Minigolf in The World Games - Karlsruhe 2029

After 40 Years Minigolf Returns to The World Games.

The World Minigolf Sport Federation today announced that minigolf has been selected as one of the sports in The World Games 2029 in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The World Games was first held in the United States in 1981 and every four years has been a showcase for sports and disciplines that are not part of the Olympic Games.

Karlsruhe will be the the first city to host the World Games a second time after hosting in 1989, which also was the year minigolf was last included in the sports played.

The WMF will run the minigolf event alongside Deutscher Minigolfsport Verband (DMV).

Find out more.

You can read the full news item on the World Minigolf Sport Federation website.

About the World Minigolf Sport Federation.

The WMF is the umbrella organisation of Minigolf sports associations worldwide and continental associations in Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

The World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) is a member of GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations), AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport) and TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All).

The WMF is developing and growing as a competitive sport, while also helping to promote the benefits of the game as a fun and accessible leisure activity.

The WMF organises World Championships, which are played every two years and Youth World/Open European Championships, which are each played every year.

The British Minigolf Association and the WMF.

The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) is the UK's member association of the WMF and organises a calendar of tournaments each season. These include national, club, local and open events.

The BMGA also selects players to compete in international championships as part of the Great Britain team.

Playing in WMF tournaments.

Emily and I competed on the BMGA Tour from 2007 to 2015, and were members of the Great Britain team that competed in the 2011 Nations Cup in Finland and the 2013 Nations Cup in Sweden.

We also competed in the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournaments in Hastings in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Emily is a two-time WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Champion, winning the title in 2011 and 2013.

Emily Gottfried - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Champion in 2011

We were both ranked in the WMF World Rankings, where Emily reached a high of 98th in December 2015, and I was ranked a high of 345th in March 2012.

Playing the Eternit Miniature Golf course at the Manse Ratagolf Club in Tampere, Finland in 2008

Serving on the WMF and BMGA Committees.

I led on marketing and media activity for the BMGA between 2008 and 2013, and I was a member of the WMF's Marketing and Media Committee between 2008 and 2014 where I worked closely with colleagues around the world, as well as the wider board, member associations and continental federations.

Links:

• The World Games
• The World Games Karlsruhe 2029
• World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF)
• Deutscher Minigolfsport Verband (DMV)

Winning the 2012 World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championships

A look back at the 2012 World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales.

I was one half of the winning pair to scoop the title of World Egg Throwing Championships at the World Alternative Games in 2012!

My team-mate Jas Kukielka and I were victorious in a field of 19 teams, with players from Wales, England, France, the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands competing for the gold medal.

The 2012 World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championships Gold Medal winning team and the Silver Medallists - from l-r Jas 'Jasain Bolt' Kukielka, Richard Gottfried (with Egg), Seve Kukielka

The sport involves one player as the Egg Thrower and one as the Egg Catcher. Each pair chose two raw eggs and throw / toss / lob the egg to their partner. The Thrower always remains at one end, with the Catcher moving further back after each successful catch until there is just one team left standing with a whole unbroken egg.

About the World Alternative Games.

The World Alternative Games was a festival of sport that took place in Britain’s Smallest Town – Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales. The inaugural edition in 2012 saw over 50 different weird and wacky, odd and obscure sports taking place during the two week event.

The World Alternative Games were held in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Find out more on the World Alternative Games website.

Ham & Egging.

When I started blogging about taking part in different sports and games back in 2006 I never realised that six years later I’d be an actual world champion!

Related blog posts:

• Egg
• Egg Throwing
• Llanwrtyd Wells
• World Alternative Games

Cornhole Golf - a cross-between cornhole and minigolf!

A look at the new game of Cornhole Golf.

I recently found out about a new sport - Cornhole Golf.

Cornhole Golf is a new twist on the games of cornhole and minigolf.

You can currently play Cornhole Golf at Mars-Bethel Golf in Mars, Pennsylvania and at Beaverfork Lake RV Resort in Conway, Arkansas in the USA.

Check out the Cornhole Golf website for more information.

It's always interesting to find out about new twists, takes and versions of minigolf. It'd be brilliant to have a game of Cornhole Golf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

From Crazy Golf to Padel at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke

The old crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke is being replaced with four padel courts.

The crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke has been out of use for quite some time.

We visited the crazy golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2019.

Target Darts at the Land, Leisure & Tourism Show

Playing darts at the Land, Leisure & Tourism Show.

I attended the recent Land, Leisure & Tourism Show at the NEC in Birmingham and one of the stands and attractions that caught my eye was the one from Target Darts.

I had three games on the Omni Auto Scoring Darts set-up where I played against 'Dartbot' in three games where I was whitewashed!

It was such a slick system to play on and brilliant fun.

I even got to have a photo with the Sid Waddell Trophy, aka the PDC World Darts Championship Trophy!

Find out more

Check out the Target Darts and the Land, Leisure & Tourism Show websites for more information.

Related posts:

• Darts
• Pub Games
• Leisure

NFL Experience Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester

Visiting the NFL Experience New York Jets Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester.

I had a fun afternoon at the NFL UK Experience New York Jets Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Watch Party at Courts Club in Manchester on Sunday.

Met some mascots, saw the Vince Lombardi trophy, and played some mini-games.

With Edgar - one of the three Baltimore Ravens mascots

With Jaxson de Ville - aka Union Jaxson - the mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars

I watched a LOT of American Football over the weekend!

Hopefully there'll be more NFL events in Manchester in the future.

Find out more.

Visit the NFL UK & Ireland and Courts Club websites for more information.

Anyone for Tennis?

A look at the sports-themed Adventure Golf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire.

The tennis-themed hole and obstacles on the Romsey Rapids Adventure Golf course in Southampton

There were lots of sports on offer as obstacles on the sports-themed minigolf course at Romsey Rapids Sports Complex in Southampton, Hampshire when we swung by for a visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in May 2019.

The podium was a nice obstacle to have on the final hole of the course

The 18-hole course was the 877th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Romsey Rapids Sports Complex website for more information on the course and venue.

Crazy Golf at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke

Looking back at our visit to the Crazy Golf course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke.

Having a wander round the course at Fenton Manor Sports Complex back in 2019 we were struck with how crazy the layout and obstacles looked.

The Crazy Golf course in Fenton was loopy!

It was only later that we realised that the course had been set up so that each hole was in the shape of a letter and the 9-holes spelled out the words CRAZY GOLF!

This is a C

We have seen that before on some fibreglass Crazy Golf courses, but never on a permanent, landscaped course.

Clearly an R

A

Z

Y

G

O

L

F

Minigolf Pyramids - Landmark Golf at Wolsingham Sports Hall in County Durham (2019)

Playing the Landmark Golf course at Wolsingham Sports Hall in County Durham.

We swung by Wolsingham Sports Hall in County Durham back in 2019 for a game on the Landmark Golf course set-up there for the week.

It was fun to play around the world in 9-holes of crazy golf.

The Landmark Golf course was the 919th visited and 525th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Check out the Landmark Golf website for more information.

Medals from the Oswestry Games

A look at medals from the Oswestry Games in 2012.

These are some of the best medals I've ever won playing minigolf. They came from competing in tournaments at the 2012 Oswestry Games in Shropshire.

The Gold was from the BMGA & Putterfingers Oswestry Games Minigolf Championship and the Bronze medal was from the BMGA Oswestry Games Pro-Am Minigolf Classic. The silver medal was won by Emily in the Pro-Am team competition.

The Oswestry Games were a superb multi-sports event and festival of sport. They tapped into the Olympic spirit of London 2012.

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Landmark Golf in Wolsingham

Last year we played the Landmark Golf course in Wolsingham, County Durham.

We were on our way up to Newcastle upon Tyne for the World Transplant Games and called in to Wolsingham Sports Hall to play the pop-up Landmark Golf course.

We had a fun round on the nice layout

Visit the Landmark Golf website for more information.

The Landmark Golf course was the 919th we visited and 525th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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World Cycling Day

Happy World Cycling Day.

It's amazing how may different things we've seen depicted on minigolf courses - this cycling-themed hole is at Trailer Trash Jim's Crazy Golf course at Level Preston

I've been Putting At Home during lockdown as well as getting out and about on my BMX

Blogiversary of the Ham and Egger Files

Today marks thirteen years since the Ham and Egger Files began.

Thirteen years ago today I began blogging - where has the time gone!

People often ask me how a blog that is mostly about minigolf has the name the 'Ham and Egger Files'? The answer is that it didn't initially start out life as a minigolf blog.

On the 21st December 2006 I published my first post about how I planned to participate in as many obscure and minority sports as I could and see what would happen with the limited sporting ability I have!

The term 'ham and egger' has connotations ranging from that of 'ordinary person' to that of 'loser'. The origin of the term comes from prize fighters whose modest skills wouldn’t let them win large purses. Therefore, the fighter or their manager - who received a percentage of purses won - were never able to afford to eat better than ham and eggs.

Since that first post I have gone on to publish more than 3,500 posts! Admittedly most of them have been about minigolf.

At our 900th minigolf course - the North Bay Crazy Golf course in Scarborough

Our interest in minigolf and what would soon become our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour had actually begun on the 30th September 2006, but I didn't publish a post about the sport until the 29th January 2007 when I announced that I had joined the British Minigolf Association - a tournament circuit I made my actual debut on in Southend-on-Sea on the 28th April 2007.

Since my first year of blogging Emily and I have now visited 940 miniature golf courses, played in hundreds of tournaments and competed in lots of different sports and games. I've won quite a few titles along the way too, not too bad for a Ham n' Egger.

Back in 2006 we were still playing dodgeball and we ran leagues into 2007. I've dipped (dodged and dived) back into the sport intermittently over the years and just recently have got back into playing the ultimate underdog sport.

Dodgeballing at the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club

A massive thank you goes out to everyone who has ever read one of my posts, commented, shared, or guest blogged on the site, it's very much appreciated.

Emily and I are always happy to hear about new minigolf courses, new sports and games, new places to visit and interesting things to write about. Please do get in touch if you have any ideas or suggestions for future blog posts.

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.

Landmark Golf in Wolsingham

Playing the Landmark Golf course at Wolsingham Sports Hall in County Durham.

On the way up to Newcastle upon Tyne last Friday we called in to Wolsingham Sports Hall to play the pop-up Landmark Golf course.

The course had been set up for the week and was proving popular. Some groups were finishing their rounds as we arrived and so we had a clear run at the layout.

Emily playing hole 8

We received a nice welcome at the leisure centre and from the chap at Landmark Golf. After Ian from the course had explained the rules and tee-off points we set off on our trip around the world in 9-holes.

The tee on hole 1

It's brilliant when a course has a wow factor and the Landmark Golf course certainly did with the Statue of Liberty. In fact each of the holes had something interesting about them.

A view of the course

The Egyptian pyramids

We've played a number of fibreglass courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and this was certainly one of, if not, the best so far. We really liked the corner pieces that allowed for rebound skill shots to be played.

Back in London!

In our match-up I managed to secure the win with a round of 18 to Emily's 22.

Standing tall after my victory

We've been following Landmark Golf on social media for a while and it was nice we were able to time the trip to Newcastle with one of the Landmark Golf events.

On the road to triumph

The Landmark Golf course was the 919th visited and 525th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Hole 1 - Big Ben in London

Hole 2 - the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne

 

Hole 3 - Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower

Or is it the Blackpool Tower?

Hole 4 - the Great Wall of China

Hole 5 - Egyptian pyramids

Hole 5

Hole 6 - the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Hole 6

Hole 7 - the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty

Hole 8 - some large tools!

Hole 9 - the Taj Mahal

It was really nice to see a portable minigolf course set-up indoors at a sports hall. As we were leaving another couple of groups came in to play. It'd be brilliant if more leisure centres and sports halls had pop-up events like the one in Wolsingham.

Following its busy stint at Wolsingham Sports Hall the course moved up to Newcastle for a run at a hotel.

Emily playing hole 2

Speaking with Ian from Landmark Golf he told us that they create a number of different configurations with the course and obstacles and so the layout can be different each time. They've also got one of the 'letters' Crazy Golf courses which spells CRAZY GOLF when set-up. Hopefully we'll get to have another game of Landmark Golf in the future.

Visit the Landmark Golf website for more information and upcoming event locations.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- County Durham

Link:
- Landmark Golf

Videos:
- Landmark Golf in Wolsingham 1 of 4
- Landmark Golf in Wolsingham 2 of 4
- Landmark Golf in Wolsingham 3 of 4
- Landmark Golf in Wolsingham 4 of 4