Plans for a new mini golf course in Oxford

There are plans to create a new mini golf course at Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Oxford.

The mini golf would be an addition to the park along with several other activities including table tennis and shuffleboard.

Bury Knowle Park in Headington used to be home to a Swedish Felt B-Run type of minigolf course.

This was the old course at Bury Knowle Park

Back in August 2009 we played that course - along with the layouts at Florence Park in Cowley, and at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park - in one day on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing the old the old course at Bury Knowle Park in the late noughties. How time flies!

It'll be interesting to see if the plans for the new course are approved and I look forward to giving it a play on a revisit to my home city if it does.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

A look at Crazy Croc's Mini Golf course at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

While back in Abingdon for the traditional Bun Throwing event we swung by Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Unfortunately the weather was against us so we were unable to have a game.

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

The park used to be home to a Swedish Felt B-Run type of miniature golf course. We played that layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in 2009. We also visited it when it was closed the year before.

Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford

New Boom: Battle Bar opening in Oxford

A new Boom: Battle Bar with crazy golf and other indoor games is planned to open in Oxford this year.

Boom: Battle Bar Oxford will be the fourth venue from the brand.

As well as a minigolf course - known as 'Crazier Golf' - Boom: Battle Bar in Oxford will no doubt be home to other competitive socialising sports and games such as axe throwing, darts and shuffleboard.

My friend and minigolf rival Simon Brown played the Boom: Battle Bar 'Crazier Golf' course at the Brewery Quarter venue in Cardiff in November last year.

The first Boom: Battle Bar opened at the Castle Quarter shopping and entertainment centre in Norwich in July 2020.

There are also plans for a Boom: Battle Bar to open in Liverpool in 2021.

Visit the Boom: Battle Bar website and Boom: Battle Bar Oxford Facebook Page for more information.

Boom: Battle Bars are a relatively new entrant to the world of competitive socialising and retailtainment. A number of shopping malls, town centres and retail parks are adding minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and other experiential entertainment and activity leisure offerings to their sites to attract and retain customers.

Minigolfing in Oxford's Parks

A look back at three minigolf courses in Oxford's Parks.

On this day in 2009 we played three Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses in Oxford.

We first visited the three Swedish Felt type minigolf courses in my home city on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in December 2008. We got to play them on the 13th August 2009 at the start of a nine-day road-trip that took us around the coast of Wales. Back then you could find layouts in Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park and Florence Park in Cowley.

Mini Golf in Bury Knowle Park, Headington.

Emily playing the first of many crazy golf holes we played on the holiday

This Swedish Felt Mini Golf was called Crazy Golf...

...and Putting!

A lesser spotted type of rules sign

Spectating

Swedish Felt Mini Golf courses contain some tricky optical illusion obstacles

Here's another lane that requires precision

Mini Golf at Florence Park in Cowley.

Teeing-off on the second of three courses in Oxford

Emily playing a very tricky obstacle

A nice line

Mini Golf at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park in Oxford.

At the third Swedish Felt Mini Golf course in the third park

Another long, straight shot required

And another!

An uphill dog-leg lane

Mini Golf in Oxford

Sadly the Florence Park Minigolf course was removed in March this year.

The course at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park is now Crazy Croc's Mini Golf.

As far as I'm aware the course at Bury Knowle Park in Headington is still there.

Other places to play minigolf in Oxford include Gravitee Adventure Golf at the Ozone Leisure Park and Junkyard Golf venue in the Westgate Centre.

Earlier this year I found out there's also a minigolf course at the Fulbrook Centre at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

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Spotting a minigolf course in Oxford

Finding a minigolf course at the Fulbrook Centre at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

Many thanks to my friend Matt Roebuck for sending over some photos of a minigolf course he spotted on his daily lockdown exercise over the weekend.

I didn't recognise the course location when Matt sent me the photo

It's amazing what you see on your doorstep and find out doing a spot of urban exploration.

The path passing by the course

What a thing to spot while having a wander!

A look at the Crazy Golf course

Oxford's my home city and I never knew this particular course existed!

Back in 2011 a tournament was held on the course.

Interestingly it's a Swedish Felt B-Run minigolf course. While there are a few of them around the UK it's not the most common type of course. However, in Oxford we've visited three other Swedish Felt B-Run layouts. These were in Bury Knowle Park in Headington, Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park and Florence Park in Cowley.

As far as we're aware the course in Bury Knowle Park is still there.

The one in Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park has been replaced by Crazy Croc's Mini Golf.

Matt tells me that until six weeks ago the course in Florence Park was in place.

Florence Park in Oxford by Matt Roebuck 2020

Have you spotted a minigolf course during your daily lockdown outdoor exercise during the coronavirus pandemic? Do let us know. We might not have it on our To Visit list yet.

Matt is the author of The Other Olympics. It's a brilliant book and well worth a read. It covers a number of international multi-sports competitions.

Mini Golf in Cutteslowe Park, Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe Park in Oxford.

I recently found out there's been a change to one of the minigolf courses in my home city.

Our fellow minigolf adventurers Matt and Helen Dodd were in Oxford and swung by Cutteslowe Park and let us know the course there is now an adventure golf-style layout.

When Emily and I visited back in 2008 and 2009 the course in the park was a Swedish Felt Mini Golf B-Run.

How the now lost minigolf course looked on a frosty day in December 2008

The new Crazy Croc's Mini Golf in Cutteslowe Park is a 9-hole layout.

Visit the Crazy Croc's Mini Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

It'll be a new course to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

20 minigolf course visits in 20 days in 2020

A Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update.

We've made 20 minigolf course visits so far this year. A strong start to 2020.

At our 944th course visit - the Crazy Golf course at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Hexthorpe, Doncaster

Our travels have taken us to miniature golf venues in Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Northwich, Doncaster and Castleford.

Emily playing the Crazy Golf course at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster

A number of those courses have been revisits, including two trips to our local Paradise Island Adventure Golf centre in the Trafford Centre.

Hole 5 of the Tiki Hut Trail course at Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre, Manchester

1. Putting course at Park Square in Cheadle Heath, Stockport
2, 3, 4. Junkyard Golf's three courses at the Westgate shopping centre in Oxford - Gary, Bozo and Pablo courses
5. That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham
6, 7. Paradise Island Adventure Golf's two courses at the Trafford Centre in Manchester - Temple Ruins and Tiki Hut Trail
8, 9. The Putting course and Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich
10, 11. Paradise Island Adventure Golf's two course at the Trafford Centre in Manchester - played both courses again
12. Crazy Golf at Elmfield Park in Bennetthorpe, Doncaster
13. Crazy Golf at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Hexthorpe, Doncaster
14. Crazy Golf at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster
15. Search for Atlantis Cosmic Golf at Xplore in the Xscape Centre in Castleford
16. Curse of the Mummy in 4D Cosmic Golf at Xplore in the Xscape Centre in Castleford - originally the 200th course played on our tour in 2010 back when it was 3D Cosmic Golf
17, 18. The two Volcano Falls Adventure Golf courses at the Xscape Centre in Castleford - T Rex Trail and Volcano Valley
19, 20. The two Mr Mulligans Pirate Golf courses at Junction 32 Outlet Village in Castleford - Skull Cove and Smugglers Bay

Castleford is a minigolf hotbed, with six minigolf courses across three sites and a total of 87-holes!

As of yesterday, Sunday 19th January, we've visited a total of 945 courses since September 2006.

Curse of the Mummy 4D Cosmic Golf in Castleford

Junkyard Golf in Oxford's Westgate Centre

A look at Junkyard Golf in the Westgate Centre, Oxford.

We were back in my home town at the weekend and swung by Junkyard Golf at the Westgate shopping centre in the city centre.

Junkyard Golf in Oxford is home to three 9-hole indoor Crazy Golf courses.

You can find other Junkyard Golf venues in Manchester, London, Leeds and Liverpool.

Check out the Junkyard Golf website for more information.

The Junkyard Golf course was the second course we visited in 2020. The first was the Putting Green at the Park Square offices in Cheadle Heath.

Gravitee Adventure Golf in Oxford

A visit to Gravitee Adventure Golf at the Ozone Leisure Park in Oxford.

Gravitee Adventure Golf in Oxford

We were recently back in my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames for a special Bun Throwing event and while down south took the opportunity to swing by the new Gravitee Adventure Golf courses at the Ozone Leisure Park next to the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

Gravitee Adventure Golf is home to two 18-hole courses - the Space Odyssey and the Galactic Explorers - and they became the 852nd and 853rd visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Gravitee Adventure Golf is the sister course of The Golfing Hole in Swindon. We had a brilliant time playing that layout back in January 2015.

The new Gravitee Adventure Golf layouts are superb and we had two fun rounds there.

A very smaller crater to putt through

It was the first time in over twenty years that I had a game of minigolf with my parents! It's amazing to think that Emily and I have visited so many courses in the last twelve years, but not had a game during our travels.

A pair of Galactic Explorers on the course

The matches were very close, with my dad Chris taking an early lead on the Space Odyssey course, before a disastrous seven on the tenth hole put a dent in his hopes of winning.

Emily took the victory on the Space Odyssey layout with a round of 47. I shot a 49, Chris a 53 and my mum Mary carded a 56. Emily and my dad were the only players to hit a hole-in-one, both acing the 18th.

Moving on to the Galactic Explorers course and Emily took a fine win with a score of 42. I was second again with a round of 46, while my mum and dad both shot rounds of 50.

Almost a hole-in-one by what looks like Zaphod Beeblebrox!

The stargate

Putting on the Galactic Explorers course at Gravitee Golf

We really enjoyed our competitive and fun rounds on the Gravitee Golf courses and had a drink in the bar area to cool off after the games. I also had a game of Air Hockey against my dad, which I won 7-4.

The theming at the indoor Adventure Golf venue is fantastic. The courses were built by the team at HM Adventure Golf. The Martian landscape on the Galactic Explorers course is incredibly well done, while the UV glow-in-the-dark section of the Space Odyssey course is the best I've seen on my travels.

 

Hole 12 starts inside the spaceship

The 'green' of hole 12

Check out the Gravitee Adventure Golf website for more details, opening times and prices.

There are three holes to play inside the crashed spaceship on the Galactic Explorers course

Playing on the alien planet

Inside the ship

At the controls of the crashed ship

Related blog posts:
- Oxford
- The Golfing Hole, Swindon
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Links:
- Gravitee Adventure Golf
- HM Adventure Golf