Showing posts with label Gareth Holmes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gareth Holmes. Show all posts

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool

A look at the Urban Street Golf course at Gravity Max in Liverpool.


Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Our friend and minigolf rival Gareth Holmes recently visited Gravity Max and sent these photos of the Urban Street Golf course there.

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

We visited Gravity Max on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour during our last trip to Liverpool last November. The course looks superb lit up in the daytime, and looks stunning in the evening.

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Urban Street Golf at Gravity Max in Liverpool. Photo by Gareth Holmes, February 2024

Visit the Gravity website for more information on Gravity Max, Gravity Active and Gravity Social.

Saturday, August 08, 2020

A Mini Golf Apocalypse

A look back at the Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London.


Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

As we're in the midst of a pandemic I thought it'd be interested to look back at an apocalypse - the Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course from 2012.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Looking back to 2012

We played the Golf Apocalypse miniature golf course back in August 2012. The layout had been created as part of the London Pleasure Gardens, an area set-up to tap into the passing trade between the DLR and the London 2012 Olympic Games at the ExCel centre.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Obey street art in London
A BIG piece of OBEY street art in the distance

Golf Apocalypse was the first really really really mad-cap pop-up course we played on our travels.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
What a sight!

A crazy set-up

The layout contained all manner of strange minigolf obstacles and we found ourselves playing through the fuselage of a crashed aeroplane, around a pinball machine, a snooker table and into a volcano.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
What a thing to putt through

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Pinball wizard

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Snooker loopy

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
The End

Pop-up crazy golf

The pop-up miniature golf course was the first to use reclaimed materials in its construction. Something that has become commonplace these days and we've seen and played a number of funky, junky, scrap, ghetto, trash, garbage, graffiti, wreck and art-based courses since.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Playing hole 2

Competitive minigolf

In our minigolf match-up Emily picked up the win with a score of 25. I was second with 26, with Gareth Holmes third with 27 and Alan Norman on 28.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Emily playing hole 3

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
22 was a very good score to get on the 9-hole course

The course’s designer and owner, Dave Lovatt, was also responsible for the 9-hole Crazy Golf course that staged the Welsh Open Crazy Golf Championships as part of the Newport Big Splash Festival in 2010. Following the 2012 pop-up in London the course moved on to Bristol.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Crazy golfing at the end of the world - from l-r Gareth Holmes, Richard Gottfried, Emily Gottfried, Dave Lovatt, Alan Norman

Our challenge match with Dave went to a sudden-death play-off between Dave and Alan after both players had shot rounds of 22. Dave picked up the win on the deciding hole to take the title. I had finished on 24, Gareth had a 25 and Emily had shot a 29.

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Alan snookered

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
Gareth putting on hole 1

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London
A different sort of podium

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

The 9-hole Golf Apocalypse course was the 304th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

More photos of the Golf Apocalypse course.


Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

Golf Apocalypse crazy golf course in London

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Sunday, August 20, 2017

Pizzaman - Winner of the European Gluten Free Pizza Championships

My mate Gareth Holmes was recently travelling on a number 21 bus through New Cross and spotted a sign for gluten free pizza! It was quite a specific sign too - proclaiming that the takeaway was the Winner of the European Gluten Free Pizza Championships 2015.

I never knew such a tournament existed!

Pizzaman - Winner of the European Gluten Free Pizza Championships. Photo taken by Gareth Holmes while sitting on the top deck of a bus on the 18th August 2017
Pizzaman - Championship winning pizza

Although having had a cursory glance on the Internet I can't find the full results of the competition...

You can find Pizzaman at 207 Lewisham Way, New Cross, London.

Monday, June 26, 2017

Minigolf litter

Spotting some minigolf ephemera on the streets of London.

My mate and minigolf rival Gareth Holmes has turned up another piece of minigolf ephemera - this one quite literally from the streets of London - as he found a discarded scorecard from the Battersea Putt in the Park course on the pavement outside The Latchmere Pub at 7am!

Scorecard from the Putt in the Park Mini Golf course at Battersea Park in London
The front of the abandoned scorecard that Gareth found on his travels

Looking at Player 2's score we think they should consider turning pro.

Scorecard from the Putt in the Park Mini Golf course at Battersea Park in London
The scores from the AME vs CON match-up played sometime before 7am on the 22nd June 2017...

Gareth has also recently spotted minigolf adverts on the tube and at bus stops in the capital. He's now the official Principal Public Transport Minigolf Advertisement Spotter of the blog and The Crazy Golf Museum.

Putt in the Park Mini Golf at Wandsworth Park in London
Gareth lending our friend and minigolf rival Alan 'Stormin' Norman a helping hand to retrieve a golf ball at Wandsworth Park

There are three Putt in the Park minigolf courses in London. We've played the Wandsworth Park and Battersea Park courses, but have yet to hit the Acton layout.

Putt in the Park Mini Golf at Battersea Park in London
The Battersea Park minigolf course

Link:
- Putt in the Park

Related blog posts:
- Gareth Holmes
- Crazy Golf in London
- Putt in the Park Minigolf at Wandsworth Park, London
- Minigolf with The Putting Penguin at Putt in the Park
- Putt In The Park Mini Golf at Battersea Park in London

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Another Crazy Golf advert in London

Another minigolf advert spotted on London's public transport network.

Gareth Holmes has done it again, this time he's spotted an advert for the Minigolf course at Columbus Courtyard in Canary Wharf, London.

There's a minigolf course at Columbus Courtyard in Canary Wharf, London. Photo by Gareth Holmes, June 2017
The course was originally open until the end of June, but on the website it's an ongoing activity

The Minigolf course at Columbus Courtyard opened in May this year. The 9-hole course is FREE to play! Check out the Canary Wharf website for more info.

Related blog post:
- Crazy Golf in London

Friday, June 16, 2017

Junkyard Golf Club on the London Underground

Spotting another advert for London's Junkyard Golf Club on the London Underground.


My mate and minigolf rival Gareth Holmes has spotted another advert for the Junkyard Golf Club while travelling on the tube in London.

Junkyard Golf advert on the Jubilee Line. Photo by Gareth Holmes June 2017
Junkyard Golf Club's latest advert for its London Crazy Golf courses

There are four Crazy Golf courses at Junkyard Golf Club in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

The brand also has two courses in Manchester Piccadilly - although the Manchester venue is moving to a new site in August.

Junkyard Golf is heading to Oxford too, with a new location opening at the redeveloped Westgate shopping centre.

Visit the Junkyard Golf Club website for more details on the venues, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in London
- Junkyard Golf
- Junkyard Crazy Golf on the tube

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Post-Apocalyptic Minigolf at Somerset House

Play a Post-Apocalyptic Minigolf course at the Now Play This festival in London.


My mate and minigolf rival Gareth Holmes spotted a piece in Time Out about the Now Play This event taking place at Somerset House in London from the 7th to the 9th April. The festival of experimental games design will feature a post-apocalyptic minigolf course!

The Now Play This miniature golf course has been created by Gary Campbell and Jeannine Inglis Hall and is called 'Anthropo-Scenic Golf'. It will be available to play on Saturday 8th April.

Back in 2012 our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour took us to East London where we played at the Golf Apocalypse. That was indeed a crazy game of minigolf.

Playing the 'Golf Apocalypse' Mini Golf course at London's Pleasure Gardens, near Pontoon Dock
Playing the 'Golf Apocalypse' Mini Golf course at London's Pleasure Gardens, near Pontoon Dock

Now Play This coincides with the city-wide games initiative, the London Games Festival. Check out the Now Play This, London Games Festival and Somerset House websites for more information.

If you're visiting the event you may want to check out some of the other miniature golf courses in London while you're in the city.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Junkyard Crazy Golf on the tube

Spotting an advert for London's Junkyard Crazy Golf on the London Underground.


Thanks to my mate and minigolf rival Gareth Holmes for sending me this snap of an advert for London's Junkyard Crazy Golf course he spotting on the tube earlier this week.

The Junkyard Crazy Golf advert on a Northern Line tube train. Photo by Gareth Holmes
The Junkyard Crazy Golf advert on a Northern Line tube train

We haven't been to the four London Junkyard Crazy Golf courses at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane yet, but the Manchester courses are two of our most local minigolf layouts and were the 718th and 719th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

One of the holes at Junkyard Crazy Golf in Manchester
One of the holes at Junkyard Crazy Golf in Manchester

Check out the Junkyard Crazy Golf website for further details, opening times and prices.

It's always nice to see minigolf advertising. Last year we saw an advert for the Shanklin Seafront Crazy Golf course on an Island Line tube train.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in London
- Playing Junkyard Golf in Manchester

Link:
- Junkyard Crazy Golf

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.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course is in Nottingham this summer

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course is heading to Nottingham this summer!

The course was first on display at the Venice Biennale last year and you'll soon be able to play the course when it's set up in the main gallery at the New Art Exchange in Nottingham from the 2nd April to the 19th June.

Doug Fishbone’s Leisure Land Golf in Venice by Gareth & Lhurlyn Holmes May 2015
Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf in Venice last May. Photo by Gareth and Lhurlyn Holmes

Our friends Gareth and Lhurlyn Holmes were lucky enough to visit the course in Venice. Check out their guest blog post for more pics.

We can't wait to give it a play on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Links:
- New Art Exchange (NAE)
- Doug Fishbone

Related blog posts:
Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf
Art
Gareth Holmes
Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Nottingham

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.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf

Minigolf blog post about "The BEST Mini Golf Course in Venice".

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf in Venice

Running from May to July 2015 Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf is a fully playable art-installation minigolf course in Venice.

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
The layout is is described as "The BEST Mini Golf Course in Venice"

While Emily and I won't be able to make it over to play this time, our friends Gareth and Lhurlyn Holmes were recently on holiday in Venice and luckily for them they were able to play the course on the trip!

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
Crazy Golf controversy with a Costa Concordia hole!

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
Lhurlyn plays tees-off on hole 4 - John Akomfrah's 'The Turkey Shoot Galactico'
  
Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
While Gareth is a Pro-Putter it was Lhurlyn who came out the winner. by one-point. Gareth informs me that he had been playing while refreshed from a few beers. Here he is playing the 'Pleasure Seekers' hole by Candice Jacobs

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf by EM15 at the Venice Biennale, photos by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes
Gareth and Lhurlyn both took a dreaded seven on the last hole (Ellie Harrison's 'Life Raft') as they hit their balls into the water

The EM15 project is a collaboration between artist-led organisations and institutions including the Beacon Art Project in Lincolnshire, One Thoresby Street in Nottingham, New Art Exchange in Nottingham, QUAD in Derby, Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham.

The holes in Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf have been designed by John Akomfrah, Yara El-Sherbini, Doug Fishbone, Ellie Harrison, Candice Jacobs, Hetain Patel, Lindsay Seers, Yinka Shonibare MBE and Eyal Weizman.

So, why was Mini Golf chosen for the art installation? Well, the 56th Venice Biennale called for responses to 'The Leisure Principle' - and what better way to spend your leisure time than putting around a miniature golf course.

The Leisure Principle considers the concept of tourism and trade as a metaphor to explore current global economic complexities through one of the defining principles of leisure - that of consumption - and how this consumption shapes our identity.

EM15 is a collective from the East Midlands region of the UK and aims to inspire a new generation of artists, curators and audiences, as well as representing diverse cultures and perspectives, and creating long-lasting impacts for the arts ecology in the Midlands and throughout the UK. For more information visit the EM15 website.

For more information on Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf and the Venice Biennale check out the links below.

Minigolf is a popular theme for artists, so whilst on our travels we've played a few art-installation pop-up crazy golf courses.

In 2012/13 Doug Fishbone and friends created a 9-hole Crazy Golf course called 'Adventure Land' which was playable at music & art festivals and galleries around the UK. Unfortunately we were never able to make it. Although we were at The Arnolfini in Bristol just before the controversial course arrived.

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course has got a great scorecard, branded pencil and button badge.

Links:
- EM15 website
- EM15 on Twitter
- EM15 on Facebook
- Venice Biennale / la Biennale di Venezia website
- Venice Biennale / la Biennale di Venezia on Twitter
- Venice Biennale / la Biennale di Venezia on Facebook
Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf

Related blog posts:
- Art
- Gareth Holmes
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Photos courtesy of Gareth and Lhurlyn Holmes.

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.

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Lyle & Scott's Hole-in-One Challenge

Playing the special Minigolf Hole-in-One Challenge at Lyle & Scott's Carnaby Street shop in London.


All this week the clothing brand Lyle & Scott has had a special Hole-in-One Minigolf Challenge set up at the flagship store on Carnaby Street. The layout has been supplied by Urban Crazy.

On my lunch-break yesterday I popped along with fellow Minigolfer Gareth 'Osmosis' Holmes and my old Dodgeball rival 'Rowdy' Russell Fenner as we tried our luck on the tricky challenge that had been set-up as a promotion for The Masters golf tournament.

Adam from Urban Crazy was on-hand at the hole to instruct players about the challenge and we saw him knock in a couple of good holes-in-one.

Urban Crazy's Adam on the Lyle & Scott Hole-in-One Challenge hole on Carnaby Street

Each player was given three attempts to register a hole-in-one and win a prize. Both winners and losers could make use of a discount on the day too for purchases in-store.

Tee-ing up my shot

Gareth Holmes failing to get an Ace as Adam and Russell look on

Small swing and a big miss for 'Rowdy' Russell on the Lyle and Scott challenge

Unfortunately none of us managed to score an Ace - and we won't be sporting a Lyle & Scott polo shirt this weekend. We did see a couple of other players manage the feat though, to a ripple of applause from the crowds in the bustling street.

You can still play the special Hole-in-One Challenge hole this week. Follow Lyle & Scott and the Lyle & Scott Golf Team for more info.

Back in October 2012 Lyle and Scott and The Campaign for Wool created a special Woolly Golf course in Covent Garden for that years Wool Week. That course became the 511th visited and 307th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

Links:

Related blog posts:

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Putt in the Park Minigolf at Wandsworth Park, London

Visit to the new Putt in the Park Miniature Golf course at Wandsworth Park, Putney, London.

Putt in the Park Minigolf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
A view of the Putt in the Park Minigolf course in Wandsworth Park, London

On Friday 18th October I headed to the new 12-hole Putt in the Park Minigolf course at Wandsworth Park in London for a ‘friendly’ round of Crazy Golf against some of my friends and Minigolf rivals Gareth, Alan and Paul.

Putt in the Park Crazy Golf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
Alan playing the long and tricky 10th hole at Wandsworth Park's Putt in the Park Minigolf course

The course was the 538th visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, the 323rd played and the 321st course I’ve played since September 2006.

Putt in the Park Mini Golf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
Another course visit on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

In the Putney Putting Invitational I faced off against BMGA Tour rivals and London Minigolf Club members Alan ‘Stormin’ Norman and Gareth ‘The Owl’ Holmes, and fan of ludicrous photos Paul ‘Flip Flops’ O’Connor.

Putt in the Park Mini-Golf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
The competitors line-up at the Putt in the Park Minigolf course at Wandsworth Park in London

The match-up started well for Alan who shot a magnificent hole-in-one on the first hole! His form (luck!) continued through the match and it was clear early on that the rest of us were playing for second/not to be last!

Putt in the Park Miniature Golf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
Alan 'Stormin' Norman plays his first shot and lands an ace on hole one

Paul also managed a hole-in-one on the course, scoring a brilliant ace on the 11th hole (or as I kept calling it - "The 17th").

Putt in the Park Minigolf Course in Wandsworth Park, London
Paul signalling an Ace is in his sights! Like the Babe Ruth of Miniature Golf!

The course looks great and has some very long and winding holes. The water features are both pleasant to look at as well as being integrated as obstacles on some of the holes. Especially on the 7th hole where I found the water twice, and the 9th where Gareth almost helped Alan into the water while he was retrieving his ball while stood on a stepping stone.

Putt in the Park Crazy Golf Course at Wandsworth Park, London
Gareth lends Alan a helping hand

Putt in the Park Crazy Golf Course at Wandsworth Park in London
The unlucky 7th hole for Squire, finding the water twice as Alan looks on

The course has a par of 27, with holes 6, 7 and 8 par-3 and the others par-2. In our contest Alan had a storming 31(+7 on a BMGA par rating), Gareth was runner-up with a score of 36(+12) and I was the bronze medallist on 38(+14). Paul, the novice of the group and a player with a very strong swing, shot a 48(+24).

Putt in the Park Mini Golf Course at Wandsworth Park in London
Gareth holes out on the 12th for an almost ace two

Results:
1. Alan ‘Stormin’ Norman = 31(+7)
2. Gareth ‘The Owl’ Holmes = 36(+12)
3. ‘Squire’ Richard Gottfried = 38(+14)
4. Paul ‘Flip Flops’ O’Connor = 48(+24)

Putt in the Park Miniature Golf Course at Wandsworth Park in London
Alan 'Stormin' Norman - Champion Minigolfer

The 12-hole layout opened four months ago and has been a popular attraction in the nice setting of Wandsworth Park. We received a fine welcome by Jack at the course who told us the area used to be a disused Bowling Green. The renovation is a brilliant use of the space and the Putt in the Park course has its own clubhouse with bar and cafe. 

Putt in the Park Mini Golf Course at Wandsworth Park in London
Putt in the Park at Wandsworth Park serves "Putney's Finest Bacon or Sausage Sandwiches" - the clubhouse pavilion also has a bar and we enjoyed an alcholic beverage after our round

There’s plenty of seating too for players to rest between rounds and enjoy a drink and a bite to eat, and a great vantage point for spectators.

Putt in the Park Miniature Golf Course at Wandsworth Park, London
The Putt in the Park Minigolf course is open until dusk 

I look forward to returning for more Minigolf match-ups on the course, and hopefully get close to, or beat the course record of 25 shots!

Related blog posts:

Links: