An East Anglian Minigolf Road-Trip

Visiting and playing some minigolf in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

We've just returned from a trip to East Anglia to visit family and friends in the area. It's the first time we've been there since 2019 and there were a few new minigolf courses to swing by on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also managed to revisit some of our favourite layouts on the trip.

Before the holiday Emily and I had visited a combined total of 967 courses since September 2006. My little brother Christopher is a founding member of the tour and with the courses he has been to we were at 998 courses. With his wife Nina joining the adventures the tally stood at 999 courses before the trip!

In total we managed to visit thirteen courses, with six of them being new to our tour. Some of the courses we had played at before had undergone some changes, with new names and the addition of new holes to extend the layouts.

We also hit the 1,000th course visit milestone on the trip. Twice. The first was at Glo Golf in Peterborough, the second was at Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich.

Here's a look at the lucky thirteen courses and the stats from our trip.

Pitch & Putt at Orton Meadows Golf Course in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

• Course visit 968 by Richard & Emily Gottfried.
• Number 929 in the British Isles.
• The 998th visited on the three founding members Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.
• The 999th visited on our combined travels.

Glo Golf in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

• Course visit 969 by Richard & Emily.
• Number 930 in the British Isles.
• The 551st course we've played.
• The 999th visited on the founders tour.
• The 1000th visited on the combined tour.

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich, Norfolk

• Course visit 970 by Richard & Emily.
• Number 931 in the British Isles.
• The 552nd played.
• The 1000th visited on the founders tour.
• The 1001st visited on the combined tour.

Pirates Island Adventure Golf at Norfolk Premier Golf in Blofield, Norfolk

• Course visit numbers 971 / 1001 / 1002.

Lost World Adventure Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk

• A revisit to the 88th course played.

Stonehenge Mini Golf in Hemsby, Norfolk

• A revisit to the 174th course played.

Thatched Roof Putting / Kirkley Cliff Putting Green in Lowestoft, Suffolk

• A revisit to the 264th course played.
• The easternmost Putting course in the British Isles.

Family Adventure Golf at Little Joe's Ice Cream Shack in Lowestoft, Suffolk

• A revisit to the 20th course played.
• The easternmost Adventure Golf course in the British Isles.

Magical Golf at Mannings in Felixstowe, Suffolk

• A revisit to the 5th course played.

Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk

• A revisit to the 7th course played.

Skull Point Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

• Course visit numbers 972 / 1002 / 1003.

Greensward Adventure Golf in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

• Course visit numbers 973 / 1003 / 1004.

Pavilion Adventure Golf at the Pavilion Fun Park in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

• A revisit to the 94th course played.
• It was an 11-hole course, now a 14-hole Adventure Golf course with a different theme.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour page to see details of all the courses we've been to since September 2006.

Plans for a new adventure golf course in Folkestone

Folkestone in Kent could be home to a new Roman-themed minigolf course.

A new Roman-themed attraction has been proposed for the East Cliff area of Folkestone, Kent and part of the venue could include an adventure golf course.

The Folkestone Parks and Pleasure Ground Charity is the organisation behind the proposal.

Should the course get the go ahead it'll be another place to revisit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We have played minigolf in Folkestone before, way back in 2010. There's also a very good art installation on the seafront where the old Arnold Palmer Putting Course from the Rotunda theme park has been incorporated into a series of beach huts!

New haunted mini-golf course opening in October

A new haunted house mini-golf course is opening in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada this October.

The haunted indoor mini-golf course is opening at a haunted Victorian manor house in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in time for Halloween.

Check out the Haunted Manor Mini-Golf and Ping Pong Lounge website for more information.

Halloween minigolf

We're big fans of haunted and scary minigolf courses so it was brilliant to hear about this new course. We've played a few Halloween and haunted-themed courses and holes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, but not nearly enough!

It'll be interesting to see what other scarily decorated and themed minigolf courses we hear about in the run up to Halloween this year...

Minigolf in Manchester city centre

A look at miniature golf courses in Manchester.

There are a number of options for minigolfing in Greater Manchester, with a variety of courses to play, ranging from traditional crazy golf to indoor minigolf to new adventure golf layouts. The city centre itself has seen an increase in courses over the last few years and there are more to open in the coming months too!

Here's a look at the minigolf courses in Manchester city centre.

Junkyard Golf, First Street

Home to three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses.

Blog from our visit.

Junkyard Golf's website.

Treetop Adventure Golf, The Printworks

A venue with two 18-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

Blog from our visit.

Treetop Adventure Golf's website.

Roxy Ball Room, Deansgate

Home to an 18-hole indoor mini golf course.

Blog from our visit.

Roxy Ball Room's website.

Roxy Ball Room, Withy Grove

Home to a crazy pool layout (a cross between pool and crazy golf - played with cues, golf balls and obstacles on tables).

Roxy Ball Room's website.

Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground, Arndale centre

A new indoor mini-golf course opening in 2021.

Urban Playground's website.

Crazier Golf at Boom: Battle Bar, The Printworks

A new indoor crazy golf course opening in the future.

Boom: Battle Bar's website.

Minigolfing in Manchester

We've been travelling to play minigolf in Manchester since 2009 when I won the Mini Masters and Mini Open at the Trafford Golf Centre. I also won the Chrizy Golf Masters at Piccadilly Place in 2012. We moved to Stockport in 2016 and have continued to compete in events. Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in 2019, while I won the tournament in 2018. I also won the DinoFalls Masters at the Trafford Golf Centre in 2018.

Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course in Denver, CO, USA

A new magic-themed pop-up minigolf course is opening in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Potion Putt is opening in the city at an as yet to be announced secret location in February 2022.

The 9-hole magical golf course is being created by Explore Hidden. You can find out more about Potion Putt - A Wizardry Mini Golf Course on the Explore Hidden website.

Magical minigolf

Magic-themed miniature golf courses are becoming more popular and we've seen a few on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It'd be nice to return to Denver in the future. I had a great time in the city back in 2009. On that occasion I got to play some minigolf at the Boondocks Fun Center in Northglenn, Colorado.

New Boom: Battle Bars opening soon

There are plans for lots of new Boom: Battle Bar indoor entertainment venues to open in the coming months.

As well as the existing locations in Norwich, Cardiff, Lakeside, Eastbourne and Liverpool there are plans for new Boom: Battle Bars to open in:

• Aldgate East, London
• Bath
• Blackpool
• Bournemouth
• Chelmsford
• Coventry
• Ealing, London
• Edinburgh
• Exeter
• Glasgow
• Hull
• Ipswich
• Leeds
• Manchester
• Oxford
• Oxford Street, London
• Reading
• Sheffield
• Southampton
• Swindon
• The O2, London
• Wandsworth, London
• Watford

Boom: Battle Bars are home to crazy golf courses, shuffleboard, darts, axe throwing and more.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website for more information.

We played the 'Crazier Golf' course at the original Boom: Battle Bar in Norwich while on our recent Crazy World of Minigolf Tour trip to East Anglia.

Playing hole 1 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom: Battle Bar at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich

Galaxy Golf at Apex Kart in Chester

There's a new indoor mini golf course at Apex Kart in Chester.

The Apex Kart centre in Chester, Cheshire is now home to a new indoor, space-themed mini golf course.

Check out the Galaxy Golf information on the Apex Kart website.

Galaxy Golf at Apex Kart is another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It's not a million miles away for us to get to either.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Coventry

There's a new Galaxy Quest Mini Golf course in Coventry.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf is now open at Laser Quest in Coventry.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Coventry is the sister venue of the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf courses at Laser Quest Sunderland and Laser Quest Derby. Visit the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf website for more information.

It's another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on a return trip to Coventry.

Adventure Golf at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe

There's a new Adventure Golf course at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe.

A new 12-hole heritage-themed Adventure Golf course has opened at Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe in Suffolk.

Visit the Southwold Boating Lake and Cafe Facebook Page for more information.

We've visited Southwold on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and on our last visit swung by the Crazy Golf course at the Boating Lake & Cafe on North Parade.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Sunderland

There's a new Galaxy Quest Mini Golf course in Sunderland.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf is now open at Laser Quest in Sunderland.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Sunderland is the sister venue of the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf courses at Laser Quest Coventry and Laser Quest Derby.

Visit the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf website for more information.

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

Mini-golf at the Urban Playground in Manchester

A mini-golf course is opening as part of the new Urban Playground in Manchester.

A new competitive socialising venue is opening at the Arndale Centre in Manchester and one of the activities on offer will be mini-golf.

The Urban Playground in Manchester will be home to the indoor minigolf course, The Cube Live and food & drinks.

Looking on the website Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground will be a tech-based course.

The Urban Playground will be another new local venue for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Urban Playground entertainment centre is being created by the Mellors Group who own Skegness Pier and Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells. We've played minigolf at Fantasy Island before. The course there was underneath a rollercoaster! There's a new Lava Creek Adventure Golf course we haven't yet had a go on at Fantasy Island too.

Many thanks to our friend Jam Trubridge for letting us know about Putters Mini-Golf and the Urban Playground.

Minigolf at Laser Quest Derby

There's a minigolf course at Laser Quest Derby.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Jam Trubridge for letting me know there's a minigolf course at the Laser Quest centre in Derby. The indoor layout is a 9-hole glow-in-the-dark course. It's a new local course for him and one we're looking forward to playing on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Galaxy Quest Mini Golf in Derby is the sister venue of the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf at Laser Quest Sunderland and another new course at Laser Quest Coventry.

Visit the Galaxy Quest Mini Golf website for more information.

Safari Adventure Golf at Woodlands Family Theme Park in Totnes

A look at the Safari Adventure Golf course at Woodlands Family Theme Park in Totnes, South Devon.

Many thanks to our friend, minigolf rival and fellow minigolf explorer Matt Dodd for sending over these photos from his recent visit to play the Safari Adventure Golf course at Woodlands Family Theme Park in Totnes, South Devon.

This is an interesting hole as this green is it. There isn't any lane leading up to it. It's also a raised 'volcano' type hole so isn't as flat as it first appears in the photo. Quite strange

Visit the Woodlands Family Theme Park website for more information, opening times and prices.

It's a course we haven't yet been to on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

New minigolf course at Lammas Park in Staines

Lammas Recreation Ground in Staines is getting a new minigolf course.

The adventure golf course at Lammas Recreation Ground in Staines-upon-Thames is in the process of being replaced with a new minigolf course.

We played the old 18-hole adventure golf course there back when it was new in 2009! It was the 117th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We also competed in the London Open minigolf tournament on the layout that year. I was the runner-up in the event.

The new minigolf course at Lammas Recreation Ground in Staines is being created by the team at UrbanCrazy.

Puttshack Mini Golf at Lakeside in Essex

A look at the Puttshack indoor miniature golf venue at Lakeside shopping centre in Grays, Essex.

A big minigolf thank you to my friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown for sending me some photos from his visit to play Puttshack Mini Golf at Lakeside shopping centre last weekend.

Puttshack Lakeside is home to four 9-hole mini golf courses.

Visit the Puttshack website for more information, opening times and prices.

We're yet to visit the new Puttshack venue at Lakeside, but played the Westfield shopping centre location on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in October 2019. The course at White City was the 529th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also swung by the, then still under construction, Puttshack super-tech mini golf venue at Bank during that same trip to the capital.

New Adventure Golf course at Brickfield Farm in Leesthorpe, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

A new Adventure Golf course is opening at Brickfield Farm in Leesthorpe, near Melton, Leicestershire later this month.

The farm-themed layout will be called Ferneley’s Adventure Golf, with the name of the course coming from Ferneley the bull - a very famous bull in the cattle world! You can find out more about Ferneley on the Ferneley's & the Dairy Barn Café website.

We've played a few minigolf courses in Leicestershire on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, but have yet to visit Melton Mowbray. It'll be nice to swing by a new place on our travels.

Visit the Ferneley's & the Dairy Barn Café website and social media for more information and updates on the new adventure golf addition to the venue.

Crazy Golf course on Hastings Pier

A look at the new Crazy Golf course on Hastings Pier.

Many thanks to my friend, minigolf rival and Putt18 superstar David Gomm of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club for sending over some snaps of the Crazy Golf course on Hastings Pier.

Crazy Golf on Hastings Pier

There's a new minigolf course on Hastings Pier.

Hastings Pier is now home to a Crazy Golf course.

We've spent a lot of time playing minigolf in Hastings over the years, but haven't been since 2017. The last time we were there we had a wander on the rebuilt pier.

Minigolf on piers

We've played minigolf courses on piers in Clacton, Southend on Sea, Southsea, St Annes on the Sea and Sandown on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and know of another in Boscombe. It's always fun playing minigolf above the sea.

The best kept secret in Accrington

A look at Steals in Accrington, Lancashire.

There's no place like this place, anywhere near this place, so this must be the place

Steals is a bargain clothes shop with branches in Blackpool, Preston, Accrington, Poulton-le-Fylde and Chorley.

Check out the Steals Facebook Page for more information.

Crazy Golf at Costa Del Kirkwall

There's a free-to-play minigolf course in Kirkwall, Orkney.

The miniature golf course is part of the Costa Del Kirkwall event in the town's Broad Street running until the 9th August.

Crazy Golf at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington

There's a pop up crazy golf course at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington this month.

A pop up crazy golf course has been set up at the DL1 Leisure Park in Darlington for free play on weekends in August.

Many thanks to Phil McFarlane for the heads up about the course.

Pop up Crazy Golf in Solihull town centre

There's a pop up crazy golf course set up in Solihull town centre for the summer.

Backyard Golf is open daily, 11am to 5pm and can be found on Theatre Square at the Touchwood shopping and entertainment centre in Solihull.

Summer Fair with Crazy Golf at the centre:mk

There's a free-to-play crazy golf course at the centre:mk's Summer Fair in Milton Keynes.

You can find the course in Middleton Hall at the centre:mk shopping centre until the 30th August.

We've played a number of courses in Milton Keynes on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the years, including three pop-ups at the centre:mk.

Cue Gardens Crazy Pool at The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre in Preston

The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre in Preston is now home to a new Crazy Pool course.

A new Crazy Pool layout has opened at The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre in Preston, Lancashire.

As the name suggests, Crazy Pool is a cross between crazy golf and pool, with wacky obstacles traversed by a ball 'potted' by the player using a cue.

The Crazy Pool course at The Flower Bowl is a 9-hole setup.

Check out The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre's website for more information.

The Flower Bowl Entertainment Centre is also home to a Secret Garden Crazy Golf course.

We haven't managed to make it to the centre on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour yet, but are looking forward to playing some games there.

Crazy cue games

We've seen a fair few variations and hybrids of minigolf, pool, snooker & billiards games on our travels.

These have included Crazy Golf Pool and Pit-Pat, as well as some Crazy Golf obstacles that have been created using old pool and snooker tables.

Camden Town Brewery's Brewmaster's Open

A look back at The Brewmaster's Open miniature golf competition at the Camden Town Brewery in London.

Ready to tee-off

We competed in The Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery nine years ago today. It was part of 2012's brilliant summer of sport in the capital.

Some superb crazy golf beer mat scorecards

It's still one of the best settings for a pop-up minigolf course we've seen on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

What a course!

The layout was the 302nd played on our travels.

In action as tournament winner Alan Norman looks on

The Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery was a marvellous event played on a portable 5-hole minigolf course from UrbanCrazy. More than 200 players competed in the tournament. And I made it onto the podium!

The scores

Pee Wee's Crazy Golf in Callander

There's a Crazy Golf course in Callander, Scotland.

We've found out about another new crazy golf course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

You can find Pee Wee's Crazy Golf in Callander. Check out the course on Facebook for more information.

We haven't been to Scotland for a few years now and are looking forward to our next trip north of the border.

Oldham Fried Chicken

My post about Various Fried Chicken shops reminded me of this one we spotted in Oldham a few years ago.

Minigolf at the Devon Railway Centre and Model World in Bickleigh

Finding a mini miniature golf course in Bickleigh, Tiverton.

My brother and his family were recently down in Devon and swung by the Devon Railway Centre on one of the days of their trip. Sadly the venue wasn't open at that time, but they did return later in the week when it was as there's a crazy golf course there too.

Unfortunately the course was so busy while they were there they didn't get to have a game, but they did find this superb and very mini crazy golf in the model world part of the centre!

Visit the Devon Railway Centre and Model World website for more information.

The Crazy Golf course at the Devon Railway Centre counts as a visit - even though it wasn't played - and the model course is at least half a visit too. This means the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited since September 2006 now stands at 998.5!

Today is National Watermelon Day

Happy National Watermelon Day!

Today is my annual excuse to post this photo of one of my all time favourite niche business shopfronts.

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

LAPD Food Stockport

Emily recently had a brilliant takeaway tea ordered from LAPD Food Stockport - they deliver your order in an American police car!

How cool is this for a delivery vehicle! I love the branding

What a brilliant thing to see driving around Cheadle Hulme.

Putters Adventure Golf at the Superbowl in Merthyr Tydfil

A look at the Galactic Putting Adventure Golf course at the Superbowl UK fun centre in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

A big thanks go to my friend and minigolf rival Stephen Skinner of the Welsh Minigolf Club for sending me these photos from his recent visit to Putters Adventure Golf at the Superbowl UK fun centre in Merthyr Tydfil.

Alien!

The indoor space-themed adventure golf course at the tenpin bowling venue opened in November 2019 and is the sister course to the funfair-themed adventure golf course at the Superbowl in Warrington.

Check out the Superbowl UK website for more information, opening times and prices for the adventure golf course in Merthyr.

It's always nice to receive photos of courses we're yet to play.

We've played Putters Adventure Golf in Warrington and are looking forward to visiting the Galactic Putting Adventure Golf in Merthy Tydfil on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.