Minigolf in Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks

A look at the miniature golf courses in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole and Sandbanks area of Dorset.

We're gearing up for a minigolfing road-trip to the Bournemouth area in the spring and are looking forward to visiting and playing the courses down there.

We've visited the area a number of times over the years but our last trip there was in 2013. Since then a number of new courses have opened up, while some of the others have been refurbished.

If you know of any other minigolf courses in the Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne, Poole or Sandbanks area do let us know.

Boscombe

Boscombe Chine Gardens is home to the Squirrel Café and mini golf. We played competitions on the course in 2009 and 2013.

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in 2009

Boscombe Pier was home to an eco-friendly Crazy Golf course for a while, we're not sure if it's still there though. The balls in use were made of fish food and the last hole had a drop into the sea!

Bournemouth

Mighty Adventures Crazy Golf at Playgolf Bournemouth is a relatively new 18-hole adventure golf course.

The Oasis Fun Centre in Bournemouth is home to an indoor jungle-themed adventure golf course.

Bournemouth Gardens Classic Mini Golf in the Lower Gardens has been in the gardens for decades. It re-opened following a refurbishment a few seasons ago. We visited in 2009 and 2013. The Lower Gardens have been home to miniature golf courses since 1931 when the first Putting Green was introduced.

Mini Golf in the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth in 2013

Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf on Pier Approach in Bournemouth opened last year and is an 18-hole layout.

Mr Mulligan's Space Golf in Bournemouth is home to three 9-hole indoor adventure golf courses.

There used to be a derelict Crazy Golf near the Lower Gardens on Exeter Road in Bournemouth. It'll be interesting to see if it's still there and what state it's in now.

We checked out the course in 2009 and 2013

There's a Crazy Golf course at Tuckton Tea Gardens, Bournemouth. It looks like a fun layout.

Solent Meads Golf Centre in Bournemouth is home to a par-3 course as well as a Putting Green.

Christchurch

There's a Crazy Golf courses in Christchurch. We've known about it for a while but it's always been slightly off our route.

Poole

Harbour Pirates Glow Golf in Poole is a pirate-themed indoor UV minigolf course.

Poole Park Crazy Golf is a 12-hole outdoor course. We've also played a Putting Course next to the Crazy Golf. The park is also home to a miniature railway.

Poole Park Crazy Golf in 2010

Sandbanks

Sandbanks Crazy Golf is an interesting 18-hole layout. We've played tournaments on the course in the past.

There are some big obstacles on the Sandbanks Crazy Golf course

Southbourne

Cafe Riva in Southbourne is home to a Crazy Golf course. We played the course in 2009 and revisited in 2013. On our return we saw the venue is also home to a Putting course and a Pitch & Putt layout.

The Crazy Golf course at Cafe Riva in Southbourne back in 2013

Holiday parks

Two holiday parks in the area are home to courses:
Sandford Holiday Park in Sandford, Poole has a minigolf course.
Merley Court Touring Park in Merley, Wimborne, near Poole has a 9-hole minigolf course.

It should be a marvellous trip to the seaside.

What are the odds we find a few other hidden putting greens or pop-up crazy golf courses while we're down there?

A Crazy Golf postcard from Boscombe

A look at an old Crazy Golf postcard from Boscombe.

I recently bought 50 more postcards for my collection and among them was this card of the Crazy Golf course near Boscombe Pier.

A Boscombe Crazy Golf postcard. JH 40 Plastichrome by Colourpicture. Pub. by J. Hammersley, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Posted in 1967

The course on the postcard is long gone, but Boscombe Pier itself does now have it's own Crazy Golf course.

We haven't played the Boscombe Pier course yet, however we have played the course at Boscombe Chine Gardens a number of times over the years.

Related blog posts:

- Boscombe

- Postcards

Where is the best Crazy Golf course in Dorset?

"Where is the best Crazy Golf course in Dorset?" - That's the question asked on a new promotional leaflet from the team at three Miniature Golf courses in Dorset.

A photo of Emily playing at Poole Park's Crazy Golf course appears on the leaflet

There's a photo of me playing a shot on the 12th hole at Poole Park's Crazy Golf course on the leaflet too

Over the years we've visited all three courses (including the course that was previously in Poole Park) and each is quite different. Rather than answering the question I'd suggest giving them all a play.

Playing Crazy Golf at Poole Park in October 2010

Emily at Boscombe Chine Mini Golf in July 2013

Playing at Sandbanks Crazy Golf in June 2009

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've visited over 570 courses and quite a few in Dorset. Check out my blog post 'Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Dorset' for details of the courses we also played in Weymouth, Bournemouth, Southbourne and Fordingbridge between October 2008 and March 2013.

Some of my most viewed videos on my YouTube Channel are from visits to Poole Park. Check out this 'Pro' shot hole-in-one video.

Many thanks to Mick 'The Man' Gisbourne for sending along the new promotional leaflet.

Playing the old 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Poole Park in October 2009

There's also a grass Putting Green at Poole Park

Emily and I aren't the only Minigolfers adorning a promotional leaflet for a course - Paul 'Johnson Paul Johnson' Johnson and Chris 'Who' Harding are in the flyer for the Quest Krazy Golf course at Merry Hill in Dudley!

For locations, contact information, prices and opening times of the Sandbanks, Poole Park and Boscombe Minigolf courses check out the links below.

Links:

- Sandbanks Crazy Golf
- Poole Park Crazy Golf
- Boscombe Mini Golf

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Dorset
- Dorset
- Sanbanks
- Poole Park
- Revisit to Poole Park in Dorset - Crazy Golf & Minigolf
- Boscombe
- A great piece of Minigolf ephemera
- Ephemera
- Merchandise

Revisiting the Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course

Replaying the 18-hole Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset.

In early July we were back in Boscombe, Dorset for the first time in a few years. In 2009 we'd played the Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course at the BMGA British Doubles Championship.

At the time the course became the 108th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Photos of the 18-hole course (July 2013).

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 1

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 2

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 3

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 4

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 5

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Pipe

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Green

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 7

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 8

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9 - the Green

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 10

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 11

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 12

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 13

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 14

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 15

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 16

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 17

Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 18

Prior to this year's BMGA British Matchplay Championships Emily faced-off against her Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club team-mate Seth 'Sethers' Thomas in the CMGC Matchplay Championship.

Emily Putting on hole 4

In game one Emily took the victory 1-up. Game two saw Seth take a 3&2 win while the decider saw Seth edge a 1-up victory to take the series win and the CMGC Matchplay Championship title.

Seth tackles hole 6

Local character Mick 'The Man' Gisbourne was also in residence at the Boscombe Chine Gardens course during the championship weekend and played against Emily and Seth in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' competition.

Seth leading the way in the three-player event

In the one-round contest Seth won with a round of 36(par), Emily was second with a 40(+4) and Mick The Man was third with a round of 48(+12).

Mick The Man has a tricky and long second shot coming up in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' contest

The Boscombe Mini Golf course is in a nice location and easily accessible (it's also a stop on the Bournemouth to Boscombe Land Train). Well worth a play if you're in the area.

The floral train at Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset

Emily was third in the 2013 BMGA British Matchplay Championships and fellow Minigolfer Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd was keen to inspect her winnings after the competition!

Stop! Thief!

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf Course Visit No. 108 - Boscombe Chine Gardens

- Crazy world of Minigolf Tour

Links:

- Boscombe Chine Mini Golf

An Advertising Airdancer Not Dancing in Boscombe

Another in the long line of sort of Wacky Waving Arm-Flailing Inflatable Tube-men to add to my 'collection'.

The latest in the long line of Airdancers spotted on my travels was advertising payday loans at the Cash Converters in Boscombe, Dorset. It was lurching a fair bit when we first spotted it.

The not so Wacky Waving Arm-Flailing Inflatable Tube-man in Boscombe

The following day it was a bit more upright, but needn't a bit more air.

A little more upright

Link: 

- Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man Related Blog Posts on the Ham & Egger Files

Gluten Free in Bournemouth, Boscombe and Southbourne, Dorset

Dining out Gluten Free in three Dorset seasides.

Before we headed to Boscombe, Dorset for the 2013 BMGA British Matchplay Minigolf Championships and a mini-holiday Emily and I had a search to see what options we had for dining out Gluten Free.

The best place we found for Gluten Free options was the brilliant Gluten Free Vegetarian UK blog that had lots of reviews and suggestions for restaurants and takeaways in the Bournemouth, Boscombe and Southbourne area.

We duly made a list of all the places to try. On our promenading through the seaside town we spotted most of the places on our list. One of the restaurants we were most looking forward to visiting was Natural Bourne Grillers. The online menu had certainly whetted our appetites and it was the first place we dined on Thursday.

So good was the food and service that we also booked a table for Friday night!

Natural Bourne Grillers is a steakhouse & grill and all meals can be prepared gluten free! The chef told us that he has friends with coeliac disease so he makes a real effort to make sure the food at the restaurant is safe and tasty. It really was great and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Enjoying the BIG burger at Natural Bourne Grillers

On both days I opted for the 10oz bacon cheeseburger! It was a big burger (two 5oz steak mince patties in a good gluten free bun with plenty of cheese and nice bacon) and came with hand cut fries and a great coleslaw. On the Saturday we also went for the BBQ chicken wings which were very good. 

We will definitely be heading back again. There are plenty of other items on the menu and they have a number of daily specials and offers during the week. There is also no corkage fee when you take your own alcohol which is great.

On Saturday evening we headed to Tomlin’s Fish & Chip shop and restaurant. Another gluten free chippy to add to our list.

Fish & Chips at Tomlin's

We stayed in the Balincourt Hotel in Bournemouth (great location for the Boscombe Chine Mini Golf course), which can cater for Coeliacs for breakfast (and evening meals if required). There were gluten free cereals available and the full English breakfast was a great way to start the day.

We also saw that The Crooked Book shop in Boscombe has some gluten free options, but didn’t eat there on this occasion.

We're looking forward to our return to the Dorset coast already!

Links:

- Gluten Free Vegetarian UK blog

- Gluten free restaurant list – Bournemouth, Poole and day trips around

- Natural Bourne Grillers

Related blog posts:

- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Gluten Free in Weymouth, Dorset

- Gluten Free blog posts

Emily Gottfried third in the BMGA British Matchplay Minigolf Championships in Boscombe

8th July 2013

Press Information

For Immediate Release

Emily Gottfried third in the BMGA British Matchplay Minigolf Championships in Boscombe

Luton Minigolfer Emily Gottfried finished in third place of 17-players in the British Minigolf Association’s British Matchplay Championships at the Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset on Sunday 7th July, winning four of six matches in the national event.

Emily Gottfried playing the 17th hole at Boscombe Chine Mini Golf

The 2013 competition was the sixth edition of the tournament, but Emily’s debut in the event and her first tournament played on the 18-hole Boscombe course.

The first stage was played in a round robin format. After a one-hole loss to London’s Gareth Holmes in the first match Emily rallied to win against London’s Alan Norman by one-hole before defeating Bexhill-on-Sea’s Alex Pragnell 3&2.

Qualifying as the group runner-up Emily was drawn to face Cambridge’s Tony Kelly in the quarter finals. Their match was tied after 18-holes and went to a sudden-death play-off that Emily won with a hole-in-one at the fourth extra-hole.

The semi-final draw saw Emily face BMGA British number one Michael Smith. Going two holes up on the front nine holes Emily eventually lost 2&1 after a fightback from the defending champion.

In the third/fourth place play-off Emily was matched against Kent’s Mark Wood. The match ended in victory for Emily with a 3&2 win.

Emily said "I am extremely pleased with my performance in the tournament. To finish in third place in my first British Matchplay tournament is better than I expected. The course has its tough holes, but I enjoyed it and feel I that played well all day, throughout the beautiful hot weather and did myself proud."

Ends

Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Dorset

Details of the Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf, Minigolf and Golf Putting Green courses we've played in Dorset since October 2008.

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels Emily and I have visited over 500 courses to date. The furthest along the south coast of England we've managed to reach so far is the county of Dorset, where we've played a variety of Miniature Golf courses.

The first course I visited in the county (and 76th overall) was the 18-hole Pirate Adventure Mini Golf course in Weymouth. Situated at the town's Sea Life Centre at Lodmoor Country Park, the course hosted the first-ever Weymouth Open Minigolf tournament in October 2008, a contest I won!

2008 Weymouth Open Minigolf champion

We revisited the town for further editions of the event, when I finished as the runner-up in 2009 & 2011, and seventh in 2010. Alongside Chris Harding I won the Weymouth Open Team Tournament in 2011.

2011 Weymouth Open Team Champions

The next visit to Dorset came in June 2009 when the 106th course played was the 18-hole Crazy Golf course in Sandbanks. We were in the area for the British Minigolf Association's British Doubles Championship event at the Boscombe Chine Gardens Minigolf course and took the opportunity explore the courses down there.

Me and my Minigolf Doubles Partner Kevin Moseley at Boscombe Chine Gardens Minigolf course

In total we've visited fifteen courses in Dorset and played eleven of them. Check out the list below for links to blog posts about our visits.

Miniature Golf Courses Played in Dorset:

76 Weymouth (Sea Life Centre) - Adventure Golf

77 Weymouth (Bowleaze Cove) - Crazy Golf

106 Sandbanks - Crazy Golf

107 Bournemouth (Lower Gardens) - Minigolf

108 Boscombe (Chine Gardens) - Minigolf

109 Southbourne/Fisherman's Walk (Cafe Riva) - Crazy Golf - this course has been refurbished since our visit

110 Fordingbridge (Tudor Rose Inn) - Miniature Golf - Update: October 2012 - the beer garden has had a makeover and the course is no longer there

153 Poole (Poole Park) - Crazy Golf - Course removed and replaced in Summer 2010. See also 203
154 Poole (Poole Park) - Putting Green
203 Poole (Poole Park) - New 12-hole Crazy Golf - revisit in October 2011

204 Weymouth (Greenhill Gardens) - Putting

Unplayed Miniature Golf Course Visits in Dorset:
- Weymouth - Putting Green - Now played, see #204
- Bournemouth (Near Lower Gardens) - Derelict course
- Sandbanks - Putting Green
- Weymouth (Riviera Hotel) - Crazy Golf - Visited again in October 2010 - the Hotel and Course were derelict!
- Christchurch (Hoburne Holiday Park) - Crazy Golf

Note: The number next to the course denotes the 'visit number' on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. You can click through from the list above to the webpage on the Ham & Egger Files detailing our visit to the course.

Two of the most viewed videos on my YouTube Channel were filmed on Poole Park's old Crazy Golf course. Hole 9 used to be a Pinball layout and in the video I show you how the 'Pro's play it'...

If you've got a spare £375,000 knocking about the place you can currently purchase a house in Bournemouth that comes with its own Huxley Golf Putting Green!

The Southbourne Crazy Golf course had the strangest prices I've ever seen!

In 2013 the British Minigolf Association Tour will be returning to Dorset when the Boscombe Chine Minigolf course hosts the BMGA British Matchplay Championships and the Sandbanks Crazy Golf course hosts the Dorset Pro-Am Crazy Golf Championship.

The Midlands Minigolf Club at the 2009 BMGA British Club Championships in Sandbanks

According to the excellent Miniature Golf course list at MiniatureGolfer.com there are also Minigolf / Crazy Golf courses in Bere Regis, Bridport, Charmouth, Rousden, Warmwell and Wimbourne. The journey continues...

Putting at the 'Flintstone's' Crazy Golf course at Bowleaze Cove, Weymouth

Links:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- MiniatureGolfer.com Miniature Golf Course List (England and the Islands)

- British Minigolf Association (BMGA)
- Pirate Adventure Mini Golf at Weymouth Sea Life Centre
- Bournemouth Lower Gardens Minigolf
- Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf
- Sandbanks Crazy Golf