Playing the 302nd course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Mini Golf in a Brewery!
On Saturday 4th August 2012 we headed along to the Camden Town Brewery in London as we'd been told about a Minigolf competition taking place there!
My Minigolf rival and sometimes team mate Kevin Moseley had tweeted me to let me know about the event and so we made sure to add the date to the diary. We've played a few Crazy Golf courses in pub beer gardens on our travels, but never heard of a Miniature Golf course being set-up in a brewery!
.JPG "A lot of beer kegs and the tee-off area of hole 1 at Camden Town Brewery's Mini Golf course") |
| A lot of beer kegs and the tee-off area of hole 1 at Camden Town Brewery's Mini Golf course |
From 12pm to 8pm on the 4th August the team at the Camden Town Brewery were running "The Brewmaster's Open" Mini Golf competition on a five-hole Minigolf course supplied by UrbanCrazy.
.JPG "A view of the 'Brewmaster's' ingenious Minigolf course layout") |
| A view of the 'Brewmaster's' ingenious Minigolf course layout |
The unique venue and course layout was a real attraction and the price of a round of Minigolf also including a pint at the end. "Lots of free beer" was the prize on offer to the winner at the end of the day, with a free case of beer to any player managing a perfect round of five holes-in-one!
.JPG "Southsea's Number One Minigolfer Christopher Gottfried is impressed with the Mini Golf course") |
| Southsea's Number One Minigolfer Christopher Gottfried is impressed with the Mini Golf course |
Our group of six arrived at 2pm to find the course record had been set at 10. As well as competing in the overall Brewmaster's Open we had decided to play a three-round 'Pro / Semi-Pro' event amongst our group to make a day of it. The Camden Town Brewery had a great atmosphere, with a busy bar, plenty of seating inside & out, and the Olympics on a big screen TV. It was a nice setting for a few hours of Minigolfing and Drinking.
.JPG "The group of Crazy Golfing 'Pro' Players. From l-r Richard Gottfried, Christopher Gottfried, Alan Norman (seated on keg), Emily Gottfried, Seth Thomas, Simon Hall") |
| The group of Crazy Golfing 'Pro' Players. From l-r Richard Gottfried, Christopher Gottfried, Alan Norman (seated on keg), Emily Gottfried, Seth Thomas, Simon Hall |
Our group split into three groups of two for the first two-rounds, with the final round to be played in reverse leaderboard order in two groups of three players.
.JPG "I play hole 5 at The Brewmaster's Open Minigolf Tournament") |
| I play hole 5 at The Brewmaster's Open Minigolf Tournament |
Having scored an 8(-2) in round one Alan 'Stormin' Norman set the new course record and had gained a two-shot lead over me and three-shots over Seth 'Clockwork Orange' Thomas. He followed up the 8 with a 9(-1) to retain his lead heading into round three.
.JPG "I celebrate yet another hole-in-one on hole 1 at The Brewmaster's Open") |
| I celebrate yet another hole-in-one on hole 1 at The Brewmaster's Open |
Following a 'refreshment break' in the bar of the brewery we headed back onto the course to complete the 'Pro' contest and also see if Alan was still at the top of the leaderboard in the overall day-long contest. Indeed he was.
.JPG "The 'Pro' and 'Semi-Pro' Minigolfers take a 'refreshment break' at the Camden Town Brewery during The Brewmaster's Open tournament") |
| The 'Pro' & 'Semi-Pro' Minigolfers take a 'refreshment break' at the Camden Town Brewery during The Brewmaster's Open tournament |
The final round saw Alan score an 11(+1) to take the victory in our contest, I scored a disappointing 12(+2) and slipped to third place, with Seth Thomas shooting a 10(par) to move up one place to second.
.JPG "Alan 'Stormin' Norman plays hole 2") |
| Alan 'Stormin' Norman plays hole 2 |
My brother Christopher finished in fourth place, scoring rounds of 13, 11 and 11 for a total of 35(+5) and showing the experience he gained in the one and only BMGA Tour event he ever played in - the 2008 Brighton Open.
.JPG "Christopher Gottfried playing hole 5 at The Brewmaster's Open") |
| Christopher Gottfried playing hole 5 at The Brewmaster's Open |
Emily and Simon 'Practice' Hall tied for fifth place with a score of 36(+6). Simon, playing in his first tournament, did manage a best round of 10(par) to earn a place on the Brewmaster's Open Leaderboard in tied third place!
The Brewmaster's Open course and competition had one of the best scorecards produced for it - a Beermat advertising the event along with a scorecard on the reverse! A really great piece of Miniature Golf ephemera.
.JPG "Some pints and a beermat advertising The Brewmaster's Open") |
| Some pints and a beermat advertising The Brewmaster's Open |
After the final round we headed back to the bar for some celebratory drinks and food. As we were leaving we had to grab a final look at the leaderboard and saw that Alan had been joined at the top of the leaderboard with another player who had scored an 8! Over 200 people played the course during the day and luckily for Alan no-one managed to better the 8 during the day, so he became the Champion of the first-ever Brewmaster's Open!
I was happy with my best round of 9 to tie for the runner-up spot along with Seth Thomas and a few other players.
.JPG "Seth 'Clockwork Orange' Thomas plays hole 3 while Luton's third best Minigolfer Simon 'Practice' Hall looks on") |
| Seth 'Clockwork Orange' Thomas plays hole 3 while Luton's third best Minigolfer Simon 'Practice' Hall looks on |
The Camden Town Brewery is well worth a visit and you can find it located under the railway arches of Kentish Town West Overground Station.
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2 comments:
Lovely little tournament... great fun. Very nice beer too.
We competed in the Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery eight years ago today.
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