Monday, January 13, 2020

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

A look at the miniature golf course in Vickersway Park, Northwich, Cheshire on Saturday 11th January 2020.


Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

While in Northwich on Saturday we had a walk along the riverside path to Vickersway Park. It's not far from the town centre and is worth a visit.


Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

The park is home to a Crazy Golf course and a grass Putting layout.


Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich



Back in September 2016 the course became the 701st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

Putting Green at Vickersway Park in Northwich

We have now been to 942 courses since September 2006.

So far this year we've visited nine courses and played at three of them.

Thursday, January 09, 2020

Our first games at Paradise Island Adventure Golf for 2020

Playing at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester.


Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
A view of the Tiki Hut Trail course

Last night we called into Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester for a couple of games on the two 18-hole courses.



In our round on the Temple Ruins Adventure we both scored 36.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
About to ace the 5th hole on the Tiki Hut Trail

In our round on the Tiki Hut Trail I shot a 34 and Emily scored 40.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
Posing with the shark on the 6th

Last year Emily broke the course records on both of the layouts at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
Emily playing hole 1 of the Temple Ruins Adventure course

In July Emily scored a record on the Temple Ruins course to win the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championship with a round of 30, including seven aces.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester
Emily holing out on hole 2 of the Temple Ruins Adventure course

In August she shot a 33 on the Tiki Hut Trail course to beat the previous record by one-shot.


So far this year we've visited seven courses and played at three of them.


We've been to 942 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Mini Golf and Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife

A look at the Mini Golf course and Billiard Golf tables in Puerto Colón, Tenerife.


Mini Golf and Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

Many thanks to my friend Philip Walsh for sending over some snaps of the Mini Golf course and Billiard Golf tables at the shopping centre in Puerto Colón, Tenerife.


Mini Golf and Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

Mini Golf and Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

The Mini Golf course is of the Swedish Felt variety.

Mini Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

The Billiard Golf tables look great fun to play.

Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

It's always brilliant to see different courses from around the world.

Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

We've seen a few different types of snooker/pool/billiard golf courses and Pit-Pat tables over the years, but the one in Puerto Colón is a new variant of table top miniature golf billiards.

Billiard Golf in Puerto Colón, Tenerife. Photo by Philip Walsh, January 2020

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

New Miniature Golf course at Pembrey County Park in Carmarthenshire, Wales

A new Miniature Golf course is opening at Pembrey County Park in Carmarthenshire, Wales this year.

A new Miniature Golf course is opening at Pembrey County Park in Carmarthenshire, Wales

Visit the Pembrey County Park website for more information.

We played the old Crazy Golf course at Pembrey County Park on our tour of Wales in 2009.

Crazy Golf course at Pembrey County Park

We're looking forward to playing the new layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Welsh Minigolf Club will be holding a tournament at the new course this season.

Adventure Golf at Calderfields Golf Academy Driving Range in Walsall

A new Adventure Golf course is planned for Calderfields Golf Academy Driving Range in Walsall.

A new Adventure Golf course is planned for Calderfields Golf Academy Driving Range in Walsall

For more information visit the Calderfields Golf Academy Driving Range website.

The Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix

The Welsh Minigolf Club has announced a new season-long event in the Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix.


Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix


Consisting of six open strokeplay events the Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix will see players awarded championship points based on their finishing position.


The six Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix events are:


  • January 27th - Tropical Challenge - Treetop Adventure Golf, Cardiff
  • February 23rd - Island Classic - Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf , Barry Island
  • Date TBA - Parkland Challenge - Pembrey Country Park, Carmarthenshire
  • Date TBA - Dragon Classic - Dragon's Quest Mini Golf, Fontygary
  • October TBA (likely 4th) The Cardiff Open, Tee-Rex Golf, Cardiff
  • November 17th - Combination Classic - Treetop Adventure Golf, Cardiff


Check out the Welsh Minigolf Club website and Facebook Page for more information about the Welsh Minigolf Grand Prix and other club tournaments.

British Minigolf Association tournaments for 2020

Details of British Minigolf Association competitions for the 2020 season.


British Minigolf Association

Information about the British Minigolf Association's tour calendar for the year ahead has been announced on the BMGA's Facebook Page.


The 2020 season tees-off with the Thanet Open at Lost Island Adventure Golf at the Flamingo Arcade in Margate, kent on Sunday 9th February.

The year ends with the Star City Open at Adventure Island Minigolf at Star City in Birmingham on Sunday 6th December (TBC).

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

Holes-in-one at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in Manchester

A look at some aces on holes 4 and 18 of the Temple Ruins Adventure course at Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on Boxing Day 2019.





PIAG Manchester was the last minigolf course we visited in 2019.

Last year we visited 82 miniature golf layouts and revisited and replayed a lot of courses.

Monday, January 06, 2020

That Funky Golf Place in Birmingham

A visit to That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham.


That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham

We played our first miniature golf course of 2020 on Sunday and it was a new one to tick off on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Putting through a Nursing Home hole

On our way back up to Stockport after a weekend down in Abingdon-on-Thames we called in to That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham.


That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Hole 16 sees you play in a Boxing ring

The indoor venue is home to an 18-hole Crazy Golf course.

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Hole 3 has a garden theme

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm was the 942nd course we've visited overall since September 2006. It was the 540th course we've played. We've now been to 903 courses in the British Isles.

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
HMP Funky!

In our round we tied after both scoring rounds of 45.

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Hole 1

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Hole 11 has an 80's theme

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
Hole 11

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
There was something fishy about the loop-di-loop on hole 17

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
This is hole 10. Not the finish

Check out That Funky Golf Place's website for more information, opening times and prices.

That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham

Last year we visited a total of 82 new courses and played 36 of them.

So far this year we've visited five courses and played one of them.

Including my brother Christopher's own mini-tour of courses over the years we've been to a total of 965 courses.

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We estimate there are now 1,200 courses in the UK, with new places to play opening all the time.

World of Bun Throwing: A visit to Abingdon's County Hall Museum

World of Bun Throwing: A visit to Abingdon's County Hall Museum: On Saturday we were back in my home town and visited the County Hall Museum.

Abingdon's County Hall Museum

Check out the full post from our visit on my World of Bun Throwing blog.

The Chase

My episode of The Chase was on Pick at 5pm on Saturday, 28th December 2019. Did you catch it?


The Chase on Pick

The episode was listed as Series 5, Episode 16. My episode has also previously been listed as Series 5, Episode 39.


The Chase on Pick

It was recorded back in 2011 and aired on ITV in March 2012. Since then it's aired multiple times on ITV and Challenge TV. To my knowledge this was the first time it'd been on Pick.


The Chase on Pick
This was almost a decade ago now!

I wonder when and where it'll be shown next...?

The Chase on Pick

Junkyard Golf in Oxford's Westgate Centre

A look at Junkyard Golf in the Westgate Centre, Oxford.



Junkyard Golf at the Westgate Centre in Oxford

We were back in my home town at the weekend and swung by Junkyard Golf at the Westgate shopping centre in the city centre.


Junkyard Golf at the Westgate Centre in Oxford

Junkyard Golf in Oxford is home to three 9-hole indoor Crazy Golf courses.


Junkyard Golf at the Westgate Centre in Oxford

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

Junkyard Golf at the Westgate Centre in Oxford

Check out the Junkyard Golf website for more information.

Junkyard Golf at the Westgate Centre in Oxford

The Junkyard Golf course was the second course we visited in 2020. The first was the Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath.

Wednesday, January 01, 2020

Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath

The first unplayable course visit of the year.


Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath

On New Year's Day we walked past the Miniature Golf course at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath, Stockport.


Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath

It's our nearest course. We've never been allowed to play it as it's for tenants of the offices only.

Minigolf Days in 2020

Two big minigolf days for your diary.


National Miniature Golf Day 2020 will be on Saturday 9th May.

Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course in Aberavon, Port Talbot, Wales
I played the Pirate Cove Adventure Golf course in Aberavon, Port Talbot, Wales on National Miniature Golf Day last year

Miniature Golf Day 2020 will be on Monday 21st September.

Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens
We played the Crazy Golf course at Southport's Botanic Gardens on Miniature Golf Day last year