Welcome to the Ghetto

I must admit that I have never really been a fan of golf, nor has it ever really been my forte, unless you count playing it on Wii sports. As far as sports go, it’s pretty far down my list. That was until alcohol, neon lights and some seriously cool decor were added to the mix, and suddenly it went much higher up in my estimations, funny that. So, you mix all of these things together and what do you get? A weird and wonderful golf course in a quirky little part of Birmingham, otherwise known as Ghetto Golf.

Located in the Digbeth area, Ghetto Golf is pretty tucked away in one of the back roads, but this hidden hotspot is definitely worth searching for. The premise of the game is simple enough, follow the course, and try to get your ball in the hole in as few puts as possible. But whilst the rules are simple, the venue is far from basic. Illuminated from top to bottom in bright neon lights, with a ceiling plastered with colourful graffiti and fairy lights, it’s pretty much impossible to walk into this place without saying ‘wow’ out loud.

The venue’s centrepiece is a luminous bar, featuring an extensive list of unique cocktails under witty pop-culture names. If cocktails aren’t your thing, then there are plenty of other drinks on the menu to give you a bit of pre-game confidence.

So how does it work? Well, upon arrival you are given a buzzer and asked to wait until you’re called to start the course. This usually gives you time to get a drink, go to the toilet and just generally marvel at the decor – there’s a lot to take in. Once called, you grab your clubs, balls and notepad at the desk and you’re good to go!

The Ghetto Golf course features 18 holes in 18 weird and wacky settings. From Blockbusters to bathtubs, skate parks to school buses; with each hole you find yourself transported into a different world. The course gives you the opportunity to appreciate the street art that Ghetto Golf prides itself on, whilst generally making it a really memorable experience!

If you’re in search of an instagrammable location in Birmingham, then look no further. If it wasn’t for the drink in one hand and the golf club in the other, I probably would have taken about 3 million photos this evening…perhaps it was for the best that my hands were occupied. Every new room you enter gives a completely different vibe so the urge to capture that moment is all but irresistible!

The cost of the game is £10 per person and I would advise to book in advance because it gets really busy. We went as a big group this time, but I’ve also been before with just one other person. Personally, I think this is the perfect location for a date night or a first date, and the amount of couples I saw during this course testifies this, if anything, the line of dildos across the floor at the start of the course will certainly give you something to talk about…

Otherwise, Ghetto Golf is just generally the perfect location for any socialising with friends, every time I’ve been I’ve had such a great experience, and surprised myself with my golfing abilities (turns out all those Wii sports games paid off after all). Despite all my previous reservations about golf, this is undoubtedly one of my favourite activities in Birmingham, and I know I’ll be coming here many more times this year.

During my recent visit, I noticed that a matching bar has opened next door to the course. The exciting new venue is called Birdies and features similarly funky vibe and decor. The atmosphere of the bar looked equally as great as it was in Ghetto Golf and I can’t wait to try it out myself soon!

So, in a nutshell, this is one of the coolest places in Birmingham, and you should definitely check it out. Even if, like me, you don’t know your putters from your wedges (yes I had to google that) I promise you’ll have a great time. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get yourself down to the ghetto.

If you liked this post then please, for the love of golf subscribe to my blog via the box at the bottom of this page! (Not sure if that pun helped or hindered my chances of gaining new followers but we’re going with it)

You can also see regular blog updates on my Instagram!