Gutterball Alley now open in North Shields

Tenpin bowling, minigolf and more at Gutterball Alley in North Shields.

The team behind Lane7 have opened a new family friendly venue with Gutterball Alley.

The first Gutterball Alley family entertainment centre in North Shields is home to tenpin bowling, guttergolf minigolf, pool, arcades, ping pong and indoor baseball batting cages.

A look at the Lane7 indoor minigolf course

Visit the Gutterball Alley website for more information, opening times and prices.

We've played minigolf at the Lane7 location in Newcastle. It's a very good 9-hole course.

Playing the Lane7 Mini Golf course last August

New Crazy Golf course heading to Nottingham

A new Caddyshackers adults-only crazy golf course is planned to open in Nottingham.

Caddyshackers are planning to open a new adults-only crazy golf venue in Nottingham.

The city centre venue will be home to a 9-hole and an 18-hole crazy golf layout, with a bar and dartboards too.

There is an 18-hole Caddyshackers venue in Leicester. It was the 903rd course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when we played there last year.

One of the holes at Caddyshackers in Leicester

Playing the ablutions hole as my mate Brad looks on

Many thanks to my friend, minigolf rival and sometimes team-mate Jam Trubridge for letting me know about the course news.

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf opening in Putney, London

A new Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf venue is opening in Putney, London this year.

London will be home to a new indoor Adventure Golf venue as Jungle Rumble sets up on Putney High Street.

My friend and fellow minigolf enthusiast Simon Dewhurst tipped me off about the course after he saw a banner advertising jobs at the course while down in London recently.

Visit the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website for more information about the Jungle Rumble courses in Bristol, Brighton and Glasgow.

Artainment and the world of minigolf

A look at how minigolf has been used in artistic creations.

We've seen the worlds of art and minigolf combine a number of times over the years.

A relatively new term for this combination is 'artainment' - where art and entertainment mix to immerse visitors to an exhibition, gallery or installation in an interactive experience.

Playing Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course at York Art Gallery in 2017

We've seen a number of art trails created in the last couple of years and they are becoming a popular part of 'retailtainment' and 'shoppertainment' where entertainment options have been added to the high street or shopping malls to help attract and retain customers.

Crazy Golf and art.

There is currently an art installation pop-up Crazy Golf course at Coal Drop's Yard in King's Cross, London. It's playable until the 29th March. Club Golf is a combination of sport, art and retail entertainment. Artists Baker & Borowski created the 9-hole themed Crazy Golf layout inspired by the rave culture in the King's Cross area back in the 1980's and 90's.

Club Golf at the Coal Drops Yard shopping and dining area in King's Cross, London

Minigolf is a very visual thing and each course is a work of art in its own right. We love seeing time, effort and thought put into the design of a minigolf hole and when they are aesthetically pleasing it's marvellous.

Playing hole 1 of Putt Putt #2 in Croydon in 2014

My favourite miniature golf layouts are Arnold Palmer Putting Courses. They are a design classic and look wonderful. They are also a real test of putting skill and incredibly playable today.

The old Arnold Palmer Putting Course from The Rotunda amusement park in Folkestone was turned into an art installation in the seaside town back in 2008.

18 Holes by Richard Wilson in Folkestone

New art-based minigolf courses in 2020.

This September the Creative Folkestone Triennial will play host to an amusement arcade and crazy golf-themed art installation by the artist genuinefake (Rachel Stella Jenkins).

My friend Jack Hurley aka Loud Ribs of Rubbish Seaside fame has also let me know about an art-based Crazy Golf course being created at Saltaire in Bradford over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

The art-based minigolf courses we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour include:

18 Holes by Richard Wilson in Folkestone in 2010.

18 Holes by Richard Wilson in Folkestone

Crazee Golf at the Tintype Art Gallery in London in 2012.

Crazee Golf at the Tintype Art Gallery in London

Bompas & Parr's Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party saw a 9-hole London & Cake-themed Crazy Golf course created at Selfridges Oxford Street in London in 2012.

Bompas & Parr's Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party Crazy Golf at Selfridges Oxford Street in London

M!MS Empire Sunset Nine Hole Mini Golf course in Bedford in 2013.

M!MS Empire Sunset Nine Hole Mini Golf course in Bedford

Putt Putt #2 by TURF Projects in Croydon in 2014.

Putt Putt #2 by TURF Projects in Croydon

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf at the New Art Exchange in Nottingham in 2016.

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf at the New Art Exchange in Nottingham

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf at York Art Gallery in 2017.

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf at York Art Gallery

Our friends Gareth and Lurlyn Holmes played Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course at the Venice Biennale in 2015.

Doug Fishbone’s Leisure Land Golf in Venice. Photo by Gareth & Lurlyn Holmes, 2015

Also in 2015 our friends Matt and Helen Dodd played the Mini Gulf course at Banksy's Dismaland Bemusement Park in Weston-super-Mare.

Mini Gulf course at Banksy's Dismaland Bemusement Park in Weston-super-Mare. Photo by Matt Dodd, 2015

There was Crazy Golf at Clerkenwell Design Week in 2014. But we didn't get to play the course.

There were plans for a Visionary Golf course to be created in Trafalgar Square as part of the London Design Festival in 2016. However, the funding campaign was unsuccessful.

There was a Post-Apocalyptic Minigolf course at the Now Play This festival in London in 2017. However, we didn't manage to get along to play it.

Art and minigolf in the USA.

Our friends Tom and Robin at A Couple of Putts in the USA have also played on and created a number of art-minigolf holes on their adventures, including Sparkle City Mini Putt in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The team at The Putting Penguin have seen and reviewed a number of art designed courses over the years too.

We're looking forward to seeing where the next art-based minigolf course pops up.

Related blog posts:
- Art
- Art Trails
- Crazy Golf
- Minigolf

Mini Golf in Cutteslowe Park, Oxford

Crazy Croc's Mini Golf at Cutteslowe Park in Oxford.

I recently found out there's been a change to one of the minigolf courses in my home city.

Our fellow minigolf adventurers Matt and Helen Dodd were in Oxford and swung by Cutteslowe Park and let us know the course there is now an adventure golf-style layout.

When Emily and I visited back in 2008 and 2009 the course in the park was a Swedish Felt Mini Golf B-Run.

How the now lost minigolf course looked on a frosty day in December 2008

The new Crazy Croc's Mini Golf in Cutteslowe Park is a 9-hole layout.

Visit the Crazy Croc's Mini Golf website for more information, opening times and prices.

It'll be a new course to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour in the future.

Creative Folkestone Triennial to feature Crazy Golf

The Creative Folkestone Triennial art festival will feature a Crazy Golf course.

Folkestone in 2010

Folkestone will play host to the fifth Folkestone Triennial with 20 artworks being set up around the seaside town in Kent.

One of those will be amusement arcade and crazy golf-themed.

The artist genuinefake (Rachel Stella Jenkins) will be setting up a pavilion with an amusement arcade and crazy golf course on the site of the old Rotunda amusement arcades.

The Creative Folkestone Triennial, formerly the Folkestone Triennial, takes place between Saturday 5th September and Sunday 8th November 2020.

Find out more on the Creative Folkestone Triennial website.

It's not the first time that Crazy Golf has been a part of the Folkestone Triennial. The first edition saw the 18 Holes Crazy Golf art installation created by Richard Wilson. This permanent artwork was made using the old Arnold Palmer Putting Course from The Rotunda to resemble three beach huts!

18 Holes Crazy Golf art installation created by Richard Wilson in Folkestone

What a wonderful use of an old minigolf course

A nice view

It was nice to see the old minigolf course used for something as the site of The Rotunda resembled a desolate wasteland when we visited in 2010.

The Rotunda in Folkestone

Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Bristol

A look at Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Bristol.

Many thanks to our friend and minigolf rival Cat Patterson for sending over some photos of Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Bristol.

Cat played the Jungle course, one of two 18-hole layouts at the indoor venue in the city's Cabot Circus shopping centre.

We first visited Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf in Bristol back in February 2010. Back then each of the 36-holes had green felt. The course looks a lot more colourful with the new mix of green, blue and red carpets.

Check out the Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf website for more information about the Bristol courses and other venues in Brighton and Glasgow.

Jungle Rumble was one of the first brands to bring indoor minigolf to shopping centres in the UK. When our travels began in 2006 there were only two indoor courses - in Great Yarmouth and Felixstowe. There are now around 100 indoor courses, with more new places to play opening up in towns and cities every week.

Roxy Ball Room at Manchester's Arndale centre

A new Roxy Ball Room is opening in Manchester city centre.

There will soon be two Roxy Ball Room indoor minigolf courses in Manchester city centre

Roxy Ball Room will be opening a new venue in Manchester in April.

The new Withy Grove location will be home to a minigolf course among other games including tenpin bowling, beer pong, shuffleboard and pool.

Check out the Roxy Ball Room website for more information.

We've played minigolf at Roxy Ball Room in Leeds and the Manchester Deansgate location. We're yet to get over to the Liverpool course.

We played at Roxy Ball Room on New Year's Even 2018

We're looking forward to visiting the new Roxy Ball Room on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Related blogs:
- Crazy Golf at Roxy Ball Room in Manchester
- Mini Golf at Roxy Ball Room in Leeds

Emily Gottfried - Minigolf Player Profile

Miniature Golf Player Profile for Emily Gottfried

Nickname(s)
Lemony
Coach
M

Putter
Fun-Sports

Laterality
Right-handed

Favourite Minigolf Balls
Noppel 1 (3D)
Nations Cup 2008 (3D)

British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Membership

Member 2016, 2017

BMGA Tour Pro 2011-2015
Full member 2008-2010

Minigolf Club Membership

2020 - present - Filwood Fantastic Mini Golf Club
2014-present - Cambridgeshire & Essex Minigolf Club (CEMGC)
2011-2014 - Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club (CMGC)
2007-2011 - Midlands Minigolf Club (MMGC)

BMGA Tour Debut
2007 - Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships

Top Tournament Results

Winner - Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open Championships 2019
1st - CEMGC Invitational Tournament 2014
1st - Holiday on the Buses Crazy Golf Championship 2014
1st - Category 3 BMGA British Masters 2014
1st - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Championship 2013
1st - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Championship 2011
1st - Category 3 BMGA British Masters 2013
Winner - Category 3 Aces Championship BMGA Star City Open 2014

Runner-up - Category 3 BMGA British Crazy Golf Open 2013

Runner-up - Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open 2012
Runner-up - The Putt Park Annual Mini-Golf Tournament (Las Vegas) - 2011
Runner-up (w/ Chris Smith) - Weymouth Open Team Tournament - 2011
Runner-up - Manchester Miniature Open 2009

Runner-up (w/ Ruth Burke & Christian Urbano) BMGA Oswestry Games Pro-Am Minigolf Classic 2012
3rd - Surrey Invitational Tournament 2014 & 2016
3rd - National Miniature Golf Day Tournament 2016
3rd (w/ Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club) - BMGA British Club Championships 2015
3rd - Category 2 BMGA English Open 2014
3rd - BMGA British Women's Minigolf Championships 2014
3rd - BMGA British Matchplay Championships 2013
3rd (tied) - Crazy Golf with Bompas & Parr Championship August Playoff - Final - 2012
3rd (w/ Brad Shepherd) - Lost World Classic 2010

3rd - BMGA British Women's Minigolf Championships 2009

3rd - BMGA British Women's Minigolf Championships 2008

4th (w/ B. Shepherd, R. Gottfried & J. Trubridge) - Caddyshackers Open 2019
4th (w/ Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club) - BMGA British Club Championships 2012
4th (with Cindy Kukielka) - BMGA British Doubles Championships 2010

6th - Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open 2011
7th - Midlands Open 2011
7th - Midlands Invitational Tournament 2009

7th - Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open 2009

7th - Blackpool Pleasure Beach Open 2008

8th - London Open 2009
9th - BMGA English Open 2014

Emily and The Gommery Trophy at the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

International Tournaments

Putt18 4 Nations Cup 2020

Winner - 'The Gommery' Aces Title at the World Crazy Golf Championships 2014 & 2015
34th - World Crazy Golf Championships 2015
26th (tied) - World Crazy Golf Championships 2014
4th - Castle Golf Women's World Crazy Golf Championships 2013
51st - Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships 2013
1st - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Championship 2013
5th - Great Britain Team at the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters 2013
27th - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters 2013
2nd - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Championship 2012
4th - Great Britain Team at the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters 2012
17th - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters 2012
5th - Castle Golf Women's World Crazy Golf Championships 2011
51st - Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships 2011
1st - WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Championship 2011
24th WMF World Adventure Golf Masters 2011

10th - Great Britain Player at the WMF Nations Cup (Female Category), Stockholm, Sweden 2011
10th - Great Britain Team at the WMF Nations Cup, Stockholm, Sweden 2011
45th - Great Britain Player at the WMF Nations Cup, Stockholm, Sweden 2011
5th - Castle Golf Women's World Crazy Golf Championships 2009

45th - Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships 2009

3rd - Castle Golf Women's World Crazy Golf Championships 2008

43rd - Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships 2008

53rd - Great Britain Player at the WMF Nations Cup, Tampere, Finland 2008

13th - Great Britain Team at the WMF Nations Cup, Tampere, Finland 2008

6th - Virgin Money Women's World Crazy Golf Championships 2007

54th - Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships 2007

National Records
2011 - British Women's Record on Eternit Miniature Golf - 24(-12)

Course Records (Current)

None

Course Records (Previous)

2008 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Adventure Golf (12-holes) - 27(+3)

Highest BMGA Rankings (as at End of Season)

BMGA Strokeplay Order of Merit Rankings - 29th - 2014
BMGA Season Only Rankings - 21st - 2014

BMGA Season Only Rankings - 29th - 2008

BMGA Order of Merit Rankings - 38th - 2008/09

BMGA Strokeplay Order of Merit Rankings - 41st - 2012

BMGA Matchplay Order of Merit Rankings - 41st - 2012

Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Rankings

October 2010 - 55th

October 2009 - 50th
June 2009 - 82nd

WMF World Minigolf Women's Rankings (General Class)
March 2016 - 102nd
December 2015 - 98th
March 2015 - 110th
December 2014 - 107th
March 2014 - 120th
December 2013 - 114th
March 2013 - 130th
November 2012 - 113th
March 2012 - 101st
November 2011 - 132nd
March 2011 - Unranked
November 2010 - 138th

March 2010 - 109th
November 2009 - 130th
March 2009 - 100th
November 2008 - 115th

Sports and Minigolf Awards
Named 'The nation's 'craziest' putting couple' w/ Richard Gottfried by Today's Golfer magazine, March 2021

Named 'UK's Biggest Adventure Golf Enthusiasts' w/ Richard Gottfried by ITV Granada Reports, 2017
Named 'Britain's Barmiest Golfers' w/ Richard Gottfried by Today's Golfer magazine, November 2016
3rd place - Oswestry Games Oslympics Open Quiz - 2012

Emily Gottfried in a Play-off at the Miniature Open in Manchester in 2009

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow Emily on Twitter. You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

New minigolf and tenpin bowling centre in Bristol

There are plans for a new minigolf and tenpin bowling centre in Bristol's harbourside.

Bristol could soon be home to a new indoor minigolf and tenpin bowling centre with a venue proposed for the harbourside area.

If plans are submitted and approved the venue will become home to ten tenpin bowling lanes and three minigolf courses.

It'll be the latest in a number of venues combining bowling and minigolf and tapping into the rise in competitive socialising.

Related blog posts:
- Bristol
- New minigolf courses

Plonk Crazy Golf at Camden Market

I visited Camden Market while down in London earlier this week and noticed there was some work being done at the Plonk Crazy Golf course in the Stables Market.

I wonder what changes are being made...?

Check out the Plonk Golf website for more information.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour update - January and February 2020

A look at our minigolf travels so far in 2020.

With two months of the year gone by, warmer weather will - hopefully - be on its way soon.

That means even more opportunities to play minigolf.

Already this year we've played minigolf at That Funky Golf Place at Becketts Farm in Wythall, Birmingham, had multiple rounds on Paradise Island Adventure Golf's two courses at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, Crazy Golf at Sunnybank Gardens & The Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm in Hatfield, Doncaster and the Club Golf pop-up crazy golf course at Coal Drops Yard in London.

The Club Golf pop-up crazy golf course at Coal Drops Yard in King's Cross, London was the most recent course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We've visited the Putting course at Park Square in Cheadle Heath, Junkyard Golf's three courses at the Westgate shopping centre in Oxford, the Putting course and Crazy Golf at Vickersway Park in Northwich, the minigolf course at Elmfield Park in Doncaster, the minigolf layout at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Doncaster, the Search for Atlantis and Curse of the Mummy in 4D Cosmic Golf courses at Xplore in the Xscape Centre in Castleford, the two Volcano Falls indoor Adventure Golf courses at the Xscape Centre in Castleford, the two Mr Mulligans Pirate Golf courses at the Junction 32 Outlet Village in Castleford, Peterborough Minigolf at Dobbies Garden Centre, the mini golf and adventure golf courses at Priory Golf & Activity Centre in Wimblington, Plonk Golf at Camden Market and the Crazy Golf course on the Clarence Way Estate in Camden, London.

At our 944th course visit - the Crazy Golf course at Hexthorpe Flatts Park in Hexthorpe, Doncaster

We're looking forward to the spring and summer so we can get out and play even more courses.

• Courses visited in 2020 - 24
• New courses visited in 2020 - 7
• Courses played in 2020 - 5
• New courses played in 2020 - 3

We've also heard about a lot of new courses opening this year in places including Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Harrow in London, Hull (two venues), King's Cross in London, Leeds (two venues), Maidenhead, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northampton, Norwich, Pembrey, Reading, Rochdale, Scarborough, Walsall and York.

Where are you looking forward to playing minigolf this year?

Last year we visited 82 miniature golf layouts. Of those we were able to play at 36 courses.

We've now been to 948 courses since September 2006.

Sign up to the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour newsletter.

Clarence Way Crazy Golf in Camden

Revisiting the Crazy Golf course on the Clarence Way Estate in Camden, London.

I was down in London for the day earlier this week and while having a wander round Camden I swung by the Clarence Way Estate to have a look at the Crazy Golf course there.

We first visited the course was back in October 2009. Emily worked close to it nearby Kentish Town until 2016 but we only ever played the course once - in 2012 - and only saw one other group playing the course - in 2011.

You can see what the course looked like in better weather conditions last April in my last blog post about the layout.