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
Results, report and photos from the third Knowley Grail Minigolf Competition.
The third edition of the Knowley Grail was contested between ten BMGA Tour Pro players and US Minigolfer Jon Drexler at the Hastings Crazy Golf course following the final of the 2012 'Castle Golf' World Crazy Golf Championship after the players had decided that two days of international competition just wasn't enough and that they enjoyed the freezing cold weather conditions too much to head to the warmth of indoors/their transport home.
David Donnelly plays the Waterwheel hole of the Hastings Crazy Golf course
The 'age-old' rules of the Knowley Grail state that all players in the competition must use the same Minigolf ball - a 'Pinky Diver' by Reisinger - renowned for its super bouncy qualities. Any player scoring a seven during the round of Minigolf is automatically eliminated from the rest of the one-round competition. If eliminated the unfortunate player must take up residence on the nearest chair/bench of shame.
With two Pinky Diver balls available the group of eleven split into two groups and commenced play on the 18-hole Seafront Crazy Golf course in Hastings. Defending champion James 'The Rocket' Rutherford was in group two.
In a first for the Knowley Grail not one player was eliminated from the round. Adam 'Ak47' Kelly came remarkably close to being sent to a seat of shame with a score of six, but apart from that score most players were grinding out the twos, getting 'robbed' off of the metal cups, and scoring a smattering of threes and not enough aces.
Play the 'Tony Kelly Spot The Ball Contest'...
A remarkable shot was played by Jon Drexler on hole four when he was able to miss an ace and end up in the left hand bunker having travelled through one of the other bunkers on the course. This 'Drexed' shot was repeated moments later by AK47!
The Perplexing Drexler Shot
Two players were standouts in the Knowley Grail in Hastings, with Hastings' own John 'Big Top Ted' McIver setting the clubhouse lead with a score of 38(+2). John 'Johnny Waffles' Moore was also looking to record a good score and also came in with a 38 to force a play-off. The sudden-death play-off was the second in a row in the Knowley Grail tournament, following Rutherford's win in Margate in September.
On hole two of the Hastings Crazy Golf course Ted beat John to lift the title and take the £11 prize money.
Big Al messes up the 18 hole
Ted wins
Bexhill-on-Sea's number one Minigolfer Alex 'Perfect Par' Pragnell awards Hastings' number two Crazy Golfer 'Big Top Ted' John McIver the Knowley Grail trophy
Results of the third Knowley Grail competition:
1. John/Ted McIver 38
2. John/Al Moore - 38
3. Richard Gottfried - 41
3. Brad Shepherd - 41
5. Will Donnelly - 43
6. Adam Kelly - 44
6. Tony Kelly - 44
6. Jon Drexler (USA) - 44
6. James Rutherford - 44
10. David Hartley - 46
11. David Donnelly - 49
The Knowley Grail minigolf competition was created by members of the London Minigolf Club following the Midlands Open tournament held at the 12-hole Minigolf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull. The LMGC members had spent the Friday perusing the charity shops of nearby Knowle and found a silver chalice on sale for £2.50. This became the trophy for the Knowley Grail tournaments.
The rules of the Knowley Grail dictate that all players use the same Minigolf ball - a 'Pinky Diver' - and any player scoring a seven is automatically eliminated from the rest of the one-round competition.
With two balls available the group of thirteen split into two groups and commenced play. Defending championBrad 'The Fist' Shepherd was in group one and along with players including Seth Thomas and Will Donnelly set an early pace rattling in the holes-in-one.
'Squire' Richard Gottfried plays hole three at Strokes Adventure Golf course in Margate, Kent during the second The Knowley Grail minigolf tournament
The first player to be eliminated was 'Oh' Chris Jones who was unable to get the super bouncy ball to stay at the top of the ramp at hole three and so was relegated to a 'plastic garden chair of shame' for the rest of the round.
'Oh' Chris Jones has a rest after being eliminated from the Knowley Grail at hole 3
No other players were eliminated from the tournament until Paul 'Johnson Paul Johnson Don't Call Me Sue Thompson' Johnson scored a seven at the 11th hole - the aptly named "Heartbreak Ridge". The hole would also claim Scott 'Donkey Gringo' Lancley as another victim and both would join 'Oh' Chris Jones on the lawnchairs of shame.
A less than happy Paul 'Johnson etc.' Johnson having been eliminated from the Knowley Grail at hole 11
Scott 'Donkey Gringo' Lancley takes a seat after being knocked out of the Knowley Grail tourney at hole 11
At the end of the 18-hole round there was a tie for first place, with James 'The Rocket' Rutherford and Adam 'AK47' Kelly both scoring rounds of 38(+2). A sudden-death play-off commenced and The Rocket scored a hole-in-one, while AK47 was unable to respond with an Ace, meaning that the new Knowley Grail champion was James Rutherford.
James 'The Rocket' Rutherford looks for an Ace at hole 11 to take the outright win
A reluctant and defeated Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd hands over the Knowley Grail trophy to James 'The Rocket' Rutherford
Results of the second Knowley Grail competition:
1. James Rutherford - 38 - won play-off
2. Adam Kelly - 38
3. Ted McIver - 41
4. Michael Smith - 42
5. Brad Shepherd - 43
5. Will Donnelly - 43
7. Richard Gottfried - 47
8. Seth Thomas - 48
8. Alan Norman - 48
10. Gareth Holmes - 51
DNF Scott Lancley - scored a 7 at hole 11
DNF Paul Johnson - scored a 7 at hole 11
DNF Chris Jones - scored a 7 at hole 3
The Knowley Grail minigolf competition was created by members of the London Minigolf Club following the Midlands Open tournament held at the 12-hole Minigolf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull. The LMGC members had spent the Friday perusing the charity shops of nearby Knowle and found a silver chalice on sale for £2.50. This became the trophy for the Knowley Grail tournaments.
One of THE reasons I became a Professional Minigolfer is once again on telly this week - the excellent Grudge Match!
The show features great sporting rivalries and the Crazy Golf episode features the epic rivalry (that exists to this day) between Tim 'Ace Man' Davies and John 'Big Top Ted' McIver.
Report from an infamous event in the world of miniature golf.
Following the BMGA British Open at Planet Hastings Adventure Golf course on Sunday 19th September a strange thing happened!? A report from both Ollie 'The Machine' Florence and Tim 'Ace Man' Davies is likely to follow, but here's my take on "The Minigolf Welly Boot Swamp Ball Incident in Hastings"!
During the last round of the BMGA British Open, Swedish minigolfer Mattias Ståhl was annoyed (to say the least) that he'd scored a 5 on the 17th hole. In his frustration he launched his Maier Classic Minigolf Ball into one of the many ponds/swamps at the White Rock Gardens course (in fact it was the very same patch of water that a player had slipped into on Friday)!
With the aide of some small flimsy fishing nets, followed by applying garden rakes to the quagmire the intrepid minigolfers just could not find the ball.
Keen to find the missing ball to add to his collection eager BMGA Tour rookie Ollie 'The Machine' Florence decided to take the plunge to retrieve the ball!!!
He didn't find it, and also struggled to get out of his wellies! But was eventually relieved of them by Marion 'Double Trouble' Homer, while top German minigolfer Karsten Hein and KMGC Captain Sean 'Freebird' Homer and others looked on.
It was left to 'Big Top Ted' John McIver to recover what was the second lost ball of the weekend, following the loss of Marc 'The Force' Chapman's ball in the hedges by the 12th/13th hole on Friday morning!
After using a very unique technique the ball was retrieved (along with all manner of other detritus - including what looked like a grenade)!!!
Upon finding the prized ball, Ted lobbed it towards Ollie who posed for a few snaps with it.
BMGA British Matchplay Championships 2009 - Round Two Match
The draw for the second round of the 2009 BMGA British Matchplay Championships saw 'Squire' Richard Gottfried play John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club.
The full second round draw was as follows:
1. Anthony Pope vs Rocky Bullin
2. Andy Exall vs Matthew Harding
3. Trevor Robertson vs Brad Shepherd
4. Chris Harding vs Chris Jones
5. Gareth Holmes vs Seve Kukielka
6. Peter Emmerson vs Terry Exall
7. Tim Davies vs John Moore
8. Richard Gottfried vs Ted McIver
The match took place on Friday 3rd July 2009 at the Sea Front Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex.
'Squire' Richard Gottfried and John 'Big Top Ted' McIver in Hastings
Referee - John 'YI' Moore Photographer - Emily 'Coach' Gottfried
'Squire' Richard Gottfried gives a pre-match interview
Coin Toss: 'Squire' Richard Gottfried calls Heads John 'Big Top Ted' McIver wins with tails
.jpg "Play the 'Tony Kelly Spot The Ball Contest'...")
.jpg "Big Al messes up the 18 hole")
.jpg "Ted wins")
.jpg "Bexhill-on-Sea's number one Minigolfer Alex 'Perfect Par' Pragnell awards Hastings' number two Crazy Golfer 'Big Top Ted' John McIver the Knowley Grail trophy")
.JPG "'Squire' Richard Gottfried plays hole three at Strokes Adventure Golf course in Margate, Kent during the second The Knowley Grail minigolf tournament")
.JPG "'Oh' Chris Jones has a rest after being eliminated from the Knowley Grail at hole 3")
.JPG "Paul 'Johnson etc.' Johnson having been eliminated from the Knowley Grail at hole 11")
.JPG "Scott 'Donkey Gringo' Lancley takes a seat after being knocked out of the Knowley Grail tourney at hole 11")
.JPG "James 'The Rocket' Rutherford looks for an Ace at hole 11 to take the outright win")
.JPG "A reluctant and defeated Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd hands over the Knowley Grail trophy to James 'The Rocket' Rutherford")
.JPG "The Minigolf Welly Boot Swamp Ball Incident in Hastings")
.JPG "A minigolf warning")
.JPG "The player escaped serious injury. The bank of the pond took a knock though")
.JPG "Germany's Karsten Hein in action as fellow players look on")
.JPG "Squire acts as a Foreman as veteran Ace Man assists rookie Florence")
.JPG "Two giant steps into the unknown")
.JPG "Working like some sort of machine in the murky waters")
.JPG "Mation offers some advice")
.JPG "Mation was the only person to offer Oliver any sort of help when he emerged from the deep")
.JPG "Spot the Chappers")
.JPG "Ted dived straight in")
.JPG "Big Top getting deeper in the mire")
.JPG "A lot of detritus and balls from the pond")
.JPG "Oliver Florence flanked by Ace Man and fêted by Emily and Marion")
.JPG "Minigolfers 'Squire' Richard Gottfried and John 'Big Top Ted' McIver")
.JPG "Minigolfer 'Squire' Richard Gottfried in action on the sea front Crazy Golf course in Hastings")
