Sunday, May 29, 2016

My fantasy crazy golf course - what would it contain?

Yesterday we played a game of pirate crazy golf at South Shields. It's a course we have played many times before and we had a good time.  The score, as you can see, was very close indeed.

South Shields - Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf, May 28 2016
While we were playing this course, I started thinking about the best bits of all the crazy golf courses I've ever played.  Putting all my favourite bits from all my favourite courses together would create my fantasy crazy golf course.

What would it contain?  Well...

1. Music
A catchy tune that jingles its way out of hidden speakers around the course and will ear-worm you forever. There's one of these at the Pirate crazy golf course in Scarborough.
"Yo-ho, Yo-ho, Yo-ho, Yo-ho; A pirate's life for me!"

2. Surprise
The course at Tynemouth has surprise water sprays on some of the holes. Always gets a good laugh - when you get sprayed yourself. Gets an even bigger laugh when you watch someone else get sprayed.

3. Seats

Somewhere to sit and wait while you're stuck in a traffic-jam queue on a course.

4. A bar
Tenerife, 2015
Having somewhere to sit, preferably with a beer, before or after you've played.  A lovely addition to a mini golf course but one we've only ever seen before abroad - in both Belgium and Tenerife.

5. A free game 
Saltburn, 2016

Whether it's making the bell ring at the end of a game, or some other way of rewarding a good final shot well played, there's a lot of fun in winning a voucher for a free game.

6. No concreteThere's not much I dislike about crazy golf, but playing on a concrete course is less than ideal. It puts me off so much that I would choose not to play a concrete course. The ball just runs, and runs and runs.

7. Water
Tynemouth 2015
I love, just love, having water involved in one of the holes.  (Not to be confused with 2 - Surprise above!).  One of the holes at Pirate Golf in Scarborough has running water which transports the ball down a slope and deposits it on the green. Lots of fun.  And if there is a danger of the ball going into a lake or pond on the course, a fishing net to get the ball out of the water is ideal.

8. Uniqueness
There's a crazy golf course at Seahouses in Northumberland. The holes are all, what appear to be, hand-made miniature buildings of local attractions. Much as the pirate-themed adventure golf courses are fun and well made and plastic and bright, I would like more quirkiness please!
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