A new story-led crazy golf experience featuring talking gargoyles, zombie hands, warped fairground attractions and a twisted 1980s diner is arriving at Westgate Oxford.
At a glance
| Venue | Ted’s Crazy Golf |
| Where | Westgate Oxford, Castle Street, Oxford |
| Official launch announced | Thursday 13 August 2026, although live booking pages show earlier availability |
| Courses | Bad Bones and Fun House, each with nine holes |
| Food and drink | Pizzas, hot dogs, popcorn, milkshakes, ice-cream floats, slushies, cocktails, beer, wine and alcohol-free drinks |
| Under-18s | Must be accompanied and can play only during specified daytime and early-evening hours |
| Booking | Book through Ted’s Crazy Golf; walk-ins are also welcomed subject to availability |
Ted’s Crazy Golf is replacing Junkyard Golf Club at Westgate Oxford with two reimagined courses inspired by comedy horror, retro Americana and nostalgic popular culture.
The venue’s launch announcement gives Thursday 13 August as its official opening date, although live booking pages indicate that some earlier playing slots may be available during the transition from Junkyard Golf Club.
Inside, visitors will find 18 holes split across two themed courses, with large-scale installations, animatronics, original characters and artwork intended to make the game feel more like an interactive theatrical experience.
The venue also includes the Deadbeat Diner, a twisted take on a late-1980s American diner serving casual food, milkshakes, cocktails and alcohol-free drinks.
What is Ted’s Crazy Golf?
Ted’s has been created by Larissa Houghton and Christopher Legh, co-founders of experience-led hospitality company Anger Mgmt Venues.
Rather than relying on familiar windmills and miniature castles, the pair have created an original fictional world filled with monsters, fairground oddities and playful scares.
The venue is intended to work for different kinds of visits, including family afternoons, dates, groups of friends, birthdays and workplace socials. Families should note that under-18s are admitted only during designated hours and must be accompanied.
Larissa said: “We are so excited to bring Ted’s Crazy Golf to Oxford and let people step inside the world we have created.
“This is a place that has come completely from our imagination. We wanted to build somewhere that feels fun, weird, nostalgic and full of surprises, where people walk in and feel like they have stepped through a portal into another dimension.
“Ted’s is a world of its own, built from original ideas, characters and art installations.”
Bad Bones: a trip to the other side
The first nine-hole course, Bad Bones, takes players through a gothic graveyard populated by skeletons, serpents, zombie hands and creatures hiding in the shadows.
Talking gargoyles add to the atmosphere, with the course designed to combine creepy imagery with comedy rather than present itself as a conventional horror attraction.
The theme draws on haunted houses, monster films and vintage carnival props, with each hole forming part of the wider story rather than operating as an unrelated obstacle.
Fun House: a fairground gone wrong
The second course moves into the strange world of a damaged and distorted carnival.
Fun House includes a trippy carousel, a caged lion, a warped hall of mirrors and other fairground-inspired installations.
The result is intended to feel like a forgotten amusement attraction caught somewhere between nostalgic childhood fun and a surreal dream.
The two courses
| Bad Bones | A nine-hole gothic graveyard with gargoyles, skeletons, serpents, zombie hands and shadowy creatures. |
| Fun House | A nine-hole twisted fairground featuring a carousel, caged lion, hall of mirrors and carnival-inspired oddities. |
Who is Ted Montgomery?
The venue’s fictional backstory centres on Ted Montgomery, a larger-than-life Californian said to have operated an unusual crazy golf course in the late 1980s.
In the story, Ted spent his evenings collecting comedy-horror memorabilia, including monster masks, animatronics, film posters, creepy toys and haunted carnival props.
The character believed crazy golf should tell a story rather than simply place obstacles around a course. Houghton and Legh have used that idea as the foundation for the Oxford venue’s original characters, installations and visual identity.
The backstory is part of the experience created by the founders, rather than a historical account of a real Oxford or Californian golf-course owner.
Food and cocktails at the Deadbeat Diner
The venue’s main bar has been redesigned as the Deadbeat Diner, a playful and distorted version of an American diner from the late 1980s.
Food options announced for the venue include pizzas, hot dogs and popcorn, alongside milkshakes, ice-cream floats and frozen slushies.
The drinks menu includes beer, wine, spirits and alcohol-free choices, together with themed cocktails bearing names such as American Scream, Peek-A-Boo and Cherry Cherry Cola.
Visitors do not have to play golf to be interested in the diner, although anyone planning to visit solely for food or drink should check entry arrangements with the venue first.
When can children and teenagers visit?
Ted’s becomes an adults-focused venue later in the day, so families need to book the correct playing time.
Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. From Sunday to Friday, they are allowed in until 7pm, with the last junior golf starting at 6pm.
On Saturdays, accompanied under-18s are admitted until 4pm, with the final junior golf time at 3pm.
Valid identification may be requested, particularly for guests visiting during adults-only periods.
| Day | Under-18 admission | Last junior golf |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday to Friday | Until 7pm, accompanied by an adult | 6pm |
| Saturday | Until 4pm, accompanied by an adult | 3pm |
| Sunday | Until 7pm, accompanied by an adult | 6pm |
Current summer opening hours
Ted’s live website currently lists extended opening hours for the summer holidays.
| Day | Current summer-holiday hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 12pm to 11pm |
| Wednesday | 12pm to 11pm |
| Thursday | 12pm to 11pm |
| Friday | 12pm to 11.30pm |
| Saturday | 12pm to 11.30pm |
| Sunday | 12pm to 9pm |
The last golf session is scheduled one hour before closing. Opening hours may change after the school holidays or on special dates, so visitors should check the live website before travelling.
Booking, walk-ins and group visits
Tickets can be booked online, while walk-ins will be accepted where space is available.
The venue has not supplied a fixed ticket price in the launch announcement, so customers should check the live booking page for current prices and available time slots.
Ted’s booking terms allow up to 10 tickets to be bought for one tee-off time. Groups larger than six may be divided into two smaller playing groups to prevent congestion on the course.
Advance booking is likely to be particularly useful during weekends, school holidays and evening periods.
Why the opening matters for Westgate Oxford
Ted’s takes over a space already associated with indoor crazy golf, but its founders say the new venue is a full creative reworking rather than a simple change of name.
The opening adds another indoor leisure option to Westgate, alongside its shops, restaurants, cinema and other entertainment businesses.
That could give families and visitors a useful wet-weather activity during the summer holidays, while the later adults-only sessions are likely to appeal to date nights, social groups and workplace events.
Clare Martin, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, said: “Ted’s Crazy Golf is an exciting new addition for us, providing guests with a unique experience that cannot be found elsewhere in the city.
“The opening strengthens our selection of leisure experiences for visitors of all ages, giving families even more reasons to visit Westgate Oxford as the perfect day out this summer.”
Planning your visit
Visitor information
| Location | Westgate Oxford, Castle Street, Oxford |
| Courses | Two nine-hole courses, Bad Bones and Fun House |
| Food and drink | Deadbeat Diner, serving pizzas, hot dogs, snacks, milkshakes, floats, cocktails and alcohol-free drinks |
| Booking | tedscrazygolf.co.uk/oxford |
| oxford@tedscrazygolf.co.uk | |
| Parking | Westgate has an underground car park accessed from Thames Street, although the centre recommends Park & Ride where practical |
| Accessibility | Westgate publishes access and mobility information, but visitors should contact Ted’s directly about course-specific access requirements |
Westgate Oxford says city-centre parking is limited and recommends Park & Ride for many journeys. Drivers using the underground car park should follow signs to the Thames Street entrance.
Visitors with mobility, sensory or other access requirements should check Westgate Oxford’s access information and contact Ted’s before booking if they need details about individual holes, lighting, sound effects or route accessibility.
FAQs
When does Ted’s Crazy Golf open in Oxford?
The launch announcement gives Thursday 13 August 2026 as the official opening date. However, Ted’s live website says it replaced Junkyard Golf Club from 1 August and booking pages show some earlier dates. Visitors should check the live booking system before travelling.
Where is Ted’s Crazy Golf?
It is in the former Junkyard Golf Club space at Westgate Oxford on Castle Street.
How many courses are there?
There are two nine-hole courses: Bad Bones and Fun House.
Is Ted’s Crazy Golf suitable for children?
Children and teenagers can visit during designated hours but must be accompanied. Under-18s are admitted until 7pm from Sunday to Friday, with the last golf at 6pm, and until 4pm on Saturdays, with the last golf at 3pm.
What food is available?
The Deadbeat Diner serves pizzas, hot dogs, popcorn, milkshakes, ice-cream floats and frozen drinks. The bar offers cocktails, beer, wine and alcohol-free options.
Do visitors need to book?
Advance booking is available and likely to be helpful at busy times. Walk-ins are also welcomed subject to space.
How much does it cost?
The launch announcement does not give a fixed ticket price. Current prices are shown when selecting a date and tee time through the online booking system.
Can large groups play together?
Up to 10 tickets can be booked for a tee-off time, but groups of more than six may be split into two playing groups.
Where can people book?
Tickets and live availability are available through Ted’s Crazy Golf Oxford.
