12 years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

This Sunday marks 12 years since we began our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour down on the south coast of England at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire.

At Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea on the tenth anniversary of our tour

At the end of the round on the Victory Trail Adventure Golf course I fired the cannon on the Lucky Last Hole to win a FREE GAME and our minigolf travels have rolled on since then. How different would our lives have been if I'd missed my shot on the final hole?

Adding another FREE GAME card to my collection

We last played the course on the 30th September 2016 and I won another FREE GAME. I also won a FREE GAME when we revisited the course on the fifth anniversary of our tour on the 30th September 2011. Incredibly I won again on the 7th August 2015!

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

I've never used the prize vouchers - instead they are safely deposited in the Crazy Golf Museum.

The infamous FREE GAME PASS!

Since 2006 we've visited a total of 846 miniature golf courses in the UK and overseas. 38 of the courses have been overseas, with 808 of them in the British Isles.

We've certainly logged some miles and spent some dough on our pursuit!

While we've been able to play a lot of the courses multiple times, some of those locations we've visited have been closed, derelict or abandoned. As of last weekend we've played a total of 500 different courses, with number 500 being the unique indoor miniature golf course at Holey Molies in Skelton-in-Cleveland.

Playing at Holey Molies Miniature Golf

When our travels began on the 30th September 2006 there were approximately 600 courses in the UK. That number has skyrocketed and the figure is now closer to the 1,000 mark. A phenomenal number, especially when you consider how many courses have closed in the last decade too.

The game is experiencing a real boom, with a range of unique and interesting minigolf layouts opening up. From Crazy Golf bars, to jungle-themed Adventure Golf courses, to traditional seaside courses and classic putting greens there is a rich variety of courses to play.

Earlier this year we had a crazy 42-hours in Sweden where we were able to visit nine courses, including our 800th overall - at Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm.

At Swing by Golfbaren in Stockholm

Since that trip in February it's amazing to think we've reached the 846 mark!

We're looking forward to the next 12 years and beyond. It won't be long until we hit the magical 1,000 courses visited milestone either.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses for links to the places we've been.

Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester

A visit to the new indoor Treetop Adventure Golf course at The Printworks in Manchester.

On Thursday 6th September we visited the new Treetop Adventure Golf venue at The Printworks in Manchester city centre. It's a superb setting.

The Tropical Trail Adventure Golf course, #800 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels

The visit to the brilliant courses also made a new piece of minigolf history as they were the 799th and 800th courses we've visited in the British Isles, bringing our total to 838 courses visited since September 2006.

We really liked the big features on the course,

The first Treetop Adventure Golf location opened in Cardiff in 2015 and like that site the new Manchester location features two 18-hole courses.

I really liked the snake on the 17th hole

The venue has excellent theming and very playable holes. It's not an easy layout and that's a good thing. You can plan your shots to get some skillful holes-in-one.

Although neither of us managed to score an ace on the Lucky Last Hole

The Lucky Last Hole

In our first game on the Ancient Explorer course Emily stormed to victory with a round of 37 to my 40, scoring three holes-in-one in the process.

The Rules

Emily on her way to victory

There are some really tricky greens on the course

In our second game, played on the Tropical Trail course I managed to win with a score of 37 to Emily's 45.

The Rules

A big tree that plays a part in three of the holes

You really have to see hole 8 of the Tropical Trail course in real life in order to get a sense of how difficult it is!

I was as happy as this tree with my win on the Tropical Trail

Emily won the Aces Championship, shooting five in total compared to my three.

The theming and attention to detail at the course is excellent

We're looking forward to a return visit to see if we can reach the top of the leader-board.

Simi, the Treetop mascot

Treetop Golf is a high quality venue and well worth a visit

The team at Treetop Adventure Golf are also opening a course at the Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester. We're looking forward to playing there on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when it opens in 2019.

Related blog posts:
- Treetop Adventure Golf
- Indoor Adventure Golf
- Manchester

Links:
- Treetop Adventure Golf website
- The Printworks website

Happy Miniature Golf Day

Today is Miniature Golf Day 2018!

Happy Miniature Golf Day. Where will you be playing a game (or two) of minigolf today?

Each year there are two quasi-official annual 'days' to celebrate the game. The second of these awareness days is Miniature Golf Day and it's ALWAYS on the 21st of September.

We played the Crazy Golf course at Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea on Miniature Golf Day last year

The Crazy Golf at the Rhos Fynach in Rhos on Sea became the 462nd played and 781st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

After this particular Miniature Golf Day the next is National Miniature Golf Day. That 'minigolf day' falls on the second Saturday in May. In 2019 it'll be on Saturday 11th May.

Related blog posts:

- Miniature Golf Day

- Key minigolf dates for the year ahead

It's a year since the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships

Looking back at the Grand Final of the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships on Sky Sports Golf.

Peter Jones and I competed in the tournament held at The Belfry Hotel & Resort on the 8th September 2017, with the event shown on Sky Sports Golf in November last year.

The minigolf tournament was part of the Family Championship episode as shown on Sky Sports Golf last November. The National Adventure Golf Championships can be seen from 26m 55s.

Peter in action on the 3rd hole in the semi-final

We had qualified for the Grand Final after winning the Welsh qualifying tournament in Wrexham in April.

Playing hole 3 in the final

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

A pre-final interview with Gemma Care from Sky Sports

Links:
- American Golf Finals 2017 - Family Golf and Adventure Golf Championships
- American Golf

Related blog posts:
- American Golf
- The American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship Final
- Ryder Legends Mini Golf at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield

Minigolf courses on the Great Orme mountain in Llandudno

A revisit to the Great Orme mountain in Llandudno.

While visiting the seaside resort of Llandudno in Wales we took the opportunity to venture up the Great Orme mountain. We'd been up there once before, during our minigolfing road-trip around the Welsh coast in 2009.

The Great Orme is home to three miniature golf courses, one of which we were unaware of in 2009.

Half way up is the 9-hole Alpine Adventure Golf course at Llandudno Ski Centre. The ski centre is well worth a visit. We had a go on their very reasonably priced toboggan ride on this occasion. You can get a combination ticket with the Adventure Golf too.

The Alpine Golf course at Llandudno Ski Centre is very well themed

At the summit is the 18-hole Rocky Pines Adventure Golf course. It's the highest minigolf course in the British Isles! We played the course in very gusty conditions last time.

There are some exceptional views from the very nice Rocky Pines Adventure Golf course

Half way down is Great Orme Family Golf, a 9-hole Pitch & Putt course. We found out about the course following our first visit and we've since collected some nice old postcards showing the location. Our visit on Saturday 18th August marked our 834th minigolf course visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

The Great Orme Family Golf Pitch & Putt course looks like a tremendous course and I look forward to having a round there in the future

Llandudno is a wonderful spot for a day out or weekend away. We had a marvellous time and are looking forward to our next trip to the North Wales coast already.

Enjoying ourselves half way up a mountain

More photos from our visits to the three courses to follow on the blog and our social media channels soon.

Related blog posts:
- Course visit 142 - Alpine Adventure Golf
- Course visit 143 - Rocky Pines Adventure Golf
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Llandudno
- Wales

Links:
- Alpine Adventure Golf
- Rocky Pines Adventure Golf
- Great Orme Family Golf

A lovely postcard view

We had a brilliant time at the recent North Wales Postcard Club's fair in Craig-y-Don, Llandudno.

The pick of the 19 miniature golf postcards we found at the event was this view of Kleingolfplatz Überlingen next to Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and the Swiss Alps in the distance.

The postally unused postcard shows 'Bodensee-Promenade mit Schweisser Alpen' and 'Kleingolfplatz Überlingen'. Published by Erwin Burda, Freiburg

This postcard was just 10p!

A note on the unposted card says the visit took place on the 29th August 1960. It always amazes me to find cards in such excellent condition after so much time.

It's always marvellous to see views such as this. I wonder how many golf balls were lost in the lake over the years?

Related blog post:
- Postcards

Link:
- North Wales Postcard Club

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

A look at the abandoned North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool.

Whenever we're in Blackpool we swing by the Crazy Golf course behind the Metropole Hotel on the North Shore in the hope that we'll see it open. We never have.

 

In our vast minigolf course postcard collection we have dozens of views of the course in its prime back in the 70's. Apart from the inevitable wear and tear from the often harsh weather the concrete Crazy Golf course hasn't changed much since. Although it does look a little more worn than on our first visit in 2009.

How the course looked in 2009

Related blog posts:
- Abandoned
- Blackpool
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool in 2016
- North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool in 2009

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool

A visit to play Graffiti Golf in Blackpool.

After visiting more than 800 courses since 2006 you'd think we'd have run out of new things to see on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. But you'd be wrong.

For last week we played a course in Blackpool that had a Graffiti Pirate theme!

Pirate Graffiti Golf! I suppose all graffiti is technically a 'pirate' activity

Back in 2009 the course was a 'normal' indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course and the 151st played on our travels. Since then the venue has changed hands a couple of times. In 2016 it was a Merlin Pirate Adventure Mini Golf course.

This time however things were very different again as the layout is now a UV glow in the dark experience.

We all score a hole-in-one, except Jo. Although none of us aced this hole

In our match-up on the Graffiti Golf course Emily won with a round of 31. I was runner-up on 35, with Emily's sister Jo and our nephew Luke tied on 39.

Emily on her way to victory

Visit the Graffiti Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Blackpool
- Minigolf Course Visit No. 151 - Blackpool, Golden Isle Indoor Adventure Golf
- Merlin Pirate Adventure Mini Golf in Blackpool
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

A visit to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

Revisiting the Adventure Golf course at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

On our recent trip to Blackpool we had a look at the Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach.

The course always bring a smile to my face as it was the scene of my victory in the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open tournament in 2009.

Winning in 2009

We first visited the course in 2008 when we helped to launch the course and competed in the inaugural Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open tournament - won by minigolf legend Chris Harding. The course was number 44 on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We're now up to 833 course visits!

It's was nice to see the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf course was still proving to be a popular attraction. Although it's still annoying that my name has never been up on the hut as I've got the course record - a 24 - not this Peter McGillivray character and his round of 25.

My first round in the 2009 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open competition was a 24. Peter McGillivray's name and round of 25 shots has been up on the board since 2016

His name is still there today

Check out the Blackpool Pleasure Beach website for more information on prices and opening times.

There used to be another miniature golf course inside the Pleasure Beach - an Alpine themed one. That was the 46th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Link:
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach website

Related blog posts:
- Blackpool
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses in and around Blackpool
- Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf in 2016