Happy National Cheese Day

Today is National Cheese Day.

Did you know there's a minigolf obstacle called Käse?

It can be found on Eternit Miniature Golf courses.

The Käse on the Kelsey Park Mini Golf course in Beckenham

The official name of the obstacle / lane is "Schrager kreis mit hindernis" (Oblique circle with obstacle). Sometimes the obstacle is "schrager kreis mit niere" (oblique circle with kidney). Many thanks to my friend, minigolf rival and Great Britain team-mate Steve 'F1' Gow for reminding me of the name in German.

Miniaturegolf / Miniaturgolf courses (also known as Eternit / Eternite) are a type of course made using a thin concrete material. Courses consist of 18 holes made from a selection of 28 standardised designs.

An official Schrager kreis mit hindernis - this was lane 15 at Tantogårdens Bangolf in Stockholm, Sweden

Checking in the Overview for Beginners to Miniaturgolf, the Käse obstacle is "erstaunlicherweise eher im norden verbreitet" (surprisingly more common in the north of Germany).

A very useful guide to playing Miniature Golf

We don't have too many Eternit Miniature Golf courses here in the UK and some of those that do exist have been modified over the years.

We played the Cae Glas Park Miniature Golf course in Oswestry in 2009 and 2012

We have played two Schrager kreis mit hindernis holes where the obstacle was Käse. One was at Cae Glas Park in Oswestry, Shropshire, the other was in Kelsey Park in Beckenham, Greater London.

Hole 7 at Kelsey Park has the cheese obstacle on a flat lane

The pyramid obstacles are normally found on hole 1, while the cheese obstacle should be on this base lane design with the raised green and cup

Crazy Golf at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire

Playing the Crazy Golf course at Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire.

Over the years we've played some strange crazy golf courses in weird locations and in July 2017 we were able to add another oddity to our list as we played a round on the miniature golf course at Sutton Farm Cheshire in Sutton Weaver Village near Runcorn, Cheshire.

The course was a mini version of the eternit miniature golf type of course more commonly found in continental Europe.

The course was located at what was once a Golf Driving Range but had been added as part of the farm. The area was being used as a dog training centre while we were there!

It was the 744th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Pirate Mini Golf at the centre:MK in Milton Keynes

Playing the pop-up Pirate Mini Golf course at the centre:MK. Six years ago today.

On Sunday 1st June 2014 we headed over to Milton Keynes to make the 560th course visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The 12-hole Pirate Mini Golf course became the 336th played since 2006.

The course was of the 'Eternit' type of Miniature Golf - with the addition of felt to the playing surface and a few non-standard hole types and obstacles.

The pirate-theming around the site was very well done and the striking blue of the felt on the course made a nice contrast with the green felt flooring surrounding it.

Our plans for 2020

While our out-of-home putting has been paused by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown we've been putting at home.

Crazy Golf in Woking Park, May 2016

A look at Woking Park's Crazy Golf course, May 2016.

We played the Crazy Golf course at Woking Park in Woking, Surrey on National Miniature Golf Day 2016.

It was a felted version of an Eternit Miniature Golf course.

The 9-hole minigolf course was the 398th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

An old Crazy Golf course in Pontypool Park

That time we found a derelict Crazy Golf course in a hedge.

You could see where the lanes of the miniature golf course used to be set up

This was back in August 2010.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course in Pontypool Park/Parc Pont-y-pŵl had been removed from its foundations and put in a hedge.

Such a sad sight to see.

We've played a number of Eternit Miniature Golf courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in a variety of conditions. But the one in Pontypool was the worst of the lot.

It was one of the oddest of the many lost, abandoned and derelict minigolf courses we've found on our travels.

Check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Newsletter archive and sign-up to receive future editions.

Crazy Golf at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Southampton Outdoor Sports.

A year ago today we stumbled upon the 12-hole Crazy Golf course at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton.

It was surprising to see it was of the mini-Eternit Miniature Golf variety - a smaller version of a minigolf type more commonly found in continental Europe.

The Crazy Golf course at the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre was the 872nd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Sadly we didn't have time to play it as we had to get to a wedding!

The Crazy Golf course at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton was one of 18 courses we visited on our road-trip to Hampshire last year.

Minigolf in Traben-Trarbach, Germany

Traben-Trarbach is home to Germany's first minigolf course.

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf layout was built in 1955. You can find it at MGC Traben-Trarbach.

We've played a few Beton Concrete Mini Golf courses on our travels, notably in Nations Cup tournaments in Finland and Sweden.

Spotting a Miniature Golf course in Traben-Trarbach 

In 2018 my brother Christopher was on a cycling trip in Luxembourg and Germany and spotted a minigolf course in Traben-Trarbach. That one was an Eternit Miniature Golf layout.

He did see a Beton Concrete Mini Golf course while in Zeltingen-Rachtig.

Beton Minigolf

Paul Bongni standardised the game with the Beton type of minigolf courses in 1953. The first Beton course was opened in Locarno, Switzerland.

Dr Walter Spier introduced minigolf to Traben-Trarbach two years later. The first German Minigolf Championship was held on the course in 1956.

Eternit Miniature Golf

The first Eternit Miniature Golf course opened at the 'Planten un Bloomen' Leisure Park in Hamburg, Germany in 1958.

Swedish Felt Minigolf at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Vienna, Austria

A look at the Swedish Felt Minigolf course at the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Vienna, Austria.

In March 2010 I visited the Askoe Wien Wasserpark in Vienna, Austria and got to play one of the toughest - and longest - Swedish Felt Minigolf courses in Europe.

The layout was the 163rd course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Pit-Pat

The Askoe Wien Wasserpark was also the first place I spotted a Pit-Pat course (a cross between Billiards/Pool/Snooker and Minigolf!).

Minigolf Tag

On this day in 2013 it was Minigolf Tag (Minigolf Day) in Austria. The event was organised by the Austrian Minigolf Federation (Österreichischer Bahnengolf-Verband - OBGV).

Each year around 550,000 Austrians (15% of the country's population) play Miniature Golf.

It was an out-of-season visit so I didn't get to play the Miniature Golf course there

Tantogårdens Miniature Golf at Tantolunden Park in Stockholm, Sweden

A look at the Eternit Miniature Golf course at Tantogårdens Bangolf in Stockholm, Sweden.

Hole 5

In June 2011 we traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to play for Great Britain in the WMF Nations Cup international minigolf tournament played at Tantogårdens Minigolf at Tantolunden Park.

Hole 8

The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 251st we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Tantogårdens Minigolf at Tantolunden Park in Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden

A look at the Beton Concrete minigolf course at Tantogårdens Bangolf in Stockholm, Sweden.

In June 2011 Emily and I traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to play for Great Britain in the WMF Nations Cup international minigolf tournament played at Tantogårdens Minigolf at Tantolunden Park.

The Beton course was the 250th we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing Crazy Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan

A visit to the Crazy Golf course at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan.

On Saturday 8th April 2017 we headed to Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan to compete in the Great Northern Minigolf Open tournament played out on the two miniature golf courses in the park.

The second course played was the old Crazy Golf layout operated by the Friends of Haigh Country Park group.

At just £1 per game the course was the lowest price we'd ever found for an 18-hole course on our travels. Amazing value for money. We still haven't anywhere charging less than a quid.

Celebrating an ace on the labyrinth hole

The 18-holes are a real hotch potch as the courses has been added to and refurbished by different people and groups over the years. It certainly made for a fun and challenging round.

It was also nice to see a Humpty on the course.

The Haigh Woodland Park Crazy Golf course was the 728th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 701st in the UK. It became the 428th played on our travels since September 2006.

We've now been to 948 courses overall.

I'd first visited the Country Park back in December 2012 when the course was partially derelict.

A Dolly Parton Challenge minigolf meme

Here's a minigolf meme jumping on the Dolly Parton Challenge bandwagon.

The Crazy Golf course in Church Stretton, Shropshire

A look at the Crazy Golf course in Church Stretton, Shropshire.

Last month we visited the 913th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we swung by the Crazy Golf at the town park in Church Stretton, Shropshire.

Unfortunately the gates were locked so we couldn't have a game. A shame as it looked like a nice and interesting layout.

The course appeared to be a mixture of 'Eternit' miniature golf and 'Beton' concrete styles. They are types of course more commonly found in continental Europe.

Related blog posts:

- Shropshire
- Church Stretton
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Crazy Golf in Church Stretton

A visit to the Crazy Golf course in Church Stretton, Shropshire.

We travelled through Shropshire on our drive down to South Wales last Friday and after leaving Shrewsbury we stopped off at Church Stretton to visit the Crazy Golf course in the main town park.

There are quite a few activities to do in Church Stretton Park

Here's a full list of games and prices

A nice sign at the course

The 9-hole course was the 913th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Unfortunately the course was locked up on our visit

It looked like an interesting layout and one we'd liked to have played if it was open.

A view of a couple of holes

It appeared to be a mixture of Eternit miniature golf and Beton concrete styles, types more commonly found in continental Europe.

Hole 1

  

Hole 2

A ditch on hole 2

Hole 3

Holes 4 and 5

Hole 5's green

Hole 6

 

Hole 7

Hole7

 

Hole 8

Hole 8's green

Hole 9

Hole 9 - I bet that concrete block can collect a lot of minigolf balls!

Upcoming events at Minigolf Neuhaus in Germany

There are two fun minigolf events coming up at Minigolf Neuhaus in Germany.

Both are taking place on Saturday 27th July, with a family event taking place from 3pm and the first-ever Moonlight Minigolf competition at the course following at 8pm until 11pm.

You can register for the events via the Minigolf Neuhaus Facebook Page. More info can be found on the Minigolf Neuhaus website.

The course at Minigolf Neuhaus is a Swedish Felt type layout.

Minigolf Neuhaus is the sister course of Minigolf Beverungen, that layout is of the Eternit Miniature Golf variety.

Both are popular playing surfaces in continental Europe. There are a few Eternit and Swedish Felt courses dotted around the UK and we've played a number of them on our travels. Emily is particularly good at playing on Eternit Miniature Golf lanes and during the 2011 WMF Nations Cup tournament in Stockholm, Sweden she set a British Women's Record with a round of 24(-12) on an 18-hole Eternit course.

We've never played minigolf in Germany, although we did visit the seaside resort of Cuxhaven on one of our first holidays together back in 2002.

Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried has visited some courses in Germany on his cycling trips in Europe, including layouts in Nittel, Zeltingen-Rachtig, Traben-Trarbach, Kobern-Gondorf and Berntkastel-Kues.

Related blog posts:
- Germany

Links:
- Minigolf Neuhaus
- Facebook Event: Familien & Vereins Minigolf Turnier in Neuhaus
- Facebook Event: Moonlight Minigolf