Bar Billiards at The Smithfield Market Tavern in Manchester

Spotting a Bar Billiards table at The Smithfield Market Tavern.

While having a day out in Manchester we were wandering along Swan Street in the Northern Quarter and noticed a sign in a pub that said 'Bar Billiards'! We had to go in for a further look.

The pub has a nice Bar Billiards area

Unfortunately the barman told us the Bar Billiards table was out of order as somebody had poured beer down the 200-points-hole so the mechanism was broken.

Never a good sign

As the game is only getting rarer it's more difficult to find people to repair them, although he did say he hoped it would be fixed soon. We're looking forward to revisiting The Smithfield Market Tavern for a game or two in the future.

Always nice to see The Rules of Bar Billiards on display - it can be a mysterious game to play without them

As well as Bar Billiards The Smithfield Market Tavern also has Table Skittles, Shove Ha'penny and Darts. The darts area also has a brilliant scoring machine!

Shove Ha'penny

Table Skittles

The "Bisset" Automatic Dart Scorer by Kwiz Darts

Check out The Smithfield Market Tavern on Twitter for more info.

You can find The Smithfield Market Tavern at 37 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ

Related blog posts:
- Bar Billiards
- Manchester
- Pub

M.C. Noodle King!

While having a day out in Leeds we spotted this bootleg fast food shop on Kirkgate.

M.C. Noodle King on Kirkgate in Leeds city centre

Related blog posts:
- Bootleg
- Leeds

Putt-Putt at Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point/Sea Point in Cape Town

A look at a Putt-Putt course in Cape Town, South Africa.

Many thanks to Adam Trigg for sending me a snap of the Putt-Putt course at Three Anchor Bay in Moullie Point/Sea Point, Cape Town from his recent trip to South Africa.

The Putt-Putt course at Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town

I've blogged about the course before as I own a postcard showing the course. My friend PJ Goedhals was a local champion of the venue and tells me the two courses were previously painted distinct colours - one orange and one blue.

The Putt-Putt course on the 1960s postcard

We're yet to play the Putt-Putt brand of miniature golf. Sadly there are no longer any Putt-Putt courses in the UK. Hopefully we'll get to play the format when we're next in the USA.

American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships now on YouTube

The Grand Final of the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships is now available to watch on the American Golf YouTube Channel.



Peter Jones and I competed in the tournament held at The Belfry Hotel & Resort back in September 2017.

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.

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

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

MiniLinks Majors in Lytham Saint Annes

The team at MiniLinks in Lytham Saint Annes have announced the line-up of MiniLinks Major competitions to take place on the seafront Par-3 miniature golf course this year. The dates are as follows:

• Wednesday 4th - Sunday 8th April - MiniLinks Masters
• Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th June - MiniLinks US Open
• Thursday 19th - Sunday 22nd July - MiniLinks Open Championship
• Thursday 9th - Sunday 12th August - MiniLinks PGA Championship
• November - February - MiniLinks Winter Trophy

The contests are open events with players handing in their scores at the end of their round.

Last year I competed in the MiniLinks US Open, MiniLinks Mini Open and MiniLinks PGA Championship finishing in tied 13th, 15th and tied 24th positions respectively. The Par-3 course is a tricky layout, but has some lovely greens to putt on. I certainly had a mixture of weather to contend with during my rounds too!

Hole 1 of the MiniLinks Par-3 Golf course

The MiniLinks Par-3 Miniature Golf course became the 742nd visited and 437th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

This year the course is also holding the first-ever MiniLinks Women's Open Championship. This event will also coincide with the actual golf major - The Women's Open - which is taking place a short distance away at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf course between the 2nd and 5th of August.

The Pennines Putting minigolf course at MiniLinks

MiniLinks is home to three courses - the Par-3 Golf course, an 18-hole Pennines Putting layout and a 9-hole Crazy Golf course.

The Crazy Golf course at MiniLinks

The MiniLinks is currently hosting its Winter Trophy tournament - it's been running since November and entry finishes at the end of February.

For more information check out the MiniLinks website.

Related blog posts:
- MiniLinks Par-3 Miniature Golf course in Lytham Saint Annes
- MiniLinks Pennines Putting Mini Golf course in Lytham Saint Annes
- MiniLinks Crazy Golf course in Lytham Saint Annes

Mighty Claws Adventure Golf at Playgolf Colchester

New Mighty Claws Adventure Golf course opening at Playgolf Colchester.

The minigolf boom continues as the team at Mighty Claws Adventure Golf are currently building their next course at Playgolf Colchester. The first Mighty Claws Adventure Golf course opened at Playgolf Bournemouth last summer.

Keep an eye on the Playgolf Colchester website and social media for more details as the course progresses.

Links:
- Playgolf Colchester
- Mighty Claws

Related blog posts:
- Mighty Claws Adventure Golf
- Adventure Golf
- Colchester
- Playgolf
- Essex

Credit Cruncher

Having a look through our photo archives earlier a snap from our trip to Bristol back in 2011 caught my eye - it was of the (now closed) Credit Cruncher on Gloucester Road. What a Pac-Man parody!

I love bootlegs and parodies and it's always fun seeing 'Pac-Man' stuff

What is the most boring sport?

Do you agree with the YouGov Poll results?

A recent YouGov Poll of the British public found that Golf was the most boring sport to watch on TV.

I'm glad I play Mini Golf - that's NOT boring at all.

Playing the Ryder Legends Adventure Golf course at The Belfry - home of the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships

We need more of it on the telly - like the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships that were shown on Sky Sports in November.



Find out more about the YouGov Poll on the YouGov website.

I wonder what the members of the Dull Men's Club think about the Poll...?

Related blog posts:
- Boring
- Dull

Crazy Golf in Manchester

A look at minigolf courses in the Manchester area.

2017 saw a real boom in minigolf in the UK and there are a number of new courses set to open in 2018.

Here in Manchester there are plenty of options to play minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf, with some new courses being built this year too.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre - two 18-hole indoor Adventure Golf courses.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre

Dino Falls Adventure Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre - an 18-hole outdoor Jurassic-themed Adventure Golf course.

Junkyard Golf at First Street - three 9-hole indoor Crazy Golf courses.

A glow-in-the-dark hole at Junkyard Golf

Crazy Golf at Wythenshawe Park - an 18-hole outdoor Crazy Golf course.

The Crazy Golf course at Wythenshawe Park on our visit in 2009

The Lost Valley Adventure Golf at Amazonia, Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton - an 18-hole indoor Adventure Golf course.

The Lost Valley Adventure Golf course in Bolton

Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan - an 18-hole outdoor Wigan-themed Adventure Golf course and an 18-hole outdoor Crazy Golf course.

The new Adventure Golf course at Haigh Woodland Park

The old Crazy Golf course in Haigh Woodland Park - it's the cheapest course to play in the UK at only £1 a round!

Stamford Park, Stamford Street, Stalybridge, Tameside - an outdoor Crazy Golf course.

Moss Bank Park, Bolton - an outdoor Crazy Golf course.

New courses opening in 2018:
- Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester City Centre - two 18-hole indoor Adventure Golf courses.
- Roxy Ball Room in Deansgate, Manchester City Centre - an 18-hole indoor Crazy Golf course.

The indoor Crazy Golf course at Roxy Ball Room in Leeds - the team at Roxy Ball Room are opening new minigolf courses at their venues in Manchester and Huddersfield in 2018

Over the years we've played a number of other minigolf courses in Manchester on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - some have been portable courses, while others have been temporary or pop-up locations. Back in 2009 I also won two mini major tournaments on the old Championship Miniature Golf course at the Trafford Golf Centre.

Related blog posts:
- Manchester
- Greater Manchester
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Blogging on Minigolfnews

At the end of last year I began guest blogging at Minigolfnews and the team at the site are keen for more minigolfers to get involved.

There's plenty of great stuff to shout about in the world of minigolf

Check out the blog section of Minigolfnews to see more posts and find out more.

New in the Crazy Golf Museum

Update on new donations to the Crazy Golf Museum.

Our friend and minigolf rival Pat Sheridan has made some superb donations to the Crazy Golf Museum's archives with a selection of scorecards and coupons from his recent travels as a tournament player and minigolf reviewer at the Putting Penguin.

It's always wonderful to see - and share - minigolf ephemera from around the world and Pat has donated a number of marvellous items to the Museum's collection over the years.

Scorecard from Aloha Mini Golf in Myrtle Beach

The scoring side of the scorecard at Aloha Mini Golf

The latest haul from the USA come from his visit to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, USA - a real hotbed of minigolf courses - where Pat competed in the 2017 USPMGA Master's tournament. There are also some items from Missouri and Florida.

Scorecard from the 2017 USPMGA Master's minigolf competition held at the Hawaiian Rumble Mini Golf course in North Myrtle Beach

Scorecard from Cancun Lagoon Mayan Adventure Golf in Myrtle Beach

The scoring side of the card from Cancun Lagoon Adventure Golf

  

Scorecard from Dragons Lair Fantasy Golf in Myrtle Beach - one of five courses in the Myrtle Beach Family Golf group

Scoring side of the card from the Dragons Lair Fantasy Golf course in Myrtle Beach

Scorecard from Shipwreck Island Adventure Golf in Myrtle Beach. Another course in the Myrtle Beach Family Golf group

The scoring side of the card from Shipwreck Island Adventure Golf in Myrtle Beach

Scorecard from Mount Atlanticus Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach - 'The Best Mini Golf Course in the World'!

Scoring side of the card from Mount Atlanticus Miniature Golf in Myrtle Beach

Pat has been reviewing minigolf courses since 2001 and there are 295 course reviews on the Putting Penguin website.

Scorecard from the minigolf course at Cool Crest Family Fun Center in Independence, Missouri

The scoring side of the card from Cool Crest in Missouri

A coupon from Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf in Florida

You can find out more about the Crazy Golf Museum on its website, Facebook Page and Twitter.

Legal Food in Lincoln

We had a brilliant weekend away in Lincoln and it's always nice to explore a new place. While having a wander down the High Street on Saturday we spotted this bizarre business name at a Chinese Takeaway!

Legal Food in Lincoln - not sure what this sign says about the other food businesses in the city!

Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf

Finding out about the Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf course in Branson, Missouri.

It's always brilliant finding out about new and interesting minigolf courses around the world. At the end of last year I spotted Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf in Branson, Missouri. It's another course we'd love to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

As you play the Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf course you take 18-steps to becoming a Hollywood Star!

From being discovered to earning a star on Hollywood Boulevard, your wise-cracking agent, Marty McBooster, guides your journey around the course with hilarious words of advice at each hole. Finally, you’ll learn the height of your fame at the Star-o-Meter – are you overexposed or legendary?

I love seeing BIG features and obstacles on miniature golf courses

The course layout lets you experience the landmarks of Hollywood, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Capitol Records and the Hollywood Bowl. You get to play minigolf in, around, and through palm trees, parties and paparazzi and discover Hot Tips about becoming a star at every hole.

We love playing unique courses with fun themes and the Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf looks like a perfect spot to play, grab some great snaps and an all round memorable experience.

We've played a few minigolf courses in the US - in Denver and Las Vegas. I also got my face on the Wall of Fame for winning a tournament at the Putt Park in Vegas - we'd love to get on the Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf Walk of Fame too!

Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf is located in the Hollywood Entertainment Center on Highway 76 in Branson, Missouri. Check out the Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf website, Facebook Page, Twitter and Google+ for more information.

All photos courtesy of Shoot for the Stars Mini-Golf course.

Conservation Golf at Chester Zoo

Finding out about the Adventure Golf course at Chester Zoo.

On his recent trip to the UK our friend and minigolf rival John Mittler visited Chester Zoo and while there discovered an Adventure Golf course!

Conservation Golf at Chester Zoo

Unfortunately it was closed and isn't open again until the Spring.

Hole 1

We haven't made it to Chester Zoo yet, we're hoping to visit in the summer. The Conservation Golf course wasn't on our Crazy World of Minigolf 'to visit' list, so it's another one to add to our future travels.

Hole 2

Hole 3 

Hole 4 

Hole 5 

Hole 6 

Hole 7 

Hole 8 

Hole 9

Visit the Chester Zoo website for more information.

All photos courtesy of John Mittler.

Our first minigolf course visit of the year

A revisit to The Masters Crazy Golf course in Southport.

To celebrate the first day of the new year we headed over to Southport, one of our local seasides, for the afternoon. While there we revisited what was originally the 150th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - The Masters Crazee Putting course at King's Gardens.

The 17th and 18th holes

We played the course on our first visit to the seaside resort in September 2009 and revisited twice in 2016. Last year raced by and we never made it back to Southport to have a game. Hopefully we'll return for a round or two later this year.

A view of the course in King's Garden's from the pier

It's a great 18-hole minigolf course and also has a lucky last hole - which I won on when we played there. I've still got the free game card.

There's a lot of great signage on the course

You can see more photos of the course in our blog posts from October and November 2016.

It was very rainy on our visit

Fingers crossed for a lot more seaside and crazy golf course visits in 2018.

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

Crazy Golf at Roxy Ball Room in Huddersfield

New indoor Mini Golf course set to open at Roxy Ball Room in Huddersfield.

There's a new indoor minigolf course opening up at Roxy Ball Room Huddersfield in March 2018.

The indoor minigolf course at Roxy Ball Room in Leeds

The team at Roxy Ball Room are also planning to open a new minigolf course at their Manchester venue in February.

There are also Roxy Ball Room venues in Liverpool, Nottingham and Leeds - we played the Crazy Golf course in Leeds in November 2016.

Check out the Roxy Ball Room website for more info.

We're looking forward to playing the new Roxy Ball Room course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Roxy Ball Room
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Roxy Ball Room

Key minigolf dates for the year ahead

Happy 2018! We hope you have a brilliant year of minigolf.

Last year we played at Championship Adventure Golf in New Brighton on National Miniature Golf Day

Check out these key dates for your minigolf diary.

Saturday 12th May - National Miniature Golf Day (this falls on the second Saturday in May).

Friday 21st September - Miniature Golf Day (this is always on the 21st September).

Sunday 30th September - 12 years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

#MiniGolfMonday - every Monday of the year.

For international minigolf tournaments visit the World Minigolf Sport Federation website.

For UK minigolf competitions visit the British Minigolf Association website.

Are you planning a minigolf event in 2018 or do you have a BIG minigolf anniversary to celebrate this year - do get in touch to let us know!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year and all the very best for 2018!