Clothes shopping in Hong Kong...

The advertising campaign for the 2014 Spring/Summer collection at this clothes shop in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon, Hong Kong must've been a success as the poster is still up!

Emily spotted this brand name while on business in Kowloon - crazy!

Just recently we spotted a great window display of funny brand names from around the world at the Fleet Street Clinic in London. They don't always make the right impression when they travel to international markets!

Related blog posts:
- Funny sign
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Hong Kong
- Funny brand names from around the world

'Bangolf' minigolf course at the Hellasgården in Nacka, Sweden

I was very interested to receive some great photos from John Snelgrove who had spotted this Minigolf (Bangolf) course while in Sweden in January.

Hellasgården Bangolf. Photo by John Snelgrove (January 2016)

The Bangolf course is at the Hellasgården in Nacka, a large nature area 5km southeast of Stockholm city. John tells me the area also has a lake that you can skate on in the winter!

The Hellasgården Bangolf course under cover of snow. Photo by John Snelgrove (January 2016)

Looking online the course looks like it's of the 'Eternit' type, but with some modifications - not least the addition of felt to the playing surface. You can see some snaps of the course on the Hellasgården Facebook page here and here.

In 2011 Emily and I played for the GB team in the WMF Nations Cup international tournament in Stockholm. One of those courses was of a similar variety. The weather for that event was quite different to the conditions found on John's visit to Sweden though.

Emily in action on the 'Eternit' Miniature Golf course at the Tantogårdens Bangolf Klub in Tantolunden Park, Stockholm

Link:
- Hellasgården website - Minigolf

Related blog posts:
- Sweden
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Beton Minigolf
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Eternit Minigolf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Funny brand names from around the world

A great window display of funny brand names from around the world.

The window display at the Fleet Street Clinic

While walking to Covent Garden on a day out to visit the Bond in Motion exhibition at the London Film Museum we spotted an excellent window display at the Fleet Street Clinic.

Some brand names travel better than others

One of the services offered by the private medical practice is a Travel Clinic - and they've certainly gone to town on the display showing a huge range of quirky and strange brand names on essential and interesting products from around the world.

I wouldn't fancy drinking a can of 'Sweat'!

While we were playing for the Great Britain Minigolf team in Sweden back in 2011 we spotted the Plopp and Kex brands. Eating Plopp was far more pleasant than the name suggests. The caramel version was delicious. The liquorice chocolate flavour was less tasty.

Would you snack on these chocs?

There's also a rather interestingly named brand of liquorice from Denmark that I've tried before! I'll leave you to look that one up...

Link:
- Fleet Street Clinic

Related blog posts:
- Marketing
- Advertising
- London

Minigolf collectables from the Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham

As my friends, family and regular readers of the blog will know, I'm a BIG fan of minigolf merchandise and ephemera.

The Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham is a great place for minigolf ephemera

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels we've collected hundreds of scorecards, leaflets, postcards, pencils, balls, badges, t-shirts, tokens and whatnots.

The great branded scorecards and coasters at the Lost City Adventure Golf in Nottingham

A classic way to encourage repeat visits in the miniature golf business is to employ a 'Lucky Last Hole' where, as a bonus, you can try and win a free game - we've played a fair few on our travels, and won on some of them.

You're very likely to find a 'Top Hole' on an Arnold Palmer Putting Course and the Free Game Cards are great. They're well made and often draw on the history of the putting franchise.

In this day and age most courses that give out free games for Lucky Last Hole wins use a paper or card based 'token', and very few still give metal coins to winners.

Except for the Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham. If you're skilled - and lucky - enough you might just win a piece of treasured Inca Gold!

The Lost City Adventure Golf's Temple Trail and Sacred Skull Pass courses were the 330th and 331st we played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The 36-hole indoor layout has two Lucky Last Holes - both are actually the 18th hole of the course, rather than standalone holes.

The lucky last hole on the Sacred Skull Trail

The 18th Top Hole on the Temple Trail course

When we've played as members of the general public we've not been able to master the lucky last holes at Nottingham, and when we've played there in national tour competitions we've only used one course and skipped the 18th, replaying the 1st hole instead. So unfortunately we've never won a free game there.

I did win a bronze medal at the Midlands Invitational Tournament at the course last year though

But the team at the Lost City were kind enough to send me a nice package that contained a branded pen and two magnificent tokens in a cardboard slip case. Fantastic additions to my collection.

Two pieces of prized Inca Gold from Nottingham

A nice Lost City branded pen

What's more, the Lost City Adventure Golf also has it's own handstamp applied to its mail! Absolutely brilliant to see. There aren't nearly enough minigolf stamps, postmarks or handstamps in circulation.

The Lost City Adventure Golf have really gone to town on their branding - on our travels to 675 courses it's the only place we've seen with an Adventure Golf table! Marvellous.

The theming in Nottingham is brilliant

Check out the Lost City Adventure Golf's website for more details, opening times and prices.

The Lost City Adventure Golf course is well worth a visit

Links:
- The Lost City Adventure Golf
- The Crazy Golf Museum

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Ephemera
- Merchandise
- Token
- Tokens
- The Lost City Adventure Golf at The Cornerhouse in Nottingham
- Revisiting The Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham
- A gift from Paradise

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

One month until National Miniature Golf Day 2016!

Will you be Putting on the BIG day in minigolf?

Every year there are two quasi-official days to celebrate the great game of miniature golf*.

The first is 'National Miniature Golf Day' and takes place on the second Saturday in May. This year it will be on Saturday 14th May.

Crazy Golfing on the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness on National Miniature Golf Day 2015

The second is 'Miniature Golf Day' and is always on the 21st of September, which falls on a Wednesday in 2016.

We were in Skegness, Lincolnshire for National Miniature Golf Day last year. It's a seaside resort that is home to 110 miniature golf holes spread over ten Crazy, Mini, Adventure, Putting and Pitch & Putt courses! The most of any town in the UK.

We held the National Miniature Golf Day Tournament 2015 on the two Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf courses on North Parade, Pebble Beach Adventure Golf at the Pleasure Beach, England's first-ever Crazy Golf course on South Parade and the Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach.

Check out the blog post for photos and results of the event.

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf dates for your 2016 diary
- National Miniature Golf Day Tournament 2015
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

* or one of the myriad of other names for the past-time...

Happy Birthday Butlin's!

Today marks the 80th birthday of Butlin's Holiday Camps. On the 11th April 1936 Billy Butlin opened his first camp in Skegness, Lincolnshire - and the business is still going strong today.

I love the British seaside with all its quirks, eccentricity and traditional entertainment. I grew up on holidays at Butlin's holiday camps in Minehead, Bognor Regis and Ayr - and spent many summers in the 80's and 90's at the Barry Island Holiday Camp which used to be a Butlin's camp.

I spent many great holidays at Butlin's Minehead. It was nice finding these badges at Hitchin Market recently

In fact my parents met at a Butlin's! At the Clacton-on-Sea camp way back in 1975 and this year they are celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary.

It's probably in no small part because of our childhood stays at holiday camps - and all the fun they had to offer - that Emily and I have spent the last ten years travelling around the UK coast on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We also visited Butlin's Minehead (formerly Somerwest World) on one of our first holidays together in 2004.

As well as being home to the first Butlin's holiday camp, Skegness is also the site of England's first Crazy Golf course.
It opened in 1926

Over the years we've built up a great collection of miniature golf postcards, and we always keep an eye out for Butlin's cards. They're such colourful and fun cards, and seeing the monorail at Minehead brings back so many happy memories.

Within our postcard collection we've got a great selection of old and new Butlin's postcards. The images on the classic John Hinde are fantastic and it's been great to receive cards from our family when they've been to the camps in recent years. The oldest Butlin's card we have was posted on the 4th June 1951. It shows the Putting Green at Butlin's Luxury Holiday Camp in Pwllheli, Wales

Look at the size of the golf ball on the tee at the Butlin's Putting Greens. The monorails were marvellous too

Last summer we visited Skegness, and while we've not been inside that camp (yet) our friend Peter Jones was coincidently there at the same time for a Five Star concert and managed to buy me a stack of great badges for my collection.

Good luck to Butlin's and all the best for the next 80 years...

Links:
- Butlin's
- Butlin's blog
- John Hinde postcards

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Postcards

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Crazy Golf at Pop's Meadow in Gorleston-on-Sea

A look at the Crazy Golf course at 'Pop's Meadow Putting Green' in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk.

The rocket ship has received a paint job since our visit in 2010

Founding member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried was recently passing through Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk and took a couple of snaps of the Crazy Golf course at the Gorleston Fun Park aka Pop's Meadow.

Sadly the course was closed on Christopher's visit

The 9-hole course was the 173rd we played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in June 2010 - it had been the landmark 100th course visited back in May 2009.

How the course looked in 2009

How the area got its name

Emily playing the layout in 2010

Even with the addition of a variety of obstacles over the years - and the lack of felt/carpet - the course is still recognisable as an Arnold Palmer Putting Course. A cracking type of layout and well worth a play.

The course had a classic windmill obstacle on it when we played there in 2010

The Pop's Meadow course is one of many that Christopher has visited and found to be closed. Check out the links below for more details of the courses he has visited since 2011.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Course re-visit and played course #173 - Gorleston-on-Sea
- 100 Minigolf Courses visited to date!
- Arnold Palmer

Courses visited by Christopher Gottfried 2011-16

- Brighton - Crazy Golf

- Paignton Pier - Crazy Golf

- Herne Bay - Mini Golf

- Great Yarmouth - Windmill Theatre Indoor Crazy Golf

- Margate (Cliftonville) - Little Oasis Crazy Golf

- Newquay - Mini Golf

- Mundesley - Adventure Island Golf

- Ladram Bay - Crazy Golf

- Majorca (Vista Alegre, Porto Cristo, Mallorca) - Minigolf

- Sirmione, Lake Garda, Italy - Minigolf
- Gorleston-on-Sea (Pop's Meadow) - Crazy Golf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Love Luton

More about the Love Luton campaign.

Love Luton was formed in 2010 to lead the City Status bid. While that was unsuccessful the campaign continued into 2012 for celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and hosting the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. The Love Luton campaign is planned to continue through 2016 and beyond.

Some of the Love Luton campaign badges amongst others in my pin collection. I've got a stack of the new round pin to give out on my travels

Emily and I have lived in Luton since we came to study in the town in the year 2000. It's certainly an interesting place. There are plenty of quirks, interesting history and fun to be had here.

You can find the source of the River Lea in Luton. It's not far from where we live in the northern bit of the town called Leagrave

Over the years we've been involved in a lot of events in the town, and we can say we've explored pretty much everything the town has had to offer and are proud to be adopted Lutonians.

The 'Love Luton' branded Arriva bus went past Wardown Park just before the official count at the successful Guinness World Record attempt for the 'Largest Gathering of People Wearing Boater Hats' organised by the town's Museum Makers. I wonder what all the people driving along Old Bedford Road thought of the massed ranks of be-hatted people assembled in the park!

Check out the links below for more on the Love Luton campaign.

Links:
- Love Luton website
- Love Luton on Twitter
- Love Luton on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Luton
- Luton is still a town
- Lutonians break Guinness World Record!

Foreshore Sands Crazy Golf course in Bridlington

A visit to the Foreshore Sands Crazy Golf course in Bridlington.

On our trip to the seaside town of Bridlington last summer we visited the Crazy Golf course on the Foreshore Sands.

Unfortunately we arrived quite late in the day so the course, built by the team at UrbanCrazy, was closed.

The course became the 667th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It's certainly a bright layout and very different to other courses we've seen on our travels.

The temporary course was placed on the site of an old permanent 'Intergalactic' Crazy Golf course that you can see on some fairly recent postcards.

We can't wait to return to Bridlington later this year as there's lots we want to see and do there.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Gullon (sin gluten) gluten free biscuits and crackers

While at Hitchin Market this morning we spotted these big boxes of gluten free biscuits and crackers on one of the food stalls!

I've bought the chocolate cookies before (they're very scoffable), but I've never seen the Sharkies biscuits or the crackers. Brilliant stuff.

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Sin Gluten
- Funny things about being a Coeliac

Links:
- Gullon
- Coeliac UK

Oi Polloi Crazy Golf interview

The team at fashion retailer Oi Polloi recently did a photo shoot on a Crazy Golf course in Fleetwood, Lancashire for the range of Grenfell menswear they are stocking.

During their search for a suitable minigolf course they found my blog, got in touch and interviewed me for their blog.

Check it out at "Interview: Richard Gottfried and the crazy world of crazy golf."

Putting into a shed on the UrbanCrazy minigolf course in East Finchley

The Crazy Golf course in Fleetwood, Lancashire

Links:
- Oi Polloi website
- Oi Polloi blog

Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Workplace Challenge Fancy Dress Dodgeball Tournament in Luton

team BEDS&LUTON - the county sports partnership for Luton and Bedfordshire - is organising a Dodgeball competition in Luton as part of the Workplace Challenge initiative.

The Workplace Challenge Fancy Dress Dodgeball Tournament is taking place on Friday 22nd April from 6.30pm-9.30pm at Putteridge High School in Luton.

Find out more about the tournament on the team BEDS&LUTON website.

Back in 2005 we ran a Dodgeball league with players from around the UK travelling to events in Luton.

As part of the 'Get Back Into...' programme I joined the Luton Dodgeaball Club in 2010, I followed this up with a stint in the Harpenden Dodgeball Club.

Links:
- team BEDS&LUTON
- Workplace Challenge
- UK Dodgeball Association

Related blog posts:
- Dodgeball
- team BEDS&LUTON

Happy April Fools' Day!

Hope you've had a fun morning of spoof stories and joke news.

Of course there are going to be more courses built this year (and long into the future).

One of the many many many excellent courses to play in the UK

We're looking forward to playing more on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as we near the 700 courses mark!

At the site of England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. It's in Skegness

Related blog posts:
- April Fools' Day

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

No new minigolf courses being built this year

New course construction halted for 2016.

In news released today we've heard that no further miniature golf courses will be opening this year!

According to the European Minigolf Union no new mini, crazy or adventure golf courses will be approved until after the EU referendum on Thursday 23rd June.

Emily playing at a newish indoor Adventure Golf course in Sheffield in February

Hans Zoff of the EMU has said "While we know the game of minigolf is gaining in popularity around the world, and especially in the UK, we are unable to sanction the design, planning or construction of any further courses until after the result of the Brexit poll in June."

It's a real shame that there aren't going to be any new courses opening until after the polls have closed, but at least there are over 700 courses to visit and play around the UK.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf at Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park

The photos our friends Matt and Helen Dodd took of the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at the Haven Golden Sands Caravan Holiday Park in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire reminded us of this snap our friends Sophia and Karl Moles took while on holiday at Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk a few years ago.

One of the obstacles on the Arnold Palmer Putting Course at Haven's Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park in Norfolk

It's great to see there are still Arnold Palmer Putting Courses dotted around the coast. They're definitely a great part of minigolf history.

Check out Haven's web pages for the Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park for more photos of the Crazy Golf course. They've got an interesting paint job on the classic windmill obstacle.

Link:
- Haven

Related blog posts:
- Sophia Moles
- Karl Moles
- Arnold Palmer
- Haven
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Crazy Golf at the Haven Golden Sands Caravan Holiday Park in Mablethorpe

Our fellow minigolf adventurers Matt, Helen and Emily Dodd have been on a trip to the fine county of Lincolnshire and found plenty of courses to visit there. With the Dodd's staying at holiday parks they were able to play some courses that we never got to when we first visited Lincolnshire in 2011.

A dogleg hole at Haven's Golden Sands Crazy Golf course. You don't normally see a bridge/ramp on the fairway

This Arnold Palmer Putting Course was played in the Haven Golden Sands Caravan Holiday Park in Mablethorpe. What a great discovery.

A BIG minigolf elephant on the themed Arnold Palmer course

Plenty of obstacles in the path to the cup on this hole!

Tricky

Even trickier!

The hole below is a regular sight on Arnold Palmer Putting Courses and is very often a good opportunity for a hole-in-one. But this is the first time I've the hole with additional obstacles!

The ledge hole in Mablethorpe

A version of the hole in Whitby, Yorkshire

As hole 16 in Hastings, East Sussex

There is another Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Mablethorpe. The Hooks Island Crazy Adventure Golf was a 13-hole layout (12-holes, plus lucky last hole) when we played it in 2011.

Lincolnshire is a real hotspot for minigolf. Skegness alone has 102-holes spread across nine seafront courses!

The Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Skegness still has an old scorecard in use. It lists many of the Arnold Palmer courses that are long gone. A great bit of minigolf history

Related blog posts:
- Mablethorpe
- Matt Dodd
- Helen Dodd
- Arnold Palmer
- Haven
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Haven

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.