Saturday, April 10, 2021

Alice at the Movies Crazy Golf at Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch, Dorset

A new Alice at the Movies themed Crazy Golf course is opening at Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch, Dorset next month.


A new Alice at the Movies themed Crazy Golf course is opening at Adventure Wonderland in Christchurch, Dorset in May 2021

Visit the Adventure Wonderland website and Facebook Page for more information.

Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf in Hove

There's a new adventure golf course in Hove, East Sussex.


There's a new adventure golf course in Hove, East Sussex

Visit the Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf website for more information.

Jurassic Beach Adventure Golf in Hove is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The former British Home Stores in Stockport

While having a walk round Stockport yesterday evening it was amazing to see the old ghost sign on the rear of the store had been uncovered!


The former BHS / Poundland in Stockport's Merseyway shopping centre

The old BHS shop in the Merseyway shopping centre in Stockport was a Poundland, but that store closed last month.

BHS became defunct in August 2016, but there are still traces of the brand if you know where to look.


The former BHS / Poundland in Stockport's Merseyway shopping centre

NO GOLF at Lacey Green Park in Wilmslow

NO GOLF allowed at Lacey Green Park in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

A NO GOLF sign at Lacey Green Park in Wilmslow

Hove Lagoon Mini Golf

There's a minigolf course at Hove Lagoon in East Sussex.


There's a minigolf course at Hove Lagoon in East Sussex

Check out the Hove Lagoon Fun Play Facebook Page for more information.

Hove Lagoon Mini Golf is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we're next down that way.

Friday, April 09, 2021

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing

A look at the Splash Point Mini Golf course in Worthing's Denton Gardens.


We last got to visit and play at Splash Point Mini Golf in Denton Gardens, Worthing in April 2019. It's one of the best courses in the country and a favourite of ours to play.

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing. April 2019

The unique 18-hole layout has a range of challenging holes to play and we've enjoyed playing official tournaments and 'fun' competitions between ourselves there over the years.

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing. April 2019

It'll be ace to be able to get down for another game there again soon.

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing. April 2019
The front nine

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing. April 2019
The back nine

Minigolf in Denton Gardens

Minigolf has been played in Denton Gardens since 1924 and the excellent 18-hole Splash Point Mini Golf course opened in 2010 and has proved popular with locals, holidaymakers, day trippers and professional minigolfers ever since.

Worthing, Denton Gardens, Putting Green. The Photochrom Co Ltd. Posted  to Birchington, Kent on 30 July 1928
Worthing, Denton Gardens, Putting Green. The Photochrom Co Ltd. Posted  to Birchington, Kent on 30 July 1928

Splash Point Mini Golf at Denton Gardens in Worthing. April 2019

The layout was the 181st course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We're now up to 956 courses visited on our travels since September 2006.


Visit the Splash Point Mini Golf website and follow the course on Twitter.

Puttstars Mini Golf at Rochdale Riverside

A look at the Puttstars indoor minigolf centre in Rochdale.


Puttstars Mini Golf at Rochdale Riverside

Emily swung by the Puttstars indoor minigolf centre at Rochdale Riverside entertainment, leisure and shopping centre yesterday.

Puttstars Mini Golf at Rochdale Riverside

Puttstars is a new minigolf brand from the Hollywood Bowl Group. The Rochdale venue is home to three 9-hole minigolf courses.

Puttstars Mini Golf at Rochdale Riverside

Check out the Puttstars Mini Golf website for more information.

New Adventure Golf course at Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park

There's a new adventure golf course at Llwyngwair Manor Hotel & Holiday Park in Pembrokeshire, West Wales.


There's a new adventure golf course at Llwyngwair Manor Hotel & Holiday Park in West Wales

Visit the Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park website for more information.

Thursday, April 08, 2021

Mini Crazy Golf at the Gateway Resort in Bynea, Carmarthenshire

There's a Funny Farm Mini Crazy Golf course at the Gateway Resort holiday park in Bynea, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales.


There's a Funny Farm Mini Crazy Golf course at the Gateway Resort holiday park in Bynea, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Martyn Williams of the Welsh Minigolf Club for letting me now about the minigolf course at the Gateway Resort holiday park in Bynea, Carmarthenshire.

The description of the course is quite unique as it states the layout contains "some worryingly realistic cowpats"!

Visit the Gateway Resort website for more information.


It's another new course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New Adventure Golf course at Jump Heaven in Stockport

A new adventure golf course is being built at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport.


A new adventure golf course is being built at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport

Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove is opening a new adventure golf course.


It'll be a very local course for us to play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.


Visit the Jump Heaven website for more information.

Wednesday, April 07, 2021

Calbourne Water Mill Crazy Golf on the Isle of Wight

A view of the Adventure Golf course at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight.


Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Thank to my friend and minigolf rival Matt Dodd for sending me photos from a course visit he made while on the Isle of Wight last summer. They are from the dragon-themed Miniature Golf course at Calbourne Water Mill in Calbourne, Newport.

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Visit the Calbourne Water Mill website for more info, opening times and prices.


Adventure Golf at Calbourne Water Mill on the Isle of Wight. Photo by Matt Dodd, July 2020

Matt and his family have visited hundreds of courses on their crazy golf adventures and it's always brilliant to meet up with them for a game. Matt has managed to track down and play quite a lot of courses that we've yet to get to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour! It's always fun to find out about even more places to play, especially when they are unique layouts like the one at Calbourne Water Mill.

The American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship

Looking back at the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship.


Welsh Regional Qualifier of the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham

My team-mate Peter Jones and I qualified for the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship Final by winning the Welsh Regional Qualifier at Clays Golf Centre on this day in 2017. Where has that time gone!

Richard Gottfried and Peter Jones - champions of the Welsh Regional Qualifier for the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham
Minigolf champions

Welsh Regional Qualifier of the American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham
In action on the course

Each of the holes on the 9-hole Miniature Golf course at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham are based on famous holes from regular golf.





The American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship Final was played at The Belfry in September 2017 and was televised on Sky Sports Golf. You can watch the tournament in the video below from 26m 55s.


The American Golf Championship Tour Season Review programme can also be watched on the American Golf YouTube Channel with the Adventure Golf competition starting at 31m 33s.


Players earned their places in the final by competing in qualifying events at courses in England, Scotland and Wales:
  • Great Western Golf Clydebank
  • World of Golf Croydon
  • Top Golf Watford
  • Bristol Golf Centre
  • Trent Lock, Long Eaton
  • Clays Farm Golf Centre, Wrexham

American Golf Adventure Golf National Pairs Championship at The Belfry
On telly at The Belfry

Links:

Tuesday, April 06, 2021

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

We found a miniature railway at one of our local parks at the weekend!


Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

We've spent a lot of lockdown visiting different parks and outdoor spaces in and around Stockport. On Easter Sunday we went for a walk in Handforth where we found a miniature railway at Meriton Road Park.

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park
Two trains were running!

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park

We're big fans of miniature railways and even though we've lived nearby for almost five years never knew it existed! We've never seen any signs for it even though we've walked and parked near to it many many times before.

Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park
There was a Scarecrow Trail in the town - this was The (not so) Fat Controller


Handforth Miniature Railway at Meriton Road Park
End of the line

Nearby miniature railways

Handforth is in Cheshire East and borders the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. The borough is home to three miniature railways - at South Park in Cheadle Hulme, Brookside Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Poynton and the Dragon Miniature Railway at the Garden Centre in Marple.

Related blog posts:

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

You can buy my minigolf marketing ebook on Amazon.


Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle as you can download the Kindle App on iOS, Android, Mac & PC.

The ebook is also available on Kobo.

It's just £1.99.

The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing

Minigolf marketing

I've been so pleased to see the book bought and used by a number of competition players, course owners and managers, bloggers, course reviewers, minigolf associations and federations around the world since I published the guide in 2017.

As a minigolfer with over a decade of experience as a tournament competitor and years of experience in marketing and communications I designed the guide so that anyone interested or involved in minigolf could help promote the game. It's a niche title, but an audience and subject I know a lot about.

Writing the book was brilliant and enabled me to bring two areas of my life together. I've worked in marketing since 2003 and have played minigolf since I was a child. Stepping up to compete on the national minigolf tour circuit and in international tournaments opened my eyes to the potential of the game. I’ve also had the honour of serving on the committees of the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Minigolf is a sport for all. People of all ages, sexes, backgrounds and abilities can pick up a putter and play the game.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Emily and I have visited 956 courses in the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. We've got 40 from that original list left to visit.

The minigolf boom

The game is really booming and new courses are being announced all the time!

There are a huge amount of interesting and fun stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors and the wider sporting community. The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing should give federations, associations, courses, clubs and our fellow players ideas, inspiration and support in their marketing efforts.

Sports marketing

Much of the guidance can also be applied to a number of other sports clubs and organisations to help raise their profile and boost memberships.

Links:

Coeliac UK Awareness Week 2021 - 10th-16th May

This year Coeliac Awareness Week runs from the 10th to the 16th May.


Coeliac Disease and the gluten free diet

What is Coeliac Disease?

Coeliac Disease ('Celiac' in the USA and Canada) 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.

In the UK it's estimated that 1 in 100 people have the condition.

Visit the Coeliac UK website for more information.

Living a gluten free life

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.

Monday, April 05, 2021

Putt18 World Pro League 2021 - Week 6 Scores

Update from week 6 of the Putt18 World Pro League 2021.



Putt18 Golf Putting Game Mat

There is one week and four rounds left to play in the first Putt18 World Pro League of 2021. My next rounds will be at 6pm on Saturday 17th April.

21 players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA are competing in the seven event series to find the world's best putter on the Putt18 Golf Putting Game System.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.

Saturday, April 03, 2021

Adventure Golf at Rufford Abbey Country Park

There's a new Adventure Golf course at Rufford Abbey Country Park in Nottinghamshire.


There's a new Adventure Golf course at Rufford Abbey Country Park in Nottinghamshire

Visit the Rufford Abbey Country Park website and Facebook Page for more information.

It's another course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Golf at Daisy Made Farm in Skellingthorpe

There's a new Crazy Golf course at Daisy Made Farm in Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire.


Daisy Made Farm Minigolf in Skellingthorpe. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy 2021

The 13-hole Crazy Daisy Golf course at Daisy Made Farm in Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire has been replaced and upgraded with a brand new minigolf layout.

The course is planned to open later this month.

The team at UrbanCrazy have created the Crazy Golf course at the farm. Check out the photos courtesy of UrbanCrazy showing some of the new course below.

Daisy Made Farm Minigolf in Skellingthorpe. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy 2021

Daisy Made Farm Minigolf in Skellingthorpe. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy 2021

Daisy Made Farm Minigolf in Skellingthorpe. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy 2021

Daisy Made Farm Minigolf in Skellingthorpe. Photo by James Palmer, UrbanCrazy 2021

Visit the Daisy Made Farm website for more information.


We visited Daisy Made Farm on our way to a Lincolnshire seaside holiday in May 2011. Back then the Crazy Daisy Golf course was a Swedish Felt B-Run type with added farmyard obstacles.

Crazy Daisy Golf at Daisy Made Farm in Skellingthorpe, May 2011

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

Wardown Adventure Golf in Luton

New adventure golf course opening at Wardown Park in Luton.


A new adventure golf course is opening in Luton's Wardown Park this May

A new adventure golf course is opening in Luton's Wardown Park this May.

The 18-hole layout will have a woodland theme.

Check out the Wardown Adventure Golf website for more information.

Minigolf at Wardown Park



Friday, April 02, 2021

NO GOLF in Torkington Park, Hazel Grove, Stockport

NO GOLF allowed at Torkington Park, Hazel Grove, Stockport.

NO GOLF sign at Torkington Park in July 2018