The Minigolf-Atlas

Check out the Minigolf-Atlas - a map listing miniature golf courses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

I recently found out about the Minigolf-Atlas, a project to map all of the minigolf courses in Germany and surrounding countries!

The project is run by the team at Miniatur-Golf-Club Wetzlar eV. They are based in central Germany and created the project to record all the minigolf facilities throughout Germany. This includes locations where clubs are based and tournaments take place, as well as the many course locations where no competitions are held.

It's brilliant to see the efforts put into the project, and it'll be an excellent resource for people to get out and play for leisure, fun, and for competition and club play.

The Minigolf-Atlas team are putting together lists of courses in other countries, and it'll be interesting to see the website develop over time.

Take a look at the Minigolf-Atlas website for more information.

It'll be a handy resource if we can find the time to visit Germany again in the future! There are still some minigolf systems, including Cobi Golf and Star Golf that we haven't yet played, and these are localised in Germany (Cobi Golf) and Germany & Austria (Star Golf).

I've played Felt Golf in Vienna, Austria at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark. That was an incredibly tough course, and the longest Swedish Felt course in Europe!

The Askoe Wien Swedish Felt Minigolf course in Vienna, Austria

I didn't get a chance to play the 'Eternit' aka Miniature Golf course there as it was out of season.

The Askoe Wien Eternit Miniature Golf course in Vienna, Austria

It was also the first place I saw the minigolf/snooker hybrid game of Pit-Pat.

Pit-Pat in Vienna, Austria

My brother Christopher, a charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and his family have visited a few courses in Germany and one in Luxembourg on their branch of the tour:

• Nittel, Germany - Minigolf
• Zeltingen-Rachtig, Germany - Beton Minigolf

Minigolf in Zeltingen-Rachtig, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Traben-Trarbach, Germany - Eternit Miniature Golf
• Kobern-Gondorf, Germany - Abenteuergolf
• Kobern-Gondorf, Germany - Eternit Miniature Golf

Miniature Golf in Kobern-Gondorf, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Bernkastel-Kues, Germany - Minigolf

Minigolf in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Gutach, Germany (Adventuregolf Gutach) - Adventure Golf
• Sasbachwalden, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany (Höfner Stübl Minigolf) - Eternit Miniature Golf

Höfner Stübl Miniature Golf in Sasbachwalden, Germany. Photo by Christopher Gottfried

• Remich, Luxembourg - Eternit Miniature Golf

Miniature Golf in Remich, Luxembourg. Photo by Christopher Gottfried 

To date, we've visited 1,044 miniature golf courses. 997 of those have been in the British Isles, while 47 have been in overseas countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Spain (& Lanzarote, Canary Islands), Sweden and the USA. When we began our travels there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, with new courses opening all the time.

Höfner Stübl Minigolf in Sasbachwalden

A look at the Miniature Golf Höfner Stübl course in The Black Forest (Schwarzwald).

Many thanks to my brother Christopher for sending over these photos of Höfner Stübl Minigolf in Sasbachwalden, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

The course was the 1,072nd visited on our combined Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

Minigolf Magazin from Germany

Now in the Crazy Golf Museum - the latest issue of Minigolf Magazin.

Minigolf Magazin

The official magazine of the German Minigolf Federation / Deutsche Minigolfsport Verband.

Minigolf Magazin from Germany

Now in the Crazy Golf Museum - Minigolf Magazin.

Minigolf Magazin

The official magazine of the German Minigolf Federation / Deutsche Minigolfsport Verband.

How to play minigolf - in three languages

Whereabouts on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour did we find this sign?

How to play minigolf

So wird bahnengolf gespielt

Jouer au minigolf

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Sign-up to receive our minigolf enewsletter

Minigolf in Traben-Trarbach, Germany

Traben-Trarbach is home to Germany's first minigolf course.

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf layout was built in 1955. You can find it at MGC Traben-Trarbach.

We've played a few Beton Concrete Mini Golf courses on our travels, notably in Nations Cup tournaments in Finland and Sweden.

Spotting a Miniature Golf course in Traben-Trarbach 

In 2018 my brother Christopher was on a cycling trip in Luxembourg and Germany and spotted a minigolf course in Traben-Trarbach. That one was an Eternit Miniature Golf layout.

He did see a Beton Concrete Mini Golf course while in Zeltingen-Rachtig.

Beton Minigolf

Paul Bongni standardised the game with the Beton type of minigolf courses in 1953. The first Beton course was opened in Locarno, Switzerland.

Dr Walter Spier introduced minigolf to Traben-Trarbach two years later. The first German Minigolf Championship was held on the course in 1956.

Eternit Miniature Golf

The first Eternit Miniature Golf course opened at the 'Planten un Bloomen' Leisure Park in Hamburg, Germany in 1958.

Schär gluten free products in Düsseldorf, Germany

A look at Schär gluten free products on sale in Germany.

Lots of Schar gluten free food in Germany

Emily was recently in Düsseldorf, Germany and took these snaps of the Schär gluten free products available there. They are certainly different to the products available in the UK.

Savaiardi

Vollkornbrot

Pain Brioche

Knackebrod

Zwieback

Carrotinis

In 2017 Emily brought me back some Schär gluten free goodies from Spain.

Link:
- Schär gluten free

Related blog posts:
- Schär
- Gluten free

Pac-Man ghost street art in Düsseldorf, Germany

Spotting the Pac-Man ghost stickers in Düsseldorf.

Emily recently returned from Düsseldorf, Germany and while there noticed a lot of Pac-Man ghosts stuck up around the city.

This was the first Pac-Man ghost Emily spotted

The Pac-Man ghost stickers are the work of the street artist known as Pdot who has put up 2,000 of the stickers in Düsseldorf!

We're big fans of video games, Pac-Man and street art, so it was a nice surprise for Emily to see them on her trip.

A yellow ghost. The stickers by Pdot are only found on the back of street signs

A red ghost. And oh look, a tram too!

They're hidden in plain sight everywhere!

Related blog posts:
- Pac-Man
- Germany
- Street Art

Adventure Golf Gutach in Germany

Spotting Adventure Golf Gutach in Germany.

My brother Christopher was recently on holiday in Germany and while driving through Gutach spotted the adventure golf course there.

There's an old train carriage at the course!

Check out the Adventuregolf Gutach website for more information and photos of the 18-hole course.

Christopher has now been to 29 courses in the UK and nine overseas countries. Prior to Adventuregolf Gutach the last course he visited was the Mini Golf at the Resort Horizont & Splendid in Pula, Croatia.

Emily and I have been to eight of those 29 too. We have visited 883 courses in the British Isles and 39 courses in eleven overseas countries for a total of 922 course visits. The combined total of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour is now up to 943 courses since September 2006.

Upcoming events at Minigolf Neuhaus in Germany

There are two fun minigolf events coming up at Minigolf Neuhaus in Germany.

Both are taking place on Saturday 27th July, with a family event taking place from 3pm and the first-ever Moonlight Minigolf competition at the course following at 8pm until 11pm.

You can register for the events via the Minigolf Neuhaus Facebook Page. More info can be found on the Minigolf Neuhaus website.

The course at Minigolf Neuhaus is a Swedish Felt type layout.

Minigolf Neuhaus is the sister course of Minigolf Beverungen, that layout is of the Eternit Miniature Golf variety.

Both are popular playing surfaces in continental Europe. There are a few Eternit and Swedish Felt courses dotted around the UK and we've played a number of them on our travels. Emily is particularly good at playing on Eternit Miniature Golf lanes and during the 2011 WMF Nations Cup tournament in Stockholm, Sweden she set a British Women's Record with a round of 24(-12) on an 18-hole Eternit course.

We've never played minigolf in Germany, although we did visit the seaside resort of Cuxhaven on one of our first holidays together back in 2002.

Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried has visited some courses in Germany on his cycling trips in Europe, including layouts in Nittel, Zeltingen-Rachtig, Traben-Trarbach, Kobern-Gondorf and Berntkastel-Kues.

Related blog posts:
- Germany

Links:
- Minigolf Neuhaus
- Facebook Event: Familien & Vereins Minigolf Turnier in Neuhaus
- Facebook Event: Moonlight Minigolf

A lovely postcard view

We had a brilliant time at the recent North Wales Postcard Club's fair in Craig-y-Don, Llandudno.

The pick of the 19 miniature golf postcards we found at the event was this view of Kleingolfplatz Überlingen next to Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) and the Swiss Alps in the distance.

The postally unused postcard shows 'Bodensee-Promenade mit Schweisser Alpen' and 'Kleingolfplatz Überlingen'. Published by Erwin Burda, Freiburg

This postcard was just 10p!

A note on the unposted card says the visit took place on the 29th August 1960. It always amazes me to find cards in such excellent condition after so much time.

It's always marvellous to see views such as this. I wonder how many golf balls were lost in the lake over the years?

Related blog post:
- Postcards

Link:
- North Wales Postcard Club

Minigolf in the Mosel Valley, Germany

A selection of minigolf photos from a cycling trip in the Mosel Valley, Germany.

Charter Member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried has just returned from a cycling trip in the Mosel Valley, Germany. While travelling along the route he managed to spot quite a few miniature golf courses.

He began his journey in Luxembourg where he found this Eternit Miniature Golf course on the Esplanade de la Moselle in Remich.

Minigolf in Remich

He followed that visit over the border in Germany when he went looking for the Minigolf course in Nittel.

A sign for the Minigolf course in Nittel

Next up was a stop in Zeltingen-Rachtig where he found this Beton / Concrete style of Minigolf course.

The Minigolf course in Zeltingen-Rachtig

The Hammer Cage lane - you have to pitch the ball from a tee, across the grass and onto a large concrete circular 'green. We've played this tricky hole in Finland and Sweden

In Traben-Trarbach he found this Eternit Miniature Golf layout.

The approach to the minigolf course in Traben-Trarbach

The Eternit miniature golf course in Traben-Trarbach

The minigolf course in Traben-Trarbach

While in Kobern-Gondorf he spotted an indoor Abenteuergolf course, as well as an Eternit Miniature Golf.

Christopher Gottfried outside an indoor Adventure Golf course in Kobern-Gondorf

The Eternit Miniature Golf course in Kobern-Gondorf

The last course he found on his mini-tour was in Bernkastel-Kues.

The minigolf course in Bernkastel-Kues

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list for details of the 815 courses Emily and I have visited, along with the 20 Christopher has been too as well.

Knowing my interest in petanque and trains Christopher also sent over these snaps from the trip.

A Boule-Platz in Traben-Trarbach

A freight train in Bernkastel-Kues

Minigolf in Nittel, Germany

A look for the Minigolf course in Nittel, Germany.

Cheers go to my brother, and Charter Member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, Christopher Gottfried for sending along this photo of a sign for the Minigolf course in Nittel, Germany.

What a lot of signs

In typical Crazy World of Minigolf Tour fashion he went searching for the Minigolf and the Bürgerhaus, but couldn't find either.

The Indomigo Minigolf Course

Finding out about a new portable Miniature Golf course from Germany.

Indomigo Minigolf. Photo courtesy of Indomigo

While reading the latest issue of the German Minigolf Sport Federation’s publication – “Minigolf Magazin” – I noticed a very interesting advert on page 17 for an indoor Minigolf course kit!

The product is called Indomigo and provides an 18-hole Miniature Golf course in a portable suitcase.

The Indomigo Minigolf course kit's case and images of the course layouts possible. Photo courtesy of Indomigo

It looks amazing and you can see a video of the net obstacle in action here and Bahn (hole/lane) "Hohes Loch" here. I can't wait to give it a play.

The Indomigo Minigolf course allows you to build a variety of hole layouts with a lane created by putting the three base pieces together, placing the tee-off point and then adding the modular obstacles.

The contents of the Indomigo Minigolf course kit. Photo courtesy of Indomigo

The kit fits together via magnets and you can make up all manner of obstacles set-ups with the kit.

Developed by the Heinen family in Berlin, Germany the Indomigo course is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and costs €875.

The Indomigo Minigolf course set-up and in action. Photo courtesy of Indomigo

For more information check out the Indomigo website, photo gallery and Facebook page.

I know what I want for Christmas...

Links:

- Indomigo website

- Indomigo on Facebook

- Deutscher Minigolfsport Verband (German Minigolf Sport Federation) website