Crazy Golf at Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park

A look at the Crazy Golf course at Haven's Doniford Bay Holiday Park in Somerset.

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival Seth Thomas for sending over some snaps of the Crazy Golf course at Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park in Watchet, Somerset.

Check out the Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park website for more information.

It's always nice to find out about new and different miniature golf courses. Hopefully we'll get to visit this on on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Millport Crazy Golf

A look at the Crazy Golf course in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival Seth Thomas for sending over this snap of the Crazy Golf course in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland from his recent trip.

Millport Crazy Golf. Photo by Seth Thomas, 2024

We played the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour ten years ago while in Scotland for the Commonwealth Games.

Check out the Millport Crazy Golf Facebook Page for more information.

Trowbridge Park Mini Golf

A look at the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf course.

My friend and minigolf rival (and sometimes team-mate) Seth Thomas recently swung by the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and sent me these snaps.

It looks to be a type of Eternit-style miniature golf layout.

Check out the Trowbridge Park Mini Golf Facebook Page for more information.

It's another new old course for us to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery in London

A look back at The Brewmaster's Open minigolf tournament at the Camden Town Brewery in London.

We competed in The Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery eight years ago today. It was part of the brilliant summer of sport in the capital.

Ready to compete

It was a superb event played on a portable 5-hole minigolf course from UrbanCrazy set up in a brewery! More than 200 players competed in the tournament.

Playing hole 1

The scorecards were some of the best I've ever seen.

Beermat scorecards!

It was a marvellous day out.

Taking a 'refreshment break' at the Camden Town Brewery during The Brewmaster's Open tournament

Christopher Gottfried playing in The Brewmaster's Open at the Camden Town Brewery in London as Emily and Simon Hall look on

  

Hole 1

Inside the brewery miniature golf course

Alan Norman teeing-off the competition

Alan 'Stormin' Norman won The Brewmaster's Open with his round of 8. I finished in tied 2nd place alongside Seth Thomas.

The podium - me, Alan Norman and Seth Thomas

The leaderboard

We also played our own three-round tournament, you can read about it in my blog post Mini Golf at the Camden Town Brewery in London.

In action

Check out the Camden Town Brewery website.

Visit UrbanCrazy's website for more info on portable putting courses.

------------

Sign-up to receive the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour enewsletter

Crazy Golf at The Grove Park in Carshalton, Surrey

A look at the Crazy Golf course at The Grove Park in Carshalton.

Many thanks to my friend and minigolf rival Seth Thomas for sending me a snap of the Crazy Golf course at The Grove Park in Carshalton, Surrey. He photographed the course while he was out on his daily exercise.

Crazy Golf course at The Grove Park in Carshalton

Obviously the course is closed during the lockdown.

We visited the 9-hole course late in the day on a Sunday in March 2013. It was closed then too.

It was the 527th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 948 courses since September 2006.

The course was home to a Humpty

The course once appeared in an episode of British police procedural drama The Bill.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester

Last Saturday we visited Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre in Manchester for a couple of games against our friend and minigolf rival Seth 'Clockwork Orange' Thomas.

Having recently won the PIAG Open championship Emily was the one to beat and in the first round, played on the Tiki Hut Trail, Emily took the win with a score of 37. Seth was second with a 39, while I hit a 40.

Emily playing hole 5 of the Tiki Hut Trail Adventure Golf course

Round two took place on the Temple Ruins layout. I scored a round of 35, including seven holes-in-one! Emily was second with a 38, while Seth was one-shot back to finish third.

Seth playing hole 4 of the Tiki Hut Trail Adventure Golf course

Emily and I tied for the win on 75 shots each, with Seth on a combined score of 78.

Emily playing hole 17 of the Temple Ruins Adventure Golf course

Link:
- Paradise Island Adventure Golf

Related blog posts:
- PIAG
- Paradise Island Adventure Golf

Skegness Minigolf Championship 2015

Report from the Skegness Minigolf Weekender.

The Crazy Mini Golfers in Skegness

Over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May 2015 we headed to Skegness in Lincolnshire for a seaside outing full of traditional British seaside fun and games.

Four Jolly Fishermen in Bracing Skegness

Part of the trip involved the Skegness Minigolf Championship that saw ten players compete across five-rounds on five courses in the town.

Emily playing one of the hardest holes on the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course

Starting at the Arnold Palmer Putting Courses on Saturday 9th May (which also happened to be National Miniature Golf Day) six of the competitors lined-up on the 18-hole Crazy Golf course.

Alan playing the classic Windmill hole

During round one John 'Big Al' Moore arrived to take over on scoring duties and was ready to compete in round two.

Alan putting on hole 6. The Big Wheel is especially tricky if you don't plan your tee-shot properly. As Chris found out

Brad Shepherd had scored a very good two over par 38 in the first round to take the lead. There was a three-way tie for second place with Emily Gottfried, Richard Gottfried and Seth Thomas all scoring 42. Alan Norman was one-shot further back on 43, with Chris Jones shooting a 45.

Richard playing the Rocket Ship hole

After winning a free game on the lucky last hole, tournament leader Brad led out the groups on the 9-hole Crazy Golf course.

Brad about to Ring The Bell on the Lucky Last Hole

Brad and his winnings

Following the second round there was a tie for first place, with Brad and Seth on 62. Emily was one-shot back on 63.

Seth putting

The grass Putting course at the Arnold Palmer centre would be the final course played in the tournament on the Sunday, so the players then made their way along the prom to course number three - the Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course.

John Moore making a cameo appearance on the Pebble Beach Adventure Golf course

Once again seven players teed-off, with Brad just about arriving in time to play having been waylaid en route between the North Parade and the Pleasure Beach.

Chris playing the tough last hole

The 9-hole Pebble Beach Adventure Golf saw some more close scores and Brad was able to extend his lead by one-shot having scored par. Seth remained in second place after a 19, with Emily, Alan and Richard all scoring 20. John and Chris had disappointing rounds of 24 and 25 respectively.

Richard at Pebble Beach

With a break scheduled, the group played the two shooting shacks in the Pleasure Beach before part of the contingent headed to the town's charity shops, while others went to play some Bingo and have a spot of lunch.

A face full of manky water at the Faulty Repair Shop shooting shack at the Pleasure Beach

The Hill Billy shooting shack fun

Emily with her one and a half wins worth of Bingo prizes - a cheese knife and a building block type toy kit

During the break in play the group was joined by Rhyl's #1 minigolfer Peter 'The Crazy Aced Assassin' Jones who warmed-up for the next round proper in an impromptu Aces Competition on the Original Crazy Golf course on South Parade.

The Crazy Aced Assassin scoring an Ace

The event saw four-players play the 12-hole course using an 11-Wood that Chris had bought in a charity shop as the course was not open (it hadn't been open on the Friday either. It was however open on the Sunday).

A well struck shot from Seth manages to hit Brad

The tied winners of the Aces contest were Peter and Richard who both scored one hole-in-one. In a play-off on hole two Richard managed to score another ace to take the overall victory. Alan and Chris finished in tied second-place after regulation play.

Richard managing to get the ball through the dolphin

With John's stay in Skegness a short one as he had an athletics meeting to attend in Coventry, seven-players continued to the Gold Mine Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Beach for round four.

Seth putting at the Gold Mine

The Gold Mine would prove a happier hunting ground for Alan and Richard as they tied for the half-win after scoring rounds of 19 on the 9-hole layout.

Richard playing his second shot through a pipe

Brad once again held onto the lead by one-shot from Alan, with Seth a shot further back having scored a 23 at the Gold Mine. Peter Jones scored a 25, with Chris scoring 25, while Emily hit a 29.

Alan playing at the Gold Mine Adventure Golf course

At the end of day one the rankings were:
1. Brad Shepherd = 102
2. Alan Norman = 103
3. Seth Thomas = 104
4. Richard Gottfried = 106
5. Emily Gottfried = 112
6. Chris Jones = 116
7. John Moore = DNS & DNF, but played 18-holes
8. Peter Jones = DNS & DNF, but played 12-holes
Note: These results were also the final rankings of the 2015 National Miniature Golf Day Championship.

After a great night out in Skegness the players awoke ready to play the final of the Skegness Championship. The first round of day two was planned to take place at the Lost World Adventure Park on North Parade. However this was cancelled as the theme park was found to have closed down! The final 18-holes would be played out on the grass Putting course at the Arnold Palmer Putting Centre.

Seth teeing-off on hole 2 of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course

Joining the six players left standing were local competitors Eric Huckle, the 2014 Butler Cup Champion, and Steven Huckle. The round would also constitute the Holiday on the Buses Reunion Mini Golf Competition.

Brad putting

In the Mini Golf Putting course round Richard won with a score of 42. Brad and Alan tied for second-place with rounds of 45. Chris and Seth both hit 46, with Emily on 49. Eric scored 58 and Steven shot a 74.

The podium of the Skegness Minigolf Championship

The overall event went to the wire, with Brad managing to hold off a late challenge from Richard, while Alan narrowly missed forcing a play-off, as Seth's challenge slipped on the grass playing surface.

Brad receives the Skegness Minigolf Championship trophy from reigning Holiday on the Buses Butler Cup Champion Eric Huckle

The final Skegness Minigolf Championship results were:
1. Brad Shepherd = 38+24+18+22+45 = 147
2. Alan Norman = 43+21+20+19+45 = 148
2. Richard Gottfried = 42+25+20+19+42 = 148
3. Seth Thomas = 42+20+19+23+46 = 150
4. Emily Gottfried = 42+21+20+29+49 = 161
5. Chris Jones = 45+19+25+27+46 = 162
6. John Moore = DNS & DNF, but played 18-holes scoring 48
6. Eric Huckle = DNS but played 18-holes scoring 58
6. Steven Huckle = DNS but played 18-holes scoring 74
7. Peter Jones = DNS & DNF, but played 12-holes scoring 25

The Crazy Mini Golfers at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course

All of the players agreed the seaside resort was a marvellous place for a weekend away. With plenty of things to see and do, great places to eat and drink, and a nice pier and beach.

Emily and Seth cleaned up at the Arabian Camel Derby on Skegness Pier

Richard and another mascot

Skegness is the town with the most miniature golf courses in the UK - with a current count of 110-holes, spread over ten Crazy, Mini, Adventure, Putting and Pitch & Putt courses!

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf Courses on the Lincolnshire Coast

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Skegness
- National Miniature Golf Day Championship report
- Holiday on the Buses Reunion Mini Golf Competition report