In the Crazy Golf Museum - minigolf membership cards

A look at minigolf association and club membership cards in the UK.

As a collector of minigolf items and ephemera and Curator of the Crazy Golf Museum it's always nice to look back at things we've picked up along the way during our minigolf adventures.

British Minigolf Association

I joined the British Minigolf Association in 2007 and received my first BMGA membership card entitling me to discount at certain courses and entry into BMGA competitions.

British Minigolf Association membership card 2007

Here are my BMGA Tour Cards from 2008-2015.

British Minigolf Association membership cards 2008-2015

Midlands Minigolf Club

In 2007 I was invited to become a member of the Midlands Minigolf Club and am a member of the club to this day. While we don't have an official membership card the club does have an official Ball of Fame to commemorate the second BMGA British Club Championship title we won in 2015. The MMGC is now a three-time national title winning team.

The Midlands Minigolf Club Ball of Fame

Green Mini Golf Club

During the 2010 and 2011 seasons I was also a member of the Green Mini Golf Club in Hither Green, London. The GMGC was a superb club and the venue was home to the UK's only full-size Swedish Felt Mini Golf course. The GMGC held weekly Tuesday night tournaments and I enjoyed travelling from Luton to Hither Green and back after work each week to compete. I won the club's first-ever weekly tournament in 2010.

The Green Mini Golf Club membership card

European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation

I have competed in European Minigolf Sport Federation and World Minigolf Sport Federation competitions in Finland, England and Sweden and although a WMF player license is allocated to players a physical document is not issued. We did however have some very nice player cards created for us at the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland.

At the 2008 Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

Are you a member of a minigolf club or association? I'd love to see and share more examples of membership cards from around the world.

Worthing Mini Golf Club Open tournament at Splash Point

Details of the Worthing Mini Golf Club Open competition.

The first Worthing Mini Golf Club Open competition is taking place at the Splash Point Mini Golf course in Denton Gardens on Saturday 15th July. The fee includes all day practice on the tricky 18-hole course and entry into the three-round tournament teeing-off at 5pm.

Links:
- Worthing Mini Golf Club
- Splash Point Mini Golf course

Wasps Open minigolf tournament in Peterborough

Details of the Wasps Open minigolf competition in Peterborough.

The inaugural Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club Open will be taking place at Peterborough Mini Golf, located at Dobbies Garden Centre, on Sunday 3rd September. Further details of the event, entry fees and timings can be found on the Facebook event page.

Peterborough Minigolf

Links:
- Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club
- Peterborough Minigolf course

Minigolf Clubs in the UK

Details of miniature golf clubs in the UK.

I'm a member of the reigning and two-time BMGA British Club Champions, the Midlands Minigolf Club, and Emily is a member of the Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club.

The 2015 BMGA British Club Champions - the Midlands Minigolf Club. From l-r Seth Thomas, Michael Smith, Brenda Smith, Paul Johnson, Owen Johnson, Richard Gottfried, John Moore, Chris Smith

We compete as individuals on the British Minigolf Association Tour, with occasional forays into doubles and team competitions.

The 2015 bronze medalists from the Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club. From l-r Chris Wood, Adrian Amey, Emily Gottfried, Mark Wood

There are currently eight miniature golf clubs affiliated to the BMGA - they are the Midlands Minigolf Club, Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club, Kent Minigolf Club, Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club, Splash Point Mini Golf Club, Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club, London Minigolf Club and the Brighton Minigolf Club.

Former / defunct / inactive minigolf clubs in the UK include (in no particular order) the Welwyn Garden City Minigolf Club, Tunbridge Wells Minigolf Club, Brighton and Hove Minigolf Club, Cwmbran Minigolf Club, Thames Valley Minigolf Club, Hampshire Minigolf Club, The Green Mini Golf Club, Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club, Sandbanks Crazy Golf Club, Basingstoke Minigolf Club, Portsmouth & Southsea Crazy Golf Club, Luton Wanderers Minigolf Club, Bangor Minigolf Club and the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club.

Around the world there are over 900 minigolf clubs and 38,000 competitive minigolf players registered with the World Minigolf Sport Federation via the 46 member nations.

Active club links:
- Midlands Minigolf Club
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club
- Kent Minigolf Club
- Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club
- Splash Point Mini Golf Club
- Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club
- London Minigolf Club - no website, but there's some great old info on the LMC at MiniatureGolfer.com
- Brighton Minigolf Club - no website

Association links:
- British Minigolf Association
- European Minigolf Sport Federation
- World Minigolf Sport Federation

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Happy April Fools' Day from 'The Kentish Town Mini Golf Club'

Setting up a new minigolf club in the UK.

Emily and I have decided to set-up a new minigolf club - the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club.

Minigolf characters Richard and Emily Gottfried in Margate, Kent

I have played for the Midlands Minigolf Club since my rookie season in 2007, while Emily was most recently a member of the Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club.

There were two main reasons for us creating a brand new club on the exciting and action packed British minigolf scene.

• Emily works in Kentish Town and is a mere eight minute walk away from the Clarence Way Crazy Golf course that we finally managed to play in 2012
• Since we moved from Luton to Leagrave in 2013 our local sports team is Kent Athletic Club - home to north Luton's number one football team, Kent Athletic FC

Last month we both competed for our respective former clubs in the BMGA British Club Championships and did well in the event. Now the time is right to build a new legacy. Starting today.

Richard playing the Clarence Way Crazy Golf course in Camden. Near Kentish Town

Back in 2011 Kent Athletic Club held a Bank Holiday Fun Day and one of the activities was Crazy Golf! The course became the 267th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the first we'd played on a football pitch.

A Crazy Golf course, with a windmill, set up on a football pitch, in Leagrave

We held the inaugural Kent(ish) Invitational Tournament on that course visit and the victory went to me with a score of 34 to Emily's 42.

The code of conduct of the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club is summarised below:

• Action - our events will be action packed 
• Playability - we'll play at any course. Anywhere
• Rankings - we'll set up the Kentish Town MGC ranking list for our members
• International - we welcome players from around the world to represent the KTMGC
• Lifestyle - we recognise minigolf is a lifestyle choice and we will have as much fun as possible while doing it
• Fun - see above
• Original - from it's name down, the KTMGC will be original in all it does
• Official - it is
• Longevity - we're in this for the long haul. Oh yes

The Kentish Town Mini Golf Club is open to all and for today only is offering free membership (the normal subs price will be £5 per player, per season). If you're interested in joining please get in touch via the comments below or on Twitter.

News of the British minigolf scene hasn't gone unnoticed. Mr Uri Foal from Kentish Town Council said "The forming of a new sports club in Kentish Town is always a cause for celebration. Having two fine minigolfers, Emily and Richard, committing their futures to the KTMGC is a sign of things to come."

Check out the links below for websites and Facebook pages of the other UK minigolf clubs.

Links:
- Kent Minigolf Club
- Midlands Minigolf Club
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club
- Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club
- London Minigolf Club - not online
- Splash Point Mini Golf Club
- Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club
- British Minigolf Association
- European Minigolf Sport Federation
- World Minigolf Sport Federation

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Finally Playing the Camden Crazy Golf Course
- Crazy Golf in Luton - Charity Fun Day at Kent Athletic Club
- Richard Gottfried player profile
- Emily Gottfried player profile

Minigolf report from the BMGA British Club Championships in Hastings

Double success at the BMGA British Club Championships in Hastings.

The 2015 BMGA British Club Champions, the Midlands Minigolf Club team of Seth Thomas, John Moore, Michael Smith (C) and Richard Gottfried

Leagrave minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried had a successful weekend in Hastings as Richard and his Midlands Minigolf Club team-mates won the BMGA British Club Championships, while Emily and the Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club finished in third place.

Eight teams from five of the UK’s miniature golf clubs competed in the national championship played on the 18-hole Pirate Adventure Golf course on Hastings seafront. The Midlands Minigolf Club won the title after achieving an undefeated run in the day’s five matches.

Minigolfer Richard Gottfried playing the 15th hole in the final of the BMGA British Club Championships in Hastings

In the group stage the Midlands team, consisting of Richard, Seth Thomas, John Moore and captained by Michael Smith, defeated the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club, the Kent Minigolf Club Hurricanes and the Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club. In the semi-final the team beat defending and four-time champions the Kent Minigolf Club.

They then faced the Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club in the final, and emerged champions with a 5&3 win.

Richard said “It’s brilliant to win the BMGA British Club Championships. We played well all-day and were focussed, so to get the result is great. The British Club title was the first I won on the BMGA Tour back in 2008, so to become a two-time national champion with the MMGC is extra special. Well done to Emily and the CEMGC in winning the bronze medal too.”

The Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club was captained by Mark Wood, with Emily lining-up alongside Chris Wood and Adrian Amey for the event. In the group stage the team beat the Kent Hurricanes, drew with Planet Hastings and lost to the Midlands. In the semi-finals it took a sudden-death play-off to separate the CEMGC and the Sussex Wasps, but at the seventh extra-hole the CEMGC were defeated.

Emily Gottfried playing the 6th hole of the Pirate Golf course in Hastings during the sudden-death play-off against the Sussex Wasps

In the third/fourth place play-off match the CEMGC upset the Kent Minigolf Club Spitfires with a 3&2 victory to claim the bronze.

The bronze medal winning Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club team of Chris Wood, Adrian Amey, Emily Gottfried and Mark Wood (C)

Emily said “I’m really pleased to achieve the bronze medal with my team-mates from the CEMGC. We were determined to do well and played strongly all day, even going to a seventh-extra hole in the play-off with the Wasps, which we unfortunately lost. However we re-grouped for the third-fourth place play-off to sprint to the podium over the defending champions. ”

Later this month Richard and Emily will be competing in the Midlands Open competition at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull.

Links:
- Midlands Minigolf Club on Facebook
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club on Facebook
- British Minigolf Association
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- Tournament report from the British Minigolf Association - Midlands Minigolf Club take the honours as they win the 2015 Club Championship in Hastings
- Round by round results from the tournament on the BMGA website

Midlands Minigolf Club win British Club Championships

Midlands Minigolf Club win the 2015 BMGA British Club Championships in Hastings.

The new BMGA British Club Champions - the Midlands Minigolf Club. From l-r Seth Thomas, John Moore, Michael Smith (C), Richard Gottfried

The national minigolf team championships was contested on the Pirate Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex on Sunday 1 March with the Midlands Minigolf Club winning the final against the Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club. The Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club was third after defeating the Kent Minigolf Club. Eight teams were in action in the tournament.

The Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club team of Chris Wood, Adrian Amey, Emily Gottfried and Mark Wood (C)

Full results and report.

Links:
- Midlands Minigolf Club on Facebook
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club on Facebook
- British Minigolf Association
- Tournament report from the British Minigolf Association - Midlands Minigolf Club take the honours as they win the 2015 Club Championship in Hastings
- Round by round results from the tournament on the BMGA website

KMGC Greatest Hits: Volume One CD

While 'enjoying' a spring clean and general de-cluttering earlier today I found a rare Minigolf artifact in the form of a KMGC Greatest Hits: Volume One CD!

I believe I picked up the CD by the Kent Minigolf Club - at a Kent Open competition while at Strokes Adventure Golf in Margate in 2008 or 2009.

The club has other Minigolf merch available in the form of tournament balls from 2011 and 2012. I've also got a KMGC Calendar from 2008 somewhere!

Link:

- Kent Minigolf Club