Showing posts with label Portsmouth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portsmouth. Show all posts

Saturday, September 30, 2023

17 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Celebrating 17 years of our minigolf adventures.


Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire on this day in 2006 and at the end of our 9-hole round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole!

My free game card from Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea - never used!
My free game card from Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea - never used!

We've been putting on our crazy golfing adventures ever since.

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, and there are lots of new places to play the game opening all the time.

We've now been to 1,030 courses overall in the last 17 years, with 983 of those courses in the British Isles.

You can see all of the courses we've visited on this Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list.

Saturday, August 05, 2023

New Crazy Golf at Clarence Pier in Portsmouth

A new Crazy Golf course has opened at Clarence Pier in Portsmouth, Hampshire.


A new Crazy Golf course has opened at Clarence Pier in Portsmouth, Hampshire

The Putt Hutt is an 18-hole indoor Crazy Golf layout and opened at Clarence Pier today (Saturday 5th August).

Check out The Putt Hutt website for more information.

The new course is next door to Treasure Island Adventure Golf, the first place we played crazy golf back in 2006 on what would become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It'll be interesting to play The Putt Hutt on our next visit to Portsmouth and Southsea.

Friday, September 30, 2022

16 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Celebrating 16 years of our minigolf adventures.


We played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire on this day in 2006.

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire
Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

At the end of our 9-hole round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole.

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire
My free game card from Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea - never used!

We've been putting on our crazy golfing adventures ever since!

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea, Hampshire
Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, and there are lots of new courses opening all the time.

We've now been to 1,004 courses overall in the last 16 years, with 959 of those courses in the British Isles.

You can see all of the courses we've visited on this Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list.


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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth

A new indoor adventure golf course is opening in Portsmouth, Hampshire.


Zingers Adventure Golf is opening at The Bridge Shopping Centre in Portsmouth in August 2021

Many thanks to our friend Dave Ronchetti for letting us know about Zingers Adventure Golf in Portsmouth. The new 9-hole UV glow-in-the-dark indoor minigolf course is opening at The Bridge Shopping Centre in Fratton, Portsmouth on the 28th August.

Check out the Zingers Adventure Golf website for more information.


Shopping centre minigolf

Zingers Adventure Golf is the latest miniature golf course to open in a shopping centre. Overall the game is booming and lots of former retail space is now being used as entertainment space, with minigolf, crazy golf and adventure golf a popular choice.

Minigolfing in Portsmouth and Southsea

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began down in Southsea back in 2006 when we played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on the seafront. Dave still lives locally and has tipped us off about a few other courses he's seen and heard about over the years.

We're looking forward to our next trip down to Portsmouth and Southsea.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Mini Golf at Canoe Lake in Southsea

A look at the Mini Golf course at Canoe Lake in Southsea, Hampshire.


The 12-hole course was the 669th visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in August 2015.

Mini Golf at Canoe Lake in Southsea

It was one of the best grass putting courses I've played on my travels and the sort of course I could play all day long.

We've now visited 954 courses since September 2006. The very first course was also in Southsea!

It'll be marvellous when we're able to get back to the seaside.

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Friday, October 04, 2019

Eight years ago in Southsea

Looking back at a revisit to Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea.


We recently celebrated the milestone 13th year of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The very first course we played was the Victory Trail at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea.


Christopher and Richard Gottfried at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
This photo was taken eight years ago when we were celebrating five years of our Crazy Golf adventures

At the end of that road-trip to Southsea in 2011 we'd played 276 courses, with visits made to 430 courses overall.


We've now visited 925 courses, playing 528 of them - some of them multiple times.

When our travels began there were around 600 courses in the UK. That number has grown massively in recent years and the game is booming.

Monday, September 30, 2019

13 years of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Marking 13 years of our crazy golf travels.


Today we're celebrating 13 years of our minigolfing adventures.


Emily and Richard Gottfried at the North Bay Crazy Golf course in Scarborough
At our 900th minigolf course visit earlier this year

While we were visiting my brother Christopher at uni in Portsmouth back in 2006 we played the Victory Trail course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea. At the end of our round on Saturday 30th September I won a free game by firing the cannon on the lucky last hole.


Free game pass from Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
We last played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea on the 30th September 2016 to celebrate ten years of our travels. I won another free game then too. I also won a free game when we revisited the course on the fifth anniversary of our tour on the 30th September 2011. Incredibly I won again on the 7th August 2015

That was the beginning of our minigolf travels. We've now visited 925 courses, 39 of which have been overseas.

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
The first course we visited on what would become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

How different would our lives have been if I'd missed my shot on the final hole?

The lucky last hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
The lucky last hole at Treasure Island Adventure Golf

When our travels began there were around 600 courses in the UK. That number has grown massively in the last eight years. When we first set out to visit all the courses in the country there were only two indoor courses, one in Felixstowe and one in Great Yarmouth. Both are still open and have been joined by around 100 other indoor minigolf venues!

My brother Christopher has now been to 30 courses in the UK and nine overseas countries on his own branch of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Altogether we've visited 947 courses.

Check out our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses for links to the courses we've been to.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Nine years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Today marks nine years since the start of our crazy golfing travels!

Photo of the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on Long Curtain Road in Southsea

Back on the 30th September 2006 we visited my brother Christopher down in Southsea, Hampshire and while there had a game on the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on Long Curtain Road near Clarence Pier. On the lucky last hole I managed to 'fire the cannon' and won a free game. The rest is history!

The Free Game Pass that set the ball rolling!

Since that first course visit we've visited a grand total of 671 courses around the world. Of these we've played 389, while 282 of them have been unplayable for a variety of reasons.

Who knows why so many courses around the country fall into disrepair!?

Earlier this year we hit some BIG minigolf landmarks on our tour, with visits to the 600th and 650th courses in overall and in the UK while on holiday in the South West of England.

This summer I also revisited Southsea for Christopher's Stag Do and managed to squeeze in a round on the Victory Trail Adventure Golf course at Treasure Island - and I once again hit the top hole to win a free game!

Photo of the Victory Trail minigolf course at Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea
The Victory Trail at Treasure Island - where our tour began

There's some nice theming on the Pirate course

As well as some tricky holes

The 8th on the Victory Trail

The last hole

The Lucky Last Hole in Southsea - scene of a few Free Game wins. None have ever been claimed

We estimate there are around 50 more courses we're yet to visit in the UK. Although when we began there were around 600 courses!

Check out the photos and links below from some of our landmark course visits.


Southsea has been a happy hunting ground for free game cards

#25 Great Yarmouth (Jungle Golf at the Gardens)

The Jungle Golf course is now the site of a Segway Grand Prix track

#50 Tampere, Finland (Beton Concrete Minigolf)

Emily on international duty with the GB team in Finland


The tricky minigolf course in Guildford

#100 visited overall and played #173 Gorleston-on-Sea (Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf at Pop's Meadow Putting Green)

Photo of the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course at Pop's Meadow Putting Green in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk
A felt-less Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course


The BIG 100th course played

#125 Swansea/Abertawe (Crazy Golf at Singleton Boating Lake)

The Crazy Golf course in Swansea


A windmill on the Masters course in Southport

#175 Las Vegas - King Putt (North West Las Vegas, USA) - Indoor Mini Golf

Photo of the King Putt Mini Golf course in Las Vegas
King Putt Mini Golf course was a cool stop on our tour

#200 Castleford Cosmic Golf Indoor Blacklight Minigolf at Xscape - Curse of the Mummy in 3D

The 200th course played was a blacklight indoor minigolf in Castleford

#250 Stockholm, Sweden (Beton Minigolf at Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park)

Photo of the Minigolf course at Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park, Stockholm, Sweden
Emily playing the Beton Minigolf course in Stockholm, Sweden ahead of the 2011 Nations Cup tournament

#258 played and #400 visited overall Clevedon - Crazy Golf

Crazy Golfing on at the 400th course visited

5-Year Anniversary Revisit - Southsea (Treasure Island Adventure Golf - Victory Trail)

Photo of the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea
Five years after first playing the Victory Trail we revisited the course for a game


Photo of the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course in Southsea
The Warrior Trail course in Southsea. The second course ever played on our tour


Crazy Golf in Bognor Regis
Playing Crazy Golf in Bognor Regis


Many thanks to everyone who has helped us out with tips of where to play over the last nine years. It's much appreciated.

I wonder where we'll have traveled to by this time next year!

How many more scorecards and free game passes will we have added to our collection too?

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

Links:
- Treasure Island Adventure Golf website
- MiniatureGolfer.com website

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Canoe Lake Mini Golf in Southsea

Finally finding the Mini Golf course at Canoe Lake in Southsea, Hampshire.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea

Over the years I've visited Southsea a fair bit, and indeed it's where the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began back in 2006. During the last nine years we've visited all of the miniature golf courses in the town, except one.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
The long first hole at Canoe Lake

On a number of occasions we tried to find the Crazy / Mini Golf course at Canoe Lake but to no avail. That was until last weekend.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
Finally at the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course - just 668 course visits and nine years after the first stop down the road near the pier!

As I was in town for my brother Christopher's Stag Do I made a point of having a good search online in advance and was given some directions by Susan Hayles (@SusansSolenton Twitter too.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
A view of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course

As I arrived at Canoe Lake from the the seafront I headed in the general direction of where I now thought the course would be and lo and behold there it was!

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
Teeing-off on the first

I had a great round on the 12-hole grass Mini Golf layout and scored a 29. My round was made even more pleasing by scoring an ace on the third.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
The scene of my ace

It was the sort of course I could've happily spent a day putting around. There were some tricky holes, it was well maintained and had a unique look and feel.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
The dogleg seventh hole in the corner is really tricky

Speaking with the course owner Richard after my round I discovered that the main reason we never found the course on our previous visits to Southsea was that the course had closed down in 2007, and stayed closed for another three years before Richard took it over. The site used to be home to a concrete Crazy Golf course, now consigned to history. The new 12-hole course is good fun and I was told that the layout changes each year. He's done a great job in resurrecting the putting facility and it's well worth a visit.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
I really liked the 12th hole - there's a tree right in the middle of the hole!

Before I left I had another round, this time scoring a 30. The course record is an impressive 23 and I'll be back to have a crack at that score.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea

The Canoe Lake Mini Golf course was the 387th played and 669th visited on the tour.

Scorecard from the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
I do like a nice scorecard and the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course certainly got a  good one

Scorecard from the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
The scoring side

We've actually been really close to the course before, and in 2011 we went on a Swan Boat on the lake as well.

Canoe Lake in Southsea
This angle is from the other side of the lake - the Mini Golf course would've been behind the blue huts. See below too

A round on the 12-hole course is just £2.50 and there are cold drinks available from the hut. The Canoe Lake Mini Golf course hasn't got a website, but check out the links below for details of the café and other facilities in the area.

Photo of the Canoe Lake Mini Golf course in Southsea
The course is great value and good fun

Links:
- Canoe Lake Leisure and Greens Café at Canoe Lake - next to the Mini Golf
- The Belle Isle - scorecard sponsor

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Southsea
- Grass Putting

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.