Enter the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Entry to the World Crazy Golf Championships is now open.

Taking place at Hastings Adventure Golf on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th June the World Crazy Golf Championships are open to anyone and any level of Putting ability.

Playing the potential round-killer second hole at Hastings Crazy Golf course in my last tilt at the title back in 2015

This year the global tournament has two categories - one for novices that is played out on Saturday 9th June and one for professional players and contested over the two days.

Each category competes for a separate prize fund, with a £3,000 prize fund allocated to the professional category the overall winner will receive £1,000. A separate prize fund of £1,500 is allocated to the novice* category.

Competitors must beat the windmill and watermill as well as negotiate the bends, twists and ramps on the traditional seaside Crazy Golf course at Hastings Adventure Golf.

We played in the tournament from 2007 to 2015 - back when it was a winter event. Emily won The Gommery trophy in 2014 & 2015

For the first time ever the organisers are also awarding prizes for 'best dressed', 'personality of the weekend' and 'most improved player’.

This is the sixteenth year that Hastings Adventure Golf has hosted the global championships - now firmly considered the pinnacle competition for Crazy Golfers in the UK and beyond.

Simon Tompkins of Hastings Adventure Golf said: “We want players of all abilities to get involved. The novice category is open to anyone who fancies their chances at taking home the prize fund. So get the putters polished and start practicing!”

You can gain entry to the World Crazy Golf Championships via the Hastings Adventure Golf website. All entrants are entitled to half price practice golf at the complex.

*Players are classified as a novice if:
- They have not entered the World Crazy Golf Championships before
- Are not a recognised international player
- Have not finished in the top ten of a British Minigolf Association tour event

Hastings Adventure Golf survey finds technology losing ground on Christmas lists

Results of a Christmas list survey by Hastings Adventure Golf.

The team at Hastings Adventure Golf has conducted a survey which reveals that technology is slipping down the Christmas wish list of adults in Sussex.

What's on your Christmas wish list?

The survey revealed that technology, including mobile devices, PC and games, was not in the most desired category of gifts this year.

The unexpected revelation showed that the most wanted category of Christmas gifts was ‘clothes or accessories’. In close second place, was ‘an experience’ to include tickets to events, days out and mini-breaks. Technology took third place.

When asked specifically about ‘gift vouchers’ for days out or experiences, 50 percent of the adults surveyed agreed that the gift of an experience or day out was a great present.

With many people already owning more tech devices than ever before, active, fun and memorable experiences are becoming more popular as a gift choices.

Hastings Adventure Golf is always keen to get more people active and they run a number of events, competitions and promotions throughout the year. They have three outdoor minigolf courses on the seafront site - a classic Crazy Golf, an Adventure Golf layout and a Pirate Golf course. We've visited and played them a LOT on our Crazy Golf adventures since 2007!

While new technology might not be top of Christmas wish lists the Hastings Adventure Golf App has proved to be a popular free download to help people make the most of the experience.

Players visiting Hastings Adventure Golf can download the scorecard and loyalty app to keep a record of their visits and results, use the on-course selfie spot feature, and receive offers.

Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more info.

Related blog posts:
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- Hastings
- Survey

The survey was commissioned by Hastings Adventure Golf and conducted by One Poll, with a sample of 400 adults (50:50 Male:Female) in Sussex.

New Hastings Minigolf Caddie Club to raise funds for local charity

Hastings Adventure Golf launches loyalty club and teams-up with charity partner.

Hastings Adventure Golf is using the launch of its new loyalty club, the Caddie Club, to raise funds for local charity – The Winkle Club.

With the help of a little brown bear, Caddie Bear, who arrived in Hastings last week, a fun photo caption competition is running online with every entry increasing the cash donation to the Winkle Club charity.

The competition, running weekly on Facebook, will see Caddie Bear in some precarious and fun situations. The public can suggest a photo caption with each suggestion raising more cash for the charity. The winning caption each week will also scoop free golf passes. Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf Facebook Page for more info.

Stuart Homewood from the Winkle Club & Simon Tompkins with Caddie

Stuart Homewood of the Winkle Club charity said “Big thanks to Hastings Adventure Golf for giving us the opportunity. We are hoping to raise some much-needed cash for several local good causes.”

Simon Tompkins of Hastings Adventure Golf, said “We wanted to help the Winkle Club charity and its work with many local charities so what better way than getting our mischievous Caddie Bear to help. He’s a friendly fellow so we are asking the public to throw us their best and funniest captions and every captions results in a donation to the charity.”

The Winkle Club is an internationally famous charitable organisation formed by Hastings fishermen to help the less fortunate families of Hastings Old Town. Among the events and activities they organise is an annual Putting Competition held at the Hastings Adventure Golf complex.

The Caddie Club loyalty scheme is open to everyone who downloads the free app and registers. Details of the app can be found on the Hastings Adventure Golf website.

Links:
- Hastings Adventure Golf website
- Hastings Adventure Golf on Facebook
- Hastings Winkle Club

Related blog posts:
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- Mini Golf App
- Hastings

World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

All the best to the 57 players from three countries playing in the 15th annual World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings this weekend.

55 UK players, along with former champion Olivia Prokopova from the Czech Republic and Portugal's Nuno Cunha, will compete on the 18-hole Crazy Golf course at the Hastings Adventure Golf Complex this Saturday and Sunday.

Playing the potential round-killer second hole at Hastings Crazy Golf course in my last tilt at the title back in 2015

I look forward to seeing who finishes in 17th place...

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in Hastings
- Back at Hastings Adventure Golf

New Mini Golf App

There's a new minigolf App available for Android and iPhone.

The Mini Golf App is a free download which allows players to score and keep a record of their round, as well as pick up reward points for each visit.

The App, created by ConceiveIT, is in use by Hastings Adventure Golf, Rainforest Adventure Golf in Ireland and Paradise Adventure Golf in Sweden, with more courses set to follow.

A screenshot of the App showing hole 2 of the Crazy Golf course at Hastings Adventure Golf. It's one of the trickiest holes around

I enjoyed using the Hastings Adventure Golf App - especially seeing the classic Crazy Golf course holes on screen while I marked the scores. We've played so many games on the course over the years. All three of the courses at Hastings are included on the app so you can see the best routes to the cup on each hole on the Pirate Golf, Adventure Golf and Crazy Golf layouts.

Playing hole 2 at Hastings for real

There are many advantages to the app, and I can see why courses and players would want the option to use it. It's always nice to see innovation and especially pleasing to see rewards for frequent visitors to miniature golf courses.

If you're a minigolf course business check out the Mini Golf App website for more info on how you can get your own course app.

If you're a player heading to Hastings, Dundrum or Täby Centrum then it's worth downloading the app and signing up to the course rewards.

From the archives - Hastings Minigolf course

A look back at the Minigolf course in Hastings.

Hastings seafront minigolf course in 2008

Back in October 2007 the Minigolf course in Hastings became the 40th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. While it looks innocent enough, it was one of the trickiest courses we've ever played!

Emily in a practice round ahead of the 2008 World Crazy Golf Championships

There are always a lot of seagulls down Hastings seafront!

Emily in action

The old first hole

The old last hole

The course in 2010

The course was replaced by a new Pirate Adventure Golf course in May 2011, which we revisited last month.

Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf course website for more information, opening times and prices. You can also download a new Hastings Adventure Golf App for Android and iPhone which allows you to earn rewards each time you play the course.

Videos:
- British Championships practice 2009
- Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open 2010

Back at Hastings Adventure Golf

A revisit to Hastings Adventure Golf.

Last weekend we headed to Hastings Adventure Golf for the first time since 2015. It's a minigolf venue we've spent many, many, many hours at over the years.

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour swung back into Hastings

Hastings Adventure Golf has three 18-hole courses to choose from - a traditional Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf, a themed Adventure Golf, and a Pirate Golf layout.

A view of the Crazy Golf course

There's a nice seating area next to the Crazy Golf course

The toughest hole on the Pirate Golf course

A pair of seagulls chilling out in one of the pirate ships 

A view of the Adventure Golf course

The Crazy Golf has been there the longest, while the Pirate Golf replaced a Miniature Golf course when it opened in 2011. The Adventure Golf course has had some changes made to it over the years and we played two new holes on this visit - getting a hole-in-one on one of them first time!

One of the new holes on the Adventure Golf course

The green

The second of the new holes

A close up of the tunnel

The plateau on the new green

A view from the other side of the green

Hastings Adventure Golf's courses are approved by the World Minigolf Sport Federation

Visit the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

Once you've finished your round you can play the Lucky Last Hole for a chance to win a FREE GAME

The team at Hastings Adventure Golf have also created a new free mobile App you can download for the iPhone and Android. It's well worth a download as it gives you tips for playing each of the 54-holes there, a mobile scorecard, as well as rewards and offers when you sign-up and play.

Hastings Miniature Railway

It was nice to see the Hastings Miniature Railway running while we were in town last weekend. It's a wonderful little line running for half a mile along the Old Town seafront. It starts at Rock-a-Nore and has a station at Marine Parade, next to the boating lake and close to Hastings Adventure Golf.

Marine Parade Station

The Hastings Miniature Railway sign

The engine 'Speedy Fizzle' passing The Stade

One of the crossing points near the boating pond

Rock-a-Nore station. And a funicular railway in the background

Rock-a-Nore station

Visit the Hastings Miniature Railway website for more information.

Revisiting Hastings Pier

We recently visited Hastings for the first time since 2015 and it was great to have a walk on the new pier. We'd only ever been on it once before back in 2008.

We were really impressed with what has been built following the fire which almost totally destroyed it in 2010.

A view of the new pier from White Rock Gardens

The end of the pier is a nice wide-open space. We've visited a lot of piers on our travels and Hastings Pier is certainly different to most

A pair of Minions on the pier

We visited the pier just after the Hastings Pier Yarn Bomb had opened!

There was a lot of knitted bunting

Having a nice sit down next to a mermaid

  

A knitted beach hut

The knitting got almost everywhere

One of the un-yarn bombed benches at the end of the pier

While we were on the pier on Sunday we spotted an ice cream cart going round offering free knitted ice creams! They were gluten free to boot

Enjoying my knitted Ice Cream alongside Hastings character John 'Big Top Ted' McIver

Visit the Hastings Pier website for more information.

The Source Park in Hastings

While walking along the promenade in Hastings last weekend we noticed some of the buildings on the seafront had been reopened since we were last in town in 2015. One in particular caught our eye as it had been boarded up when we'd walked passed it before. We found out it was previously an underground Victorian swimming baths, but is now an indoor skate and BMX park! We had to have a look inside. We were really impressed with what we saw.

Hastings is now home to the World's Largest Underground Skatepark!

Inside the Source Park in Hastings

There's a great display board near the entrance which shows how the building used to look

Some old postcards on the display

Check out the Source Park website for more information.

Making it a level playing field for Crazy Golfers in Hastings

Launch of new specially adapted putters specifically for seated players at Hastings Adventure Golf.

Keeping an eye on all things minigolf-related I recently noticed that the team at Hastings Adventure Golf had been trialing some new equipment and innovations to help more people play the great game - including the launch of new putters so more people can enjoy the game.

Close up of the tiltable putter head

The mobility friendly putters available at Hastings Adventure Golf have a hinge joint at the bottom, allowing for convenient positioning for every shot. The putters also feature a ‘ball retriever’ that fits on the end of the putter grip. This makes it easy to retrieve the ball from a hole - great for wheelchair users and equally helpful to anyone with back issues - as it eliminates the need to bend down.

The golf ball collector in action

The new putters are a neat touch. When we've played in minigolf tournaments - many of which take place in Hastings - we've used ball-suckers on the end of our putters to save us bending to get the ball out of the hole each time. So to provide a convenient method for players of all abilities to do this is a great way to make the game more accessible.

Terry and Karen Avery trialling the mobility-friendly putters on the Pirate Adventure Golf course in Hastings

Terry Avery, a wheelchair user from Hastings, took the new putters for a test drive and gave his feedback to the team at Hastings Adventure Golf “I really liked the club, it gave me much better control and made it a lot easier to play. The tilting head meant I could adjust the lower part as suited. I was also impressed by the ball collector on the top of the club as this enabled me to play independently. We have grandchildren and now I know that Hastings Adventure golf have these putters I look forward to coming down in the summer and enjoying a round with them.”

Chris Richards, of Hastings Adventure Golf said “Our 18 hole Pirate course at the complex is wheelchair and pushchair friendly, but we also want everyone to be able to play too! After carrying out onsite research we have now acted on our findings. On occasions in the past, individuals with a disability have struggled with the traditional club so our investment in mobility-friendly putters makes the game of minigolf not only accessible but also a level playing field for all.”

Located on the sea front, Hastings Adventure Golf is home to three miniature golf courses, including a classic Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course.

Playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

We've played the three courses at Hastings Adventure Golf countless times since our first visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2007.

Check out the Hastings Adventure Golf website for more information, prices and opening times.

Links:
- Hastings Adventure Golf website
- Hastings Adventure Golf on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Hastings
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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