City Golf Tour in Sweden

A new minigolf tournament circuit has been announced in Sweden.

A new minigolf competition tour has been created in Sweden with qualification events due to take place at various venues this year.

The City Golf Tour varies from many other events in Sweden, other parts of Scandinavia and continental Europe as the events will be taking place on what is technically known as Minigolf Open Standard (MOS). To most players in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand these courses would be recognisable as minigolf or adventure golf layouts.

The City Golf Tour has been created by Svenska MOS-Alliansen (Swedish MOS Alliance). The organisation is an alliance of seven Swedish minigolf clubs that are members of Svenska Bangolfförbundet (Swedish Minigolf Federation), a member of the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

In the cup at Guildford

Visit the City Golf Tour website for further details and entry information.

About City Golf

City Golf Europe was formed in Sweden in the 1930's and since then has gone on to build and supply more than 2,500 minigolf courses and 250 adventure golf courses around the world.

How to play minigolf - in three languages

City Golf layouts range from permanent Adventure Golf and Mini Golf courses, to more traditional Swedish Felt types of course.

The Swedish Felt Crazy Golf course on Southend Pier

Playing City Golf courses

We've played a lot of City Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels, including an indoor course at the Mall of Scandinavia in Solna, Sweden.

Playing the Ice Hockey hole on the Sports World Mini Golf course at O'Leary's in the Mall of Scandinavia

Check out the City Golf Europe website for more information on their work.

Playing Jiggers Miniature Golf at Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel in Suffolk

Winning on City Golf layouts

We've competed in a number of independent and official BMGA tournaments on City Golf courses and back in 2009 I won the Pleasure Beach Open competition on the 12-hole course in Blackpool.

On my way to victory and with the superb trophy at the Pleasure Beach Open

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Signs of the coronavirus pandemic times

A look at signs of the Coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and lockdown.

I've been documenting the coronavirus pandemic in a number of ways, one of which is by photographing the different signs and posters I see on my walks and limited travels.

We're one year into lockdown in the UK and in that time I've collated some 922 of these (and counting) on my Instagram account.

One of the very first signs I snapped was this one during a local walk that passed by Cheadle Angling Club on Demmings Road in Cheadle.

We first saw social distancing measures in place at a miniature golf course in person on a walk to Bruntwood Park in Cheadle in May last year.

There is certainly a real variety of warnings, instructions and directional signage to do with social distancing, and I was amused by this photo Emily took of the social distancing measures in place on an escalator in M&S!

Surely the 2 metre apart distance stickers should be on the moving walkway as well, rather than the static sides of the escalator? I wonder how many people adhere to the rule and wait for the person ahead of them to reach the first marker?

Have you seen any interesting, quirky or amusing signs during these pandemic times? Do let me know.

Jurassic Links Adventure Golf at Kingsway Golf Centre in Melbourn

A look at the Jurassic Links Adventure Golf course at Kingsway Golf Centre.

The brand new Jurassic Links Adventure Golf has been completed at Kingsway Golf Centre in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire and is gearing up to welcome players when minigolf courses are allowed to open to the public again.

The gates are waiting to open up to the course

Jurassic Links Adventure Golf is planned to open on the 29th March.

Check out the Jurassic Links Adventure Golf website for more information.

Many thanks to Simon Baker from HM Adventure Golf for sending over the snaps.

Visit the HM Adventure Golf website to see more of their work and courses they have created.

Emily and I are looking forward to giving the course a play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Minigolfing at Kingsway Golf Centre

We've played minigolf at Kingsway Golf Centre on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour before. The golf centre was home to a Crazy Golf course that became the 200th we visited on our travels in 2009. That layout was replaced with the Himalayas Putting Course in 2010.

Crazy Golfing in Melbourn

For a small village Melbourn has been home to a lot of minigolf courses over the years! As well as the crazy golf, putting course and adventure golf courses at Kingsway Golf Centre the village has been home to pop-up miniature golf courses at the annual fete and The Dolphin pub was once home to a 4-hole crazy golf course!

Crazy Golf at Millets Farm near Abingdon

I've found out there's a Crazy Golf course at Millets Farm Centre near my hometown of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

The Crazy Golf course is part of the Maize Maze attraction part of Millets Farm Centre in Frilford, near Abingdon.

I haven't been to Millets Farm for years, but have got lots of great memories of visiting with my family when I was growing up. It was brilliant fun doing Pick Your Own and going on the tractor rides there.

It'll be nice to revisit and have a game on the Crazy Golf course as part of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Visit the Millets Farm Centre website for more information.

New mini golf course opening at Planters Garden Centre in Tamworth

A new mini golf course is opening at Planters Garden Centre in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

The new 12-hole mini golf course will have a Mountains of the World theme and it is planned to open on the 17th April.

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

Visit the Planters Garden Centre website for more information.

Garden Centre Minigolf

Minigolf has become very popular in recent years and has developed from being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors or out.

Much like at shopping malls, outlet centres and on the high street, customers are looking to be entertained while they shop and garden centres are a perfect spot for a game of minigolf.

Crazy Golf at Coal Drops Yard in London

Pop-up Crazy Golf at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London.

The pop-up Crazy Golf course at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London is returning next month.

The 9-hole rave-inspired art-based pop-up minigolf course is planned to be set-up at Coal Drops Yard from the 6th April to the 9th May, with the course open to bookings between 12pm and 8pm.

Artists Baker & Borowski created the 9-hole themed Crazy Golf layout inspired by the rave culture in the King's Cross area back in the 1980's and 90's.

I called in to Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross to play the CLUB GOLF crazy golf pop-up in the shopping and dining area on the 25th February last year. It was the last course I played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour prior to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Visit the Coal Drops Yard website for more information and bookings.

Putt18 World Pro League Week 5 - Results

I scored rounds of 79, 74, 71 and 75 for a total of 299 in week 5 of 7 in the Putt18 World Pro League.

You can see my rounds on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.

As well as the usual individual rounds, week 5 has included a fun team event with groups selected in a draw. It'll be interesting to see where our bunch of Putting Wonders has finished.

I'll be playing my next games in the league at 6pm on Saturday 3rd April and my final four rounds of the season 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.

Charlie's Mini Golf in Folkestone, Kent

Charlie's Mini Golf is opening on Folkestone Harbour Arm in April.

A new minigolf course is opening on Folkestone Harbour Arm in Folkestone, Kent on the 2nd April.

For more information visit Charlie's Mini Golf website.

Week 5 of the Putt18 World Pro League 2021

I'll be teeing-off in week five of the Putt18 World Pro League at 6pm tonight (Saturday 20th March).

You can watch my rounds on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.

Bagman and Robin in Exmouth Market, London.

Bagman and Robin in Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London. March 2019.

Minigolf at Fayre on the Square in Salisbury

An event is planned to take place in Salisbury, Wiltshire this summer and it'll feature a pop-up minigolf course.

The Fayre on the Square in the city's Guildhall Square will also include a bar and food vendors.

More information can be found on the Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) website.

New Crazy Golf course at Barleylands in Billericay

There are plans for a new Crazy Golf course at Barleylands farm park in Billericay, Essex.

Barleylands farm park in Billericay, Essex is planning to create a new 18-hole crazy golf course.

The layout will have a number of themed area including farm yard, jungle, desert, arctic and antarctic zones.

For more information visit the Barleylands Farm Park & Village website.

Barber Streisand in Exmouth Market, London

Barber Streisand in Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London. March 2019.

Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf in Cleethorpes

A look at Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

We first visited Terry's Traditional Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire back in 2011 and returned for a game in May 2018.

It's a fun an unique 9-hole layout with some very tricky holes and obstacles.

You can also find a Putting Green next to the Crazy Golf course.

It'll be nice when we can visit the seaside resort again.

Mini Golf at Flip Out Croydon

There will be a mini golf course at the new Flip Out centre in Croydon.

Flip Out are creating a new super centre full of indoor entertainment at the Centrale Shopping Centre in Croydon, London.

The venue is planned to open this summer.

As well as mini golf the location will be home to inflatables, laser tag, an ice rink, an assualt course, interactive football, arcade games and a bumper car track.

Visit the Flip Out website for more information.

Cornhill Cove returning to Lincoln this year

The Cornhill Cove seaside-style pop-up will be returning to Lincoln city centre this summer.

Last year the outdoor retailtainment pop-up featured a crazy golf course, bar and street food vendors.

Check out the Cornhill Cove Facebook Page for more information.

Oddballs Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire

A look at the Oddballs Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

We first visited Oddballs Crazy Golf course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire in May 2011 and returned in May 2018. It'll be wonderful if we could get back there again.

The 18-hole Oddballs Crazy Golf course was the 226th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Happy 9th Anniversary to KISS by Monster Mini Golf!

Today is the 9th Anniversary of KISS by Monster Mini Golf in Las Vegas.

Congratulations to the Monster Mini Golf team on the milestone.

Emily was lucky enough to play the course in its original location on Paradise Road in September 2014. It was the 580th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. 

Emily putting into The Demon's mouth at KISS Monster Mini Golf

You can now find KISS by Monster Mini Golf at the Rio Hotel & Casino. Visit the Monster Mini Golf website for more information.

I was last in Las Vegas ten years ago so haven't played the course yet.

We're looking forward to a return to Las Vegas in the future and playing both the KISS Monster Mini Golf and Twilight Zone Mini Golf courses in the city.

Peterborough Glo Golf

The new Peterborough Glo Golf course in Peterborough city centre is planned to open on Tuesday 18th May.

The indoor-glow-in-the-dark venue will be home to a 16-hole space-themed layout.

Visit the Peterborough Glo Golf Facebook page for more information.

Happy Shopper in Lowestoft

The easternmost Happy Shopper shop in the British Isles.

I was looking through my photo archive and happened to find a snap I took of the Happy Shopper shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk in August 2011!

I'm a big fan of the classic brand. I was both amazed and pleased that you can still find the original branding on some of the stores - this one is of particular interest as the classic cheeky chappy face is not included on the sign. From memory and looking online other signs on the shop have other versions of the logo

It's a brand I remember from growing up in the 1980s and 90s. Happy Shopper underwent a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

Happy Shopper still exists as both convenience stores and own brand food & drink products. It has been part of the Booker Group since 1996. Booker itself is now owned by Tesco.

The Happy Shopper newsagent, general store and off licence can be found at 121 London Rd South in Lowestoft. As with many things in the seaside town it's the easternmost thing of its kind in the British Isles.

On our visits to Lowestoft we've played the easternmost adventure golf course and putting green in the British Isles.

Roll on summer...

Oh to be back at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

Putt18 World Pro League 2021 - Week 5

I'll be teeing-off in week five of the Putt18 World Pro League at 6pm on Saturday 20th March.

You can watch my rounds on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.

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.

Our last pre-pandemic minigolf course visit

The last pre-coronavirus pandemic lockdown minigolf course visit we made was to The Lost Valley Adventure Golf course in Bolton's Market Place shopping centre a year ago today.

That trip to Bolton was our last day out before lockdown.

It'll be great when we can once again get out and about on our travels.

What a difference a year makes

We saw a Back to the Future DeLorean time machine at MediaCityUK in Salford a year ago today!

If you had a time machine would you go back in time or head to the future?

New Adventure Golf course at Broome Manor Golf Complex in Swindon

The creation of a new Adventure Golf course is part of plans submitted for the redevelopment of Broome Manor Golf Complex in Swindon.

Check out the Broome Manor Golf Complex website for more information.

We're looking forward to visiting on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Winning a Selco Darts Competition

I enjoy playing darts and have been playing a lot of soft-tip darts at home during the pandemic. Earlier this year I won a darts competition run by PDC sponsor Selco - and I didn't even have to throw a dart!

A darts shirt of character!

It's a great shirt and I might have to wear it the next time I get the chance to play a pro darts player in the outside world.

Related blog posts:

- Darts

- Darts vs Nathan 'The Asp' Aspinall in Stockport

- Darts vs 'The Bronzed Adonis' Steve Beaton in Barrow-in-Furness

Boom: Battle Bar at The Printworks in Manchester

The Printworks at Withy Grove in Manchester will be the location of a new Boom: Battle Bar.

Boom: Battle Bars are home to a range of competitive socialising games including crazy golf (crazier golf), shuffleboard, axe throwing, darts and more.

There are Boom: Battle Bars in Norwich and Cardiff and plans for others in Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford, Coventry, West Thurrock, Eastbourne, Aberdeen, Aldgate and Wandsworth.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website and Boom: Battle Bar Manchester Printworks Facebook page for more info.

Dealz not Poundland in a former Woolworths

A look at the Dealz shop in Douglas on the Isle of Man.

I took this snap of the Dealz shop on Strand Street in Douglas while on holiday on the Isle of Man in 2018.

Dealz is a subsidiary of Poundland, which is owned by Steinhoff International, hence the similar branding. The majority of Dealz stores can be found in the Republic of Ireland, with others in Spain and Poland. The store in Orkney opened as a Dealz but was rebranded as a Poundland.

Woolworths opened in the Art Deco building in 1924 and closed in 2008.

We've seen a few other old Woolworths shops on our travels.

New Swingers Crazy Golf courses opening in the USA

Swingers Crazy Golf courses to open in Washington D.C. and New York.

The first Swingers Crazy Golf courses outside of the UK will be opening in Washington D.C. and New York.

The first of the new indoor minigolf venues will be opening at Dupont Circle in Washington this June.

The second Swingers Crazy Golf in the US will be opening at the new Virgin Hotel on Broadway in the Flatiron District of New York City later this year or in early 2022.

Visit the Swingers Crazy Golf website for more information.

Emily playing at Swingers West End in 2019

Swingers Crazy Golf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We played the first Swingers pop-up Crazy Golf course in Shoreditch back in September 2014. The brand has grown since then, with Swingers in The City opening next to the Gherkin in 2016 and Swingers West End following in 2018.

Crazy Golf and competitive socialising

The phrase 'competitive socialising' has become a popular way to describe going out and having fun, with a number of new businesses catering to the demand of a public who wanted to compete at something while eating and drinking in a nice setting.

Whether it is table tennis, darts, shuffleboard, bingo, tenpin bowling, arcade games, or my personal favourite crazy golf, people are finding new ways to quench their thirst, have fun and compete without signing-up to a full sports league or taking things too seriously.

My last pre-pandemic meal out

I had my last pre-coronavirus pandemic lockdown meal out a year ago today. In fact it was the last time I dined out full stop as eating 100% gluten free is tough enough at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.

What a fine last meal out this was

The steak and eggs I had at Remedy Kitchen in Manchester were superb and I can't wait until it's safe to get back out and eat there again.

Puttshack mini golf to open at The Oracle in Reading

Puttshack will be opening a new indoor minigolf venue at The Oracle shopping centre in Reading, Berkshire.

The new Puttshack mini golf location will be created in the former House of Fraser department store.

Playing at Puttshack White City in October 2019

Visit the Puttshack website for more information.

Minigolf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in shopping malls, high streets and retail parks.

Boom: Battle Bar Wandsworth

Construction is underway on a new Boom: Battle Bar site in Wandsworth, London.

Boom: Battle Bars are home to a range of competitive socialising games including crazy golf (crazier golf), shuffleboard, axe throwing, darts and more.

There are Boom: Battle Bars in Norwich and Cardiff and plans for others in Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford, Coventry, West Thurrock, Eastbourne, Aberdeen and Aldgate.

Check out the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

Winning at the Digital City Expo

I attended my last 'real world' physical event at the Marketing Show North at the Digital City Expo at Manchester Central a year ago today.

What a difference a year has made.

One of the exhibitors, Acquia, had a darts game set up to attract visitors and I had a few throws and ended up winning the top prize with a 'Bullseye-esque' score of 101 with three darts!

The last three darts I threw in the outside world. I've been playing a lot of soft-tip darts at home during the lockdowns

It'll be interesting to see when the next events will be able to take place and what they'll look like. I have a few pencilled in my diary for 2022 already.