Saturday, April 20, 2024

Crazy Golf Tournament at Putt Putt Social in Norwich

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Norwich on Friday 17th May.


Poster for the Crazy Golf Tournament at Putt Putt Social in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
My brother Christopher spotted this advert for the event while in Norwich this week

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue inside the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich.

Putt Putt Noodle Minigolf in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2023
A look at the course from one of Christopher's visits on his leg of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.


Putt Putt Noodle Minigolf in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried - September 2023
A look at the course from one of Christopher's visits on his leg of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

New Adventure Golf at Seal Bay Resort in Selsey

A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Seal Bay Resort in Selsey, Chichester, West Sussex.


A new Adventure Golf course is being created at Seal Bay Resort in Selsey, Chichester, West Sussex

The Adventure Golf course will be a part of an indoor adventure hub being created by Greenspan Projects.

Visit the Seal Bay Resort website for more information.


From Jurassic Golf to Glo Golf in Basildon

The indoor minigolf course at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex is in the process of changing from a Jurassic-themed course to a glo-golf, with UV paint and lighting effects.


The indoor minigolf course at the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex is in the process of changing from a Jurassic-themed course to a glo-golf, with UV paint and lighting effects

We haven't been to Basildon yet on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazier Golf and Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bars

A look at Boom Battle Bars offering Crazier Golf and Crazier Nolf.


Boom Battle Bar

Emily recently visited Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth and saw Crazier Nolf there. A first for our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Boom Battle Bar calls its crazy golf courses 'Crazier Golf' (and we've played the location in Norwich). Crazier Nolf is Crazier Golf, but played without putters!

Hole 2 of the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth
Hole 2 of the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth

There are currently 29 Boom Battle Bars in the UK! Each of them offers a range of games, with most (23) home to a Crazier Golf layout at the venue. Other games include shuffleboard, augmented reality darts, axe throwing and more.

Hole 3 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom Battle Bar Norwich
Hole 3 of the Crazier Golf course at Boom Battle Bar Norwich 

Here's the list of Boom Battle Bars:
  1. Aldgate East - Crazier Golf
  2. Bath - Crazier Golf
  3. Birmingham Broad Street - Crazier Golf
  4. Bournemouth - Crazier Nolf
  5. Canterbury - Crazier Golf
  6. Cardiff - Crazier Golf
  7. Chelmsford - Crazier Golf
  8. Coventry - Crazier Golf
  9. Ealing - Crazier Golf
  10. Eastbourne - Crazier Golf
  11. Edinburgh - Crazier Golf
  12. Exeter - Crazier Golf
  13. Glasgow - Crazier Nolf
  14. Ipswich - Crazier Golf
  15. Lakeside - no golf or nolf
  16. Leeds - Crazier Golf
  17. Liverpool - Crazier Golf
  18. London Oxford Street
  19. Manchester - no golf or nolf
  20. Norwich - Crazier Golf
  21. Plymouth - no golf or nolf
  22. Sheffield - Crazier Golf
  23. Southampton - Crazier Golf
  24. Southend-on-Sea - Crazier Golf
  25. Stevenage - no golf or nolf
  26. Swindon - Crazier Golf
  27. The O2 - Crazier Golf
  28. Wandsworth - Crazier Golf
  29. Watford - Crazier Golf

Visit the Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth website for more information.


Plans for Adventure Golf in Sheerness

There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course to be created as part of the Sheerness Revival Project.


There are plans for a new Adventure Golf course to be created as part of the Sheerness Revival Project

It'd be another new course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and a return trip to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey.

Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bar in Glasgow

One of the games available at Boom Battle Bar in Glasgow is Crazier Nolf.



Boom Battle Bar calls its crazy golf courses 'Crazier Golf' (and we've played the location in Norwich). Crazier Nolf is Crazier Golf, but played without putters!

Crazier Nolf at Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth
Hole 5 of the Crazier Nolf course at Boom Battle Bar in Bournemouth

Visit the Boom Battle Bar Bournemouth website for more information.


Check out this post to see all the different types and variants of miniature golf we've visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to date.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Happy Shopper shops

Looking back at our visits to Happy Shopper shops since 2020.


A Happy Shopper shop sign in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk
A Happy Shopper shop sign in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk

We felt very nostalgic during the coronavirus pandemic and one of the old brands from our childhood we thought about was 'Happy Shopper' - the name alone conjures up images of the 1980's.

A sign at the Pleasant News Happy Shopper in Wisbech (2021)
A sign at the Pleasant News Happy Shopper in Wisbech (2021)

Emily's first job was at a Happy Shopper in Ipswich and I remember seeing the Happy Shopper shops and branded products a lot when I was growing up in Oxfordshire back in the 1980's and 1990's.

We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.

A Happy Shopper shop in Preston
A Happy Shopper shop in Preston

A Happy Shopper clock in the shop in Sittingbourne, Kent in 2022
Visiting a fully branded Happy Shopper shop is like stepping back in time

The Happy Shopper branding was changed in the year 2000 and I think it lost a lot of its charm and individuality. Many of the former Happy Shopper shops have since been rebranded as Premier shops.

You can see the newer Happy Shopper branding on Pleasant News in Wisbech
You could still see the 'newer' Happy Shopper branding on Pleasant News in Wisbech in 2021

Shelves inside the Pleasant News Happy Shopper in Wisbech
The shelves inside the store were still the classic orange and yellow design

Since spotting the old shop in Preston we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.

The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield in 2020
The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield in 2020

Here's a list of posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

You can view my YouTube Playlist of Happy Shopper shop videos here.


Putt Putt Social Crazy Golf Tournament in Norwich

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Norwich on Friday 17th May.


Putt Putt Noodle Minigolf in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried - September 2023

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue.

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Plans for a Mini-Golf course at Hawley Garden Centre in Kent

There are plans for a Mini-Golf course to be created at Hawley Garden Centre in Sutton at Hone, near Dartford, Kent.


There are plans for a Mini-Golf course to be created at Hawley Garden Centre in Sutton at Hone, near Dartford, Kent

Visit the Hawley Garden Centre website for more information.


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

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Putt Putt Social Crazy Golf Tournament in Gloucester

A Crazy Golf tournament is being held at Putt Putt Social in Gloucester on Friday 17th May.


Putt Putt Noodle Minigolf in Norwich. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, September 2023

The team event will be contested at the indoor Crazy Golf venue.

Visit the Putt Putt Social website for more information.

Mr Mulligan’s Crazy Golf Competition in Worcester

A charity fundraising Crazy Golf Competition is being held at Mr Mulligan’s in Worcester on Thursday 20th June.


Mulligans Mini Golf in Worcester
Mulligans Mini Golf in Worcester

The team-based Crazy Golf tournament will be taking place at the Mr Mulligan's indoor adventure golf course in the city centre.

Mulligans Mini Golf in Worcester
Mulligans Mini Golf in Worcester

You can find out more about the Mr Mulligan’s Crazy Golf Competition on the St Richard's Hospice website.


Visit the Mr Mulligan's website for more information about the venue.

Crazy Golf at Strikes Bar in Rugby

There's a new Crazy Golf course at Strikes Bar in Rugby, Warwickshire.


There's a new Crazy Golf course at Strikes Bar in Rugby, Warwickshire

Strikes Bar is home to tenpin bowling, crazy golf, adventure softplay and AR darts.

You can find Strikes Bar at Unit LSU1C, Manning Walk, Central Shopping Centre, Rugby CV21 2JT.

Visit the Strikes Bar website for more information.


It's another new venue for us to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

ÃœberBlast Mini Golf in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

Taking a look back at the Mini Golf course at the ÃœberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA.


Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

My brother Christopher and his family swung by the the ÃœberBlast Family Entertainment Center in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA back in 2021.

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

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

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,044 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Turkey, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour currently stands at a combined 1,091 courses visited!

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

The mini golf course at ÃœberBlast looks like a nice layout in interesting surroundings.

Mini Golf at UberBlast in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2021

Check out the ÃœberBlast Family Entertainment Center website for more information.

PAR 'N' BAR Cosmic Crazy Golf in Rugby has moved

PAR 'N' BAR Cosmic Crazy Golf in Rugby has moved location to Level 2, Rugby Central Shopping Centre, CV21 2JT.

Friday, April 12, 2024

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - taking in 26 countries to date

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has seen us visit 26 countries so far.


Mini Golf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium. Photo by Emily Gottfried
Mini Golf at Leopoldpark in Blankenberge, Belgium. Photo by Emily Gottfried

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,044 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

Hotel Pinija Mini Golf in Croatia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
Hotel Pinija Mini Golf in Croatia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Turkey, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,091 courses visited!

Mini Golf at the Farm House Pub in Ixia, Rhodes, Greece. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
Mini Golf at the Farm House Pub in Ixia, Rhodes, Greece. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

Höfner Stübl Minigolf in Sasbachwalden, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
Höfner Stübl Minigolf in Sasbachwalden, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

Mini Golf at the Resort Horizont & Splendid in Pula, Croatia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
Mini Golf at the Resort Horizont & Splendid in Pula, Croatia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

Minigolf in Carcassonne - Lac de la Cavayère, France. Photo by Christopher Gottfried
Minigolf in Carcassonne - Lac de la Cavayère, France. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland. Photo by Emily Gottfried
Time Machine Minigolf in Warsaw, Poland. Photo by Emily Gottfried

Countries visited on our minigolfing adventures since September 2006:

  1. England
  2. Northern Ireland
  3. Scotland
  4. Wales
  5. Australia
  6. Austria
  7. Belgium
  8. Croatia
  9. Finland
  10. France
  11. Germany
  12. Greece
  13. Hong Kong
  14. Indonesia
  15. Isle of Man
  16. Italy
  17. Jersey
  18. Luxembourg
  19. Netherlands
  20. New Zealand
  21. Poland
  22. Singapore
  23. Spain (including Lanzarote and Majorca)
  24. Sweden
  25. Turkey
  26. USA

Check out the full list of courses we've been to on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Minigolf around the world - Bali Mini Golf in Indonesia

A look at the Bali Mini Golf course at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia.


Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018
Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018


My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour swung by the Bali Mini Golf course at Luwak Coffee Garden in Bali, Indonesia while on holiday in 2018.

Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018
Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018

Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018
Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018

Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018
Bali Mini Golf at Luwak Coffee Garden in Indonesia. Photo by Christopher Gottfried, October 2018

You can find minigolf courses - and interesting business combinations - around the world!

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since 2006 Emily and I have visited 1,044 miniature golf courses around the UK and overseas on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. As well as playing minigolf in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and the Isle of Man we’ve travelled to minigolf courses in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (including Lanzarote and Majorca), Sweden and the USA.

When added to the courses Christopher and his family have visited around the British Isles and Turkey, Spain (Majorca), Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Indonesia, Croatia and the USA, the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour stands at a combined 1,091 courses visited!

The Mini Masters miniature golf tournament in Manchester

Looking back at the 'Mini Masters' miniature golf tournament in Manchester.


I won the Mini Masters miniature golf tournament in Manchester back on the 11th April 2009. Time certainly flies!

The 'Mini Masters' minigolf tournament in Manchester
Mini Master

The Mini Masters was the first of two tournaments I won on the 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course at what was then Playgolf Manchester. The second event being the Miniature Open in July 2009.

The 'Mini Open' minigolf tournament in Manchester
Lining up a big minigolf win

I won the Mini Masters with a three round total of 81 (-24) after scoring 26, 27, and 28.

Championship Miniature Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester
A long tee-shot over and past several obstacles!

The course was the 84th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then the course wasn't one of our local layouts as we still lived in Luton, Bedfordshire and travelled up for the events.

Championship Miniature Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester
Emily putting on the big miniature golf course

The Championship Miniature Golf course is no longer at the centre, but you can find an expanded Championship Miniature Golf layout with two 18-hole courses in New Brighton. We've played both layouts there.

The location is no longer a Playgolf venue either. It's now known as the Trafford Golf Centre and is home to two 18-hole dinosaur adventure golf courses. I won the Dino Falls Masters Adventure Golf competition there in 2018 too!

Visit the Trafford Golf Centre website for more information.

Three new Golf Fang venues planned

There are plans for three new Golf Fang venues to open in London, Bristol and Nottingham this year.


Golf Fang

You can currently find Golf Fang indoor crazy golf venues in Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff.

Visit the Golf Fang and Big Fang Collective websites for more information.


The new locations will be new places to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Cumberland Golf planning a tour of Cumbria

Mini Golf Cumberland Edition will soon close at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria. But there are plans for it to move to a new location, or locations in the future.


Cumberland Golf planning a tour of Cumbria

The Mini Golf course opened at The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria last October and closes on Sunday 14th April.

Mini Golf Cumberland is a 9-hole layout, with obstacles themed on Cumberland landmarks.

Visit The Beacon Museum website for more information.


As Curators of The Crazy Golf Museum it was nice to see another museum including minigolf as an interactive exhibit to facilitate learning.

We visited Cumbria last year, but didn't have time to visit Whitehaven.

Hopefully we'll get to have a game on the Mini Golf Cumberland Edition course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

New Golf Fang opening in Bristol

A new Golf Fang indoor minigolf venue is planned to open in Bristol in 2024.


Golf Fang

There are plans for three new Golf Fang venues to open in London, Bristol and Nottingham this year.

You can currently find Golf Fang indoor crazy golf venues in Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff.

Visit the Golf Fang and Big Fang Collective websites for more information.

The new locations will be new places to check out on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.