Originally launched in Manchester in 2015, Junkyard Golf Club is a new take on crazy golf, with nine-hole courses that are immersed in curious environments created from reclaimed and repurposed junk, car boot sale finds and charity shop treasure – all combined with a bar and a lot of UV paint. On the 5th of June, Junkyard Golf teamed up with colourful girl gang Confetti Crowd and glitter lovers The Gypsy Shrine to bring an evening of DJs, festival performers and one-off cocktail creations (topped with edible glitter!) to their Oxford venue in Westgate shopping centre.
This Glitter Ball takeover kicked off Junkyard Golf’s summer festival road trip in partnership with sustainable development charity Love Support Unite. The charity describes itself as ‘a dynamic, grass roots’ organisation, ‘changing lives everyday’ in communities in Malawi ‘to break they cycle of poverty with a leg-up rather than a hand-out’. Travelling to Common People, Gottwood and more, the tour will include the grand unveiling of Junkyard’s brand new ‘golf caddy’; in the form of a hot pink and beglittered VW pick-up truck, complete with a compact mini-golf course in the trailer. With the power of the promise of complimentary cocktails outweighing thoughts of my looming exams, I headed along to the launch event to see what the team at Junkyard had to offer.
The two cocktails concocted especially for the event were a big success. Christened the ‘Confettini’ and the ‘Gypsy Shake’ and overflowing with whipped cream, rainbow syrups and (of course) edible glitter, they tasted as good as they looked.
We were pointed in the right direction by bejewelled women on stilts waving bubble wands, which gave a hint of the colourful array of surprises which were to come. Within minutes of walking through the door we were decked out in vibrant face glitter by the brilliant representatives of The Gypsy Shrine. There’s a reason these girls are known as the queens of festival makeup! Everywhere we looked we were met by their colourful creations – including on the face of a middle-aged male security guard, who was begrudgingly roped into the fun and who we spotted admiring himself in the mirrors afterwards! Everyone loves a bit of glitter, and there’s was definitely plenty to go around. From the decor to the outfits of the staff members to the sparkling cocktail creations, Junkyard definitely stayed true to the event’s mantra; ‘there’s no such thing as too much glitter’.
The two cocktails concocted especially for the event were a big success. Christened the ‘Confettini’ and the ‘Gypsy Shake’ and overflowing with whipped cream, rainbow syrups and (of course) edible glitter, they tasted as good as they looked. There was a real celebratory atmosphere, and every staff member – from the bartenders with their matching sequined jackets, to the circus performers dotted around the venue, to the obliging security guard – helped to make the night one to remember. The selfie booth and the professional photographers on-hand throughout the night gave everyone the chance to capture the image of themselves in their glittering finery, and the polaroids gave everyone something to take home to commemorate the evening.
The DJ played a huge mix of tunes from house to 90s classics, ensuring that everyone danced their way around the courses. Many of the guests displayed more dance skills than golf skills (apparently it’s quite hard to get a hole-in-one with a Confettini in your hand), but everyone was in a great mood and the whole launch event was a huge success. I would recommend Junkyard Golf to anyone who fancies an evening out that’s a little bit different, and that’s guarunteed to bring a lot of laughs – whether you’re a bit of a mini-golf pro (as my plus-one turned out to be, much to my annoyance), or a complete rookie (like me). Head down to the Oxford venue in Westgate Social to see what they’re all about, and make sure to keep your eye out for their golf caddy (which also doubles as a bar) if you’re off to any festivals this summer!
