Shanklin Seafront Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf

Playing the new Crazy Golf course on Shanklin Seafront.

Back in 2008 we visited the Isle of Wight and the first course we played there - and our 63rd overall - was the Miniature Golf course on Shanklin Seafront. Since that visit the course has been refurbished and changed from the concrete 'Beton' style to an Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf layout.

The Crazy Golf course on Shanklin Seafront

While the colours, obstacles and many of the hole layouts look like a traditional Arnold Palmer Putting course from the 1960's or 70's what is noticeably different is the scale of the course. As the foundations are still from the large Beton type of course - itself dating from the 1950's - the new Crazy Golf course is like an over-sized Arnold Palmer.

The course has a classic Windmil obstacle

It really is something to experience, especially if you've played a lot of Arnold Palmer Putting courses like us.

The new course became the 709th visited and 416th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

  

Hole 13 is not your usual Arnold Palmer hole

  

We enjoyed our round - albeit having to play a bit too quickly as we were pressed for time to make the 'tube train' to connect with the last hovercraft out of Ryde.

Some BIG minigolf obstacles to putt round

In our minigolf match-up on the 18-hole Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course Cat Patterson picked up the surprise victory with a score of 47! Emily and I tied for second place on 49.

How the 18-hole Crazy Golf course looked in October 2016

You can see how the course used to look in this blog post from our visit in July 2008.

As the Crazy Golf course on Shanklin Seafront looked in 2008

Check out the Shanklin Seafront website for info on opening times and prices.

Playing the obelisk hole

There is also a Pirate Adventure Golf course next to the Crazy Golf course on Shanklin Seafront. That course was built on what used to be a grass Putting Green.

Pirates Cove Adventure Golf at Shanklin Seafront

Related blog posts:
- Isle of Wight
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Course Played #63 Shanklin (Isle of Wight) - Beton Crazy Golf - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Shanklin Seafront website

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Ten years of The Ham & Egger Files

Today marks the tenth anniversary of The Ham & Egger Files blog.

On the 21st December 2006 I wrote the first post introducing the blog and outlining my participation in many obscure and minority sports with the aim of having as much fun as possible with the modicum of sporting ability I have! The second post was about Finger Jousting.

I've had a lot of FUN blogging over the last ten years

Since then the 2,381 posts I've written have received 1.1 million page views from people in 110 countries.

Our travels have taken Emily and I to twelve countries, 500+ places in the UK, 220+ seasides and 719 miniature golf courses.

While many of my blog posts have been about Crazy Golf and Minigolf, I've also blogged about Coeliac Disease and living on a lifelong gluten free diet, travel, social history and a lot of other sports and games.

Related blog posts:
- My most viewed blog post - Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Sports and Games played

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

A Santa Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man in Stockport

Spotting a Christmas-themed Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man in Stockport.

While heading to my local Morrisons supermarket in Cheadle Heath my finely honed senses alerted me to something ludicrous across the car park - a Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man at the Stockport branch of Terry's Fabrics.

The Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man in the car park of Terry's Blinds in Stockport. Viewable to the customers in the car park of Morrisons and B&M in Cheadle Heath

And it wasn't just any old Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man. No, it was a Father Christmas Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man! Something I've not seen before. A marvellous a sight to behold.

They've got a curtains and fabric sale on at Terry's Fabrics in Stockport

In my element

It's almost a year to the day since I spotted a non-articulated inflatable advertising Xmas Tree in my old home town of Luton.

Airdancers - to give them their official name - are one of my favourite forms of advertising. They certainly are attention grabbing.

Do check out the Terry's Fabrics, Stockport website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men
- Airdancer
- Advertising
- Stockport
- Cheadle Heath

Minigolf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Miniature Golf courses at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium.

Emily recently visited three courses and a new country on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when she was in Blankenberge, Belgium.

What a sight for minigolf fans

The seaside resort is home to a Minigolf course, a Crazy Golf and a Snookergolf layout. The three 18-hole courses at Leopoldpark became the 710th, 711th and 712th visited on the tour.

The Minigolf course (left) and Crazy Golf course (right) at Leopoldpark

Photos of the Minigolf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Crazy Golf course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

Photos of the Snookergolf Billiards course at Leopoldpark, Blankenberge.

We've got some great old postcards from Blankenberge that show the miniature golf courses which used to be at Leopoldpark. It's great to know there are still courses on the same spot today.

The whole place looks marvelously bright and colourful. We'll definitely have to return for a fair few games on the miniature golf courses and petanque in Blankenberge.

The Petanque terrain at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge

Visit the Leopoldpark website for details of opening times and prices.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

A treat for dull men

A photographic treat for members of the Dull Men's Club.

There's a double-whammy treat for members of the Dull Men's Club in this photo I took while on a recent visit to the post box on Twining Brook Road in Cheadle Hulme.

A post box AND a lost glove

The Dull Men’s Club is a place where dull men (and women who like dull men) share thoughts and experiences, free from glitz and glamour, free from pressures to be in and trendy - free instead to enjoy simple, ordinary things. The club's mission statement is “It’s OK to be dull”.

One of my fellow DMC members has documented each and every post box in the UK on his travels, while another - who also features in the Dull Men's Club 2017 calendar - photographs lost gloves.

Related blog posts:
- Dull Men's Club

Link:
- Dull Men's Club website

Jump Heaven Trampoline Park in Stockport

There's a Trampoline Park with Ninja Warrior and Total Wipeout in Stockport!

Exploring the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport this weekend we spotted Jump Heaven on Pepper Road in Hazel Grove - it's the UK's first trampoline, Ninja Warrior, Parkour and Total Wipeout arena. It looks marvellous.

Emily and I have done a number of sports, games and activities on our travels - with aerial extreme high ropes and indoor skydiving being two of the more energetic pursuits we've tried. I was awful at both.

I've seen trampoline dodgeball before and asked if they ever do that at Jump Heaven - they do, which is great news as that's the only thing I'd probably be half decent at. Although I do want to have a go on the Total Wipeout and Ninja Warrior courses.

Check out the Jump Heaven Trampoline Park website for more info, opening times and prices. You can also see the arena on the Jump Heaven YouTube Channel, Facebook and Twitter.

The Jump Super Pass costs £10 per hour - which seems like a good price to bounce around the different zones.

Goolfy black light indoor Minigolf course in Blankenberge

Spotting the Goolfy black light indoor Minigolf course in Blankenberge.

While in Blankenberge, Belgium Emily spotted the Goolfy black light indoor Minigolf course. Sadly it wasn't yet open to play on the day.

Goolfy looks quite a character!

The Goolfy black light indoor Minigolf course in Blankenberge became the 713th course visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Link:
- Goolfy black light minigolf website

Related blog posts
- Blankenberge
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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Hellas Mini Golf course in Lardos Village, Rhodes

Earlier this year my cousin Elaine and her family had a holiday in Rhodes, Greece and while there had a game of Crazy Golf on the 18-hole Hellas Mini Golf course in Lardos Village, near Lindos.

Hellas Mini Golf is an 18-hole Swedish Felt Miniature Golf course - one of the toughest types of course to master

Ryan teeing-off

Ronnie on the green of a very long minigolf hole!

In the Lindos Rhodes Minigolf Championship my cousin Ronnie won, with cousin Ronnie runner-up, Jamie 3rd and Elaine picking up the wooden spoon.

Check out the Hellas Mini Golf course website for more info.

Links:
- Hellas Mini Golf course website
- Hellas Mini Golf course on Facebook

Harry Putter and the Magical Crazy Golf course

A visit to the Harry Putter and the Magical Crazy Golf course at Manning's Amusements in Felixstowe.

While visiting family and friends in Ipswich we made our traditional trip to the nearby seaside town of Felixstowe, and of course we had an obligatory game of Crazy Golf at Manning's Amusement arcade.

Manning's Art Deco amusement arcade in Felixstowe

The great thing about visiting Felixstowe is that you know you can pretty much always get a game at the indoor Adventure Golf course at Manning's amusement arcade on Sea Road.

Emily playing hole one. I don't think either of us have ever putted into the cup on the right of the rotating green

We've been playing the course since November 2006 and it was the 5th course we ever visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It was also the first indoor minigolf course we played.

Hole 2 never gets any easier to play! Although Emily got a very good 3 on the whole, while I score a 5

Since our first visit the course has had a few upgrades, mild refurbishments and name changes - it was called 'Golf FX' when we first played and was more recently known as 'Magical Golf' and 'Magical Golf FX'.

The indoor miniature golf course has a real mixture of themes. From jungle to medieval and even a 'space cave'!

The biggest surprise on our latest visit came when we saw the new scorecard as the course has morphed into a bootleg of Harry Potter!

Wow!

Check out the player names

Inside the course itself there have been a few improvements, with new felt on some of the holes. While two of the holes upstairs have been completely changed to look more like a library!

This isn't how the hole used to look

The hole used to have a rope border and some 'Disney' artwork on the walls

Emily playing in 2016

Emily playing the same hole in 2009

In our latest match-up on the 13-hole course I won with a score of 40 to Emily's 49.

We both noticed the 2000 BC stone for the first time on our walk downstairs!

The 11th hole is very tricky indeed

The 'lucky' 13th hole has undergone some changes too

It now offers two holes to putt into

Each with their own benefit / demerit

A view of hole one from the reception area

The course is still only £2 per player and it's a good fun layout to play. Check out the Manning's Amusements website for more info.

It's been £2 to play since we first had a round in 2006

The wizard's shelf

A nice touch

The rules

Related blog posts:
- Felixstowe
- Golf FX
- Magical Golf FX
- Manning's Amusements
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Manning's Amusements

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.