Mini Golf at the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA

A look at the Mini Golf course at the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA.

The 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo has a 9-hole Mini Golf course

A big thanks to my friend PJ Goedhals for sending over some photos from the miniature golf course he found on a recent trip to the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo in Conroe, Texas, USA.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

The course was free to play after the $6 entry fee to the petting zoo was paid.

An interestingly shaped hole

Check out the 7 Acre Wood Petting Zoo website for more information.

Stratford-upon-Avon Minigolf has closed

The minigolf course in Stratford-upon-Avon has closed.

Stratford-upon-Avon Minigolf

We were very sad to heard that the minigolf course at the Recreation Ground in Stratford-upon-Avon has closed after 20 years in operation.

Playing the course in 2008

The course was the 49th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2008 and a venue for a number of British Minigolf Association tournaments over the years.

Playing at an event in 2009

It was the host venue for the BMGA British Club Championships in 2008 - the first BMGA Tour event I won as part of the Midlands Minigolf Club.

Playing the course in a competition in 2010

The 18-hole minigolf course in Stratford-upon-Avon was one of the very best miniature golf courses in the country and was a real pleasure to play. As well as being a true test of putting skill.

The course in 2015

It'll be greatly missed.

Tournament action on the course in 2010

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Putting Course in Northcliffe Park, Shipley

A visit to the Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

We swung by Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire on our recent journey back from Leeds as we'd seen the park was home to a Putting Course.

The entrance to the course

The course looked like a nice layout and in good condition.

A fine looking green

You get a lovely view of the area from the course

The course is played on a sloping layout

One of the long miniature golf holes

A view from the green of the last hole

Unfortunately the Ticket Office was closed (and looked long since abandoned!) and there was nowhere else to hire clubs and balls from.

The Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley became the 975th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Toys R Us is returning to the UK

New Toys R Us stores opening in the UK.

Toys R Us in Northampton, June 2021

While Toys R Us stores have been closed in the UK since 2018 the brand has lived on in one form or another in other parts of the world.

The new version of Toys R Us will be opening by Toys R Us ANZ who relaunched the business in Australia in 2019. They plan to rollout the brand with an online and physical retail presence in 2022 and 2023.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. It's been very interesting to find that there are still remnants of the brand on some retail parks in the UK and we've visited a number of these closed, abandoned, derelict and demolished Toys R Us locations on our travels.

Toys R Us in Stockton-on-Tees, April 2021

Working at Toys R Us

My first job while at university in the year 2000 was as one of Geoffrey's helpers at the Luton store. I worked on the video game and electronics section.

Toys R Us in Basingstoke, May 2021

Visiting Toys R Us

With a keen interest in old and defunct brands we've visited a number of former Toys R Us sites over the last couple of years, the latest being in Norwich and Ipswich.

Toys R Us in Milton Keynes, June 2021

• Brighton Hill Retail Park in Basingstoke
• Central Retail Park in Manchester
• Cathedral Retail Park in Norwich
• Deepdale shopping centre in Preston
• Festival retail park in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Gemini Retail Park in Warrington
• Interchange Retail Park at Copdock Mill, Ipswich
• St James Retail Park in Northampton
• Teesside Retail Park in Stockton-on-Tees
• The Leisure Plaza in Milton Keynes
• Western Esplanade in Southampton
• Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury
• Wyvern Retail Park in Derby

Toys R Us in Southampton, May 2021

The future of Toys R Us

It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Toys R Us and how the relaunch in the UK will go.

As can be seen, some of the former locations are still vacant, while others have been let to new shops. Some former Toys R Us stores have been pulled down, with others converted to retailtainment centres featuring trampoline parks and minigolf courses.

It'll be interesting to shop at Toys R Us again in the future

New mini golf course in Coventry

A new mini golf course and tenpin bowling centre is planned to open in Coventry city centre.

The former Debenhams shop unit at the West Orchards Shopping Centre in Coventry is set to become a tenpin bowling and adventure golf venue.

The retail entertainment and minigolf boom.

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 malls, high streets and retail parks.

 

Crazy Golfing in Coventry

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

We've played minigolf at Allesley Park and Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry before. There's also a new Galaxy Quest Mini Golf at Laser Quest that we need to play and plans for a Boom: Battle Bar in the city too.

Happy National Pumpkin Day

Today is National Pumpkin Day.

Halloween in the City is back in Manchester

Halloween in the City has returned to Manchester city centre.

We saw a few of the new Halloween monster inflatables that have popped up in Manchester during a wander round town on Saturday.

The full Halloween in the City event is taking place in Manchester on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October with a number of large-scale monsters adorning buildings around the city centre as well as other themed activities.

Check out the Halloween in the City website for more information.

Urban Playground Mini Golf at the Arndale Centre in Manchester

A new indoor mini golf course is opening as part of the new Urban Playground at the Arndale shopping centre 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 is opening sometime this year and will be home to the indoor miniature golf course, The Cube Live and food & drinks.

Putters Mini-Golf at the Urban Playground will be a tech-based course. Visit the Urban Playground website for more information.

The Urban Playground will be another new local venue for us.

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.

Ghostbusting in Urmston

I saw an Ecto-1a car and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in Urmston, Greater Manchester two years ago today!

It was a brilliant way to kick off the Halloween season.

Par-59 Crazy Golf opening in Cardiff

The new Par-59 Crazy Golf venue is opening in Cardiff next year.

Plans are still going ahead for the Par-59 Crazy Golf venue to open in Cardiff, Wales. The location was originally going to be at the Capitol Shopping Centre in Cardiff city centre, however plans have changed with the site now opening in a former nightclub on St Mary Street.

The Par-59 brand is being opened by footballer Gareth Bale and is set to open in Spring 2022.

Par-59 will feature three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses along with a bar and restaurant.

Visit the Par-59 website for more information.

It'll be another new course for us to visit in Cardiff on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Today is Back to the Future Day

Happy Back to the Future Day.

We saw a Back to the Future DeLorean time machine at MediaCityUK in Salford a few days before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown was put in place

If you could travel in time would you go to the future or the past?

Visit the Back to the Future car's website for more information.

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

A look at the Mini Golf course at the UberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA.

My brother Christopher recently swung by the the UberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA and sent me these photos of the minigolf course there.

The course became the 1,006th visited on our overall Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.