Skeg-Vegas!

We noticed in a few souvenir shops in Skegness, Lincolnshire, you could buy items bearing the name 'Skeg-Vegas'! There was also an amusement arcade there called 'Las Vegas'!

I really enjoyed the trip to Skegness and will go back. I also enjoyed our holiday to Las Vegas last summer (where we will also be returning).

If you enjoy the British seaside, with its Crazy Golf, beaches, Pier, rock, saucy postcards and lots to see and do, then you should definitely check the town out.

While we were visiting there was a news story in the local press about a review of the town in the latest Lonely Planet Guide, where Skegness was described as a 'tacky spectacle'.

In a way the Lonely Planet review was correct - the seaside is a bit 'tacky', but so are lots of UK seasides, and it depends on if you think 'tacky' is a bad thing or not? Along with the millions of other visitors to the resort, I enjoyed our stay and will go back again.

The review also said the town had the "ABC of the English seaside – amusements, bingo and candy floss" - on this I disagree. With twelve Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf courses on offer to visitors, surely the 'C' should stand for 'Crazy Golf'!

Emily and I have so far visited 137 seasides since we made a resolution in 2006 to try and visit every seaside in the UK. We've visited places like Great Yarmouth (which is great), Blackpool - which offer Minigolf and Amusements, to Southwold and Aldeburgh - which are a bit more sedate, but still nice to visit.

Really, you can visit loads of different types of seasides in the UK, some are tacky, some offer a more slow-paced resort, others offer great beaches, some are more like harbours with a little bit of beach, many offer great views and seascapes. With so much on offer, you can take your pick!

Related blog posts:
- List of courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

Little Las Vegas

Not like Big Las Vegas at all!

Outside the 'Little Las Vegas' Amusement Arcade at the Wallingford Funfair

Spotted at a funfair in Wallingford, Oxfordshire at the weekend.

BIG Buttons in Liverpool

Real Buttons in Las Vegas

BIG Buttons!

Spotted outside an Amusement Arcade in Liverpool!

Richard Gottfried and the HUGE 'Vegas' scene on an Amusement Arcade in Liverpool.

Video of me playing some BIG Buttons in Las Vegas

A not real three non-hole non-minigolf course on the strip in Las Vegas

Here's a link to a pic of me trying to play a not real three non-hole non-minigolf course on the strip in Las Vegas. Crazy Golf!

Looking forward to a return-trip to Las Vegas again in the future...

Gluten Free and Coeliac/Celiac Friendly Places to Eat in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

While on holiday in Las Vegas last month we were able to eat out at a number of great Gluten Free restaurants.

Among them were The Cracked Egg - 7660 W Cheyenne Ave #125, Las Vegas, NV 89129 - which had an extensive gluten free menu. I opted for the Southside Scramble, which filled me up for the whole day!



Botero at Encore Las Vegas - 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109-1967 - I had Steak Tartare to start (for the first time ever) which was excellent, followed by Organic Roasted Chicken, frisee salad and a natural jus. The service and the specialist menus were brilliant.



The Yard House - Town Square, 6593 Las Vegas Blvd S. Las Vegas, NV 89119 - here we watched the England vs. USA World Cup Match eating Rib-Eye Steak for breakfast, washed down with some great Redbridge Beer.



PF Changs - Aladdin/Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard, South Las Vegas, NV 89109 - I had an excellent meal of Egg Drop Soup to start, followed by Gluten Free Chang's Spicy Chicken. Delicious.



Outback Steakhouses - On the first evening in town we went to the restaurant at the Coke Bottle - 3785 Las Vegas Blvd, 4th Fl, Las Vegas, NV 89109 - (where I had an excellent Rib-Eye Steak and Garlic Mash, plus a huge side-salad), we returned on the last night and I went for a huge full rack of ribs (that I couldn't finish), and on our last day we went to the branch at Casino Royale - 3411 S Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 - (where I had another Rib-Eye Steak - this time for brunch!).




Big Al's Oyster Bar at The Orleans Hotel & Casino - 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, NV - did some great Cajun seafood, and had great service. It's a little off the strip, but well worth a visit to The Orleans. The hotel also has a great tenpin bowling alley!


Penazzi Oyster Bar in Harrahs Hotel & Casino - 3475 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89109-8922 - did some great Oysters, and cocktails too!


Whole Foods stores also offer a great range of Gluten Free foods (and beers!).

Redbridge Beer is great, and we also picked up a case of Bard's Beer, which was nice too.

Ahead of our holiday the Gluten Free Las Vegas Blog was a great source of information.

Unfortunately we couldn't visit every place that could cater for Coeliacs/Celiacs, but that is just one more reason for us to return again!

I also managed to drink plenty of my favourite soft drink while in the US - Mountain Dew!


The Wal-Mart Version - Mountain Lightning - is good too.

Results of the 2010 Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic

Between the 10th and 13th of June 2010 Luton Minigolfers Richard 'The Low-Roller' Gottfried and Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried headed to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA to compete in a 4-round, 72-hole tournament to crown the first ever Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic champion.

Photo: The competitors line-up before the tournament!


With a final score of 178(+34) the winner was Emily, having held the lead throughout the competition, beginning with her victory at King Putt Indoor Mini Golf on the 10th June, where she won by one-shot. Richard had a 72-hole score of 182(+38).

Photo: Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried Putting her way to victory at The Putt Park.
Videos from the final round at the Putt Park, including post-tournament interviews and comments are below.

Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic video 1 of 4


Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic video 2 of 4


Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic video 3 of 4


Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic video 4 of 4


The four courses played in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA were:
- King Putt Indoor Mini Golf - North West Las Vegas
- Pike's Pass Miniature Golf - Circus Circus, Las Vegas
- King Putt Indoor Mini Golf - Henderson, Las Vegas
- The Putt Park Miniature Golf - Las Vegas

Richard was Aces Champion in the competition with a total of 5 holes-in-one, to Emily's 3.

Photo: The 'fabulous' prize money up for grabs to the winner and runner-up.

Emily continues her undefeated streak in the USA, having won the Irregular Mini Golf Tour's Las Vegas Invitational on her last visit to Las Vegas in September 2008.

Not a minigolf course on the Las Vegas Strip!?

But it looked like one!

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Visit #178 - The Putt Park Miniature Golf - Las Vegas

The 178th course visit on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was to the only outdoor Miniature Golf course in Las Vegas - the 18-hole course at The Putt Park, on South Fort Apache/Pine Plaza.

The course was in great condition and was a tough test, without the heat to contend with! Some nice holes, and some terrifying second (and third!) Putts were had on many of the holes.

A nice touch was the three-hole practice area before the first tee.





The course visit was also the venue for the last round of our 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' tournament, which after three rounds was led by Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried by one-shot.

After the round at The Putt Park it was Emily who would walk away with the spoils of victory, with a commanding three-shot victory over Richard 'The Low Roller' Gottfried 48-51.

Videos from the visit.

Visit to The Putt Park Miniature Golf course in Las Vegas 1 of 3


Visit to The Putt Park Miniature Golf course in Las Vegas 2 of 3


Visit to The Putt Park Miniature Golf course in Las Vegas 3 of 3

King Putt Indoor Mini Golf - Henderson, Las Vegas

Visiting the King Putt Indoor Mini Golf course in Henderson, Nevada.


Our third minigolf course visit in Las Vegas, Nevada was to the sister-course of the Jungle King Putt in the north west (visit #175) at Tut's King Putt at Southeastern Avenue/Beltway Marketplace on Saturday 12th June.

The course is also an 18-hole indoor blacklight minigolf course, this time with an Egyptian-theme!

Some excellent holes, and some great theming - check out the Mummy's Tomb video below!








The course visit was also the location for the third round of our 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' tournament and once again Emily and I tied in the match! Scores below:
Richard 'The Low Roller' Gottfried - 43(+7)
Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried - 43(+7)

Emily's one-shot lead that she had maintained since the 10th and our first stop would therefore continue to the fourth and final round of the competition!

Videos from the visit.

Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Henderson, Las Vegas 1 of 2


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Henderson, Las Vegas 2 of 2 - here Emily plays the 'Mummy's Tomb' hole!


In a non 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' tournament round we decided to take advantage of a clear course ahead of us and the great $4 same-day replay offer for another round. This time I beat Emily 43-46 in the 'Irregular Mini Golf Tour 4-Buck Replay Classic'.

Link:
- King Putt

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf in Las Vegas
- Las Vegas
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Visit #176 - Pike's Pass Miniature Golf - Circus Circus, Las Vegas

The second course we visited in Las Vegas was at the Adventure Dome at Circus Circus.

Emily had previously visited the course in September 2008, but it was to be my first play of the 18-hole 'Pike's Pass Miniature Golf' course.


The holes were quite short and did allow for a few Ace-opportunities. However, it's not the best course I've played to be honest. The Adventure Dome itself and the Circus Circus hotel are great though - nice theming, and playing minigolf with a rollercoaster going over your head is a new experience!





The scores from the second round of the first ever 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' competition were:
Richard 'The Low Roller' Gottfried - 40(+4)
Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried - 40(+4)

This meant that Emily kept her one-shot lead heading into the third round at our next stop - the King Putt in southeast Las Vegas/Henderson.

Videos from the visit.

Pike's Pass Miniature Golf in Las Vegas 1 of 4


Pike's Pass Miniature Golf in Las Vegas 2 of 4


Pike's Pass Miniature Golf in Las Vegas 3 of 4


Pike's Pass Miniature Golf in Las Vegas 4 of 4

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Visit #175 - King Putt Indoor Mini Golf - North West Las Vegas

The first stop on our Tour of Las Vegas' minigolf courses was to the north west location of King Putt.

The Jungle King Putt at Mead and Tenaya is an 18-hole jungle-themed indoor blacklight minigolf course, the first full course of its type that we have played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

Having not really adjusted to 'Vegas-time' we had woken up very early on Thursday 10th June and decided to head out for some breakfast at The Cracked Egg in the north west and then head over to King Putt.

However, our taxi driver didn't know anything about the roads 'off the strip' so we had a lovely scenic trip. With us not knowing the exact opening times of the course either meant that when we arrived at 8am(!?) we had a four hour wait until opening time! This allowed us to have a pleasant four mile walk in the 90 degree heat to The Cracked Egg and back, and still have time for some shopping at the Whole Foods Market on the same strip mall at West Lake Mead Boulevard.

The course was great fun to play, and the blacklight effects were very interesting. The 18th hole (see videos below) was also great, as you played your shot up a ramp, into a hole, where the ball was moved up a tube, then over a small bridge and down a wall of pegs until it dropped into one of a number of different scoring slots!

Great course, nice friendly staff and a good location - well worth a visit.






The course visit was also the location for the first round of the first ever 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' tournament that was to be played by me and Emily during out stay in Las Vegas.

The scores for round one:
Richard 'The Low Roller' Gottfried - 48(+12)
Emily 'Snake Eyes' Gottfried - 47(+11)

So Emily carried a one-shot lead into our next stop - at the Pike's Pass Miniature Golf course at the Circus Circus hotel's AdventureDome.

Videos from our visit.

Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - Intro 1 - 1 of 6


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - Intro 2 - 2 of 6


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - Intro 3 - 3 of 6


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - hole 18 - 4 of 6


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - hole 18 - 5 of 6


Visit to King Putt Indoor Minigolf in Las Vegas - post-match - 6 of 6

Minigolfing in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

We're just back from an excellent holiday in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, where between chilling out, gambling and drinking cocktails, we had the chance to play four of the City's Minigolf courses.

Full details of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visits to the two King Putt courses, Pike's Pass and The Putt Park, along with photos and video are to follow.

There will also be a report and full results from the first ever 'Las Vegas Minigolf Desert Classic' tournament that Emily and I competed in over the 72-holes played.

Las Vegas Invitational

Top GB Minigolfer and fellow Ham & Egger Emily Gottfried played in, and won, the Irregular Mini Golf Tour Las Vegas Invitational tournament this week - results and photos below.

24/09/2008 Irregular Mini Golf Tour Las Vegas Invitational
Pike's Pass Miniature Golf Course
Circus Circus Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Rank/Player/Score/Aces
1. Emily Gottfried = 38 (+2), 2 Aces
2. John Peace = 41 (+5), 3 Aces
3. Janie Peace = 51 (+15), 0 Aces




Related blog posts:
- Las Vegas
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour