21 May 2023
Ready for a flood of entertainment? The Floodgate is your one stop shop of fun hosting such social games like Baseball, Curling and a UK’s first, PitPat Table Golf. Launching in full force in 2019, the venue hosts over 10,000 square feet of fun, quirky designs and plastered in cool graffiti artwork.
You can find The Floodgate in the midlands of the UK, just outside the central Birmingham shopping district. This being an area known as Digbeth, which is home to all sorts of interesting history. Originally hosting over 20 public houses back in the day to cater for workers, it is now home to just three original buildings with one of them being The Floodgate.
Outside of the history, you can now find social sport activities, cocktails and glow in the dark street art. The venue is constantly developing and adding more fun, more entertainment and to be a key spot to go visit whilst in Birmingham.
We found the venue pretty easily, as one of the hot spots in Birmingham by a simple online search and decided to take a visit on our day out here. Parking in the shopping district, it is a short walk to the location and easily found by using Google Maps for assistance. Taking around 10-15 minutes to find, we decided to take a Sunday afternoon visit to see what they had to offer.
PitPat Table Golf – UK’s First
Our journey into the venue started with Pit Pat, which is the UK’s first and only PitPat. For those who are wondering what the hell is PitPat, well it takes the classic game of minigolf and mixes the pool/billiards style to it. Combining them both together means you have to put down your trusty golf club and now use a cue to shoot your golf ball across the 18 hole course. Instead of it being on the ground, the game has been raised onto tables.
Providing as much entertainment as indoor minigolf, PitPat really was an interesting experience. It does take a moment to get use to and learning how to play this unique style of game. Everything remains the same as minigolf but, just in this different format. This 18 hole course also comes with plenty of graffiti art which is certaintly interesting and crazy, UV lighting and our favourite, pumping tunes. This means if you are here to have a few drinks and listen to some good music whilst playing a social game, this is perfect.
On our visit, we were one of the only people on the course due to us visiting close to the opening on a Sunday afternoon, but we can imagine how lively this place can get on weekends and peak evenings. The game can take anywhere around 45 minutes or more depending on how many players and if you are needing to wait for groups in front.
Some of our favourite moments of playing PitPat was looking around at all of the different artwork. With so many recognisable faces but with an unusual overlay, being lit up under the UV lights was incredibly trippy and can distract you from your game. It was nice to see an interesting take on a game under UV lighting that is done so well. With many courses being basic, this was different.
Each hole was different from the last and ranged in difficulty. Some courses we felt were impossible, but they just required power, skill and a lot of determination. Each course comes with a table to put your drinks down whilst you use both hands to play, and they are all spaced out across two large rooms. We were surprised how large it was!
A game of PitPat table golf costs £8 off-peak and £10 during peak times. You can play this solo, in small groups and even bigger groups, so there is no excuse not to play this. The value in our opinion is perfect given the location and the exclusivity of the game in the UK.
Curl Club Curling
Curl Club was next on our agenda, and this was a classic game of the winter sport, curling. Hosted either indoors or outdoors, they have 6 lanes of fun to give a try at your skill on curling. We chose to play indoors and as you can see from the pictures; it was super funky. With hundreds of slinkies hanging from the ceiling and a similar wall design, it was cool to play within.
For those who don’t know how to play curling, you get 3 pucks to slide down the runway and you are trying to get closest to the bullseye of the dart board at the other end, without slipping off. Whilst it may sound easy, it does take some getting used to and with you taking alternate turns, it allows for some sabotage from your competitor.
You can play for either 30 or 60 minutes, with 30 minutes recommended for groups of 2 and anymore sharing the same lane, to go for 60 minutes for maximum enjoyment. Prices start from £15 off-peak and £25 peak and you recommended to book this online to guarantee a slot on a curling lane.
We enjoyed our game and whilst we didn’t know how to exactly play, they had rules on the wall for you to look at and learn how to play. Equally, the staff can go over the rules with you if need be to. We enjoyed our session of this game; it was so quirky, and the game of curling is different to your typical game. Overall, we recommend this for groups who want a competitive game to play.
Bleachers Baseball
Think you can hit a home run in Birmingham’s only batting cage experience? An experience where each person takes a go trying to swing at the balls coming at you up to 90kmh, with each successful hit scoring you a point against your friends. The speed can be adjusted for those having difficulties hitting the balls coming flying at them in the cage, as they can go at some serious speeds. Safety equipment is required with that being a batting helmet and to close the cage door.
You have complete control in the cage as you start the machine yourself and turn it off by using a switch on the side. Once you have ran out of balls, you stop the machine and fill it back up ready for the next person. This is a perfect activity for those who are after a thrilling game of baseball without having to fetch the balls in a large space. That’s if your lucky and hit a home run!
With 6 cages on offer, 4 indoors and 2 outdoors, they cost £15 off-peak and £25 during peak times. This is cost per cage, so the more people you have, the less you can spend per person. Sessions are either 30 or 60 minutes, with it being recommended to have 60 minutes if there is more than 2 of you.
Another really fun activity that the two of us enjoyed. It actually requires a lot more effort than the other social sport games they have here, so you have to be ready to hit the balls and give it a good old swing.
Everything Else
Whilst there are these three activities, they have a few other bits we should mention. The main one being the bar where you can get your hands on a range of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. We tried one of their cocktails and were really impressed with the taste and presentation. They also do food at the venue and have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating to enjoy these on, regardless of the weather.
Opening times do change so we recommend you check the website directly to find the latest updates, but on Friday & Saturday nights you can see this venue open extremely late, offering an alternative night out compared to your usual club night.
Whilst we didn’t check out The Yard during our visit, we can see how on hot summer days and warm evenings how popular this may be. With over 5000 square feet of seats and games that can be enjoyed outdoors instead.
@thrillnation So many familiar faces in the UV paintings… a really cool version of crazy golf! #floodgatebirmingham #pitpat #tablegolf #crazygolf #birmingham ♬ Hey Pablo - Anti Up
@thrillnation Love a bit of Ice Curling 🥌 #curlclub #thefloodgate #birmingham #curling #social ♬ A Time of Smile - Made Ariya
Overall, The Floodgate offers the some of the best entertainment in Birmingham and is worth a visit on your next visit. If you are after a great date night idea, or maybe a family day out during the daytime or some adult competitive gameplay with your friends at night, this venue has you covered. We said this venue is constantly adapting and improving and since our recent visit, they have now added an arcade and raceway which we cannot wait to try on our next visit in the near future!
Out of everything The Floodgate has to offer, we really enjoyed the PitPat table golf as it is so different to everything else in the UK. Plus, we’ve not seen this across Europe to all the places we have visited so far, so worthwhile coming to play this alone.
We recommend if you are looking to visit during a peak time, that you book online to secure the time slots you desire and not be left disappointed. If you book online, you will receive a QR code which you can just show at the bar, and they will direct you with the next steps.
A huge thank you to the team at The Floodgate for inviting us to experience the three open social games during our last-minute visit to Birmingham. Make sure you go and visit and if you do, let us know how you get on with the new Raceway experience!
@thrillnation A funky venue with a lot of fun to be had! #thefloodgate #birmingham #social #baseball #curling #minigolf #pitpat ♬ Do It Better - Beachcrimes & Tia Tia
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