Report from the Great Northern Minigolf Open in Wigan

Scott Lancley wins the inaugural Great Northern Minigolf Open in Wigan.

Margate's Scott Lancley won the Great Northern Minigolf Open played in Wigan's Haigh Woodland Park on Saturday 8th April.

Scott Lancley on his way to victory on Haigh Woodland Park's Crazy Golf course

Played over two rounds on the park's two 18-hole courses, Lancley won with a 36 hole score of 87. Stockport's Richard Gottfried was runner-up on 93, with Ramsbottom's Russ Dent finishing in third place on 95. A total of nine players took part in the first staging of the event.

The finishers in the Great Northern Minigolf Open

Russ Dent was making a return to competitive minigolf after a seven-year break and rolled back the years with an impressive round of 44 on the Adventure Golf course to lead by five shots after round one. Gottfried and Lancley were in a tie for second after round one.

Russ Dent hitting only his second shot in seven years

Richard Gottfried playing the Windmill and Plateau hole on the new Adventure Golf course as John Moore looks on

However, Lancley's visit to the north wasn't for nothing as he stormed to an amazing round of 38 on the Crazy Golf course to take the title and the trophy.

The top three from l-r Richard Gottfried, Scott Lancley, Russ Dent

Results of the 2017 Great Northern Minigolf Open:
1st - Scott Lancley - 49+38=87
2nd - Richard Gottfried - 49+44=93
3rd - Russ Dent - 44+51=95
4th - Emily Gottfried - 52+49=101
5th - John Moore - 54+50=104
6th - Cat Patterson - 65+59=124
7th - Ryan Lancley - 65 DNF
8th - Ethan Rottenbury - 67 DNF
9th - Zoe Lancley - 83 DNF

Speaking after his victory Scott said "I'm humbled to have won the first Great Northern Minigolf Open and put my win down to my vast experience of the second course we played today."

Scott on his way to victory on the Crazy Golf course

Players had travelled from Kent, other parts of Greater Manchester, Bedfordshire and Tyneside to compete in the tournament.

For once John Moore hadn't travelled the furthest to compete

The Aces championship for most holes-in-one was a very close contest. The first course had proven incredibly tough and no players had recorded an ace during the 18-holes. John Moore was the first to hit an ace, doing so on hole 1 of the Crazy Golf course. Richard followed this with a hole-in-one on the second. There was another drought until Russ hit a perfect shot on the 14th hole. Emily managed until the last minute to get an ace, doing so on the 18th. However, it was to be Scott taking the Aces title to go alongside the main event as he hit aces on the 16th and 18th to do the double.

Nuts! Richard playing the Adventure Golf course

Russ on his way to a clubhouse lead after round one

Scott in action during round one

Emily plays the Tank hole 16th on the Crazy Golf course

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea

A revisit to Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea for the tenth anniversary of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

On the 30th September 2016 we returned to Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Southsea to celebrate our BIG minigolf milestone of ten years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Our friends John 'Big Al' Moore and Cat 'Helter Skelter' Patterson joined us to mark the occasion with a round on the Victory Trail and Warrior Trail pirate themed Adventure Golf courses.

A view of the Treasure Island Adventure Golf layout in Southsea

Playing hole 1 of the Victory Trail

Emily playing hole 1 of the Victory Trail

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began back in 2006 while we were in Southsea visiting my brother Christopher. We decided to have a round on the Victory Trail Adventure Golf course and at the end of the 9-holes I managed to fire the cannon on the Lucky Last Hole to win a FREE GAME card. We returned to play the Warrior Trail the next day and our minigolfing adventures went on from there.

One of the crocodiles (or alligators) lurking on the course

After our round on the Victory Trail we all stepped up to play the Lucky Last Hole and unbelievably I won another FREE GAME!

Another FREE GAME CARD added to the collection

I also won a FREE GAME when we revisited the course on the fifth anniversary of our tour on the 30th September 2011, as well as on the 7th August 2015!

A look inside the Lucky Last Hole

Following our game on the Warrior Trail we tried our luck for another FREE GAME and this time Emily played the shot correctly to win a pass!

Emily about to win

In the tenth anniversary competition on the Victory Trail I picked up the win with a round of 20. Emily was second on 23, with John Moore third on 25. Cat shot a 31.

About to ace the eighth hole on the Victory Trail - Rusty Anchor

Emily putting

John Moore in action

In the round on the Warrior Trail John Moore took the win with a score of 23. Emily and I tied on 29, with Cat scoring a 37.

John Moore was victorious to win a knitted clown trophy

In the overall rankings John won the title and 'trophy' with a combined score of 48. I was one shot back on 49, with Emily finishing third on a total of 53. Cat scored a total of 68 to pick up the wooden spoon.

The minigolfers on the podium. In an incorrect order

The two 9-hole Adventure Golf courses at Treasure Island are well worth a visit and play. We know we'll be heading back for more games in the future.

Another alligator (or crocodile)

A view of the Treasure Island course

Emily playing at Treasure Island

Holing out

Check out the Treasure Island Adventure Golf website for opening times and prices.

Link:
- Treasure Island Adventure Golf

Related blog posts:
- From the Vault - Southsea Minigolf 2006
- Five years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Nine years of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Southsea

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.

Petanque in Stockport

Playing boules with Woodstock Pétanque Club at Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport. 

As big fans of boules and petanque it was great to hear that we've got a local club in Stockport.

The Woodstock Pétanque Club play at Alexandra Park in Edgeley and recently held a series of open taster events. We went along for a game and it was great fun.

Emily throwing a boules

The Edgeley terrain was certainly an interesting playing surface and there were a few local hazards on the pistes we played our games on.

In action

We had three pairs games - with Paul from the club giving us tips - which resulted in some very close ends, and ultimately three defeats for me. Emily picked up a couple of wins, as did a visiting John 'Big Al' Moore.

A high toss from John

The Woodstock Pétanque Club meet on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month and are looking for new members to enable the club to meet weekly.

It costs just £10 for the annual membership, with a £1 fee per week when you play. The season runs from March to October.

Check out the Woodstock Pétanque Club on Twitter, Facebook and their website for more details.

Related blog posts:
- Pétanque
- Petanque
- Boules

Links:
- Woodstock Pétanque Club on Twitter
- Woodstock Pétanque Club on Facebook
- Woodstock Pétanque Club website
- English Pétanque Association

Minigolf in Helsinki, Finland

My friend, minigolf rival, sometimes team-mate and international sporting superstar John 'Big Al' Moore was recently in Vantaa, Finland where he was competing in the 2016 European Transplant Sport Championships. In a break in his running competitions - where he won gold medals to add to his World and British titles - he managed to fit in a round of minigolf on a Swedish Felt miniature golf course near the Oulunkylä train station in Helsinki. Check out the photos of the course below. John tells me he scored a rather nifty round of 45(+9) on the layout.

We've played a Swedish Felt course in Finland too. At the 2008 EMF Nations Cup in Tampere we had a round on the course next to the two tournament layouts.

We've also played minigolf in Sweden. But neither of those courses was of the Swedish Felt variety.

You can read a European Transplant Sport Championships interview with John on the Vantaa 2016 Games website.

John is back in action this weekend at the British Transplant Games 2016 in Liverpool. He don't half get around!

Dinosaur Encounter Adventure Golf at Heighley Gate Garden Centre

New Jurassic Mini Golf course opening in Morpeth, Northumberland.

Our friend, and sister of superstar minigolfer (and all-round sporting marvel) John 'Big Al' Moore, Kay Heslop alerted us to a brand new minigolf course opening soon in the north of England!

The Dinosaur Encounter Adventure Golf course will be a 12-hole layout located at the Heighley Gate Garden Centre in Morpeth, Northumberland. It's scheduled to open on Saturday 5th March 2016.

The team at Golf Attractions are behind the new dino-themed course. We've visited and played their portable courses in Milton Keynes and Hatfield. They've also got a Jurassic Golf course at Bridgemere Garden Centre in Nantwich, Cheshire.

One of the temporary Golf Attractions courses has a Jurassic-theme. We played it when it was set-up in Milton Keynes in 2013

Visit the Golf Attractions website and Dinosaur Encounter Heighley Gate Adventure Golf Facebook page for more details and photos of the course as it builds towards the grand opening.

We're looking forward to having a round on the course as part of our Crazy Golf World of Minigolf Tour.

Links:
- Golf Attractions website
- Dinosaur Encounter Heighley Gate Adventure Golf Facebook page
- Heighley Gate Garden Centre website

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf World of Minigolf Tour

- Jurassic Golf from Golf Attractions in Milton Keynes

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow Richard and Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Mini Golf course at Vivary Park in Taunton

Playing the Mini Golf course in Taunton's Vivary Park.

The Mini Golf course in Vivary Park, Taunton

The 380th course we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the 18-hole Mini Golf course at Vivary Park in Taunton, Somerset.

The last stop on our tour around the South West of England last summer

It's a brilliant course that rewards well aimed shots. It's similar to the great miniature golf courses you can find in Dorridge, near Solihull, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Like those two courses Vivary Park has also been the host venue for a tournament - the 2006 British Minigolf Championship, won by Wallsend's John 'Thighs' Moore.

The layout was the 62nd visited and 17th played on our tour of the South West of England in the summer of 2015. It became the 640th we visited in the UK, and the 661st overall.

In our minigolf match at Vivary Park on the 12th June 2015 Emily scored 45 and I shot a par round of 36. We'd definitely play there again. Check out the photos below to see the 18-holes.

For more information, opening times and prices visit the Tone Leisure website. There's also a regular golf course in the park, as well as a Footgolf layout. As you can see from the photos of the course there's a high ropes centre there too.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Mini Golf in the South West of England

Link:
- Tone Leisure website

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow Richard and Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.