Tuesday, December 05, 2017

End of the minigolf season – and the year ahead...

Here in the UK another year in the domestic minigolf tournament season has come to an end, which means it is the perfect time to look back and reflect on the year. However, this should be about more than rankings and stats. No matter how high or low you are on the leader board, or how many tournaments you took part in – if you enjoy participating in minigolf you have a story to tell.

There are plenty of opportunities to get your story out there, this can be about your achievements and what you've got planned for the 2018 season too, but it can also just be about your participation, and your enjoyment of the sport, spreading the news and awareness of minigolf in general.

Minigolf is a game for all. There are a huge variety of stories to tell and positive aspects to highlight to potential players, the media, sponsors, as well as wider sport, recreation and leisure communities.

The characters from the annual Holiday on the Buses Crazy Golf Competition in Prestatyn
The characters from the annual Holiday on the Buses Crazy Golf Competition in Prestatyn

There are a lot of communications channels to use to reach your audiences too! From newspapers, radio and TV, to blogs, social media and more, there’s a lot of choice when it comes to ways of getting your story out there.

Back in May this year I published my minigolf marketing eBook and it's received great reviews from a mix of people in the game. This marketing and communications guide has been designed for anyone interested or involved in minigolf.

I've been blogging about minigolf since 2006 and have played the game for as long as I can remember. I got seriously involved when I played in my first official tournament under the auspices of the British Minigolf Association back in 2007.

The top-three players at the Great Northern Minigolf Open (from l-r) Richard Gottfried (2nd), Scott Lancley (1st) and Russ Dent (3rd)
The podium of the first Great Northern Minigolf Open tournament. Held in Wigan back in April

Emily and I have been to almost 800 courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and have played in a number of events, facing-off against each other but also sometimes as team-mates.

Southend Pier Crazy Golf course
At the Southend Pier Crazy Golf course - 1.3 miles out to sea. We held a tournament on the course last year

On our travels to courses and tournaments we are always keen to highlight the positive aspects of minigolf. Win or lose we've shared updates on tournaments we've competed in. Over the years this has earned us some brilliant local, regional, national and international media coverage.

This year I've added some variety to my minigolfing by competing in the MiniLinks Par-3 Miniature Golf tournaments in Lytham St Annes - they have a Winter Trophy tournament on at the moment, it's running from November to February

There are courses opening up all the time which means our 'To Play' list keeps growing! Minigolf is experiencing a real boom and it's a great time to be involved in the game.

This year I competed in a number of independent and national events – including the first staging of the American Golf National Adventure Golf Championships, which culminated in a grand final broadcast on Sky Sports.

Peter Jones in action in front of the cameras during the American Golf National Adventure Golf grand final at The Belfry
Peter Jones in action - as I look on - during the American Golf National Adventure Golf grand final at The Belfry

Unfortunately my team-mate Peter Jones and I were unable to win the title but came very close, with a very respectable second-place finish.

Celebrating our big minigolf win in the American Golf Welsh Regional Qualifier at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham
Celebrating our big minigolf win in the American Golf Welsh Regional Qualifier at Clays Golf Centre in Wrexham

With the 2017 season done and dusted now is a good time to reflect on the highs and lows and look ahead to the 2018 season and beyond.


  • Why do you enjoy playing minigolf? What made you take it up as a sport?
  • What results did you get this year? Were they better / worse than you expected?
  • What do you want to achieve next season?
  • Where do you want to play?
  • What new tournament opportunities are there?
  • How are you preparing?


If you're looking for help with your sports marketing and communications activities, no matter how big or small, do get in touch. You can buy my eBook, The Minigolfer's Guide to Marketing, on Amazon.

You can find out more about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on the Ham & Egger Files blog.

Details of my results during the 2017 season can be found in my summary blog post.