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Indoor Pirate Adventure Golf in Whitby

Playing the Indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course at Whitby's Pleasure Island Amusement Arcade.

On Thursday 20th March 2014 Emily and I decided to head to the seaside resort of Whitby, one of the east coast towns we were yet to visit on our tour of the UK seaside.

Emily teeing-off on hole 1 of the Pleasure Island Adventure Golf course in Whitby

We hadn't planned to visit Whitby on our road-trip that saw us take a journey up to Newcastle Upon Tyne and back over four days, but having had a stopover in Northallerton we decided to make the relatively short trip to spend some time beside the seaside.

While walking along the harbour-side towards the beach the signs for the indoor Pirate Adventure Golf course at the Pleasure Island Amusement Arcade caught my eye!

You will find the 9-hole course laid out in the left-hand corner of the well presented arcade.

On our travels we've visited and played at well over 500 courses and 30+ have been indoors. We thought the look and feel of the course at Pleasure Island was very well done. It was very piratey and nautical and when you climbed the stairs to the top deck of the course (hole 5) you'd never know you were in an amusement arcade in North Yorkshire!

It's well worth a play and is only £2 a round.

Our fellow Minigolfer Adventurers Paul and Owen Johnson visited the course in 2010 and you can see their photos on the excellent MiniatureGolfer.com. The course appears to have had a refurb since then.

The Pleasure Island Adventure Golf course is well worth a play if you're in Whitby and it's great to be able to have a Putt there whatever the weather.

A Crocodile (or Alligator) lurks below the bridge near the 1st and 9th holes

The course was the 544th visited and 327th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2006.

In our match-up I beat Emily, putting her to the sword 20 vs. 32. But she made me walk the plank!

Walking the plank on hole 9!

The amusement arcade is also home to that other seaside favourite - the shooting gallery.

The Treasure Cove Shooting Gallery at the Pleasure Island Amusement Arcade in Whitby

Related blog posts:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date

- Arnold Palmer Minigolf Putting Course in Whitby

- Not playing the Mini Golf course in Whitby
- Fake Crocodiles! Or are they Alligators?
- Indoor Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf courses

WMF International Minigolf Rankings for 2013 Season Published

End of 2013 International Minigolf Season Rankings Published by World Minigolf Sport Federation.

Emily and I have both moved up in the World Minigolf Sport Federation General Class Minigolf Rankings released for the 2013 International Minigolf Season.

Minigolfer Emily Gottfried at the 2011 WMF Nations Cup in Stockholm

In the women's ranking list Emily is up to tied 114th place (of 120 places/123 players) from 130th (of 130 places/140 players). 

Minigolfer Richard Gottfried at the 2011 WMF Nations Cup in Stockholm

In the men's ranking list I am up to tied 372nd place (of 388 places/394 players) from 406th (of 406 positions/413 players).

In the General Class rankings Great Britain has moved up three places to a new high of 15th place of 29 countries.

Emily and I both competed in the 2013 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters tournament on the seafront Pirate Adventure Golf course in Hastings, England last June. The event saw us represent Great Britain for a fifth time since 2008, when we made our GB debut in the WMF Nations Cup in Tampere, Finland.

Our Great Britain 3 team, also comprised of John Moore and Craig Patterson, finished the competition in 5th place of 7 teams.

The Great Britain 3 team at the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters in Hastings

In the individual events Emily became a two-time WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Champion, defeating the defending champion Ruth Burke in a sudden-death play-off.

I finished the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters in 20th place of 37 players, with Emily in tied 27th place.

British players are ranked in the following positions in the latest update of the WMF General Class Rankings.

WMF Women as at December 2013

• 114 (tied) Emily Gottfried

WMF Men as at December 2013

• 80 Michael Smith
• 88 James Rutherford 
• 250 Marc Chapman
• 271 (tied) Craig Patterson
• 372 (tied) Richard Gottfried
• 372 (tied) Scott Lancley
• 374 (tied) Martin Greenhead
• 374 (tied) John Moore
• 374 (tied) Alex (Tiger) Pragnell
• 374 (tied) Craig Small
• 374 (tied) Chris Wood
• 388 (tied) Brad Shepherd

GB players are also listed in the WMF World Ranking Lists for Seniors and Juniors.

Links:

- World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF)

- Mode of World Ranking List

- World ranking list men and women edition 31st December 2013 (General Class)

- World Ranking List - General Class

- World Ranking List - Youth

- World Ranking List - Seniors

- British Minigolf Association (BMGA)

- Great Britain Minigolf Team on Facebook

- Great Britain Minigolf Team on Twitter

Related blog posts:

- Miniature Golf Player Profile of Richard Gottfried

- Miniature Golf Player Profile of Emily Gottfried

- End of Season BMGA Tour Minigolf Rankings for 2013

- Emily Gottfried wins the WMF World Adventure Golf Masters Women’s Title in Hastings

- A New Career High Minigolf Ranking!

- World Minigolf Sport Federation Rankings Update (March 2012)

- Gottfrieds in the World Minigolf Sport Federation Rankings – Nov 11 Update

- Gottfried's in the WMF World Minigolf Rankings (November 2010)

- Gottfried's in the latest WMF World Minigolf Rankings (March 2010)

- Gottfried's in the WMF World Minigolf Rankings (Nov 09)

- Gottfried's in the WMF World Rankings

- Official WMF World Minigolf Rankings (Nov 08)

Crazy Golf at Valley Gardens in Harrogate

Playing the 328th miniature golf course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing hole 3 of the Valley Gardens Crazy Golf course in Harrogate

On Saturday 22nd March 2014 Emily and I visited the spa town of Harrogate in Yorkshire.

While there we visited Valley Gardens and found the park is home to an 18-hole Crazy Golf course, a Pitch & Putt variety of Minigolf and a Disc Golf layout.

Of the three courses only the Crazy Golf was open for play.

Video: Minigolf visit to Valley Gardens in Harrogate
 

Video: Minigolf hole-in-one at Valley Gardens in Harrogate

The course cost £2.30 for adults to play and with the weather about to take a turn for the worse I paid for a round, with Emily on video and photo duty.

The course was the 328th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 547th visited overall since 2006.

The layout is reminiscent of the European-style of miniature golf courses - often referred to as 'Eternit' courses. We've played official types of these standardised layouts in international tournaments in Finland and Sweden, and we've played some of them here in the UK too.

Playing the Pyramids hole at Valley Gardens

Speaking with the man in the hut he said the course had been in Valley Gardens for at least 20-25 years. it was quite a tricky course to play, as is often the case with all-concrete courses tackled with a low bounce golf ball.

Playing hole 7 of the Valley Gardens Crazy Golf course in Harrogate

For a quick round of Crazy Golf it was fun, and it was interesting to see the variety of Eternit obstacles realised in solid concrete obstacles.

Photos of the 18-hole Crazy Golf course at Valley Gardens in Harrogate.

Related blog posts:
- Not playing the Pitch and Putt Mini Golf course in Harrogate
- Ripon Spa Gardens
- Knaresborough Conyngham Hall
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Valley Gardens, Harrogate

Not playing the Pitch and Putt Mini Golf course in Harrogate

A visit to the Pitch & Putt Miniature Golf course in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Next to the 18-hole Crazy Golf course in Harrogate's Valley Gardens is another type of miniature golf course.

The Valley Gardens Mini Golf hut and Pitch & Putt course in the background

The Pitch & Putt course was closed as it was a bit too early in the season for it. It became the 548th course visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

There is also a Disc Golf course in the Valley Gardens park.

Related blog posts:

- Crazy Golf at Valley Gardens in Harrogate

- Ripon Spa Gardens

- Knaresborough Conyngham Hall

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:

- Valley Gardens, Harrogate

- Games in Parks in Harrogate District

Not playing the Mini Golf course in Whitby

A visit to the Pitch & Putt Mini Golf course in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Over the road to the 9-hole Arnold Palmer Putting course on North Terrace in Whitby is another miniature golf course.

It's of the grassy kind and more of a Pitch & Putt than a Crazy Minigolf course. But as with the nearby Crazy Golf course it was closed on our visit. 

The hut and Mini Golf course on North Terrace in Whitby. It doesn't look half as exciting as the Arnold Palmer course over the road

Related blog posts:

- Arnold Palmer Minigolf Putting Course in Whitby

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Arnold Palmer Minigolf Putting Course in Whitby

Visiting the Arnold Palmer Minigolf Putting Course in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

On Thursday 20th March Emily and I visited the seaside resort of Whitby and as part of the trip visited the Arnold Palmer Putting Course on North Terrace.

Unfortunately as it was out of season the course was closed (it is open on weekends though).

Richard at the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Whitby, North Yorkshire

It was a shame we couldn't give the 9-hole 'links' Minigolf course a play as it looked to be in very good condition indeed.

A view of hole 1 of the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Whitby

The course had three of the all-time great obstacles in Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf courses - the Windmill, Waterwheel and Space Rocket.

The spaceship, windmill and waterwheel - classic Crazy Golf obstacles

The course had a lucky top (10th) hole too, where you could win a free game.

A view of the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Whitby. The lucky last hole is on the right

Next time we go to Whitby (it's a great seaside resort and well worth a visit) we'll make sure it's on a weekend, or during the peak season, so we can get in a game or three.

The Arnold Palmer course with hole 5 in the foreground

The course was the 545th visited overall and the 218th visited that was unplayable on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

There's always next time...

Related blog posts:

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Playing the Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Whitby

Allan Cox's 100 Minigolf Trick Shots Video

My antipodean Minigolf chum Allan 'The Putter King' Cox has put(t) together a great video of 100 Minigolf Trick Shots!

Two and a half years in the making the 21 minute video shows the crazy minigolfer playing at a variety of Putt Putt, Minigolf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf courses down under and making a huge array of brilliant miniature golf trickshots!

Check it out on YouTube and below.

 

The video was made in aid of the Bear Cottage children's hospice in Australia and every view of the video helps generate income for the good cause.

Cullercoats Lifeboat Charity Evening and the 'Raffletech 3010'

A Northumbrian Night fundraising event for the Cullercoats Lifeboat.

A recent visit to the north east saw our friend John 'Johnny Waffles' Moore take us to a Northumbrian Night in aid of the Whitley Bay & Cullercoats Lifeboat Guild.

The evening was held at the Cullercoats Crescent Club and was good fun, with song & dance and food & drink in a nice environment, and all for a great cause.

Regular readers of this blog will know I'm a fan of the obscure and ludicrous, but I was amazed at one of the prize draws during the night.

We've been to some interesting events on our travels - with the Thanet Ladies Auxiliary Quiz Night 2008 a highlight - but the Members Box Draw at this event was up there with the best of them!

I'm a big fan of a good old fashioned tombola and always go in for a raffle, but the Members Box Draw saw a machine called the Raffletech 3010 brought out to decide the winner!

The Raffletech 3010 - you really need to see this beauty in all its lit-up glory!

I'm not exaggerating when I say it wouldn't look out of place in a 'World of Tomorrow Feature' from an issue of a comic book printed in the 1950's!

Not winning the prize draw on the Raffletech 3010 - a pre-internet wooden cabinet technology machine

The Northumbrian Night was great entertainment - from the Newcastle Cloggies (dancers and musicians) - in good company, in a nice social club setting and some very reasonable drinks prices.

Note: I erroneously called the Raffletech 3010 'The Raffletron 3000' after seeing it on the night. Either way, what a machine!

Links:

- Cullercoats Lifeboat

- RNLI

- Cullercoats Crescent Club

- Newcastle Cloggies

Update: January 2015
A photo of the Raffletech raffle robot in action at the Cullercoats Crescent Club has been sent to me by Kay Heslop!

The Raffletech 3010 in use at the Cullercoats Crescent Club on New Year's Day 2015. I wonder if 428 was a winning number...