Minigolf in Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks

A look at the miniature golf courses in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks area of Dorset.

We're gearing up for a minigolfing road-trip to the Bournemouth area in the spring and are looking forward to visiting and playing the courses down there.

We've visited the area a number of times over the years but our last trip there was in 2013. Since then a number of new courses have opened up, while some of the others have been refurbished.

If you know of any other minigolf courses in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole or Sandbanks area do let us know.

Boscombe

Boscombe Chine Gardens is home to the Squirrel Café and mini golf. We played competitions on the course in 2009 and 2013.

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in 2009

Boscombe Pier was home to an eco-friendly Crazy Golf course for a while, we're not sure if it's still there though. The balls in use were made of fish food and the last hole had a drop into the sea!

Bournemouth

Mighty Adventures Crazy Golf at Playgolf Bournemouth is a relatively new 18-hole adventure golf course.

The Oasis Fun Centre in Bournemouth is home to an indoor jungle-themed adventure golf course.

Bournemouth Gardens Classic Mini Golf in the Lower Gardens has been in the gardens for decades. It re-opened following a refurbishment a few seasons ago. We visited in 2009 and 2013. The Lower Gardens have been home to miniature golf courses since 1931 when the first Putting Green was introduced.

Mini Golf in the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth in 2013

Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf on Pier Approach in Bournemouth opened last year and is an 18-hole layout.

Mr Mulligan's Space Golf in Bournemouth is home to three 9-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

There used to be a derelict Crazy Golf near the Lower Gardens on Exeter Road in Bournemouth. It'll be interesting to see if it's still there and what state it's in now.

We checked out the course in 2009 and 2013

There's a Crazy Golf course at Tuckton Tea Gardens, Bournemouth. It looks like a fun layout.

Solent Meads Golf Centre in Bournemouth is home to a par-3 course as well as a Putting Green.

Christchurch

There's a Crazy Golf courses in Christchurch. We've known about it for a while but it's always been slightly off our route.

Poole

Harbour Pirates Glow Golf in Poole is a pirate-themed indoor UV minigolf course.

Poole Park Crazy Golf is a 12-hole outdoor course. We've also played a Putting Course next to the Crazy Golf. The park is also home to a miniature railway.

Poole Park Crazy Golf in 2010

Sandbanks

Sandbanks Crazy Golf is an interesting 18-hole layout. We've played tournaments on the course in the past.

There are some big obstacles on the Sandbanks Crazy Golf course

Southbourne

Cafe Riva in Southbourne is home to a Crazy Golf course. We played the course in 2009 and revisited in 2013. On our return we saw the venue is also home to a Putting course and a Pitch & Putt layout.

The Crazy Golf course at Cafe Riva in Southbourne back in 2013

Holiday parks

Two holiday parks in the area are home to courses:
Sandford Holiday Park in Sandford, Poole has a minigolf course.
Merley Court Touring Park in Merley, Wimborne, near Poole has a 9-hole minigolf course.

It should be a marvellous trip to the seaside.

What are the odds we find a few other hidden putting greens or pop-up crazy golf courses while we're down there?

Puttstars in Leeds

The first of Hollywood Bowl's new Puttstars minigolf centres is opening in Leeds next month.

The location at The Springs at the Thorpe Park shopping and entertainment site will be home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

The minigolf venue from the Hollywood Bowl Group will also include a bar, diner and amusement arcade.

Puttstars Leeds will be followed by Puttstars York opening in April and Puttstars Rochdale opening in May.

Visit the Puttstars Leeds website for more information.

New indoor Adventure Golf opening in Hull

The Lost City Adventure Golf is opening in Hull.

A brand new two-course indoor adventure golf venue is opening at St Stephen's shopping centre in Hull.

The Hull site is the third location for the team at The Lost City Adventure Golf having opened courses in Nottingham and Belfast.

We've played the Nottingham course a number of times, but haven't got back over to Belfast for a few years.

Playing at The Lost City in Nottingham

Visit The Lost City Adventure Golf and St Stephen's Hull websites for more information.

We're looking forward to visiting Hull. Until last month there were no miniature golf courses in the city. That changed when Putt Club opened at the TeamSport indoor karting centre last week.

Boom: Battle Bar opening at Castle Quarter, Norwich in April

A new indoor games venue is opening at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich.

Norwich will soon be home to a new indoor venue containing a minigolf course, boules piste, axe throwing arena, electric darts and shuffleboard.

It sounds brilliant.

We're looking forward to playing at Boom: Battle Bar when it opens later this year.

Visit the Castle Quarter Norwich website for more information.

The Castle Quarter has been home to pop-up minigolf events since the centre opened last year.

Junkyard Golf heading to Newcastle

New Junkyard Golf opening in Newcastle upon Tyne.

A new Junkyard Golf venue is set to open in Newcastle later this year.

Junkyard Golf Newcastle will be home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

You can find other Junkyard Golf courses in Manchester, London, Leeds, Oxford and Liverpool.

Visit the Junkyard Golf website for more information.

Are you a robot?

Trafford Pétanque in Manchester

A visit to the Trafford Pétanque Boulodrome in Victoria Park, Manchester.

We took a different route home on our way back from the Trafford Centre on Sunday and found we were next to Victoria Park in Stretford.

We enjoy visiting different parks and playing petanque and as we knew Victoria Park is home to the Trafford Pétanque Club we parked up and had a look for the Boulodrome.

It's a nice looking piste.

Victoria Park was a nice spot for a wander. Hopefully we'll return for a game with the Trafford Pétanque Club in the future.

Check out the Trafford Pétanque Club website for more information on the club, events and details of training sessions.

A postcard from the Putting Green in Denton Gardens, Worthing

A look back at the Putting Green in Worthing's Denton Gardens.

A postcard showing the Putting Green, Denton Park, Worthing - it's unposted and undated

Minigolf was first played in Denton Gardens on Tuesday 1st July 1924.

You can still enjoy a round of miniature golf on the 18-hole Splash Point Mini Golf course there.

Splash Point Mini Golf was the 181st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Worthing
- Splash Point Mini Golf
- A Putting Green postcard from Denton Park in Worthing

Talking Crazy Golf

It was brilliant talking about the boom in Crazy Golf and the superb courses in Cleethorpes on BBC Radio Humberside this morning (listen in from 7.21am).

Playing at Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes. One of five brilliant courses in the seaside town

We're looking forward to playing at the new Putt Club indoor minigolf course in Hull soon.

Princess Parade North Shore postcards from Blackpool

A look back at some views of Blackpool.

As an avid collector of minigolf postcards it was brilliant to find these two views of the Princess Parade area of Blackpool.

One is an undated and unposted Bamforth card of the Crazy Golf course at the North Shore and is one of a number in my collection showing the layout.

Crazy Golf, North Shore, Blackpool. 50. Bamforth Post Card. Unposted. Undated

The other is an undated and unposted Tuck's card and shows the area before it was home to the Crazy Golf!

Princess Parade, Looking North, Blackpool. Tuck's Post Card. Unposted. Undated

Before finding these postcards yesterday I had 21 postcards showing the North Shore Crazy Golf course with ten different views. Some of the cards have been postally used, while others are unused.

I have another copy of the Bamforth card. That one is also postally unused, but has the words 'Visited 14th April 1979' are written on the reverse.

We've visited the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course a number of times over the years. But we've never had a proper full round on the layout as it's never been open.

The teams at Blackpool Fulfilling Lives and Blackpool and the Fylde Street Angels are working on a project to reopen the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course on Blackpool's North Shore. It'll be superb to play the updated course.

Related blog posts:
- Renovation of the North Shore Crazy Golf course in Blackpool
- Princess Parade Crazy Golf course update
- A Crazy Golf postcard from Blackpool

Happy Groundhog Day 2020

The big question today is will Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators see his shadow and predict six more weeks of winter, or will he predict an early spring?

Check out the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website and live stream from the event to find out.

Sunnybank Gardens Crazy Golf course in Hatfield, Doncaster

Playing Crazy Golf at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

Earlier this month we visited our 945th minigolf course when we played the 11-hole layout at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster.

In our minigolf match-up we both shot rounds of 30 to tie.

Emily playing hole 4

Playing hole 5

The Rules 

Photos of the course.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 10

The net in hole 10

Hole 11

Check out videos of us playing the course.

Visit the Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm Facebook Page for more information and opening times.

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Hexthorpe Flatts Park Crazy Golf course in Doncaster

Visiting the Crazy Golf course at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Doncaster.

We had a brilliant weekend in Doncaster earlier this month and while there visited the Crazy Golf courses at Elmfield Park and Hexthorpe Flatts Park in the town.

The 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Hexthorpe, Doncaster was the 944th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

As it was out-of-season we didn't get a chance to have a game.

We're looking forward to a return visit to Doncaster.

Hole 1

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 6

 

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

A bench at the course

Unfortunately the bench doesn't face the course itself

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