Crazy Golf at Weddings? The Award-Winning Entertainment Couples Can't Stop Booking | Crazy Nine Golf

This week on Totally Absolutely Engaged, Paul and Isla are joined by Pete and Philip, the brilliant duo behind Crazy Nine Golf, the multi-award winning wedding entertainment company transforming drinks receptions across the UK with their handcrafted mobile crazy golf course.

From a chance conversation at a family gathering to becoming one of the most sought after wedding suppliers in the country, Pete and Philip share the incredible story behind Crazy Nine Golf, the secrets to creating unforgettable guest experiences, and why they've never had to cancel a wedding despite the unpredictable British weather.

The conversation dives into:

• How Crazy Nine Golf was created
• What makes their wedding entertainment unique
• The importance of guest experience at weddings
• Funny wedding day stories and memorable moments
• Why crazy golf appeals to all ages
• Wedding planning advice from experienced suppliers
• How to keep guests entertained throughout the day
• The challenges of building a premium wedding business
• New obstacles and exciting developments coming to Crazy Nine Golf

You'll also hear plenty of laughs, behind the scenes insights from hundreds of weddings, and practical tips for couples planning their big day.

If you're looking for unique wedding entertainment ideas, planning a wedding in the UK, or simply love hearing stories from passionate wedding professionals, this episode is for you.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:06

Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of Totally Absolutely Engaged.

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Hello, and today we are joined by Pete and Philip, owners of Crazy Nine Golf. Hello! Hugely passionate guys for entertaining with a handbuilt mobile golf course. So much so they've won four consecutive, or did you say five consecutive ride awards? And it may I know. I'm openised. And maybe a ticket three. Maybe a tick next week, you never know. You've got your hitched award in 2023, and you were the TWIA regional winner that year as well. Um some of the best consistent feedback by customers, I think, I've ever looked through when I was doing the research as well. It was pretty good, is it? It makes a good read. So you know I love the concepts. Uh, I think I met you in, I think was it Etiad 2018, something like that. It really was, yes. Yeah, yeah. It was a while ago now.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

I think the first thing you said as well to us, oh no that was at makeup. You said, you know that name is brilliant. I do, I think Crazy Night is a great name.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

So, where do we start? I mean, basically, where did it go from concept to first wedding booking? Where how long did that take? Do you want the potted?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Well, I have to be potted to a certain degree, don't we? Yeah, we were we're at a party and uh family planning get together and we were just chatting and we were pretty much changing industries because we used to do historic house renovations. And I said to a cousin I'd really like to open up a crazy golf course, and but I don't want to fix one. And probably weddings or birthdays. We don't do birthdays by that. Well we do, but it's such a rogue thing to think of, isn't it? It's the money's right.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

It is the money's right, yeah. But I've always wanted a crazy golf course. He's been on his bucket list for years to have a crazy golf course.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

I was gonna say that's crazy. I used to have a prop theme company, and I used to build things for another company in Chester who used to fit them into TJ Fridays and all the sweat spoons and you name it. So I was into the props and the weird stuff. We're always into crazy golf, we always go. Even now, days off, we'll be off playing crazy golf.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

So do you play proper golf as well?

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Heck no, no, no, it's just a crazy character. Just easy stuff. Proper golf, crazy golf. Yeah, okay. All not all person, I shouldn't say that.

SPEAKER_02 2:40

The other golf, the one that you walk a long way, um Mark Twain had it right. Golf is a good walk ruined. Yeah. It's as contentious, isn't it? So you like the fun element, not the uh the golfing element. Yes. It's it's the it's the entertainment, isn't it? It's the fun part of it that we like.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

We always have liked entertaining as far as uh if we have a party, we will completely line the room with brown paper and do drawings on the walls, and then the food will be of the era if it's all Romanesque walls. We'll have Roman food and then we'll do a murder mystery from a Roman era. Okay. It's all fun. Throw yourselves into it. Yeah, we we we throw it 100%. I mean, we have roulette wheels if it's uh a film. We do like a mini secret cinema, you know, down in London where they play the film and everybody has to dress up.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

So everywhere has to dress up for our if we're watching a James Bond movie, everybody's got to get dressed up in tucks and uh evening gowns. Come over to watch. We'll have the roulette with table out and then canapes and that explains the outfit as well.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Which I appreciate, by the way. Thank you for gaining to character. This is what we normally work.

SPEAKER_06 3:55

Yeah, we always work, I would work, this old thing. So you built your first course then for your first wedding.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

What was that like just we went into it fairly blind, didn't we? We wanted to be in a nine-hole course, but we didn't do any research into the wedding industry.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

Um but you were one of the first as well, though. I because I I remember seeing you and thinking, I don't really see that at all.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

We weren't certain we weren't the first. We're not quite fairly admit that.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Yeah. Um there's been a r a lot around over the years, but they've been small scale and nut and prior to all the social media and you've absolutely asked the social media, but prior to social media, they were just advertising in a local area in a you know, exchange in Mart or something. Um so you really nobody knew about them. And there was a really good run over in Bristol.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

But he really just did his own thing in the We're really lucky in the fact that uh he's got a design background and uh his drawings and sculpting is amazing. I've got an electromechanical background, so the skill set perfectly meshes for us to be as creative as we can possibly be on the golf course. Uh and that's where I think we win because um our things are pretty unique. People try and copy us, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:15

So what is it that's unique about it then in comparison to these other companies?

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Quality, um, scale, the scale of our objects are a lot bigger than the other companies. Attention to detail. Attention to detail, we I'll we'll demonstrate these later. Okay, later.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

You keep robbing it.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

I'm intrigued by it, but I think we we've got the there's one goal for us, and that is to make sure everybody's having a fun time.

SPEAKER_05 5:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Um and if we've achieved that goal and we walk away really happy.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Yeah. And because of that, we have moved to the top. We didn't go, we want to be the top, we want to make money. No, we wanted to do a really good job and produce on the day something that will allow all our guests to come back to them and go, Oh, we had the best day ever. And we we've succeeded at that because the feedbacks we get are always about how brilliant the day was. We still get it mentioned to us even years later. How brilliant their day was. Um you made it, and you hear that, and you think it's really quite special about the thing.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Yeah, very special to be honest. Um I hate using the word privilege because it's footballers use it, and it's so over it's overrated, isn't it? But we are in such a privileged position to be part of people's special day.

SPEAKER_06 6:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

And it because you are in the day. You are literally there most of the day, aren't we? We're there, we arrive in the morning before guests arrive to set the course up. We're there throughout the whole day.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Um and we're slightly because we're quite hands-on and we are very practical people, we can see on a day if things are going absolutely wrong. Yeah, and some not our usual venues, um, but there's other venues where you're thinking this is this is going diabolically wrong. Um I'm just thinking of one in particular. And and it was raining, and then it was sunshine, and they couldn't decide whether they were going outside, or the seats got wet. It was uh a catastrophe, but we asked it, didn't we? We had marquee, our marquees had all the musicians underneath it. We were carrying brollies for people, you name it, we'll be with Johnny on the spot, so to speak. I don't know whether it's actually. I don't think about it. I don't know whether it's uh uh an issue comment now.

SPEAKER_06 7:53

So, how does it work on the actual day then?

SPEAKER_02 7:55

How's it um so on the day we I say we arrive pretty much first thing before the photographers uh we get the uh the course set up, we assess the weather for the day, and if it's gonna be miserable, we'll set the gazebos up first to cover the course.

SPEAKER_06 8:10

Oh, so they can have it in bad weather.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

I'm gonna have to touch with on this. Um eight years of running Crazy Nine. We've never had to cancel a wedding. Uh-huh. And everybody's been able to play on the course. Oh, that's got to be despite the weather. Um so yeah, we always carry the gazebos with us, which again is pretty not unique, but it's one of the things that we're doing. Some people do copy us on that one now. I've never realize that it's just another step that we take. We bring common sense to the uh Yeah, we do live in England. Yeah, it's just another step that we take to make sure that we can do what they've asked us to do. Um so we arrive in the morning, set the course up, so as soon as the drinks reception starts, we're there, clubs in hand, trying to get people onto the course. Especially because weddings are getting longer and longer, especially if you have an early ceremony, like 12 o'clock ceremony. You've got such a long period before the wedding breakfast. Yeah. People are either getting bored or drunk or both, which nobody wants. Crazy Golf picks every single box because you can play it as many times as you like. It's not as though it's just one hit wonder thing. Especially if you have the leaderboard, because it always starts off being fun, always ends up being competitive. So it just it just adds that element of fun to the day. Especially we always stay with the course whilst they're having a wedding breakfast and then resume the gameplay whilst they're changing the room over for the evening entertainment. So people can uh have a rematch over the evening uh but just before they're going for the first dance. So it just kicks every single box, really.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

So depending on the venue, do you have to bring up certain parts of the course or because obviously some venues are smaller than others, are you?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

So do you have a set course or we are we we always manage to get the other course whether we have to put one part of it out and put the caddy out of a different room. So we create we walk into a space and then we look and go, how are we gonna make this look beautiful for everybody coming up to it so we have an arch. If it's an indoor one, we'll put the arch outside of the door, that is the room that we're gonna be in, and all the entrances paraphernalia will go outside if it's super tight.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Um part of the liaison, especially obviously the regular venues, yeah. The regular venues, we know what we're doing, we can just do it blind. Yeah. If it's a fairly new venue, part of the liaison with the couple is these are ground requirements, this is the minimum space we require, uh, easy vehicle access.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

This is on the website as well.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

Yeah, it needs to be flat and level, but that's it people's interpretations on flat and level are quite interesting though, because sometimes you turn up a venue and it's like, how the heck do you think we're gonna do it? You put the ball on the stage on the place. Oh hole in one. It's gonna be hard. So we've had to use giant Jenga blocks to level the course out because it's all about the gameplay for us as well. It's like it's pointless having a crazy golf course if you can't play it. Yeah, it's gotta be possible. Absolutely. So, yeah, we we've or Nyon at some venues used uh a giant Jenga block of the whole the whole kit just to kind of level everything out.

SPEAKER_00 11:12

But you always phone them up at the the venue in advance if it's a new one, yeah, and walk through walk through it all with them. If it sounds a little bit dubious, then we'll do a quick side visit just to make sure. Some of it's not down in London or up in Scotland, but we'll we'll arrange to do a site visit just to confirm that everybody's happy. And then on the day we uh do an assessment as well. But what if it's a new venue, we always arrive about an hour, an hour and a half earlier than we normally would arrive early. So that we are complete when we find out, oh that gate was blocked up last year, was it? That's not on the on the pictures on uh Google, is it? Oh, you built the gazebo.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

When did you build that building? So you're willing to travel? Oh yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I mean you're based in Stockport.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

We're based in Stockport. Uh the furthest north we've been is St. Andrews, uh, which is pretty cool to take Crazy Golf to the home of golf. Uh and they loved it. And then was it two days afterwards? Uh we were in South High. We were in South Hampton. Um so it's like a 10-hour drive from St.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Andrews to surprise me, you can actually go half an hour further south than Southampton. Really? Yeah, because it was half an hour from Southampton. So yeah, we travel all over, yeah. We go everywhere.

SPEAKER_06 12:31

Have you got any crazy stories then? Obviously, it's in the name, Crazy Golf. Have you got any funny stories that you want to share?

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Oh, yeah, yeah. Some things don't happen at our wedding, we just sort of hear about them here, say. Um the course. The funny sort of things are that, and this is why we have these, and we've brought it along to demonstrate. This is a ball picker upper. So balls in the hall. Should I stand up for this? No, you don't need to. It's more demonstrating the action, so you don't have to bend down to pick the ball, which is very hard with low cleavages.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Yes, because you've got to think about the amount of boobs that have fallen out on one thought.

SPEAKER_03 13:18

You wouldn't think it, but they voluntary come out at the photo.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

Yeah, they do. You see an awful lot of stuff. Oh my god. So these prevent boobs from falling out, which is very, very, very handy.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Wait, there was there was there was a lady, we said this lady was lovely, and she was she played a few times on the golf course, and then this other lady came on and and one of them fell out, but she carried on playing and hadn't noticed. You would think there'd be like a temperature difference, one cold, one not, but I can't. We said we can go and speak to her because I don't know how old she is, and it was a borderline thing. So we asked this lady, lovely lady, could you go and have a word with her, please? And uh she's she's not from my side of the family, I don't know her. And she said, Oh, it's still gonna be better coming from you than us. So she just turned round and hey love, your tin signing out.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Well, that was that was we could have done that. Sorry, you probably can't put that in.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

We just did it as hey, your boobs hanging in. Your boobs hanging in. So what take two boobs?

SPEAKER_01 14:28

So yeah, the lady turns around and says to the hey love, your boobs hang in. I could have done that.

SPEAKER_06 14:38

Oh, love it, that's so funny. So, did you invent that after boobs had fallen out?

SPEAKER_00 14:42

We didn't invent it, somebody else's we're uh Mike Malfunction. We this isn't uh we saw this when we were playing crazy golf in Grand Canaria. Oh right.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

And they had these, all the old folks used those, and I thought perfect for the bride, and then perfect for grooms or anybody with tight trousers.

SPEAKER_06 15:03

Makes so much sense. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Old folks, um pregnant ladies, yeah, but just so many people because it nobody plays golf, do they? It's funny. One lady last week said, Oh, I'm not playing golf, and I said, Why is that? I don't like bending down to pick the ball up.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

It's like tada next excuse we say we we we heckle all the way around, that's our big thing. So when we are on the golf course, it's fair game, especially if they're a golf player.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

But you're the you're the prints as well, aren't you? I mean, that is the difference. I've I've learned that, and even at the shows, I saw that. A great course, magnificent build, etc. etc. But it's you that they're buying into.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Well, that's um and that's why it's two separate businesses. It's Crazy Golf. Um, Crazy Nine is the equipment hire.

SPEAKER_03 15:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

Uh, which they can have they can do dry hire if they want to, uh, and then there's Garrett and Butler Entertainment because it's it's a separate part of the business that we provide the entertainment for the day.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Yeah, yeah. Do you do dry high then? I didn't even know. I thought you were always just had to Yeah, it costs £50,000.

SPEAKER_06 16:03

Yeah, don't include that you have a biggest piece of advice for your customers.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

Oh, there's a few top tips, isn't there, that we've seen along the way.

SPEAKER_06 16:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

I was just about to say children. Don't invite them. That's right. That is right.

SPEAKER_03 16:23

You got the flagging off for that.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Well, they're lovely. I'm guessing we can't say that. Children don't invite the. No, we don't say it.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

It just took all the energy away from the day. One child causes the same amount of damage on our course as for our four drunks. Yeah. Uh 20 standards. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:48

Because it's actually for like I'd think that crazy golf is kind of for kids in a way, but I'd take it. This is do they not understand the concept? We are.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

We've got proper obstacles, and a lot of them are technical, so you need to have that hand-to-eye coordination. Yeah. Saying that, golfers are generally rubbish at crazy golf. Um it's a constant source of amusement for us. We always watch them and they're doing their practice jobs.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

And cheering up. Because the low bounce golf balls, they don't go up like a normal golf ball. Right. So they under hit it every single time. And they're always the first one at the tee. Look at me, I'll show you how it's done. Instantly go at the tee. And it's just like, oh god. And then you see them do the practice shots, so you instantly know, or they'll they'll do a fancy grip. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Oh, hand golf club, you really needed that grip.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

So, yeah. Yeah, we just we just we don't tear into them because you've got to keep it at a really nice keep it lightly. We read the crowd, because if you feel like they're starting to sour, you just pick a different one. Yeah. Or give them a little woo-hoo!

SPEAKER_03 18:08

So is there a moment in the day when you think this is working, everyone's loving it basically?

SPEAKER_02 18:12

Yeah, there is, and and generally, if if a couple's fun enough to have crazy golf at the wedding, yeah, generally their friends and family are fun enough to play it. And it's so it's all if you know you're gonna get booked by them, it's gonna be at a pretty good wedding.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

It's a good benchmark, isn't it? It is really, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

I think in again, in the eight years we've been running, I think maybe there's only been maybe five where it's kind of why did you think crazy golf is gonna work for us?

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Literally, guests will go away. You walk enough of them and go, fancy a game of crazy golf. And then they'll just look away.

SPEAKER_06 18:50

It's like when you're at an all-inclusive and you've got the entertainment. No, I don't want to play water. Yes, you guys are wet.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Uh so top tips, you have to go always plan for a wet day. Yeah. Okay. It's Britain. It's a red, which is why one of the reasons I know we've mentioned it, we always carry the gazebos with us. So it's it's never stopped us having fun. But if you plan even if you bury a sausage, uh it's it still might rain.

SPEAKER_06 19:26

Well, how would how would people plan for it being wet? What like what would you recommend they put in place?

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Um it gives us expectations. We've seen uh quite a few couples where it's wouldn't say it's ruined their day, but they've had got this picture in the mind that they're gonna have a fantastic day, it's gonna be gorgeous, sunshine, they're gonna get all these amazing photographs, everybody's gonna be outside playing and having fun, and yet on the day it's miserable, it's overcast. So it kind of it's a bit one of those high hopes cast long shadows. Uh, just kind of keep it down, just take the day for whatever it is. It's gonna be an amazing day, that's why we're here to make sure everybody's having a fun time.

SPEAKER_03 20:03

So just don't do you find the venues work with you? Are they they they are cooperative, they're not who these guys are.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

But if it's a new venue and they don't know us and they don't know our reputation, then yeah, it's gonna be a case of trickier. Yeah, trick tricky. But it only takes one visit for them to realise that they can trust us and we know what we're doing, it's not our first rodeo, and we're there to make sure everybody's having a fun time. Yeah. Um regular ones, it yeah, it's it's whenever we arrive, it's kind of oh crazy nine.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

They also uh and it's been said by a few different uh venues that when they see that we're on the list of um suppliers, they know they're gonna have a good day. They know the people that they're gonna be dealing with are gonna be fun, happy people.

SPEAKER_03 20:50

There's well to be honest, we say that. If we if we get Crazy Nine on there, we see like Foxtiles one that you seem to be at a lot, and it's like, oh yeah, we can we know that's gonna be a decent crowd. Yeah, absolutely that's how we that's how we judge them, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

I think it's just something to do with crazy golf as well. It's it's just they're a fun crowd of people.

SPEAKER_03 21:07

Well they obviously want to entertain their guests, don't they? Exactly. So you can call the photo because they're all gonna be in a good mood, etc. etc.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

Yeah, yeah. We like it's it's it's a symbiotic relationship with the venue with all suppliers, really. We're there to support each other.

SPEAKER_03 21:21

Yeah. Well, photographers must love you because it's just easy pictures, isn't it? Yeah, easy day for them. We we hate photographers. Yeah, we do photographers.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

We love photographers. You've got to look like Trump the way I did that there, didn't it? We had verbalise that.

SPEAKER_06 21:42

Right. What is your biggest ick then? Your absolute no, you hate it.

SPEAKER_02 21:47

Photographers. Ask that question again. What was the question? Oh, what is your biggest ick?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

I've forgotten what it was, but Oh, I know what it is. I know what it is. I was just about to announce it to the screen. When they about four, five, six times a day we get asked, Are you brothers? No, wearing a bloody uniform. And the language. Keep that one, but keep it in. Because that is a nick.

SPEAKER_03 22:24

So they're just based on that you've both got a beard. A beard. We're both old. We're both old. We're both beard. We're both wearing the same outfits, they're old. We've must be brothers.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

We've must be brothers. So when we say to them, I'd be weird and strange as we're married to each other. Like and the eagle.

SPEAKER_03 22:39

I don't know if you've been married.

SPEAKER_04 22:41

That was us. As of yesterday. Yeah, four. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Typical men. Possibly four, maybe four years. Only four years. Do you remember two? When we got married. 2022. That'll be four years then.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

We've been together 30 years in August. Right? Oh wow. I just thought you'd always well not always been married, but I just thought you'd be married. We can't rush into these things, can you? No.

SPEAKER_02 23:09

So wait 30 years. Wait, yeah, we had 20 years. 26 years.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

We got a little plaque, haven't we? Because we did that on our 25th anniversary. I did a little plaque in Canal Street, one of these blue plaques. So like an English heritage plaque, aren't you?

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Next time you walk along Canal Street next to Via Fossa, there's a little English heritage plaque. Pete and Philip met here.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

It would bubble up within a few days, you know. But it's not. Is it still there? It's still there.

SPEAKER_06 23:39

Go and get a photo of it. Did you have Crazy Golf at your wedding? Heck no.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Where did you get married? Oh, we got married at an amazing place, Port Marion in North Wales. Oh okay. Yeah, yeah. So none of the venues at US. It's like an Italian AIDS village in North Wales. If you've never been.

SPEAKER_05 23:56

We did do it once.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

We've done Crazy Golf at the castle. Right. That's there, but not down in the village. Well, it could work down next to the hotel, I suppose. This is a bit of advertising, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 24:08

Yeah. No, it's beautiful, magical place. It's a lovely part. They did a film thing, yeah, didn't they?

SPEAKER_02 24:13

The Prisoner. Yeah, that was it, yeah. A series that they'd filmed there before your time. I was gonna say that. It could be before your time. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Before it happens as well, really.

SPEAKER_06 24:25

Right, shall we add in to our customer questions then?

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Oh my gosh, yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_06 24:33

So we've had people write in from social media.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Oh my gosh. Mainly TikTok, innit?

SPEAKER_06 24:37

Yeah, we get loads on TikTok, some on Instagram. But we'll start off with Sarah. She says, I thought mini golf was for kids. Why should I have it at my wedding?

SPEAKER_02 24:47

Hi Sarah! Hello, Sarah.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

Because it entertains everybody. You can get the kids on there all the way up to we've had I don't think we've had a hundred there, but about 90 odd year olds. What was her name? Peachy. Peachy. My word, she was going to be six years on all the sons of the world. Oh, what was that one that got she got to a final of the whole one? Anyway, sorry, kids, yes, I can digress very easily. Kids. I wouldn't have noticed.

SPEAKER_05 25:15

They literally couldn't tell at all. Yes, they wouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

Our course is quite technical. Children can play it, but because it's so technical, it can be a little bit frustrating for children. Especially ones like Nemesis. Nemesis is one very much for golfers, actually, because it's all about pace and accuracy. And you can't just move your way close to the hole because the hole is in the top and the peak of a triangle. So you've got to get it into the hall. Children cannot get it.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

No. Crazy golf. But crazy golf, everybody loves crazy golf. Doesn't matter how old you are.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Um it is again. I mean, I've got a four-year-old, and he loves crazy golf. He's he he doesn't know what he's doing, but he's but then I would take my own crazy golf.

SPEAKER_06 25:59

Yeah. So it does work for everyone.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

Yeah, it works for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

I've got a great video of my mum getting a hole in what on that crazy golf course. And she she was like in her late 80s and she was having fun.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Yes. It's it the other thing about the crazy golf is it can entertain a lot of people and for a long time because they don't get bored with it. They come back on and on and on.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

Especially when we have the leaderboard, because then as I say it mentioned it's uh becomes competitive rather than just fun.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

But you can have 40 people on it, but if you've got a bouncy castle, you've probably got about 10 on headbutting each other on your wedding day. Not as though bouncy castles are bad things. No bouncy castles are very good, as are magicians. Um everyone can play it.

SPEAKER_06 26:41

And you've got the sticks with the old people too, to so they don't have to bend down. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:46

Perfect. Right, we'll head on to the next one. James, do the guests ever get overly competitive?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Hello, James! Hello, James! Yes. Umly competitive, I kind of figure there's no such thing. It's uh maximum amount of competitiveness is a key part of it. We do get people cheating.

SPEAKER_05 27:08

Oh, do you?

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yes, we do. You have to keep an eye on some people who are very competitive because they are also quite uh prone to cheating as well.

SPEAKER_06 27:17

Well, you call them out on it then, if you see it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

We'll just because we've got so many people to look at and deal with, and you're making sure that they're all having a good time, but also not hitting each other with the clubs because they're swinging too wildly or anything like that. You you're permanently scanning the crowd, but while you're scanning them, you can also just keep a count on how many shots they've done on one hole, and then you can check that against their score when they come in, just because they've gone round. Oh, I'll just go around by myself. Yeah, okay. Oh, you should win, then, shouldn't you? We always say that as well.

SPEAKER_03 27:54

So is there prizes? Is there prizes for the there can be if they want to get it?

SPEAKER_02 27:59

We can organise trophies or they can organise our own uh trophy for the best score. Well, you always keep a record of the worst score of the day as well, uh just from a heckling point of view. Um so yeah, we can have wooden spoon prizes and whatnot. And what do you do?

SPEAKER_03 28:13

Do you just go through like just shuffle between the courses basically?

SPEAKER_02 28:18

Just chatting to the people or yes, uh, one of us generally is always by the caddy, making sure that that everybody's got the right size clubs and keeping the scoreboard going. Other one is there going around the course, making sure everybody's having a fun time heckling, as you say, if they do it really bad. And it's always the two of you. It's always the two of you. Unless it's a dry hair. Yeah, in which case not.

SPEAKER_06 28:38

We'll head on to Amanda. She says, Our honeymoon is in Egypt. Can you build a custom course for this?

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Oh, very good question, and very nice location for your honeymoon.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Um, funny, I was thinking that my head's not screwed on right sometimes. I was thinking, I don't know whether we can get it all the way over to Egypt. I'm the pretty one.

SPEAKER_04 29:06

It's just as well.

SPEAKER_00 29:09

But we have a request to Ireland one wonders to Malta, France. And it's like, well, it's gonna you're gonna have to pay for five days. Anyway, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

I think absolutely. Um, I mean, obviously, if they want to pay for it, uh we can create uh whatever they'd like. Um certainly we could create a pyramid, I'm sure. Um, yeah, what is this? To be honest, one of the ones that we're gonna try and introduce this year is the Stockport Pyramid with the red arches uh as the bridge going to the pyramid. So all right. Do you change the course much? We try and introduce something new, at least one or two obstacles each year.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

Yeah. Um it's not some, they can just do it by cutting a new piece of triangle, you know, piece off a door and sticking it on the course. Yeah. Um but we have all sorts of electronics, he's doing all sorts of 3D printing.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

This year's obstacles are crazy.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

It can take us six months just to build one of these.

SPEAKER_03 30:06

Well, I love your reels when you when you're showing what you're building. Oh, okay. Yeah, I find them entertaining.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

We're champing at the bit to show people what we're building this year, but we're only trying to give hints, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

Because a lot of people copy us, don't they? We get a lot of copcasts.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

Yeah. Yeah, can you? So we're keeping everything underwraps just so we can get obviously the design rights in place and this, that, and the other. Um, but this year's obstacles are out of this world. We cannot wait for it.

SPEAKER_03 30:32

I like that you do it as well because you don't have to. Because theoretically, a wedding crowd, you see them once. Yeah, it's not repetitive custom, really, is it? No, you're right. But I love that you actually keep evolving. Yeah, I suppose eventually it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

People come up to you again. Oh, you we were you were at our wedding, and now we and we'll see them. I mean, some we've seen about three times now at different weddings because somebody at their wedding will go this is what we need. Yeah. And the amount of cards that we give out at the wedding, because it's all uh word of mouth, because they're all like, I need this at our wedding.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

Yeah, you know, it's all we we took a wedding accidentally at Clithrow. Completely too far for us, we don't want to keep going there, but it it happened. Yeah, and um this this couple loved us, loved the photo booth, blah blah blah. And then we found that the guests kept booking. And so we we covered Cheshire and Clithrow. Actually, it's so annoying. But yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 31:28

If you keep them happy, I mean it's feathering your capital, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 31:32

Yeah, yeah, if you do feel good about it, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 31:35

Yeah, but we're we're we're ch really lucky with I mean we've got landed the most perfect job because A, we love entertaining, we love interacting with people, and what we do in the workshop, for all its work, we're actually working we're we're we're back at the studio today. It's fun stuff that we do and what you enjoy. It's like you've got a hobby that you're making money out of. Oh, that's so cool. You've got a hobby that's your job as well. Yeah, good place to be.

SPEAKER_06 32:02

Right, we'll head on on to our final question then in from Andrew. He says, My budget is limited. Why should I choose crazy golf?

SPEAKER_02 32:11

Oh my gosh, that is a trick, Sean.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

Um well, you've got to also realise that I know we are very expensive, um, there are other golf courses out there that are not so so it covers the the the amount of golf courses that are available that can cover all budgets. And we realise that not everybody has a budget for ourselves, so we try to sort of say, well, if you haven't got our budget, you can still have crazy golf. Um but you may want to do extra things with it because it might not be hosted or it may not be uh undercover. Um make sure you check on all these things and you can pick up something that is more to your budget. Um I would say you it is a key one because golf at your wedding will entertain a lot of people. So it doesn't matter which course you choose, it's gonna be a it should be a good day. We have a lot of horror stories as well.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

It's a big chunk today as well, isn't it? It is a big chunk. Um and it is all about perceived value, I guess. We are we are high-end crazy golf. Um, but you get value for money. Um it's the entertainment aspect, it's keeping people occupied for that whole period, not just the drinks reception, but that early evening changeover as well. We're not one of these companies that will just finish bang on eight o'clock, for instance, if another supplier's running late, then if we just finish at eight o'clock, then there's gonna be that gap. Um whereas for all it's at our expense, we'll just stay that a little bit longer to make sure that the fun keeps going until the first dance or the cutting of the cake. So it's all of these things that we do that's not written down anywhere, and it's but you so you don't it's when you're kind of looking at oh I could have this company for whatever the price is, half the price of us. It's kind of oh, should I go with them? But then when you weigh up what's included with us and the value that we add to the wedding day and the memories that we make, then it's kind of worthwhile cutting back on something else.

SPEAKER_06 34:30

Um could they not be sorry, go on to the stuff? Could they not be saving money by obviously not having to get extra bits of entertainment because you guys are there for so long, and like you say, you can keep going back to it, so they don't actually necessarily have to spend money on more entertainment to fill that gap that you're talking about. Very good point.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

They could cut back on, like for instance, the the light up letters or the photo of all of that, all of that.

SPEAKER_04 34:56

You need that, you need that a party's not a party. There's a whole psych. See you waiters, let's get rid of them. Flowers in need some pig now.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Well, there's a we were talking with somebody about the psychology of the day, and you've I mean, this is another top tip for brides and grooms. When if they're at a hotel type set setup where people are gonna be checking in, what time is the check-in? Where does it come at in the day? Because we've even been at one hotel's closed down now, but uh we were stood there and there wasn't a soul there, not even the bride and groom. All the guests had gone to check-in and thought separately nobody's gonna notice if I have a little sleep not at one. So we were playing golf with the photographer, an hour later, the bride and groom arrives and goes, Where is everybody? We don't know. So you've got to pace your day because there's quite often a little and you've got to try and keep everybody not too high, but just a nice, steady, fun because it that that's the psychology of the day. You've got to keep everybody from being worn out, yeah, but you don't want them to drop low and go a bit sleepy and think they can slope off somewhere. No, they've got to keep them so golf is good because it's just there permanently. Yeah, uh calm entertainment. You can you can also have too much at a wedding. We've been to somewhere everything in the song in the dance, they've had ice cream, they've had a pizza, they've had you can over egg a pudding, you can get all that.

SPEAKER_03 36:31

I always find there the weddings that actually end early as well. Because we're obviously there at the end, too, because we're collecting the dance, blah blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_02 36:37

And everybody's burnt out.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

But everyone's burnt out literally by about 11 pm. And you just think you you've actually burnt all your guests out with all this entertainment, all this stuff that they've been bamboozled with. Absolutely. And uh, yeah, you've spent a lot of money to have a bad finish.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

One thing we have found though is that a lot of couples, their first date is on a crazy golf course.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:05

So having crazy golf at their wedding is just like a continuation.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

It's just it just one of our very first wedding wedding shows um at Tatten.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

Uh, this gorgeous girl came to us and she was going around with her mother, and she says, Oh, our first date was on a crazy golf course. And I said, Wouldn't it be brilliant if he kept it a secret from your partner and you had crazy golf on your wedding day? Well, she just burst out crying. Um, and then I mean the book doesn't it was an amazing day. But uh as we're walking away, the mother was patting her on the shoulder and this, that, and the other, and one of the other vendors came across it. It's like, what do you say? What do you say to the bride to make her cry? So, yes, it's having crazy golf at your wedding uh can have lots of special meanings as well.

SPEAKER_06 37:52

Yeah. Oh, I love that. Have you guys got anything that you want to uh plug before we wrap up the episode?

SPEAKER_00 37:58

It's a brilliant crazy letter create like big letter company that we know. Um you better not say another company.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

Um have you got new what's what have you got what's coming up basically? Have you got anything? I mean, obviously you've got some new new courses.

SPEAKER_02 38:14

I mean, apart from the new obstacles, we we've looked at should we make the company bigger? Um, should we franchise it? On all of those elements, uh part the crazy golf is brilliant and it stands alone by itself. Um and we've created um a fantastic business with a with a higher of a crazy golf course. But we're all about I guess quality control at the end of the day. But we've got a reputation, and the reputation is second to none. Yeah. So for us to actually trust somebody else to make sure that they're gonna provide that same service, it is hard though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 38:58

Because they they're buying into you. Yeah, they're buying into you too. I don't think there's any secret in that at all. But as great as the cost is, yeah, it's so how do you replicate yourselves? That's exactly that's the crazy problem.

SPEAKER_02 39:11

So we're still keeping it small. The crazy goal, we're building uh crazy nine as it's so it can stand alone by itself.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

Yeah, um it's still the best one by far, and I would say because I surf a bit on Pinterest. In our opinion, in our opinion, but it is, it's miles ahead, isn't it? Yeah, that's what it is. I mean, even the copies, the ones that copy, I mean we've seen them in Perth, um, and I'm pretty sure I know when they took the photographs for their uh website. Yeah, there was the one in Wales, wasn't it? I had all uh photographs from one of the events that we did because I recognized the the catchers. Yeah. I thought that's where I caught it with the screwdriver just there. And it's like, that's not your course. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 39:58

So they're actually nicking your photos.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

Oh I've I've even been on somebody's website.

SPEAKER_02 40:02

A picture of Pete's and Crazy actual Crazy Nine welcome board on their websites, guys.

SPEAKER_06 40:07

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

So we had to highlight to everybody if you think you're booking us by booking through them, you're not you're getting something else. They haven't built it yet.

SPEAKER_06 40:14

Oh god, well, how can people find you legitimately? No, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

So pretty much if it's got Crazy Nine in the title, it's us. So visit Instagram, Crazy Nine Golf, all of our socials, it's Crazy9Golf. Uh crazy9.co.uk is our website. They can find shed loads of information there. Uh we're quite up front, so prices are on there, what packages we offer are up there. The only thing on there that the only thing it's not on there is availability. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:40

Um which, if there's only one set of you, book quickly.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

I mean key dates are 20 seconds. Absolutely, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:47

Because it's only the just the two of us who are doing it. Yeah. 2027 key dates are going really fast. Yeah. There's only a few Saturdays left for next year. 2028 dates are going fast. And I think we've just had our first 2029 booking, so which is crazy. Because we think we'll be 60. Which is a horrid thought. No, we've all been 61. Oh, will we?

SPEAKER_00 41:13

So getting back. And then he does all of our accounts as well.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

So, yes, socials. It's crazy9.co.uk.

SPEAKER_06 41:23

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for coming on, guys. Oh, thank you for inviting us.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

It's been brilliant. I love it. As well, the whole business just keeps going well, doesn't it? Upwards. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:34

Right, well, thanks again for coming on.

SPEAKER_03 41:36

Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 41:36

And we will see you all next week. Bye bye. Bye.