Showing posts with label First. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First. Show all posts

Friday, April 21, 2017

150 years of miniature golf

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the world's first miniature golf course.


The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
The world's first miniature golf course

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews was created in 1867 specifically for female players to use. We visited and played The Himalayas in 2012. It's a wonderful layout and a must-do for fans of minigolf or 'regular' golf.



To mark the occasion, The British Golf Museum at St Andrews has created a special exhibition - Shining Examples: 150 years of the St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club - which runs until March 2018.

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
What a view

You can read more about the history of the St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club on their website. It's interesting to note there had previously been a small putting area set-up before 1860, while the 9-hole course opened in 1867.

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
The first hole on the 9-hole course sees you putting across a path

Today there is a 9-hole and an 18-hole course, both open to the public for a nominal charge.

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
A nice long tee-shot

We're looking forward to a return visit to St Andrews, a visit to the exhibition and a few more games on the famous links minigolf course.

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
Emily putting on The Himalayas

Visit The British Golf Museum at St Andrews and the St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club websites to find out more.

The British Golf Museum at St Andrews
The British Golf Museum was closed on our visit to St Andrews. Still, not going in gave us even more time to play The Himalayas

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
The Himalayas is a real pleasure to play

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
The Himalayas sits next to the Old Course at St Andrews

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
A long minigolf hole
 
The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
Lots of challenging lumps and bumps

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
Look how hilly that route to the cup is

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
Playing the first hole on the 9-hole layout

The Himalayas Putting course at St Andrews
The Rules

Other key dates in world minigolf are:
  • 1916 - The first minigolf course in the USA. James Barber opened the 'Thistle Dhu' layout in Pinehurst, NC.
  • 1926 - The very first Crazy Golf course in the UK opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.
  • 1926 - The first artificial miniature golf course in the USA. Garnet Carter created the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
  • National Miniature Golf Day always falls on the second Saturday in May. In 2017 this will be on Saturday 13th May.
  • Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September, which is on a Thursday in 2017.
  • 30th September marks the day we visited our first course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2006.

Visit the World Minigolf Sport Federation's website for details of World Championships taking place this year, as well as events from their 62 member nations.

Check out the online Crazy Golf Museum for more information about the history of minigolf.

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Southport Golf Links - England's first Municipal Links Golf course

A visit to England's first Municipal Links Golf course - Southport Golf Links.


As a miniature golf historian I was quite interested to walk passed Southport Municipal Golf course on our recent trip to the seaside town. Opened in 1912, the course is England's oldest municipal links course.

Southport Golf Links - England's first Municipal Links Golf course
The Art Deco clubhouse looked marvellous

Southport Golf Links - England's first Municipal Links Golf course
A nice touch on the outside of Southport Golf Links

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've visited and played a number of historic courses including:

  • The world's first Miniature Golf course - The Himalayas at St Andrews which opened in 1867.
  • England's first Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness was opened in 1926. There's still a course on the site today.
  • England's first Pitch & Putt course purpose built for use by members of the public opened on Southsea seafront in 1914.


Related blog posts:
- The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland
- The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness
- Southsea Golf Links
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Photos of Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

A revisit to the first Crazy Golf course I ever played.

At Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

Last weekend I was back in my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames for the Bun Throwing tradition held to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday. While in town Emily and I made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in the Abbey Meadows.

Back in Abingdon for one final game



The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed as part of a programme to upgrade and improve the area. It's a real shame the minigolf course won't be receiving a spruce up as part of it.

A view of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course

I last visited the course in December 2014 and the last time I'd had a game there was in June 2012.

The 4th hole

In August 2007 the course became the 31st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Emily on the sunken green on hole 3

I overcooked my tee-shot on hole 4 and ended up in a big ditch

On hole 4

Hole 6

Hole 5

Emily on hole 8


Hole 7

Playing the 9th

Emily on the 9th

The course is a ten-holer

About to play one of the very last shots on the course

In our match-up on the course I managed to get the win over Emily with a score of 25 to 29. Not bad considering how tricky the playing surface is!

Emily on hole 2 - look at that tee-area!!!

One of the last scorecards to be issued by the course

Related blog posts:
- Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Photos from Abingdon's Royal Bun Throwing
Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

While in Abingdon for the town's Bun Throwing tradition we made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows. The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed.

It was the first course I ever played!



Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Mini Golf dates for your 2016 diary

Details of minigolf events and competitions for the year ahead.

Minigolf is 149 years old in 2016, while the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour turns ten

2016 is going to be a BIG year in minigolf. Check out the details below for the landmarks and milestones, anniversaries, days, and other key dates.


Anniversaries in 2016
There are some very interesting key dates being celebrated in 2016:
  • The first minigolf course in the USA opened in 1916. It was called 'Thistle Dhu' and located in Pinehurst, NC.
  • Putting will return to the Olympic Games at Rio 2016 after a break of 112 years, albeit as part of the big Golf tournament. A Miniature Golf contest was held as part the 1904 St Louis Games!
  • Crazy Golf is 90 years old in 2016! The very first course opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England. There's still a course on the same spot - we managed to play it in 2015.
A visit to England's first-ever Crazy Golf course on National Miniature Golf Day 2015
  • 1926 also saw the first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA, with the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course opening near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
  • Friday 30th September 2016 will mark the tenth anniversary of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. To date we've visited 672 mini, crazy, putting and adventure golf courses.
  • Minigolf course reviewers at The Putting Penguin celebrate their 15th year in 2016, while fellow minigolf bloggers A Couple of Putts reach their fourth year.
  • Miniature Golf will be 149 years old! The world's first Grass Putting course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867. The Himalayas is still there now and is a real pleasure to play.


Recurring minigolf 'days'
Each year there are two quasi-official days to celebrate the game:
  • National Miniature Golf Day takes place on the second Saturday in May and in 2016 will be on Saturday 14th May.
  • Miniature Golf Day is always on the 21st of September, which falls on a Wednesday in 2016.
Emily playing a round at Putt in the Park in Battersea Park, London on Miniature Golf Day 2015

Minigolf Tag (day) has been celebrated in Austria since 2010. Keep an eye on the Minigolf Tag website for details of the 2016 event.

Every Monday is #MinigolfMonday on Twitter.


Competitions
Hundreds of competitions take place around the world, below are some of the highlights of the 2016 calendar.

UK tournaments
The British Minigolf Association Tour calendar for 2016 has been announced.
  • Sunday 28th February – English Open at the Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham.
  • Sunday 6th March – Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open at the three seafront courses in Hastings.
  • Sunday 10th April – British Masters at Splash Point Mini Golf in Worthing.
Emily playing in the 2015 Splash Point Open tournament at the Splash Point Mini Golf course in Worthing

  • Sunday 24th April – British Club Championships at Strokes Adventure Golf Course in Margate.
  • Friday 6th May – British Championships Pro-Am at Wroxham Barns in Hoveton.
  • Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May – British Championships at Wroxham Barns in Hoveton.
  • Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June – World Crazy Golf Championship at the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf Course in Hastings.
  • Saturday 16th July – Cambridgeshire & Essex Open at the Dunton Hills Family Golf Centre in West Horndon.
  • Sunday 17th July - British Doubles Championship at the Dunton Hills Family Golf Centre in West Horndon.
  • Friday 16th September – Players Championship.
  • Friday 16th September – International Players Championship.
  • Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th September – British Open at the Pirate Course in Hastings.
  • Sunday 16th October – Welsh Open is at the Treetop Adventure Golf Course in Cardiff.
  • Sunday 13th November – Kent Open at the Lost Island Encounter Adventure Golf course in Sidcup.
  • Sunday 4th December – Star City Open at Adventure Island Mini Golf in Birmingham.
  • Season-long – British Matchplay Championship.

There will also be club Open events throughout the year.

International events
World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF):
  • 25th and 26th June – World Adventure Golf Masters in Prishtina, Kosovo.
  • 14th and 15th May – Youth Nations Cup in Bischofshofen, Austria.
  • 10th to 13th August – Youth World Championships in Bischofshofen, Austria.
The Great Britain 3 team that finished 5th in the 2013 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament

European Minigolf Sport Federation (EMF):
  • 14th and 15th May – Nations Cup in Vizela, Portugal
  • 10th to 13th August – Seniors European Championships in Lahti, Finland.
  • 24th to 27th August – General Class European Championships in Vizela, Portugal.
  • 29th September to 1st October - European Cup for club teams in Neutraubling, Germany.

Asian Minigolf Sport Federation (AMF):
  • 8th to 10th October - Open Asian Championships in Yokohama, Japan.

Contests in North America
USPMGA:
In the USA the USPMGA organises two major events – US Masters and US Open – and a number of local and regional events.
  • October 13-15 – USPMGA Master’s National Championship in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
  • May 14th and 15th – US Open at Putt U Miniature Golf in Center Valley, PA.

PPA:
There are also miniature golf competitions organised in the USA by the PPA. You can find out more about Putt-Putt, the Professional Putters Association, the Amateur Putters Association and the competitions hosted on Putt-Putt miniature golf courses on the PPA website.

Mini-Putt:
In Canada the Mini-Putt tour holds a number of tournaments. Find out more on the Mini-Putt website.

If you know of any other miniature golf contests taking place do let us know via the comments below or via email.

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness

A revisit to the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
A view of England's first Crazy Golf course location

In May 2011 we visited Skegness as part of a road trip along the Lincolnshire coast. In May 2015 we returned for some more fun and games in the seaside resort.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
At the Crazy Golf course on South Parade

When we arrived on the Friday afternoon we had a wander along the seafront to see what had changed with the minigolf courses. Unfortunately the Crazy Golf course on South Parade was once again closed.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Recreating my look of sadness from May 2011

The course is noted as England's first-ever Crazy Golf course. There's a relatively new sign at Grand Parade advertising the course and the date it was established is listed as 1926.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
The new sign for the old Crazy Golf course

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've now visited 598 courses, playing 363 of them. As well as the visit to England's first course, we've played England's first Pitch & Putt (opened in Southsea in 1914) and the world's first Miniature Golf course (the Himalayas in St Andrews was created in 1867).

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
There has been Crazy Golf on this site since 1926

On the Saturday the course was once again closed, so we played an impromptu Aces Competition on National Miniature Golf Day using an 11-Wood that Chris Jones had just bought in a charity shop. The course became the 363rd played on our tour.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Finally having a play on the course

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
Chris Jones having a putt on an obstacle that wasn't there in 2011, nor I doubt in 1926

As we were leaving on the Sunday we noticed it was open!

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
The course was open on the Sunday

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness
People having a round on the course

Check out more photos of the 12-hole course.

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Crazy Golf course on South Parade in Skegness

Related blog posts:
Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast