Friday, September 21, 2018

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:

Saturday, September 08, 2018

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.

The American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships at The Belfry
Peter in action on the 3rd hole in the semi-final


The American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships at The Belfry
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
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

Sunday, August 19, 2018

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.

Alpine Adventure Golf course at Llandudno Ski Centre
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.

Rocky Pines Adventure Golf course on the Great Orme in Llandudno
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.

Great Orme Family Golf Pitch & Putt course in Llandudno
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.

Minigolf explorers Richard and Emily Gottfried on the Great Orme mountain in Llandudno
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 Ãœberlingen next to Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and the Swiss Alps in the distance.

Postcard showing the 'Bodensee-Promenade mit Schweisser Alpen' and 'Kleingolfplatz Ãœberlingen'
The postally unused postcard shows 'Bodensee-Promenade mit Schweisser Alpen' and 'Kleingolfplatz Ãœberlingen'. 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

Friday, August 17, 2018

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

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

North Shore Crazy Golf 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.

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool
 
North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool

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.

North Shore Crazy Golf in Blackpool
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.


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!

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

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool

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.

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool

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

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool
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.

Graffiti Golf in Blackpool
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

Thursday, August 16, 2018

A visit to Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

Revisiting the Adventure Golf course at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.


Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

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

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

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.

Richard Gottfried - minigolf champion of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf course
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!

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf

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.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf course record
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

The course record at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf
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

Monday, August 13, 2018

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

A look at the derelict former Arnold Palmer Putting Course at Starr Gate in Blackpool.


Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

We had a day out in Blackpool on Friday 10th August and parked up at the Starr Gate end of the promenade so we could take a look at the Crazy Golf course near the tram terminus.


Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

It's in a terrible abandoned state now and looks even worse than on our last visit in 2016.

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

It's a shame to see it sitting derelict and abandoned. Ten years ago the course became the 45th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Abandoned Crazy Golf course at Starr Gate in Blackpool

Related blog posts:
- Arnold Palmer Starr Gate Crazy Golf in Blackpool
- From the archives...Arnold Palmer Starr Gate Crazy Golf in Blackpool (April 2008)
- Blackpool