Have a Game of Crazy Golf
The first artificial crazy golf course was built in 1912 in London. It was called Golfstacle and it featured wooden ramps, pipes, and tunnels. (Sometimes called Gofstacle)
Other Names:
- golf croquet
- miniature golf
- mini golf
- mini putt
- putt-putt
- putting
- par-three golf
- peewee golf
- midget golf (hmmm)
- goofy golf
- putter golf
Seriously – I think Golfstacle is still by far best name.
Fun fact: Did you know that Amy did one of her Master’s degrees on the golf swing?
I think most of us have had a round of Crazy Golf at some point on a windy seafront or holiday park!
More Crazy Golf stats:
The game became insanely popular in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, when thousands of rooftop courses were built in New York and other cities.
- The first national tournament was held in 1930, with a prize of $2,000. Which is over £29,000 today – ay Caramba.
- The oldest Crazy Golf organization in the world is the Swedish Minigolf Federation, which was founded in 1937.
- Sweden also hosts the World Minigolf Championships every year. (There is a World Championships – that blew my mind.)
Crazy Golf Beginners’ Guide
What do the courses look like?
Pretty much anything goes.
Pirates, dinosaurs, castles, and jungle themes are really common. Some courses have moving obstacles, such as windmills, waterfalls, and animals.
WARNING DO NOT GOOGLE THE FOLLOWING:
At the time of writing, the most outrageous courses I could find is in Birmingham, Nottingham, and Lincoln, with new venues opening shortly called Glory Holes. There are quite a few called ‘Swingers’ too. WHAT IS IT WITH THE RUDE CRAZY GOLF? (facepalms, shakes head slowly)
Some of the obstacles there are pool tables, a glittery toilet, a Mini car, a whale, aliens, and Donald Trump’s head… and of course a LOT of ‘adult’ toys. Honestly.
Don’t Google it, unless you’ve got Safe Search on.
There are some other incredible ones with massive structures, full dining experiences and a nightclub feel. The best place to look is Trip Advisor for up-to-date details and reviews.
You’ll also find virtual ones, where you interact with technology in an augmented reality game – hecka cool actually. It’s come a long way since Golfstacle. I wonder what those first players would make of today’s game?
How To Play:
Here are the official competition rules:
(actually, that’s not exactly true. The official rules are 16 very detailed pages long. I won’t pass judgement, but it’s wasn’t my kind of reading matter. I did my best. Below is more than enough detail for most of us)
Official Rules
- You have to use the putter and balls provided by the course.
- Each hole must be played in the order indicated by the course layout, and the number of strokes must be counted.
- The player with the lowest score after completing all the holes is the winner. In case of a tie, a sudden-death playoff is held on selected holes.
- The player must not touch or move any obstacles or hazards on the course.
- The player must not interfere with or distract other players during their shots.
- The player must conduct themselves with ‘etiquette’.
I’m saying nothing, but I played a game in Blackpool once with a shrieking, and not-entirely-sober hen party once. We would have been disqualified on pretty much every count.
Why not book a round now the weather is nicer? (Check where you’re going carefully if you’re taking the family…)