One of the pleasures of being British is doing things a bit differently from the rest of the world. Miniature Golf Day is celebrated in the USA and everywhere else on the 21st of September. But National Miniature Golf Day happens on the second Saturday in May and is celebrated by minigolf geeks around the British Isles. This year it falls on the 8th of May. To thicken the plot, the second Saturday in May is also celebrated in the USA – but some sources call it National Miniature Golf Day and others call it Miniature Golf Day. Which is great, really. Because there are two opportunities a year to celebrate our fantastic sport!
The 8th of May this year is the day to head down to your nearest mini golf course, grab a putter and take on the challenge of negotiating your ball into the hole via various obstacles in the lowest number of shots you can. To find a course near you, Google ‘adventure golf’, ‘crazy golf’ or ‘mini golf’ in your area. There are all kinds of courses ranging from big, lush theme park-style adventure golf courses featuring pirates, dinosaurs and lost civilisations to smaller, more basic courses both at the seaside and inland.
But googling might not show you all the courses near you. The most complete list of mini-golf courses in the British Isles is without a doubt Richard Gottfried’s blog. He and his wife Emily have been playing every course they can find for years, on what they call the Crazy World Of Minigolf Tour. At the time of writing this, they have played a staggering 958 mini-golf courses, some of which are abroad but 919 of which have been in the British Isles. The blog chronicles their adventure by recording each visit. It stretches back years, so not all the courses they have played are still there, but many will be. Best to check it’s still there before heading off to a course you see on their blog! Check out their crazy adventure here.
May is also National Golf Month – meaning ‘big golf’, i.e. golf played over acres of land with a variety of clubs and questionable fashion sense. Putterfingers have just expanded their range of golf training aids for these hardy folk. For gifts for avid golfers or to improve your own game, check them out here.
Also see out list of upcoming crazy golf tournaments in the UK in 2021. At the top level it’s a thrilling spectator sport. See how the pros do it and improve your own game by watching their tactics!
For all your mini golf needs, visit Putterfingers.com
