Prince William Lets Slip His Competitive Side in Hilarious Mini Golf Outing With Fishermen — Watch
Prince William's mini golf game at Hastings didn't quite go to plan, but he laughed every miss off like a pro.
Prince William traveled to Hastings on July 9 for his first official visit to East Sussex, meeting with local fishermen to discuss how warming seas and declining fish stocks are impacting the town's historic industry. Following the serious discussions, the Prince of Wales quickly switched gears and lightened the mood with a friendly game of mini golf. Showing off his competitive side, he lined up a putt but sent the ball rolling past the hole—laughing off the blunder before missing his next shot, too.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), the Prince was heard exclaiming, "Whoops!" after striking the golf ball too hard and sending it rolling past the hole. He then quipped, "No one saw that, put it back!" Moments later, he was thwarted by a tricky windmill obstacle on another attempt, resulting in an awkward miss. As reported by The Sun, William eventually made it through, finishing the hole in three before taking on another three holes on the course. Despite his decent gameplay, he joked that "next time he would play with a bunch of eight-year-olds, so I might have more chance." Reflecting on playing the game with his family, he told fellow players, "We've played a few times. The children love it." Watch the video here!
After William's awkward misses caught the attention of royal fans, they took to X to praise him for being such a good sport. One user gushed, "It's a very good Thursday when you can see Prince William mini-putting. Love this!" In a similar vein, another said, "That minigolf course is always very busy, but I can see it becoming even more popular now." As the comments poured in, a royal watcher quipped, "TBH, that windmill is more than a touch pesky," while another pointed out, "The little whoops from Prince William playing crazy golf!"
Elsewhere during his visit, while interacting with members of the public, the Prince of Wales met a woman who introduced her baby boy, saying, "This is Sebastian, he's been waiting for you." When William crouched down to greet the child, Sebastian immediately burst into tears—to which the prince joked, "I know how you feel," prompting laughter from the crowd. William spent the rest of the day immersing himself in Hastings' close-knit community, touring the town's historic fishing quarter and visiting its iconic black net shops. He also toured Hastings Commons, a community-led regeneration project transforming abandoned buildings into affordable homes, workspaces, and social hubs.
