Check out the new episode of the Puttcast minigolf podcast - "Global Mini Golf Trends - An Interview With Richard Gottfried".
It was brilliant being a guest on the show with my friends, fellow minigolf enthusiasts (and sometimes competition rivals!) Tom Loftus and Pat Sheridan and diving into the world of minigolf as it is now - and what the future may hold...
We always enjoy finding and seeing minigolf courses with branded pencils and our friend Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin minigolf review website has passed a fair few our way over the years.
But this one is most peculiar as it's a real life pencil for a virtual minigolf game!
The second is from The Sandtrap at 23rd & Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom.
It's always brilliant scorecards and other ephemera from miniature golf courses around the world and Pat has provided lots from his travels for fun and tournaments in the USA. They are a marvellous addition to the archives of the Crazy Golf Museum.
As many minigolfers around the world are in lockdown, self-isolation or quarantine the Putting Penguin has challenged all minigolf professionals, fanatics, and casual players to build a minigolf hole in their homes. Players who film themselves playing it, and post it to the Putting Penguin's Facebook page will be entered into the judging to win a prize pack of swag.
Putting Penguin team members Mandy and Pat will judge the holes based on the same criteria they use on their website: creativity, difficulty, and atmosphere.
Our friend and minigolf rival Pat Sheridan has made some superb donations to the Crazy Golf Museum's archives with a selection of scorecards and coupons from his recent travels as a tournament player and minigolf reviewer at the Putting Penguin.
It's always wonderful to see - and share - minigolf ephemera from around the world and Pat has donated a number of marvellous items to the Museum's collection over the years.
The latest haul from the USA come from his visit to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, USA - a real hotbed of minigolf courses - where Pat competed in the 2017 USPMGA Master's tournament. There are also some items from Missouri and Florida.
My fellow minigolf enthusiast Pat Sheridan has entered the world of blogging.
Having had his entry to the USPMGA US Open tournament accepted, pro-putter Pat Sheridan is readying himself for a tilt at the title. In the lead-up to tee-off he'll be keeping the world up-to-date on his new blog.
Since 2001 Pat and his colleague Mandy Ranslow have operated the world's largest miniature golf course review website - The Putting Penguin.
Veteran minigolfer and rookie blogger Pat Sheridan about to tee-off at Putt in the Park in London, England
The 2015 US Open competition will be hosted by the Champions Golf Learning Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina on 15 and 16 May.
Pat has played in 36 minigolf tournaments in his career, winning three events in 2011 - the Ice Breaker Tournament, Ocean's 18 Tournament and Mulligan's Warm Up Tournament. In USPMGA events Pat recorded a 12th place finish at the 2014 US Open, and was 5th in the 2014 Maine State Dolphin Open.
The Putting Penguin's ambassador to the UK receives a warm welcome to King's Cross station
Pat was in the UK on business and with a little free time upon arrival we headed to one of London's minigolf courses for a round.
Pat taking a photo of Duffer the penguin as Squire putts
It was great to meet up with a friend, fellow minigolf enthusiast and multiple time minigolf champion in the USA, and we had a fun round on the 12-hole Putt in the Park miniature golf course at Wandsworth Park in (aptly named) Putney.
For the record, the results of the international encounter were:
1st - Richard Gottfried 32
2nd - Pat Sheridan (USA) 34
3rd - Emily Gottfried 35
The prize giving ceremony on the 12th green at Putt in the Park
We're already looking forward to the return contest in the USA!
Pat Sheridan playing his first shot on a UK minigolf course. He scored a hole-in-one!
The long second hole is tackled by Pat
Emily tapping in on the third
Pat taking a long route to the hole
A tough shot from the bunker
Emily played an incredible second putt from the wrong side of the water to almost get a two
A tricky second putt on the island green
Playing the final hole
A Putting Penguin Mascot and Putting Penguin logo golf ball
Check out the links below for more details on the Putting Penguin - the world's largest minigolf review website. The site, run by Pat and fellow minigolf fanatic Mandy Ranslow, has recently reached the 250 reviews mark. If you play a course anywhere in the world do submit a review.
Richard Gottfried runner-up in the 1st Annual Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt
Australia’s Allan Cox victorious in battle to win Putter King Title, Pat Sheridan of the USA third
Luton Minigolfer Richard Gottfried has finished as the runner-up in the Putter King’s international Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt. The two-month long competition ended in a draw on the 1st of November with Richard, 31, tied for first place with Australia’s Allan Cox, 50. The overall winner was decided on the 13th November as the votes cast for the best Minigolf Trick Shot submitted to the contest were counted, with Allan Cox winning with 212 votes to Richard’s 89.
The 1st Annual Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt took place on Miniature Golf courses worldwide and people were invited to track down and record items and achievements related to all forms of Minigolf.
Photo: Richard Gottfried & Putty, the Putter King Mascot
17 tasks were set, with some activities also carrying bonus points. Altogether Richard managed to complete 15 of the 17 tasks scoring a total of 820 points. The activities in the 2011 Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt had the players designing new holes, playing new courses, showing off their minigolf ball collections, (re)learning Maths & Physics (in a fun way) through the Putter King Education Programme, doing arts & crafts, autograph hunting, scoring holes-in-one, creating minigolf trick shots and a whole lot more!
In total, there were 1,370 available points. Allan Cox (AUS) won the competition with 960 total points. Richard Gottfried (UK) finished in second place with 900 total points and Patrick Sheridan (USA) finished in 3rd place with 585 total points.
Richard said “Congratulations to Allan Cox for winning the Putter King Miniature Scavenger Hunt with his great minigolf trick shot and many thanks to the Putter King team for organising such a brilliant contest, I dread to think what lengths they’ll have us going to in next year’s contest!”
Richard Gottfried is a British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Tour Pro, Great Britain International Minigolfer & a member of the 2008 BMGA British Club Champions – the Midlands Minigolf Club. He has also won the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open, Weymouth Open, and is a two-time Manchester Mini Major Champion. He and his wife/Coach/Opponent and sometimes team-mate Emily have played over 400 Crazy Golf and Minigolf courses on their Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. They are currently writing a book about their travels.
The Putter King has posted a Facebook Question asking for fans worldwide to vote on their favourite trick shot (mine or my rival Allan Cox's) and the contestant with the most votes as of Sunday, November 13th at 11:59 P.M. JST will be deemed the winner of the 1st Annual Putter King Scavenger Hunt.
Please vote for my video of a Blindfolded Minigolf Hole-in-One at the following link:
Votes needed to help Brit win Japanese Miniature Golf Competition
Luton’s Richard Gottfried tied with Australia’s Allan Cox in battle to win Putter King Title
Luton Minigolfer Richard Gottfried is looking for help in order to win an international Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt organised by the Putter King Minigolf franchise in Japan. The two-month long competition ended in a draw on the 1st of November with Richard, 31, tied for first place with Australia’s Allan Cox, 50. But a clear overall winner still needs to be decided, and your vote could count!
The 1st Annual Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt has been taking place on Miniature Golf courses worldwide and people were invited to track down and record items and achievements related to all forms of Minigolf.
In total 17 tasks were set, with some activities also carrying bonus points. Altogether Richard managed to complete 15 of the 17 tasks scoring a total of 820 points. The activities in the 2011 Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt have had the players designing new holes, playing new courses, showing off their minigolf ball collections, (re)learning Maths & Physics (in a fun way) through the Putter King Education Programme, doing arts & crafts, autograph hunting, scoring holes-in-one, creating minigolf trick shots and a whole lot more!
Photo: On the 24th and 25th October Richard built "PK Island" to complete Task 3 on the Putter King List - a full-size minigolf hole with a plateau and ramp obstacle. Photos - 1, 2, 3, 4. Videos - 1, 2
To decide the ultimate winner of the competition the Putter King has set one final task – ‘Get the most votes for your trick shot video.’
Richard filmed his minigolf trick shot, which involved him scoring a hole-in-one while wearing a Blindfold at Tea Green Golf Club, Wandon End, near Luton. You can find the two minigolf trick shots on the Putter King Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/putterking where you can also vote for the one you’d like to win.
Video: Richard scoring the Blindfolded Hole-in-One Minigolf Trick Shot at Tea Green Golf Club!
Richard said “The Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt has been a great event and it’s unbelievable that the final is so close. The Hunt has been a truly international competition and I never thought it’d come down to a battle between a Brit against an Aussie to win a Japanese Minigolf contest with an American in third place! We’re definitely Crazy Golfers with the lengths we’ve gone to win.”
USA Minigolf rival Pat Sheridan, of The Putting Penguin Minigolf Team was the bronze medallist in the Putter King Miniature Golf Scavenger Hunt with a very impressive haul of 585 points. Rival finalist Allan Cox is a Putt Putt Minigolf Pro and plays for the Ermington Putters Club in Sydney, Australia.
Photo: Great Britain's Richard Gottfried with Putty, the Putter King Mascot!
Richard is a British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Tour Pro, Great Britain International Minigolfer & a member of the 2008 BMGA British Club Champions – the Midlands Minigolf Club. He has also won the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open, Weymouth Open, and is a two-time Manchester Mini Major Champion. He and his wife/Coach/Opponent and sometimes team-mate Emily have visited over 400 Crazy Golf and Minigolf courses on their Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. They are currently writing a book about their travels.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
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.JPG "Putt in the Park Crazy Golf course in Wandsworth Park, London")
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.JPG "Putt in the Park Mini-Golf course in Wandsworth Park, London")
.JPG "The Putting Penguin mascot at Putt in the Park Mini-Golf course in Wandsworth Park, London")
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.JPG "Putt in the Park Adventure Golf course in Wandsworth Park, London")
