Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

A visit to the Crazy Golf course at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton.


Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

Our road-trip to Southampton saw us visit 18 more courses. One of which we found during a drive round.


Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

We'd spotted a brown sign for the Southampton Municipal Golf course and went to check it out. While looking on the map Emily noticed that the golf course was next to the Outdoor Sports Centre and wouldn't you know it but there was the outline of a miniature golf course.


Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

Sure enough we found a minigolf course in the grounds of the sports centre and it was surprising to see it was of the mini-Eternit Miniature Golf variety - a smaller version of a minigolf type more commonly found in continental Europe.

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

We've only seen one course like it before, at Sutton Farm Cheshire at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire. That course is located at what was once a Golf Driving Range but is now part of the farm and is being used as a dog training centre!

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

The Crazy Golf course at the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre was the 872nd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Sadly we didn't have time to play it as we had to get to a wedding!

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 1

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 2

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 3

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 4

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 4

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 5

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 6

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 7

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 7

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 8

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 9

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 10

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 10

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 10

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 10

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 11

Crazy Golf at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre
Hole 12

Check out the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre website for more information.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - 883 courses visited
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Southampton

Link:
- Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - update from Wales

A blog post from a wonderful weekend in Wales.


I've just returned from a brilliant weekend away in Wales. Hours and hours of minigolf on some new courses, superb weather and visits to some new seasides added up to a lot of fun.


Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot
It's always nice to see a shark obstacle on a minigolf course

I arrived in Wales at 10.40am on Saturday morning and my first stop was in Port Talbot town centre for a wander, a bit of charity shop shopping and some lunch. While there I spotted the outdoor market/car boot sale in a car park and was surprised to be able to add to a number of my collections by finding some retro 80's toys, pin badges and amusement park tokens! The weekend got off to a bright start.

After checking in at the excellent Aberavon Beach Hotel on the seafront I went straight to the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course to practice for the Welsh Mini Golf Club's Doubles Championship.

The Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot
The Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course in Aberavon

The 12-hole Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course became the 865th course visited and 516th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Created by the Natural Play Company, it's a tricky layout and while there are hole-in-one opportunities, they are few and far between!

We warmed up for Sunday's tournament with a singles competition to celebrate National Miniature Golf Day. The in-form David Hartley added to his recent trophy haul by taking the win by one-shot, with Marion Hartley and me tied for second place.

Aberavon beach is such a lovely spot and provides spectacular views - Swansea Bay to the right and the steelworks to the left! It was a very nice place to spend time Putting.

Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot
Playing hole 12

Wandering along the prom I noticed an odd-shaped lump in the distance and upon closer inspection found it to be a huge concrete whale, surrounded by some penguins! I've been told that this was once part of another, long-gone, Crazy Golf course! I'd love to know more about Aberavon's Whale Park...

The Whale Park in Aberavon
The Whale Park in Aberavon

The Whale Park in Aberavon, Port Talbot
It was the largest fake whale I've seen on my travels

Sunday's Welsh Mini Golf Club Doubles Championship was a great event to be a part of. The Welsh Mini Golf Club are relative newcomers to the world of minigolf and have put in a lot of effort to create new events, play at different courses and become competitive on the national minigolf tour.

The weather was perfect, with not a cloud in the sky and only a slight sea breeze. This, though would cause a lot of 'classic' minigolfer's sunburn by the end of the day!

I teamed up with my former Midlands Minigolf Club team-mate Seve Kukielka for the event and after a shaky middle patch we qualified from the round-robin group stage as group winners. This meant a semi-final clash with Cardiff's combination of Holly and Stewart aka the team of 'How Hard Can This Be?'. Seve and I - as the 'Natural Disasters' - avoided catastrophe and qualified for the final match against 'Sturgeon's Nightmares', the combination of Planet Hastings' Dave Gomm and the Welsh Mini Golf Club's Simon Brown, who had defeated Cindy Kukielka and Andrew Edmonds in the other semi-final.

Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot
Playing hole 11

The final itself was a very close match, with Dave and Simon leading by one-hole heading to the 12th. Simon managed to drain a long second putt to close out the match meaning Seve and I were runners-up. Even so it was a nice event to compete in and the new course was well suited to the doubles format.

The Welsh Doubles Championship silver medalists with Martyn Williams, captain of the Welsh Mini Golf Club
The silver medalists with Martyn Williams, captain of the Welsh Mini Golf Club

As I love holidays/minigolf/the Welsh coast I was in no rush to head home on Monday and stopped off at Porthcawl as I'd seen there was a Putting Green in Griffin Park. Unfortunately it wasn't yet open for the season and the groundskeepers were working on a few other areas of the park to get it ready for the summer.

Putting Green at Griffin Park in Porthcawl
You can make out the shape of the holes at Griffin Park's Putting Green

We have been to Porthcawl before, although only to Trecco Bay Holiday Park where we played Adventure Golf back in 2009. So it was nice to explore a new seaside resort and play in some new amusement arcades.

The Hi-Tide amusement arcade in Porthcawl
The Hi-Tide amusement arcade in Porthcawl - can you see Pac-Man?

I'd recently heard from the team at Greenspan Projects that there was a brand new minigolf course at Fontygary Leisure Park in Rhoose and luckily for me that was on my route.

Dragon's Quest Adventure Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park
I do like a mining theme

It was great to have a round on the 18-hole Dragon's Quest Adventure Golf course. It looks really nice and has some interesting features, most noticeably the BIG red dragon!

Dragon's Quest Adventure Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park
The dragon breathes smoke at times too!

The Adventure Mini Golf course at Fontygary Leisure Park became the 887th visited and 517th played since September 2006.

View from the patio at Fontygary Leisure Park
What a view from the patio at Fontygary Leisure Park

My next stop was somewhere I know well, as my family had many happy holidays in Barry Island back in the 1980's and 1990's.

Barry Island is still recognisable from my time there 30 years ago, even though the holiday camp has been knocked down to make way for housing and a public car park.

Site of the old Butlin's Holiday Camp at Barry Island
They paved paradise

While in Barry Island I revisited a lot of my old haunts including the Quasar and had a nice chat with the owner who told me about it's history. It opened in July 1992, so I must've been one of the first players through the door on our summer holiday that year!

Me with a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator at Barry Island Quasar
Me with a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator at Barry Island Quasar

Before I left I had a round on the Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf course - a course we first played in 2009 - and had one last walk on the beach.

Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf at Barry Island
The Smuggler's Cove course at Barry Island was the 121st visited

Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf at Barry Island

Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf at Barry Island

Barrybados beach
Big Steve the seagull on Barry Island beach

Rather reluctantly, I left Barry Island for the trip back north to Stockport and re-entered England at 5.38pm.

Barry Island railway station
I might look happy here - well, that is a double Pacer Railbus formation - but it was sad to leave Barry Island on such a lovely sunny day

All in all it was a marvellous weekend and I'm looking forward to my next trip to the Welsh coast already.

Monday, May 13, 2019

East Park Mini Golf course in Southampton

Playing the Mini Golf course at East Park in Southampton - and scoring a hole-in-one.

The course was the 881st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

100% gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor

Finding a 100% gluten free pub restaurant in Winsor, Hampshire.


Our friend Cat recently heard about The Compass Inn at Winsor and by chance we found it was near to where we were staying for a wedding so we had to call in.


100% gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor

As someone with Coeliac Disease I must adhere to a strict gluten free diet. Dining out can be incredibly complicated and stressful and there are very often risks of cross-contamination in food preparation, cooking and serving - even in places with 'gluten free' menus.


100% gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor

I've been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease for eleven years and I now only dine out at places that are 100% gluten free that are suitable for people with diagnosed Coeliac Disease.

Luckily I've found a few new 100% gluten free places, so in the last month I've actually dined out a fair bit. In comparison to recent years this is really lavish.

As it was a Sunday Emily and I both opted for the Roast Dinners. It's been years since I had a Roast Dinner so it was a real treat.

Gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor
My 100% gluten free roast dinner

While dining out should be a nice, easy and natural thing to do, it can be stressful for people with Coeliac Disease. Especially so when trying somewhere for the first time.

100% gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor

I enjoyed the meal at The Compass Inn and would return. What was really nice about the experience was that it was great to be able to pop in for a meal, be served a tasty plate of food and then be on our where with very little fuss or stress. It felt almost normal!

100% gluten free at The Compass Inn at Winsor

Check out The Compass Inn website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- 100% gluten free places in the UK
- Gluten free
- Coeliac

Link:
- The Compass Inn

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Jungle Safari Adventure Golf at Ravenmeadow Golf Centre in Worcester

Playing the Jungle Safari Adventure Golf course at the Ravenmeadow Golf Centre in Worcester - and scoring a hole-in-one.

The 18-hole course was the 868th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Happy National Miniature Golf Day 2019

Have a brilliant National Miniature Golf Day.

Championship Adventure Golf in New Brighton
Playing at Championship Adventure Golf in New Brighton

Each year there are two annual 'days' to celebrate the game. The first is National Miniature Golf Day, while the second of these awareness days is Miniature Golf Day on the 21st of September.

Friday, May 10, 2019

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

A visit to the City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago.



City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

Emily was recently back in Chicago, USA and visited her second miniature golf course in the city, the City Mini Golf course at Maggie Daley Park.


City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

The course was the 39th visited overseas and the 884th overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago
  
City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

Check out the City Mini Golf course website for more information, opening times and prices.

City Mini Golf at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

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

Links:
- City Mini Golf
- Maggie Daley Park

Tidal Bay Adventure Golf at the Wyevale Garden Centre in Sherfield on Lodden

Playing the Tidal Bay Adventure Golf course at the Wyevale Garden Centre in Sherfield on Lodden, Hampshire - the 883rd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It was the first time we'd seen this particular obstacle on a course - it made for a nice hole-in-one, if you could hit a straight tee-shot!

Glo-Golf at the Riverside Bowl in Andover

The Glo-Golf indoor minigolf course at the Riverside Bowl in Andover, Hampshire was the 882nd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.





Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club

Playing a round on the excellent 9-hole Crazy Putting Challenge course at Hamptworth Golf Club in Wiltshire - the 875th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.