North Bay Mini Golf in Scarborough

A visit to our 900th minigolf course - North Bay Crazy Golf in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Last Friday we made the landmark 900th course visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we had a round at the North Bay Mini Golf course in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

At our 900th minigolf course!

We were staying near Peasholm Park and had seen a number of the other courses in the North Bay area shortly after arriving in the town. As it was a Friday - and a rainy one at that - none were open.

A view of the North Bay in Scarborough

While walking along the clifftop we spied the North Bay Crazy Golf course and I couldn't run down the hill quickly enough to get a closer look at the 12-hole course.

Luckily for us the course was open

It's always nice to find unique courses and the North Bay Crazy Golf course is that. There are some very nice hole-in-one opportunities and a few tricky second putts on the colourful course. What was really nice to see was that the borders had felt on them that allowed skillful shots to be rewarded.

A view of the course

  

In our round I shot a 24 to take the win, with Emily scoring a 26 and our friend Cat Patterson hitting a 33.

It was brilliant chatting to the course owners. They've got a real passion for the game and have created a fun and challenging layout. They told us that the course record was a 20, but not many players get close to that or even near to my round of 24. That was very nice to hear. If the weather hadn't gotten worse and if the day was longer I would've had another round or two to try and beat the record.

Luckily when we swung by the course on the Sunday of our weekend away the course was doing a brisk trade in the sunnier conditions. Before we wandered along the coast to the South Bay I managed to have another round, but didn't score as well as I had on my first go, shooting a 27.

The course can be easily found next to the main road and beach in Scarborough's North Bay.

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Scarborough and its two bays are well worth visiting. We'll be heading back to the seaside resort and look forward to playing the North Bay Crazy Golf course again then.

The North Bay Crazy Golf course was the 900th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006. When our travels began there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've now been to 862 courses in the British Isles and 39 overseas. The North Bay Crazy Golf course was the 520th we've played in the last 13 years as a number of courses we've visited have been closed, derelict, flooded or abandoned.

After our weekend in Scarborough we'd visited a total of 901 courses. The latest being the Holbeck Putting Green in the South Bay, a course that had been there since 1925!

The next leg of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the road to 1,000 courses started in Scarborough

Related blog posts:
- Scarborough
- Mini Golf in Scarborough
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Galaxy Quest Adventure Golf in Sunderland

New Galaxy Quest Adventure Golf now open in Sunderland.

There's a new Adventure Golf course in Sunderland. The 12-hole Galaxy Quest Adventure Golf course opened at Laser Quest Sunderland this month.

Check out the Galaxy Quest Adventure Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

It's another new course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour during a future visit to the North East. We do like a game of laser tag too.

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival John Moore for letting us know about the course.

We were actually in Sunderland last month, albeit the one in Lancashire!

Mini Golf in Scarborough

A look at the miniature golf courses in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

The North Bay Crazy Golf course

We've just returned from a superb weekend away at the seaside in Scarborough where we visited seven minigolf courses - including our 900th!

At our 900th minigolf course visit!!!

Scarborough's two bays have got a lot of choice for fans of minigolf, with a nice mix of Crazy Golf, Putting Greens, a Pitch & Putt course and a pair of Adventure Golf courses.

Courses visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to Scarborough:

• 896 Scarborough (North Bay, Sea Life Centre) - Merlin Pirate Adventure Mini Golf
• 897 Scarborough (Peasholm Park) - Mini Golf (Pitch & Putt)
• 898 Scarborough (Peasholm Park) - Putting Green
• 899 Scarborough (Victoria Park) - Crazy Golf
• 900 Scarborough (North Bay) - North Bay Crazy Golf
• 901 Scarborough (South Bay, Holbeck) - Putting Green 
• Course 55 revisited Scarborough (North Bay) - Adventure Golf

We bad a brilliant time in the seaside resort and highly recommend a visit.

Revisiting the North Bay Adventure Golf course - this was the only course we played on our last visit to Scarborough way back in June 2008

The Merlin Pirate Adventure Mini Golf course on a very rainy evening

The 18-hole Mini Golf Pitch & Putt course in Peasholm Park

The Putting Green in Peasholm Park

  

The Crazy Golf course in Victoria Park

Playing the marvellous 12-hole North Bay Crazy Golf course

Playing at the excellent Holbeck Putting Green. There's been a course on the tranquil site since 1925

Seven weeks ago we had visited 861 courses, but following trips to East Anglia, the South Coast, South Wales and the North West coast we've now visited 901 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

This year marks the 13th year of our travels. Back in September 2006 we played our first course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea. Back then there were around 600 courses in the UK - that number has grown considerably since then and the game is experiencing a real boom.

We've now visited 901 courses, 862 of which have been in the British Isles.

The next step of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the journey to 1,000 courses started at the Holbeck Putting Green on Sunday

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

Eleven years gluten free

Today marks my eleven year Coeliac Anniversary - my Coeliacversary.

Eleven years ago today I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and began my journey into the gluten free world.

Coeliac Disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In Coeliac Disease the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This can trigger a number of painful, horrible, stressful and uncomfortable symptoms.

Why I avoid gluten at all times!

Having suffered from a range of symptoms for around ten years I finally received a positive diagnosis of Coeliac Disease following some 'interesting' and in-depth tests and procedures in 2008. It came as a relief to finally have a name for the mysterious cause of my illnesses and ailments, but at the time I was only given a brief summary and told that I'd have to "cut down on bread and beer". It was only later when I met with a Gastroenterologist and a dietitian that I found out that the only treatment for people with Coeliac Disease is a strict, life-long gluten free diet.

While having a life-long condition such as Coeliac Disease can be a pain - and horrible if I 'get glutened' - having the disease has had some positives. I've met great people since my diagnosis and have made some brilliant friends who I've met through Coeliac groups. I've also blogged a lot about living with the condition and the great free from food and drink I've found since 2008.

Thank you to everyone for their support, tips, help and recommendations over the years. It's been very much appreciated. I've also found some funny things about being a Coeliac along the way.

And a BIG thank you to Emily for all of her help and support throughout my struggles with the illness.

For more information on Coeliac Disease do check out the NHS Choices and Coeliac UK websites.

You can also view the very first blog post I wrote about gluten free / Coeliac stuff at 'Gluten Free Fish & Chips at Rossi's in Swansea'.

'Ecto-1' in Scarborough

Spotting a Ghostbusters car in Scarborough.

Last Friday we were in Scarborough and while walking back from the North Bay seafront we spotted Ecto-1 drive past us! We didn't have time to grab a snap.

That was until I spotted it again on Saturday. This time in the South Bay.

The car was part of the Gib or Bust rally last year and is raising money for Saint Catherine's Hospice.

Related blog posts:
- Ghostbusters
- Gutt Busters