Strike Bowling Wintergarden

•$$

New on the scene and brought to you by the guys who run Strike Bowling!…read more There is definatly more than meets the eye to the venue, when i first heard of it i thought how on earth are they going to pull this off, but with 2 levels and some imagination they have made amazing use of the space. The holes are very imaginative, a UV area, putting through a car, a skeeball hole, an "iron" throne made of golf clubs, oh and the 18th hole is fantastic!! With a bar inside and outside drinks are plentiful, I would suggest saving most of your drinking for after though as you will need to have some dexterity for a few of the holes. We had an amazing time and i think that this is well worth a trip into the city for a bit of fun! At the time of review prices are 9 holes for $16.50, per person 18 holes for $33 per person, which is a bit expensive of your planning on taking the kids (kids are welcome before 5pm for legal reasons). But I highly recommend doing it at least once! Will make another date night here soon i think!

This place is an epic hang out spot. We had so much fun and so many laughs. I highly recommend…read moreplaying all 18 holes.

Victoria Park Public Course

4.4

(9 reviews)

Putt Putt seems to be an activity that has followed me my entire life. I remember vividly playing…read more weekly rounds of ultra competitive Putt Putt with my family on the Gold Coast as a kid. Since moving the Brisbane Putt Putt has since fallen off my radar... until now! A friend of mine recommended we go to Victoria Park (up near Kelvin Grove) and play some night Putt Putt for a bit of fun. Intrigued by the proposal I agreed and we made our way there around 7 o'clock that night. Initially I was a bit nervous that the repressed, competitive, Putt Putt demon within would bare all seven of its malevolent heads, however these concerns were soon alleviated due to the low admission fees and the presence of alcohol, which can be purchased and consumed legally on the course. Also, I was honestly relieved to notice that the majority of the people there were younger adults doing something a bit different with their Friday night. There were indeed kids and families around but they became adorable accessories to the evening, as opposed to tiresome obstacles. The course itself was in fact a lot of fun. Though there are no gimmicky windmills or miniature rollercoaster-things, the course still proved to be very entertaining. Each hole has three different levels of difficulty; so all players can still have a good time. Being the competitive psychopath that I am I insisted we play on the top-level of difficulty, which proved to be mostly accomplishable (all those years of competitive Putt Putting paid off). The entire experience was genuinely a lot of fun! I'm even sure I would of managed to have a good time even if I didn't win, which I did. Victoria Park is definitely a great way to break the mold and do something different with your mates around Brisbane. Though inevitably we all end up back in Fortitude Valley, Victoria Park Putt Putt is definitely worth a gander.

Putt Putt is definitely one of those things best done with a small group. Yesterday, I had my first…read moreattempt at putt putt and I have to say it is so much fun! I highly recommend if you are up for something a little different. You can of course, purchase alcohol as you make your way around the course. It has the potential to make the last few holes rather interesting. From selecting a stick that feels 'lucky', to taking that first nerve racking swing and everyone getting a bit competitive towards the end, it is genuinely a fun day. Girls, wear flat shoes and take a shoulder bag that won't get in the way. Holding a putter, a glass of wine, your ball and your bag can be a bit of a challenge otherwise!

Jindalee Golf Club

3.0

Although it has a daggy exterior and a not so concreted parking lot, the 9 hole golf course has…read moreonly gotten better over the years. What not many newbies know about this golf club is that every year it hosts the Professionals on the Sunshine circuit with Seniors Pro-am (over 50s) included in the calendar as well. The clubhouse is airconditioned (yay) and the club also offers popular beers on tap at pretty darn tootin' cheap prices. The club bistro (restaurant) is open from Wednesdays to Sundays and you can get a pretty hearty lunch, dinner and snack there. Into pokies? They have that too, and if you're a member of a Brisbane RSL, it's free membership here as well. 9 Holes are about $12 a person and 18 holds is $18. Cheaper if you're a university student as well getting into Golf. A pretty good place to tee off if you ask me.

Aspley Ten Pin Bowl

•$$

Bowling sits squarely amongst the sports I do very poorly at, which is all of them. What's worse…read morewith bowling is that I seem to get worse the more I try. The upside is that most of the patrons at Aspley Ten Pin Bowl are doing almost as badly as I am. This is probably because on most visits I've been surrounded by five-year olds and absent-minded parents taking the family out for the night. When the lights go out and the disco balls start up, however, the families are replaced generally by teens on dates. Seriously: teenagers still go bowling on dates. I know. And they can't bowl, but that's probably not the point. I visited this place almost a decade ago and several times recently. Not much has changed. No matter which counter you go to - customer service, shoe hire, food & drink - no one will be there. You thereafter have the option of waiting around or tracking staff down. The latter is easy to do, since on most nights you can glance around from any spot and see every single person in the alley. I'd attribute the relative quietness of Aspley Ten Pin Bowl to a general diminishing public interest in the activity. And even though I suck - and couldn't fluke one strike on the last visit - I'd still advise going here. It's a social game where you're allowed to suck. And afterwards you can play air hockey, video games or those money-sucking crane games at the back of the room. Bowling blues can always be countered with a Daytona win. In other words, get out and go bowling. Stand up, get in the car, turn the key and drive to Aspley Ten Pin Bowl. Even if you only play one game, you can say you left the house for half an hour. Oh, and don't think this bowling alley is the right environment for some Big Lebowski quotes. It's too family-oriented and you'll just come off sounding feeble.

Bardon Bowls Club

(3 reviews)

Ssssh! This place is a secret!!!…read more Sorry, but sometimes you get a little bit like that when you find a blast from the past like this. This is a proper bowls club, complete with little old men and hilarious bar staff. Drinks are CHEAP, chips are decent and if you can be bothered bowling it's also very well priced (where else can you have fun for $4?) Just don't spread it around too hard please. Oh, and make sure you have a designated driver. It's at the bottom of Bardon so walking anyway is a long, up hill trek.

I've always generally considered Bardon as the sticks. It's beautiful, overgrown with lush trees…read moreand plants. As you're heading out from Paddington, the row of boutique stores, pubs and cafes tapers off and all of a sudden you find yourself following a long, winding country like road, driving over quaint little bridges and dipping down into gullies. The Bardon Bowls Club is nestled in one of these said gullies. It's a well hidden gem. Bardon Bowls Club is a no frills kind of establishment. The most notable decor feature is the XXXX backing against the beer taps. The drinks are ludicrously cheap. Since when can you get a cider for $4.50? You can take a seat inside the club, but I reckon it's nicer if you head outside to the lawn. The bowls club has a lush backdrop of wilderness that sets the scene for an easy afternoon. If you hand in a $20 deposit, you can play bowls for $4. Because it's well tucked away, the bowls club doesn't really get a whole lot of business. It's really a place for the locals. Personally, I like being able to have an entire bowls club to myself whenever I want it.

Bulimba Golf Club

So I'm not a golfer. Not at all. But I enjoyed it and this place is good for beginners (and those…read moreintermediate and advance people too, of course). There are nine holes in total but you can play 18, you'll just have to repeat the course. Not that that's a bad thing particularly if you're starting out. Non members are welcome. We had a voucher for a round of golf but since we had an extra person we only paid $14 for them. We also had their fish and chips and it was massive. You get two pieces of fish, some salad and chips. It may not sound like much but it was. If you are a beginner like us, then I strongly recommend getting there early, around 11am. We had the course to ourselves for about 2 hrs before others started coming. So we were able to learn how to hit the ball and such. If it gets a little crowded and you're a slow golfer, it's best to let the faster ones ahead of you just so you don't feel rushed and so that they can go on with their game. There is a dress code, the minimum standard is: shoes, socks, tailored shorts and collared shirt. Be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen too and water to keep you hydrated.

I've played here quite a few times over the years and for anyone looking for a very very casual hit…read morethen this could be the place to try. As golf courses go this place is incredibly small compared to other places around Brisbane. Imagine a really big pitch and putt. Mostly Par 2's and 3's this course is great for beginners or maybe anyone wanting to practice their short game. No need to bring a driver, we comfortably got around the course with just a Pitching Wedge, 7 Iron and a putter. They are a lot more relaxed about their dress code than most places. Just make sure you don't wear board shorts and thongs.

Brisbane City Council - Saint Lucia Golf Links

We played there as a social golf group and surprisingly for the price of the round it was worth it…read more The course was in a decent shape but the greens needed some work with sand applied on the non-grass sections. Also the holes "the actual one" on the green needed better workmanship to be done. Prune the edges please. I hoped that cart girl made more rounds selling drinks and food. As she only appeared once. Afterwards retreating to the bar next to the club house makes it convenient to get food and beverage to boast and downplay about your round.

I haven't been golfing in a while, and that's no mistake. However, I was dragged along to St Lucia…read moreLinks yesterday and found it a surprisingly upbeat experience. Along with my two golfing companions (who are much better than I am; one boasts a handicap of 8) we trudged along St Lucia's tight fairways. Importantly, the fairways are extremely well-kept. The tightness of the fairways however means the courses are harder than some other Brisbane golf links (for example, Victoria Park Golf Course). After the first few holes and two thrown golf clubs later, I retired to the golf buggy and watched my companions play instead. It gave me ample time to absorb the entire links. The courses really are beautiful, snaking around the Brisbane river. The close location to the University of Queensland means St Lucia Golf is visited by pro-golfers and students alike. I would expect most of the students here have more change in their wallets than average, however, as we all know golfing is not cheap. However, it's no more expensive here than at Brisbane's other links. St Lucia Golf also boasts a very flashy clubhouse, which reminded me of a bar/restaurant in terms of dining facilities. Though the Link's website is clear on opening and closing hours regarding the clubhouse, actual play time seemed to be informally designated as from dawn to dusk.

Chipmunks Playland & Cafe Lawnton

Dozens and dozens of elated children running, sliding, climbing, laughing! I wish they had these…read moresorts of playgrounds when I was a kid. On rainy days or if it's steaming hot, head to this indoor play haven, Chipmunks at Lawnton - a child's wonderland! A multi-level climbing frame complete with obstacles, ball guns, slides, rope nets, a gigantic inflatable slide and a café with loads of sugar laden goodies, they even have dodgem cars! What more could a child wish for! For just a small entry fee your kiddies (or someone else's) can play all day! The café serves awesome food and coffee for the grown-ups. Chipmunks also host birthday parties and have regular disco's - yay! PS - don't forget your socks!

Queensland Tennis Centre

4.5

Good professional high quality courts, including clay and grass…read more Best courts in Brisbane probably since it is an actually professional stadium. They have shaded courts for hire if you need them or if you can afford it you can probably hire the main centre court out as well :) There's a shop that sells treats, drinks etc and of course tennis gear and accessories eg. if you need to renew the grip on your tennis racket. Outside in the nearby park, there are some nice playground and BBQ areas you could go to afterwards for a post game feast :)

So I am not the most massive tennis fan. I enjoy watching the odd game but kind of get bored by the…read moreend of it. I guess tennis is just not my thing. While I may not be the biggest fan of tennis I am a big fan of the Queensland Tennis Centre for what is a slightly unconventional thing. The road that runs through the Queensland Tennis Centre (King Arthur Terrace) is the perfect short cut to avoid the peak hour traffic. While you can't go more than 40 km/h here it still saves time during the busy traffic. There are numerous round abouts to maneuver and the pedestrian crossing at the Tennis Centre to be careful of. Just a tip, there are two speed bumps either side of this crossing that are hard to see since the markings have rubbed off. It is very easy to scrape the bottom of your car if you are not prepared. This shortcut takes you from the busy King Arthur Terrace in Tennyson to Fairfield Road in Yerongpilly, skipping a lot of traffic lights and peak hour build up.

Broadwater Park

5.0