trail. The ones at The Cheshire Cheese pub in London and The Chequers Inn at Knebworth spring to mind.

A great game in a nice pub

Game 1 - Richard 790, Emily 200 (had wiped out a score of 110, but then potted the last ball in the 200 hole).

Game 2 - Richard 880, Emily 450 (potted the last ball in the 200 hole).

Game 3 - Richard 1,060, Emily 720 (potted the red ball in the 200 hole).

You can find The Blossoms at 2 Buxton Road, Heaviley, Stockport.

Last year we played Bagatelle, another old cue game, at the Union Vaults pub in Chester.

Related blog posts:
- Bar Billiards
- Stockport
- Pub Games
- Pub

Link:
- The Blossoms

Cheddar Crazy Golf

A look back at our visit to Cheddar Crazy Golf in November 2012.

On our holiday in Somerset back in November 2012 we spent the day in Cheddar where we had a round on the excellent Cheddar Crazy Golf course.

Cheddar Crazy Golf is in a very nice setting

The 18-hole layout was great fun, tricky and unique - just what we like in a minigolf course.

Nice rules/tip/warning sign

Not many courses have a secret grotto!

The Cheddar Crazy Golf course was the 311th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Putting on this hole...

...takes you onto/down/through this obstacle...

...or not!

Check out the Cheddar Crazy Golf course website for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolfing in Bath, Wookey Hole, Cheddar and Brean (but not Bristol)

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Chrizy Golf in Manchester

A look back at the Chrizy Golf Masters competition.

The Chrizy Golf course was decked out in Christmas-theming

Five years ago I headed up to Manchester while my friend and minigolf rival John Moore travelled down to compete in the first - and to-date only - Chrizy Golf Masters tournament.

One of the holes on the tricky indoor layout

The one night only event was held on an Christmas-themed indoor pop-up Crazy Golf course at Manchester Piccadilly. Played over one 9-hole round I managed to beat John by one-shot to take the victory with a score of 20(+2).

Our scorecards from the tourney

Another trophy to sit on shelf

After the 2012 festive season was over the course was gone and the building remained empty, or used for other pop-ups, until the team at Junkyard Golf made it their home a couple of years ago. They too have since moved on to a permanent venue at First Street.

It was great to compete in the Chrizy Golf Masters competition and it's still one of the few courses I've played that has been decked out for Christmas. It was certainly the only bespoke festive-themed course I've played.

Back then the journey up to Manchester from Luton seemed like a very long way, now it'd be less than half hour from Cheadle Hulme!

Related blog posts:
- Chrizy Golf
- Christmas

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Craz-e-Golf at Skegness

I picked up this great minigolf card at a Postcard Fair in Stockport. The course in the photo is in the same location as England's first Crazy Golf course.

Craz-e-Golf is an interesting name for the game and not one we've seen before

The card was posted to Liverpool from Skegness on the 21st June 1977 (a Tuesday). Note the nice postcard cancellation on the card too. I wonder if May played the Crazy Golf while in Skeggy? 

The first Crazy Golf course in the country opened on South Parade in Skegness in 1926.

In May 2015 the course became the 363rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A more recent look at the Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf on Skegness' South Parade
- The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness
- Postcards

Stopford House in Stockport

While out for a lunchtime cycle in Stockport I rode through the council offices at Stopford House and managed to get this nice snap of the Brutalist building - set against a rare blue sky in the town!

Stopford House in Stockport

Stopford House was used as the exterior of the Police Station in the TV show Life on Mars. The last time I photographed it back in June everything was looking particularly grey.

Stockport is full of wonderful and interesting buildings. It's quite a hotch-potch of architecture to be honest, but it all adds a certain character to the town.

Related blog posts:
- Stockport
- Architecture
- A 'tickable list' I won't be attempting to complete

Indoor Crazy Golf at Brean Leisure Dome

My blog post about the indoor mini-golf course at Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire reminded me of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the Brean Leisure Dome back in November 2012.

We hadn't expected to find the course on our visit to Brean, so it was a pleasant surprise

The course became the 312th played on our tour

One part of the 9-hole layout

The other bit

The first elephant I'd putted through!

The tricky 8th hole

Emily tackling a big minigolf loop-di-loop

We've also played indoor minigolf at Amusement Arcades in Felixstowe, Cleethorpes, Hunstanton, and Whitby.

Related blog posts:
- Minigolfing in Bath, Wookey Hole, Cheddar and Brean (but not Bristol)

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Even Father Christmas is playing the Circle Game!

Is anybody safe from the Circle Game?

Don't look at Santa's right hand!

Indoor Minigolf at Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire

A look at the indoor mini-golf course at Funspot New Hampshire.

Adam Lueb, aka Retro Adam on Instagram, kindly sent me this photo of an indoor miniature golf course he spotted during a Thanksgiving visit to Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Landmarks indoor minigolf course at Funspot. Photo by Adam Lueb

Funspot New Hampshire is the 'The Largest Arcade in the World'! It's been open since 1952 and boast's Central New Hampshire's only 18-hole indoor mini-golf course.

The obstacles and features on the course come from Funspot's previous Landmarks of New Hampshire course which was open from 1964 to 2014. You can see a photo of that on Funspot's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel.

Check out the Funspot website for more info about the arcade and minigolf.

More photos from Adam's visit to Funspot can be found on his Instagram page.

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've played indoor minigolf at Amusement Arcades in Felixstowe, Cleethorpes, Hunstanton, Brean, and Whitby. Our travels actually began in 'old' Hampshire!

Links:
- Funspot New Hampshire's website
- Retro Adam on Instagram
- NeonCade website

Related blog posts:
- Guest blogs
- Indoor minigolf
- Amusement Arcades

Swingers Crazy Golf in London's West End

New Swingers Crazy Golf course opening in London's West End.

While down in London Emily swung by Swingers Crazy Golf's new West End location. The indoor minigolf venue will consist of two courses, currently under construction in part of the old BHS store at 15 John Prince's Street, just down the road from Oxford Circus.

The new Swingers Crazy Golf course is opening in the Spring

The new Swingers Crazy Golf West End venue is scheduled to open in March 2018.

The doors are open for more building work at Swingers Crazy Golf

The new Swingers Crazy Golf course is a neighbour of The Phoenix. We've been to a few 'do's' there over the years

In the meantime you can visit Swingers Crazy Golf's City courses at 8 Brown's Buildings. I played there in August this year.

Hole 8 of the Windmill Course at Swingers Crazy Golf in the City

Check out the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information, opening times and ticket information.

Link:
- Swingers Crazy Golf website

Related blog posts:
- Swingers Crazy Golf
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Dino Falls Adventure Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester

A look at the new Dino Falls Adventure Golf course at the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester.

After an evening's shopping at the Trafford Centre we swung by the Trafford Golf Centre for a look at the new Dino Falls Adventure Golf course.

Hole 9

We're looking forward to having a round on the 18-hole course when the weather is a bit nicer than it was last night!

Hole 18

It's not the first time the Trafford Golf Centre has been home to a minigolf course. Back in the late noughties there was a 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course on the site. A course I won two tournaments on in 2009 - the Mini Masters and Mini Open! The previous minigolf course there was the 84th we played. Dino Falls Adventure Golf became the 792nd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the Trafford Golf Centre and Dino Falls Adventure Golf websites for more information, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Dinosaur
- Manchester
- Adventure Golf
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Trafford Golf Centre
- Dino Falls Adventure Golf

Christmas Crazy Golf at Lakeside Village Shopping Centre in Doncaster

The Lakeside Village Shopping Centre has a free-to-play Christmas Crazy Golf course set up for shoppers to play during the festive season!

We visited Lakeside Village Shopping Centre to play the summer Crazy Golf course last year. The unique layout was good fun and became the 397th played and 678th visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Crazy Golf Adventure Golf course in summer 2016

Visit the Lakeside Village Shopping Centre website for more info.

Hastings Adventure Golf survey finds technology losing ground on Christmas lists

Results of a Christmas list survey by Hastings Adventure Golf.

The team at Hastings Adventure Golf has conducted a survey which reveals that technology is slipping down the Christmas wish list of adults in Sussex.

What's on your Christmas wish list?

The survey revealed that technology, including mobile devices, PC and games, was not in the most desired category of gifts this year.

The unexpected revelation showed that the most wanted category of Christmas gifts was ‘clothes or accessories’. In close second place, was ‘an experience’ to include tickets to events, days out and mini-breaks. Technology took third place.

When asked specifically about ‘gift vouchers’ for days out or experiences, 50 percent of the adults surveyed agreed that the gift of an experience or day out was a great present.

With many people already owning more tech devices than ever before, active, fun and memorable experiences are becoming more popular as a gift choices.

Hastings Adventure Golf is always keen to get more people active and they run a number of events, competitions and promotions throughout the year. They have three outdoor minigolf courses on the seafront site - a classic Crazy Golf, an Adventure Golf layout and a Pirate Golf course. We've visited and played them a LOT on our Crazy Golf adventures since 2007!

While new technology might not be top of Christmas wish lists the Hastings Adventure Golf App has proved to be a popular free download to help people make the most of the experience.

Players visiting Hastings Adventure Golf can download the scorecard and loyalty app to keep a record of their visits and results, use the on-course selfie spot feature, and receive offers.

Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- Hastings
- Survey

The survey was commissioned by Hastings Adventure Golf and conducted by One Poll, with a sample of 400 adults (50:50 Male:Female) in Sussex.