The Mini Masters miniature golf tournament in Manchester

Looking back at the 'Mini Masters' miniature golf tournament in Manchester.

I won the Mini Masters miniature golf tournament in Manchester back on the 11th April 2009. Time certainly flies!

Mini Master

The Mini Masters was the first of two tournaments I won on the 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course at what was then Playgolf Manchester. The second event being the Miniature Open in July 2009.

I won the Mini Masters with a three round total of 81 (-24) after scoring 26, 27, and 28.

The course was the 84th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then the course wasn't one of our local layouts as we still lived in Luton and travelled up for the events.

The Championship Miniature Golf course is no longer at the centre, but you can find an expanded Championship Miniature Golf layout with two 18-hole courses in New Brighton. The location is no longer a Playgolf venue either. It's now known as the Trafford Golf Centre and is home to two 18-hole dinosaur adventure golf courses. I won the Dino Falls Masters Adventure Golf competition there in 2018 too!

Mini Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan

Visiting the two miniature golf courses at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan.

We headed to Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan to contest the Great Northern Minigolf Open tournament on the two minigolf courses in the park five years ago this weekend.

It's crazy to think that half a decade has passed already. Although two of those five years don't really count as they were a covid write-off!

First up was the Adventure Golf course.

Adventure Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan

It was the 700th course we visited in the British Isles and 727th overall.

This was followed by the Crazy Golf layout.

Crazy Golf at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan

At just £1 per game, the course was the lowest price we'd ever found for an 18-hole course on our travels. Amazing value for money. We still haven't anywhere charging less than a quid a go.

The Haigh Woodland Park Crazy Golf course was the 728th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 701st in the UK.

We've now been to 983 courses on our travels since September 2006.

Great Northern Minigolf Open tournament

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

Played over two rounds on the park's two 18-hole courses, Lancley won with a 36 hole score of 87. I 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 - and to date, only - staging of the event.

Winning the DinoFalls Adventure Golf Masters

Looking back at the 2018 DinoFalls Adventure Golf Masters.

I won the DinoFalls Adventure Golf Masters competition at the Trafford Golf Centre in Manchester back in April 2018 - where has the time gone since then!

The DinoFalls Adventure Golf course was an 18-hole layout when we played the event and has since been joined by another 18-hole course, that one has a volcano theme. The venue is an eye-catching sight from the M60.

I've won four tournaments at the Trafford Golf Centre. In addition to the DinoFalls Masters and the MMGC Invitational I won in 2018, I won the 2009 Mini Masters and Mini Open on the 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course which used to be at the centre.

Check out the DinoFalls Adventure Golf website for more information.

Two months until the Big Mini Golf Tour tees-off

The Big Mini Golf Tour teeing-off in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea this summer.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 begins on National Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 14th May.

We have played in and organised lots of miniature golf competitions, tournaments, challenges and events over the last decade and a half and this year we are excited to be a part of the Big Mini Golf Tour in the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

Visit Great Yarmouth

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the “Big Mini Golf Tour”.

Check out the Visit Great Yarmouth website to find out about all of the activities and events taking place in the seaside resort this year!

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've been to almost 1,000 crazy, adventure and mini golf courses on our own Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. One of the first stops on our travels was to the East Coast seaside resort of Great Yarmouth.

The seaside town and local area is a real minigolf hot-spot with a brilliant mixture of miniature golf courses. You can find Adventure Golf courses, Crazy Golf and Indoor Adventure Golf in Great Yarmouth itself, Crazy Golf and Grass Putting in Gorleston-on-Sea and Adventure Golf courses in Hemsby.

Minigolf history

Miniature Golf has been played in the resort for almost a century and we have some superb old putting postcards showing people at play. Including one of a Putting Green on the promenade dating back to 1927! Interestingly you will find that there is still a minigolf course on the same spot as the Putting Green today.

Putting Green, Great Yarmouth Postcard. Sent on 11 November 1927

The town is also home to the several of the UK's first Adventure Golf layouts, as well as England's first indoor Crazy Golf course.

We're really looking forward to the Big Mini Golf Tour tee-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May and seeing people having fun on the greens.

Find out more

Check out the Big Mini Golf Tour on social media to find out more.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022

Find out more about the Big Mini Golf Tour - taking place in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea this summer.

Check out the Big Mini Golf Tour's website and give the event a follow on social media.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

Visit Great Yarmouth

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the “Big Mini Golf Tour”.

Take a look at the Visit Great Yarmouth website to find out about all of the activities and events taking place in the seaside resort this year.

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off on Saturday 14th May

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day - Saturday 14th May.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

More information will be available across the Big Mini Golf Tour social media channels, here on the blog and from the minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting courses taking part.

The event tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

75 Days Until The Big Mini Golf Tour Tees-Off in Great Yarmouth

The Big Mini Golf Tour 2022 tees-off in 75 days - Adventure, Crazy and Mini Golf courses in Great Yarmouth, Clippesby, Hemsby & Gorleston-on-Sea will be taking part.

Day one of the event is on Saturday 14th May - National Miniature Golf Day.

Visit The Big Mini Golf Tour to find out more.

The Big Mini Golf Tour - coming to Greater Yarmouth in 2022

The Big Mini Golf Tour - highlighting miniature golf courses in the Greater Yarmouth area.

Miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area have come together to promote the game.

The four-month event highlighting miniature golf courses across the Greater Yarmouth area tees-off on National Miniature Golf Day, Saturday 14th May 2022 and runs until Miniature Golf Day on Wednesday 21st September 2022.

More information will be available across the Big Mini Golf Tour social media channels, here on the blog and from the minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting courses taking part.

Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area

Funding from Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA has helped to bring you the ‘Big Mini Golf Tour’. Visit Great Yarmouth/GYTABIA uses money raised from a business improvement district levy which is designed to raise the profile of the area, increase the number of people visiting and staying, improve the visitor experience and increase repeat visits, encourage people to stay longer and to visit more attractions and to provide incentives and opportunities to spend more in local businesses.

Head to the Visit Great Yarmouth/Greater Yarmouth Tourism & Business Improvement Area website for further information.

Minigolfing in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth was one of the first places we chose to visit on what has become our mammoth Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as we knew there were so many courses to visit there!

The seaside town and local area is a real minigolf hot-spot with a brilliant mixture of miniature golf courses. You can find Adventure Golf courses, Crazy Golf and Indoor Adventure Golf in Great Yarmouth itself, Crazy Golf and Grass Putting in Gorleston-on-Sea and Adventure Golf in Hemsby.

The town is also home to the some of the UK's first Adventure Golf layouts, as well as England's first indoor Crazy Golf course. Last summer my brother Christopher and his family even found a Crazy Golf course set-up on the beach!

We're really looking forward to returning to the Greater Yarmouth area again for some more putting fun.

World Crazy Golf Championships 2022

Entries are now open to the 2022 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings.

The World Crazy Golf Championships tournament will be held at Hastings Adventure Golf in East Sussex, England on the 10th, 11th and 12th June.

You can find out more about the event and entry details on the Hastings Adventure Golf website.

Emily playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships

Emily and I both made our debuts in the 2007 edition of the event when it was known as the Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships. It was Emily's first ever minigolf tournament.

The competition is played on the 18-hole Crazy Golf course at Hastings Seafront. The layout is of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course variety.

Richard Gottfried playing in the final of the 2009 World Crazy Golf Championships

The course was the 39th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in October 2007. We've now been to 982 courses.

Richard Gottfried playing in the World Crazy Golf Championships

The World Crazy Golf Championships began in 2003. Three-time World Crazy Golf Champion Marc 'The Force' Chapman will be defending the title in the 19th edition of the event.

The Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf competition

I won the Chrizy Golf Masters miniature golf tournament nine years ago today!

Chrizy Golf

The first - and to date only - Chrizy Golf Masters minigolf tournament was held on a festive-themed pop-up crazy golf course at Piccadilly Place in Manchester on the 30th November 2012.

Chrizy Golf

The Chrizy Golf course was the 313th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 979 courses since September 2006.

The Chrizy Golf course was gone once the 2012 festive season was over and the building remained empty, or used for other pop-ups, until the team at Junkyard Golf made it their home for another minigolf course. That one was there for a couple of years. They have since moved on and can be found at a permanent venue at First Street in the city.

An oversized minigolf cheque

I won the Weymouth Open minigolf tournament on this day in 2008.

The inaugural Weymouth Open minigolf competition was held on the 18-hole Pirate Adventure Mini Golf course at the Weymouth Sea Life Centre at Lodmoor Country Park.

I had a very good record in Weymouth Open events. As well as winning the individual title in 2008 my team-mate Chris Harding and I were the Weymouth Open doubles champions in 2011.

I was also runner-up in the 2009 and 2011 events and seventh in 2010. In the 2009 tournament Kevin Moseley and I were tied after two rounds and it took 4-holes of a sudden-death play-off to separate us.

The course was the 77th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. We've now been to 973 courses since September 2006.

The Swingers Open Crazy Golf tournament

The Swingers Open Crazy Golf competition is taking place next month.

The Swingers Open Crazy Golf tournament is returning on Tuesday 5th October with teams of four players invited to take on the challenge at the Swingers City location.

Part of the prize is a party at the Swingers West End venue

The minigolf event is a partnership between Swingers Crazy Golf and Tanqueray  and will take place as part of London Cocktail Week.

More information can be found on the Swingers Crazy Golf website.

The Putt Park Annual Mini-Golf Tournament Las Vegas

Looking back at The Putt Park Annual Mini-Golf Tournament Las Vegas.

I won The Putt Park's Annual Mini-Golf Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA back in September 2011.

We had first played miniature golf at The Putt Park on our holiday to Las Vegas the year before. It was the 178th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing at The Putt Park

Sadly The Putt Park is no longer there. It was a brilliant 18-hole course and at the time the only outdoor minigolf course in Las Vegas.

Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships 2021

The PIAG Open Championships are back for 2021.

The Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships are once again taking place at the indoor Paradise Island Adventure Golf courses around the country. The events were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tiki Hut Trail course at Paradise Island Adventure Golf in the Trafford Centre, Manchester 

This year's event runs from the 15th to the 18th July.

Emily won the PIAG Open at the Manchester course in 2019 and I won it in 2018.

More details of the event and the PIAG courses in Manchester, Cheshire Oaks, Glasgow, Livingston, Sheffield, Derby, Rushden Lakes and Plymouth can be found on the Paradise Island Adventure Golf website.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester at Dobbies Garden Centre

A visit to the new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester.

Our friend, long-time minigolf rival and often time team-mate Seve Kukielka has created Aces Minigolf Gloucester - a superb 12-hole miniature golf layout at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester.

We visited the course on Sunday to play a few rounds and compete in the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Invitational Tournament.

The event was the first minigolf competition we've played in since 2019 and it was fun to be back in action.

The course is a nice, tricky layout with interesting and unique hole designs, all within a very pleasant setting.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester was the 967th course visited overall on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 550th played since September 2006.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester opens to the public on Friday 9th July.

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information, opening times and prices.

We're looking forward to many more visits to the excellent course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Competitions at Aces Minigolf Gloucester

Two tournaments to tee-off at Aces Minigolf Gloucester.

The new Aces Minigolf course at Dobbies Garden Centre in Gloucester is gearing up for the full opening by hosting two minigolf competitions on Sunday 4th July.

First up is an Amateur Championship with a great prize up for grabs to the winner.

This will be followed by the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Invitational Championship with some of the best minigolfers in the country invited to compete on the course.

Aces Minigolf Gloucester will be opening fully to the public on Friday 9th July.

Check out the Aces Minigolf Gloucester Facebook Page for more information.

We're really looking forward to having a game on the new 12-hole layout on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The Minigolf Nations Cup 2008

We made our Great Britain team debuts at the 2008 Nations Cup of Minigolf in Tampere, Finland thirteen years ago today!

Our Great Britain Minigolf team, sponsored by UrbanCrazy, finished the tournament in 13th place. In the individual rankings I finished in 51st place and Emily was 53rd.

In action at the Minigolf Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland

The 2008 Great Britain squad - Jouni Valkjarvi (coach), John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, Marion 'Mation' Homer, Sean 'Freebird' Homer, Tim 'Ace Man' Davies, Steve 'F1' Gow, Emily 'Lemony' Gottfried, Andy 'Sarge' Booth, 'Squire' Richard Gottfried

We've also played for the Great Britain national team in World Minigolf Sport Federation and European Minigolf Sport Federation tournaments in Stockholm, Sweden and Hastings, England.

The Beton Concrete Mini Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere was the 50th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. The Eternit Miniature Golf course was the 51st and the Swedish Felt Minigolf course there was the 52nd played. We've now been to 958 courses since 2006.

Final results from the Putt18 World Pro League 2021

Play has concluded in the 2021 Putt18 World Pro League and the results are in.

The 2021 Putt18 World Pro League was won by Matt Ansley (NZL) with a total of 805 points from seven events (28 rounds and 504 holes). Matt successfully defended the title having won the inaugural event last year.

Dave Gomm (GBR) was the runner-up on 761 points.

Josh Mars (AUS) finished in third place with 675 points.

Others in the prize money were John Ansley (NZL) and Cameron Couper (NZL) in 4th and 5th places. Glenn Palmer scored the lowest round (59) from players outside the top 5 to pick up that prize.

A total of 21 players teed-off in the seven event series back in January. Competitors hailed from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

I completed the Putt18 World Pro League in 16th place with 109 points. I was 15th place in the strokeplay leader-board on 2,150 shots and an average of 76.79 per round of 18 holes.

International pro putting. From my kitchen

Putt18

Playing in the league has been a fun and interesting way to compete with fellow minigolfers, golfers and novices in a new golfing format during the pandemic and the various lockdowns we've found ourselves in.

We first received the Putt18 golf game home competition putting mat from Australia last May - where has that time gone?

Competitive Putt18

The first tournament we played on it was the Putt18 4 Nations Cup the day after we got it!

I then entered the 2020 Putt18 World Pro League and finished in 18th place of 20 players with 107 points. I finished in 17th place of 20 players in the strokeplay rankings with 2,189 shots and an average of 78.18 per round of 18 holes.

In the Pro League each player had a 20-minute time limit to play four 18-hole rounds for a 72-hole total score in each of the seven events of the Pro League. There were additional points on offer for low scores and the round total.

In January I played in the first Putt18 Battle of the Brits putting tournament - and won it with a total of 281 strokes over 72-holes - a new personal best four round total. My fourth round of 67 was also a personal best.

Check out the Putt18 website for more information.

Putt18 World Pro League 2021 - Week 7 - Final

I'll be teeing-off in week seven of the Putt18 World Pro League at 6pm on Saturday 17th April.

You can watch my rounds on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Facebook Page.

21 players from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the USA are competing in the seven event series to find the world's best putter on the Putt18 Golf Putting Game System.

Visit the Putt18 website for more information.

The 'Mini Masters' in Manchester

A look back at the 'Mini Masters' minigolf tournament in Manchester.

I won the 'Mini Masters' minigolf competition in Manchester back on the 11th April 2009. Time certainly flies!

Mini Master

The 'Mini Masters' was the first of two tournaments I won on the 9-hole Championship Miniature Golf course at what was then Playgolf Manchester. The second event being the 'Miniature Open' in July 2009.

Putting in the Mini Open

I won the Mini Masters with a three round total of 81 (-24) after scoring 26, 27, and 28.

In second place with a score of 86 (-19) was the then current BMGA British Number One Chris Harding. Paul Johnson was third with 87 (-18).

One of the very long minigolf holes on the course

The course was the 84th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Back then the course wasn't one of our local layouts as we still lived in Luton and travelled up for the events.

A large water hazard on the course!

The Championship Miniature Golf course is no longer at the centre, but you can find an expanded Championship Miniature Golf layout with two 18-hole courses in New Brighton. The centre is no longer a Playgolf venue either. It's now known as the Trafford Golf Centre and is also home to two 18-hole dinosaur adventure golf courses. I won the Dino Falls Masters Adventure Golf competition there in 2018 too!

Link:

• Richard Gottfried's minigolf player profile