The number of crazy golf, mini golf and adventure golf courses in the UK has hit a record 600 – with more than 500 in England alone.
There are now 605 courses operating in the UK, with 508 in England, 42 in Scotland, 37 in Wales, 12 in Northern Ireland, and 6 in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
Some of the new venues to open in recent months include Junkyard in Camden (the second Junkyard in London, and seventh overall), Bunkers in Romford (the second Bunkers, after Swansea), and Treetop Adventure Golf in Gateshead (the fifth Treetops to open in the country, after Leicester, Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham.
Crazy golf has seen a significant surge in interest in recent years, with new sites opening across the country – most often with either a dinosaur, jungle or pirate theme, and frequently run buy a major company with half a dozen or more sites in operation. But it’s not all been one-way traffic, with some smaller independent courses – Snitches in Weymouth, for example, which is now a cocktail bar – going the other way.
While other lists put the total figure at over 1,000, the se lists include courses that are temporary, abandoned, or have been closed in recent years. The 605 figure is only for permanent courses and excludes pop-ups, seasonal courses, and facilities which are part of sites with an overall entrance fee such as theme parks and holiday parks.