National Postcard Week

This week has been National Postcard Week 2025.

We're massive fans of postcards (sending, receiving and collecting) and have a BIG collection of minigolf postcards from the UK and around the world.

The postcard below is something of a 'holy grail' in my collection.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Village. This Photo Precision Limited postcard was sent on the 8th July 1977

Not only is the card a full view of a Crazy Golf course, but it also has a message on the back about playing Crazy Golf! In the thousands of minigolf postcards I've got this is one of very few that mentions playing the game and the only one specifically saying "Crazy Golf"!

Pontin's Prestatyn Holiday Village, Central Beach, North Wales. Postally Used on the 8th July 1977 Photo Precision Limited

When did you last send or receive a postcard?

Pontins Prestatyn Sands

A look at the Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Camp Site (May 2024).

Pontins Prestatyn Sands

I stopped off at the Pontins Prestatyn Sands holiday park back in May while en route to the Crazy Golf course in the seaside town.

The approach to the camp

Sadly Pontins Prestatyn Sands closed to guests in November 2023.

Pontins Prestatyn Sands

Pontins Prestatyn Sands

The 'P' signs on the gates are the originals from when the camp opened

We'd visited three times in recent years as part of the Holiday on the Buses fan club events held there.

The Holiday on the Buses Weekender 2014 at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands allowed fans of the series and films the opportunity to stay at the camp, meet fellow fans and go on a number of mystery tours of filming locations!

The plaque with details of the Holiday on the Buses film used to be on the pillar to the right of the front gates

A minigolf postcard from Pontin's Holiday Village in Hemsby, Norfolk

A look at a minigolf postcard from our collection.

Here's a long-lost Crazy Golf course depicted on a Pontin's multi-view postcard of the Hemsby Holiday Village in Hemsby, Norfolk.

PONTIN'S HOLIDAY VILLAGE, HEMSBY, NORFOLK R5713 by Photo Precision Limited, St Ives. Unposted, undated

The layout is of the Eternit Miniature Golf style - a rarity on these shores.

We'll be heading back to Hemsby this summer for the Big Mini Golf Tour taking place across miniature golf courses in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea.

You can play minigolf at the Lost World Adventure Golf and Stonehenge Adventure Golf in the seaside town of Hemsby.

A postcard from Pontins Prestatyn Holiday Centre

A look at an old postcard from Pontins Prestatyn Holiday Centre.

One of the old postcards I bought at the recent Stockport postcard fair was this one sent to Chester in 1987.

Pontin's Prestatyn Holiday Centre. Bamforth & Co. Ltd. Postally used in 1987

The Bamforth & Co. Ltd. card gives a nice view of the holiday camp.

Pontins Prestatyn Sands

Pontins Prestatyn Sands was the setting for the film Holiday on the Buses and we've stayed there twice for special events. The excellent swimming pool and main building on the card are still instantly recognisable today.

Outside the main building at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands holiday camp in 2014

The July 2019 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine contains an article I wrote about Pontins postcards.

One of my prized minigolf possessions is from the Pontins Holiday Village. It's something of a crazy golf postcard holy grail as the sender wrote about the course depicted on the card.

Pontin's Prestatyn Holiday Village. Photo Precision Limited R5605. Postally used 8 July 1977

A look at the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool

While visiting the Princess Parade Crazy Golf course I had a look at the neighbouring Metropole hotel.

The Metropole is operated by Britannia Hotels, the owners of Pontin's. It was formerly a Butlin's hotel.

The Metropole hotel in Blackpool

Built in 1776, the hotel was owned by Butlins from 1955 until 1998 when it was purchased by Grand Hotels. In 2004 the hotel was sold to Britannia Hotels.

Interestingly it's the only hotel in Blackpool on the seaward side of the tram tracks.

The Pontin's flag flying at The Metropole

Related blog posts:

- The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool

- Blackpool

The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool

A look at the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool.

We bought some superb old postcards at a collector's fair in Stockport yesterday. Among them was this card of the Metropole Hotel in Blackpool back when it was owned by Butlin's.

The Metropole Hotel in Blackpool is now operated by Britannia Hotels, the owners of Pontin's!

How the Metropole Hotel looked on my visit to Blackpool in May. Note the Pontin's flag to the right of the hotel

Originally built in 1776, the hotel was owned by Butlins from 1955 until 1998 when it was purchased by Grand Hotels. In 2004 the hotel was sold to Britannia Hotels.

I was recently at the seaside resort to visit the Crazy Golf course behind the hotel as part of the project to reopen the minigolf layout.

Greetings from Pontin's Holiday Village, Camber Sands

We found this nice old Pontin's postcard at a collector's fair in Stockport yesterday.

Greetings from Pontin's Holiday Village, Camber Sands. Photo Precision Limited. Posted on 14 July 1975

The July 2019 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine contains an article I wrote about Pontins postcards.

The Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Camber Sands is where the playground and grass is in the top left image of the postcard above

My family stayed at Pontin's Camber Sands in the 1990's and we swung by the holiday camp to play the Adventure Golf there in 2014.

The course was the 585th visited and 351st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Pontins postcards in Picture Postcard Monthly

Check out the feature on Pontins postcards in the new issue of Picture Postcard Monthly.

The July 2019 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine contains an article I wrote about Pontins postcards.

The new issue of Picture Postcard Monthly is out now

Over the years I've collected quite a few postcards showing Pontins holiday camps dating back to the 1960s.

Greetings from Pontin's at Pakefield, Suffolk, Photo Precision Limited. PLC13118. Postally used on 28 Aug 1969

The majority of the cards I have are from the 1970s and 1980s and a lot of them show miniature golf courses.

One of my prized minigolf possessions and something of a crazy golf postcard holy grail as the sender wrote about the course depicted on the card

You can buy Picture Postcard Monthly magazine via the PPM website, or at postcard fairs around the country.

I'm a big fan of the seaside, holiday camps and crazy golf and have collected a large number of postcards showing various locations. In recent years we've also been on holiday to Pontins Prestatyn Sands for On the Buses fan club events.

Pontin's Holiday Centre Prestatyn, Bamforth & Co. Ltd. WT948. Postally used, date unknown

Growing up, my family went on holidays to camps at Barry Island, Minehead, Bognor Regis and Camber Sands. The November 2016 issue of Picture Postcard Monthly includes a feature I wrote about Butlin's cards.

Links:
- Picture Postcard Monthly magazine
- Pontins

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Pontins

Crazy Golf course at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park

Revisiting the Crazy Golf course at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park.

Last September we made our third visit to the Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park in Wales for a Holiday on the Buses Weekender. While on the camp we swung by the Crazy Golf course.

The course is housed within a fort

The ten-hole course was the 348th played and 582nd visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we first stayed at the camp in September 2014. We also visited in September 2017.

While you're staying at the camp the course is free to play

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Camp
- Crazy Golf at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Holiday on the Buses
- Prestatyn
- Pontins

Link:
- Pontins Prestatyn Sands

A Crazy Golf 'holy grail'

Finding a rare Crazy Golf postcard.

As a keen postcard collector I'm always on the lookout for new views of miniature golf courses and while at the December postcard fair in Stockport I found something of a holy grail in the world of minigolf postcards.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Village. This Photo Precision Limited postcard was sent on the 8th July 1977

Not only is the card a full view of a Crazy Golf course, but it also has a message on the back about playing Crazy Golf! In the thousands of minigolf postcards I've got this is one of only a few that mentions playing the game and the only one specifically saying "Crazy Golf".

The sender was having quite the holiday in Prestatyn by the sound of it - playing Crazy Golf every day!

The Grand Hotel is now The Beaches Hotel. Sadly the Crazy Golf course is long gone. On our last holiday in Prestatyn we popped into the hotel bar for a drink. The patio area there has a nice sea view.

A view of the area in front of the hotel. The plot of land between the hotel and Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park is now a car park

Another view of where the Crazy Golf course once was

Luckily there is still a Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park. It's near the main entrance and back in 2014 became the 348th played and 582nd visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Crazy Golf course at Pontins Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park

Related blog posts:
- Postcards
- Prestatyn
- Pontins

Crazy Golf at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Camp

A revisit to the Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park.

The ten-hole Crazy Golf course at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands holiday park

On our Holiday on the Buses at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands we revisited the 10-hole Crazy Golf course at the camp. It's had a lick of paint, some new felt and a change in some of the obstacles since we played the layout in 2014.

The castle / fort's walls are a lot more colourful than before

The course was the 348th played and 582nd visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Hole 1 

Hole 2 

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 6 

Hole 6

Hole 6 

Hole 6 

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9 

Hole 10

Visit the Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park website for more information.

We've also played Crazy Golf at the Pontin's holiday park at Camber Sands. Our friends Sophia and Karl Moles recently guest blogged about the Adventure Golf course at Pontin's Pakefield holiday park.

Link:
- Pontin's Prestatyn Sands

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf at Pontin's Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Holiday on the Buses
- Prestatyn
- Pontins