Sunday, July 19, 2015

Adventure Golf in St Nicholas Park, Warwick

A revisit to the Adventure Golf course in Warwick's St Nicholas Park.

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
The 16th hole at Warwick Adventure Golf

The 18-hole Adventure Golf course at St Nicholas Park in Warwick was the 27th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back in July 2007 when we were in town for that year's BMGA English Open tournament.

We revisited the layout in April 2011 and this month Emily gave the course another play while on holiday in the midlands on the 17th of July.

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
Emily safely on the green on a hole with an interesting water hazard (just ask our friend and fellow Minigolf Pro Jam Trubridge!)

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
A new addition to the course is a four-hole practice area. It looks great

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
One of the loooooong holes at Warwick Adventure Golf

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
A downhill shot

Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
In the match-up on the 18-hole course Emily played against her sister Jo and niece Kate, with Jo winning with a score of 45. Emily hit a 46, with Kate carding a 50

Designed by UrbanCrazy the course is very tricky indeed and well worth a play.

Minigolf scorecard and pencil from the Adventure Golf course in St Nicholas Park, Warwick
The Golden Putter Mini Golf course in Warwick has a very nice scorecard and pencil. A nice addition to the Crazy Golf Museum

For more information on the course, opening times and prices visit the Golden Putter website.

Prices for the Golden Putter Mini Golf course in Warwick (July 2015)
Prices for the Golden Putter Mini Golf course in Warwick (July 2015)

We've played the permanent Golden Putter Mini Golf courses in Staines and Wroxham, and their portable course when it was set-up on Clacton Pier. Golden Putter Mini Golf also have courses in Birmingham's Cannon Hill Park and Rotherham's Clifton Park. Both are on our 'to visit' list.

Related blog posts:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Adventure Golf at St Nicholas Park in Warwick
- Revisit to the 18-Hole Adventure Miniature Golf Course at St Nicholas Park in Warwick

Link:
- Golden Putter website

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Minigolf in Stratford-upon-Avon

A revisit to Stratford-upon-Avon's minigolf course.

Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Minigolf in Stratford-upon-Avon

While on holiday in the midlands this week Emily made a return trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and the 18-hole Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground on Swan's Nest Lane.

Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
  
Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
The minigolf course can be found in the Recreation Ground on Swan's Nest Lane in Stratford-upon-Avon

The course was originally the 49th visited and played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008. We've visited the course to play in a number of competitions including the British Doubles, Midlands Open, Midlands Invitational and the English Open. It's one of the finest courses in the country and a real skill-based course. Well worth a visit.

Minigolf competition in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
At the 2008 Midlands Invitational Tournament

Minigolf competition in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
On the course during the 2009 Midlands Invitational Tournament

Minigolf competition in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
In action at the 2010 Midlands Open

Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
A view of the Stratford-upon-Avon minigolf course in 2015

Check out the Stratford Minigolf course website for more information, opening times and prices.

Minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Upon first seeing the course it appears to be quite flat, but on closer inspection you'll find there are so many subtle lumps, bumps and obstacles it makes for a really testing round

The course was recently the setting for the MMGC Midlands Masters tournament organised by the Midlands Minigolf Club - the reigning, and two-time, BMGA British Club Champions.

Along with my MMGC team-mates Chris Harding, John Moore and Jam Trubridge the club won the national title for the first time when the Stratford course hosted the event in 2008.

Check out the links to videos from the closing stages of a 'friendly' Minigolf Doubles Match between me & Kevin Moseley and Jam Trubridge & Peter Jones played after the 2009 Midlands Invitational Tournament.

Videos:
Minigolf Doubles Match in Stratford Upon Avon - part 1 of 2
Minigolf Doubles Match in Stratford Upon Avon - part 2 of 2 

Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links:
- Stratford Minigolf website
- Midlands Minigolf Club on Facebook

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Crazy Golf in Goodrington Sands

A visit to our 600th minigolf course in the UK!

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon

Having visited 21 courses overseas the 600th course visited in the UK was the 18-hole Beton-style Concrete Mini Golf course at Goodrington Park in Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon on Thursday 4th June 2015.

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Visiting our 600th course in the UK

The courses is known as Quaywest Crazy Golf and from the scorecard is operated by Goodtime Leisure. It certainly lived up to its name as we had a good time playing the course and a pleasant and leisurely round of Crazy Golf.

Mini Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Always pleasing to see a Mini Golf course open

The course became the 370th played since our tour began on the 30th September 2006 and was the seventh played on our tour of the South West of England.

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Playing the Goodrington Sands course

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Emily in action

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
About to putt in for a nice two from a tricky spot

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
We had great weather on our trip to the English Riviera

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
A nice two

Crazy Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Emily tapping in on a long hole

Mini Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
Hole 2 onwards

Mini Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
A view of the course

Miniature Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
The 12th

Minigolf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
The course is in a very nice setting in Goodrington Park
  
Mini Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
The pleasing 17th hole

A round of Crazy Golf on the layout costs £4 for adults and in our match-up I won with a score of 39 to Emily's 42. It was very pleasing for us both to score aces on the 17th hole.

Mini Golf course in Goodrington Park at Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
The Goodrington Sands Mini Golf Champion

While having a wander around Paignton it was great to see the course on a postcard - and you could get 12 for £1! I had to buy some for my collection and to post out.

Overall the 600th course visited on our tour was on Sunday 31st May at the Jurassic Golf course at Santa-Fe Adventure Park in Swanage, Dorset.

Visiting and playing miniature golf courses came about from our love of travelling around the UK. We began going to different seasides when we got our first car in 2006 and after a trip to Southsea, Hampshire we found the MiniatureGolfer website where there were around 600 minigolf courses listed around the UK. Since then we've tried to play as many as we can.

A view of the nice seaside resort of Goodrington Sands, Paignton, Devon
A view of the nice seaside resort of Goodrington Sands

Related blog posts:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Mini Golf in the South West of England

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Seaside Shields museum exhibition

This summer South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is going back in time to look at all the fun of yesteryear's seaside with the Seaside Shields exhibition.

Crazy Golf is a classic part of seaside heritage and it's good to see that the game is being featured as part of the exhibition as a Putterfingers Portable Crazy Golf course will be at the museum on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August for the Seaside Shields Golf Championship.

We've visited South Shields on our coastal travels and back in 2009 the Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf course became the 100th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Richard Gottfried playing the Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf course in South Shields, Tyneside
Adventure Golfing in South Shields

Emily revisited South Shields in 2012 and had another round on the course.

Over the years we've also played a few Putterfingers minigolf courses on our tour.

Seaside Shields runs until the 31st October 2015. For more information check out the South Shields Museum & Art Gallery website and minigolf event page.

In 2011 Stevenage Museum ran an exhibition on British Holiday Camps. That also featured Crazy Golf.

Don't forget to check out The Crazy Golf Museum website and on Twitter for more on the history of miniature golf.

Links:
- South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
- Putterfingers
- Crazy Golf Museum
- Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf course
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Related blog posts:
- Gottfried's Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Minigolf Course Played No. 100!!!
- Revisit & Replay of Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf in South Shields
- "Morning Campers!" A British Holiday Camp Exhibition at Stevenage Museum - with Crazy Golf!
- Museum
- Putterfingers

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Crazy Golf at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay

Playing the Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon.

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

The 617th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Crazy Golf at the hotel we stayed at in Torquay. Prior to our arrival we didn't know there was a course there.

The Mini Golf course on the balcony. Handily quite near the bar too

A nice bonus on our holiday.

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon
Emily on the second hole

The 9-hole layout was the 18th found, and sixth played on our tour of the South West of England, and the 369th played overall on our tour.

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon
Playing hole 1

In our match on the 3rd June 2015 Emily scored 20 for the win. I scored 21.

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon
Emily playing the balcony course

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon
Emily winning

Photos of the 9-hole Crazy Golf course.

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

Crazy Golf course at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay, Devon

You can find The Imperial Hotel on Park Hill Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 2DG. Check out the hotel website for more information.

Aceing the 7th

We played a similar looking course at the Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre on a road-trip in 2012.

Emily Gottfried playing Crazy Golf at Brockhole in the Lake District
Emily playing the Brockhole course

The same obstacle in Torquay

Related blog posts:
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
Mini Golf in the South West of England
Hotel

Link:
- The Imperial Hotel, Torquay website

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.