Homer Burger

I saw this fun piece of Homer Simpson graffiti art at Ghetto Golf in Digbeth, Birmingham.

Related blog posts:

- Homer Simpson

- The Simpsons

- Ghetto Golf

New app at Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk

The Lost World Adventure Golf course in Hemsby has a new app.

The team at the Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk have introduced a new mobile scoring and loyalty app for the 9-hole course. It's available to download for free on Android and iPhone.

It looks very nice indeed and gives maps for each of the holes, details of the rules, a selfie function and more.

The loyalty points system is a nice touch too and is a continuation of the paper-based loyalty cards available at the course.

When you sign up to the app you automatically receive 300 points onto your card.

The Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby was the 88th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2009. It's still one of our favourites and we have fond memories of competing in tournaments there.

We can't wait to get back for another round there in the future. I've downloaded the app ready to play. I'll be digging out our previous rounds to load into the History element of the app which allows you to view all your past games.

Each of the holes has a map in the top left corner. When you click on it a larger view will open with a tip on the best way to play it

Download the app to see how the animated action shows the skill shot route from tee to cup

The Lost World Adventure Golf app is available to download for free on Android and iPhone.

Visit the Lost World Adventure Golf website and Facebook Page for more details, views of the holes, opening times and prices.

I recently blogged about the social distancing measures in place at Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby.

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Minigolfing at Blake End in Essex

A look back at the minigolf course we played at Blake End in Essex.

We played the 9-hole Swedish Felt Mini Golf course at Blake End Craft Centre near Braintree, Essex back in 2009.

It was the 95th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blog posts:
- Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Essex
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Essex

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Happy National Watermelon Day

Today is National Watermelon Day.

This is still one of the best niche business shopfronts I've seen on my travels.

Logman Ltd - a business on Caledonian Road in London that specialises in watermelons

Spot the odd one out...

Can you spot the odd one out?

- Top: Pyramids on the Crazy Golf course at Manor Park in Glossop, Derbyshire.

- Bottom left: The Stockport Pyramid.

- Bottom right: The pyramid hole on the old Crazy Golf course at Greens in Padstow, Cornwall.

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Lester's Independent Trading Co.

What a Del Boy!

It's always fun seeing parody shop signs

Miniature Golf in Salford

Finding two minigolf courses in Salford.

We found two miniature golf courses by accident while out on our daily outdoor exercise yesterday afternoon!

Both layouts were in the City of Salford - one was a Putting Green at Victoria Park in Pendlebury, Swinton and the other was a Pitch & Putt course at Buile Hill Park in Salford.

Neither course was open

It's always nice to find minigolf courses we didn't previously know about. It was especially crazy as both are fairly close by!

We've now been to 954 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

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Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - August 2020

Putting at home continues in the Greater Manchester lockdown zone.

While our out-of-home putting has been temporarily paused by the coronavirus pandemic we have been doing a fair bit of putting at home and writing about the game.

I've been competing in the Putt18 World Pro League and we've both been part of the Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club based down in Knowle West, Bristol.

We have also, quite surprisingly, managed to find some miniature golf courses we didn't already know about while out on our daily outdoor exercise!

At the currently closed Putting Green in Victoria Park, Swinton

When the pandemic lockdown hit we had been to 948 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006. We've now been to 954 minigolf courses. We've got 40 of the original 600 we set out to visit left and a whole host of new courses to play at too!

• Number 949 was the Pitch and Putt course at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester. We also revisited the Crazy Golf course while we were walking there.
• Numbers 950, 951 and 952 were the three courses at the new Puttstars Mini Golf venue in Rochdale. The 9-hole layouts are called Zig Zag, Slingshot and Pin Ball.
• Numbers 953 and 954 were visited in Salford and both were completely unexpected visits while walking in Victoria Park, Swinton and Buile Hill Park in Salford. The first was a Putting Green, the second was a Pitch and Putt course.

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In the Crazy Golf Museum - minigolf membership cards

A look at minigolf association and club membership cards in the UK.

As a collector of minigolf items and ephemera and Curator of the Crazy Golf Museum it's always nice to look back at things we've picked up along the way during our minigolf adventures.

British Minigolf Association

I joined the British Minigolf Association in 2007 and received my first BMGA membership card entitling me to discount at certain courses and entry into BMGA competitions.

British Minigolf Association membership card 2007

Here are my BMGA Tour Cards from 2008-2015.

British Minigolf Association membership cards 2008-2015

Midlands Minigolf Club

In 2007 I was invited to become a member of the Midlands Minigolf Club and am a member of the club to this day. While we don't have an official membership card the club does have an official Ball of Fame to commemorate the second BMGA British Club Championship title we won in 2015. The MMGC is now a three-time national title winning team.

The Midlands Minigolf Club Ball of Fame

Green Mini Golf Club

During the 2010 and 2011 seasons I was also a member of the Green Mini Golf Club in Hither Green, London. The GMGC was a superb club and the venue was home to the UK's only full-size Swedish Felt Mini Golf course. The GMGC held weekly Tuesday night tournaments and I enjoyed travelling from Luton to Hither Green and back after work each week to compete. I won the club's first-ever weekly tournament in 2010.

The Green Mini Golf Club membership card

European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation

I have competed in European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation competitions in Finland, England and Sweden and although a WMF player license is allocated to players a physical document is not issued. We did however have some very nice player cards created for us at the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland.

At the 2008 Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

Are you a member of a minigolf club or association? I'd love to see and share more examples of membership cards from around the world.

Porthcawl

Ah to be at the seaside on a day like today.

Looking through my photos from last year I spotted this lovely view of the beach in Porthcawl, Wales.

I can't wait to be able to head back out on our travels and visit the coast.

It was slightly outside of the season so I couldn't have a game on the Putting Green in Griffin Park

Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines at Coney Beach

What are the 7 Dimensions?

Topcuts

Spotted in London on my last trip down to the capital earlier this year.

Fore Play Crazy Golf goody bags

We love seeing minigolf merchandise and the team at Fore Play Crazy Golf in Glasgow are offering the first 100 guests at the course a 'Baw Bag' containing a selection of items, including a branded face mask.

🎉 Be one of our first 100 golfers and get a Fore Play goody bag! 🎉

To welcome youse back on August 1st, our first 100 guests at our Glasgow venue will get their own Baw Bag.

Dinnae wait - you'll have to be fast!#ForePlayCrazyGolf #ReadyToPlay #ForePlayGlasgow #Glasgow pic.twitter.com/teGA8nEFFj

— Fore Play Crazy Golf (@4PlayCrazyGolf) July 24, 2020

Fore Play Crazy Golf reopens its doors on Saturday 1st August.

Visit the Fore Play Crazy Golf website for more information on the Glasgow and Edniburgh venues.

We're looking forward to playing at both locations on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future. Both sites opened since our last visits to the Scottish cities.

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Puttstars York

Puttstars opening at York Stadium in August.

The new Puttstars indoor minigolf centre at York Stadium is opening next month.

Puttstars is a new concept from the Hollywood Bowl Group and the York venue will feature three 9-hole minigolf courses, along with a bar and diner. It's scheduled to open on Monday 17th August.

Puttstars York will be the third of the brand's venues to open following Leeds and Rochdale.

Visit the Puttstars Mini Golf website for more information.

We're looking forward to giving the Puttstars Mini Golf courses a play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

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I haven't got a Scooby Doo

We've seen quite a few things from Scooby Doo on our travels.

Scrappy Doo's in Prestatyn

The Mystery Machine in Skegness

The Mystery Machine in Stockport

Scrappy Doo is one of the dogs on this Muttley Crew sign in Stockport

Mr Mutleys in Blackpool

Muttley and Dick Dastardly on the sign at Mr Mutley's in Blackpool.

Tilting at Windmills: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Sport

Tilting at Windmills: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Sport by Andy Miller.

Tilting at Windmills: How I Tried to Stop Worrying and Love Sport by Andy Miller

Essential reading for every minigolfer.

It was the first book I read about crazy golf and one of the reasons I got into playing tournament minigolf. I joined the British Minigolf Association back in 2006 and made my debut in the 2007 season.

Visit Andy Miller's website for more information.

My first bun throwing in Abingdon

A Bun Throwing was held in my home town of Abingdon on this day in 1981. It was the first one I attended.

The curious tradition sees the mayor and other dignitaries climb to the top of the old County Hall to throw hundreds or thousands of currant buns down to the townsfolk gathered in the market place below.

The team at Abingdon Museum posted about the Bun Throwing that took place in Abingdon to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on this day in 1981.

From our #bunthrowing #collection, here's a bun decorated with the initials CD to mark the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer #onthisday 1981.#abingdon #traditions #museumfromhome pic.twitter.com/h4aJpp7b8Q

— Abingdon County Hall Museum (@AbingdonMuseum) July 29, 2020

At less than a year old I can't imagine I knew what was going on that first time, nor caught any buns! I probably did scoff some my mum and dad had caught though.

Abingdon County Hall Museum has a collection of buns preserved from bun throwings dating back many years. These are the currant buns from the Bun Throwing that celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012. A total of 6,000 buns were thrown on that occasion

The last bun throwing held in the town to date was in 2018 to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War. That bun throwing was the 35th event since 1761.

There have been 15 Bun Throwing events in my lifetime.

Check out my World of Bun Throwing blog for more information.

Mini Golf at Lane7 in Newcastle upon Tyne

Playing the Mini Golf course at Lane7 in Newcastle upon Tyne.

While we were in Newcastle for the World Transplant Games last year we swung by Lane7 for a game of minigolf.

Visit the Lane7 website for more information.

The 9-hole indoor minigolf course at Lane7 was the 840th course visited and 495th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Since our last visit to the North East the team behind Lane7 opened up a new venue called Gutterball Alley. The centre in North Shields is home to tenpin bowling, Guttergolf crazy golf, arcades, karaoke and Ping Pong.

We're looking forward to playing there in the future.

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Landmark Golf in Wolsingham

Last year we played the Landmark Golf course in Wolsingham, County Durham.

We were on our way up to Newcastle upon Tyne for the World Transplant Games and called in to Wolsingham Sports Hall to play the pop-up Landmark Golf course.

We had a fun round on the nice layout

Visit the Landmark Golf website for more information.

The Landmark Golf course was the 919th we visited and 525th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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The British Transplant Games

A look ahead to the 2021 British Transplant Games in Leeds.

We were due to be heading down to Coventry this week to support our friend (and minigolf rival) John Moore in the British Transplant Games. Unfortunately the 2020 Games in Coventry have been postponed to 2023 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, plans are well underway for the 2021 British Transplant Games that will be taking place in Leeds next August. We love visiting Leeds and are really looking forward to the event.

Transplant Sport’s flagship event aims to raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of transplantation.

The Westfield Health British Transplant Games have been running for over 40 years. Each year the games sees teams from hospitals across the UK come together to compete in a number of sports. The four-day event attracts around 1,000 transplant athletes and more than 1,500 supporters.

Find out more on the British Transplant Games and Transplant Sport websites.

We've attended the British Transplant Games in Newcastle Gateshead (2015), Liverpool (2016) and Birmingham (2018).

Last summer we were at the 2019 World Transplant Games in Newcastle Gateshead. They were the 22nd edition and the first held in the UK since the Manchester Games in 1995.

I've run in two races at the transplant games - The Gift of Life Run last year was my second 5k, after the Donor Run at the 2018 British Transplant Games in Birmingham.

The Westfield Health British Transplant Games, organised on behalf of the charity Transplant Sport, will take place in venues across Leeds from the 5th to 8th August 2021.

Visit the NHS website to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.