World Crazy Golf Championships Report from Hastings

27th October 2014
Press Information
For Immediate Release

World Crazy Golf Championships Report

Emily records new career-best finish and wins aces title at World Championships.

Luton Minigolfers Emily and Richard Gottfried competed in the World Crazy Golf Championships played on the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October.

Emily playing the Windmill hole at the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Emily continued her good form this season by finishing in a career best position of tied 26th in the World Crazy Golf Championships. Emily scored rounds of 37, 36, 38, 35, 41 and 37 for a total of 224(+8) and recorded nineteen holes-in-one to win ‘The Gommery’ trophy that was awarded for most aces in the tournament.

Emily with The Gommery trophy awarded for most-holes-in-one scored in the World Crazy Golf Championships

Richard scored rounds 39, 39, 36, 35, 39 and 37 for a total of 225(+9) to finish in 32nd position in the 62 player-field.

Emily playing hole 17 during the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Emily said “This weekend has been a real mixed bag. I'm unbelievably pleased to finish in 26th place which is the best I've ever done at the World Crazies by a huge margin as my previous highest finish was 43rd in 2008! I'm also thrilled to pick up The Gommery for most competition Aces. However I had hoped to be the top placed female competitor at this tournament for the first time, but unfortunately I missed that target by two shots. I really enjoyed the weekend and look forward to playing again next year.”

Richard playing hole 2 during the Hole-in-One Charity Challenge at the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Richard said “I didn’t score enough aces and shot too many threes to be in with a shout at the title this year. Great play by Emily though as she scored a lot of holes-in-one over the two-days.”

Richard playing hole 4 at the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Chris Harding won the 2014 World Crazy Golf Championships to become a three-time champion.

Ends

Bedfordshire gets a new County Flag

The county of Bedfordshire has a new officially recognised flag and a 'day' to follow.

Reading the Simply Sims column in a recent edition of the Luton News I saw that the county of Bedfordshire now has an officially recognised County Flag and plans are afoot to set a date for an annual 'Bedfordshire Day'.

On the 11 September 2014 The Flag Institute admitted the Bedfordshire Flag into the Register of County Flags.

The new county flag of Bedfordshire

Visit the Friends of Bedfordshire Society's website to read about why the flag looks like it does and what it means.

I look forward to seeing the flag flying and fluttering around the county and I'll be buying a pin badge version asap.

Links:
- The Friends of Bedfordshire Society
- The Luton News
- The Flag Institute
- Association of British Counties

Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm in Billington, Bedfordshire

Playing Crazy Golf on a visit to Mead Open Farm.

On Saturday 18th October we headed to Mead Open Farm for a morning of fun on the farm. And some Crazy Golf!

Emily putting on hole 2 of the Mead Open Farm Crazy Golf course

The course was the 350th we've played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 584th visited overall.

Playing hole 9 of the Mead Open Farm Crazy Golf course

The 9-hole course at Mead Open Farm was the last of the 'local' courses for us to play in Bedfordshire and it was worth the wait. We first heard about the farm about thirteen years ago when there was a very catchy local radio advert for it. We were singing it to ourselves on the drive there!

Emily playing hole 1 of the Mead Open Farm Crazy Golf course

Play of the Crazy Golf course is included in the entry price and you can have as many goes as you like! Check out photos of the 'Swedish Felt B-run' style of miniature golf course below.

In our minigolf medal match-up played over two 9-hole rounds I defeated Emily with a score of 42(+6) to 46(+10).

Scoring a hole-in-one at Mead Open Farm

Check out the videos of Emily and me scoring some holes-in-one on the course.

There's lots to see and do at Mead Open Farm

We had a great time at Mead Open Farm, there was plenty to see and do (even for big kids like us).

Lots of sheep, lambs and rams at Mead Open Farm

Crazy Goats!

A bull and a cow

Richard and a funny looking alpaca

As the 18 October was the first-day of the farm's special Halloween Freaky Fortnight there were ghoulish fun activities too.

Emily doesn't look too happy before we headed into 'The Dark'. I wasn't happy afterwards!

Getting a high-five off of a giant inflatable pumpkin witch

Check out the Mead Open Farm website for more information, opening times, prices, events and activities.

In my element

On the 18 October last year I played at the Putt in the Park Minigolf course in Wandsworth, London, and in 2012 I played the Woolly Golf course in Covent Garden.

Links:
- Mead Open Farm
- Mead Open Farm on Facebook
- Mead Open Farm on Twitter

Related blog posts:
- Farm
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Video links:
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 1 of 9 - Emily scores an Ace
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 2 of 9 - Richard Aces hole 1
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 3 of 9 - Richard Aces hole 3
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 4 of 9 - Richard Aces hole 6
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 5 of 9 - Richard Aces hole 7
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 6 of 9 - Richard Aces hole 8
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 7 of 9 - Close 2 on hole 5
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 8 of 9 - Close 2 on hole 8
- Crazy Golf at Mead Open Farm 9 of 9 - Emily plays hole 8 & course view

Mini Golf in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote

Crazy Golf course spotted in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, Spain.

My sister-in-law Jo was recently on holiday in Lanzarote and spotted this coulourful Mini Golf course by the beach in Puerto del Carmen.

Check out MiniatureGolfer.com's list of Minigolf courses in Spain.

Spain is also one of the newest members of the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF).

Related blog posts:
- Jo Tubby
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Latest national ranking lists from the British Minigolf Association

National ranking list updates from the British Minigolf Association.

The official rankings have been updated following the 2014 BMGA English Open held at The Lost City Adventure Golf course in Nottingham.

Richard Gottfried playing at The Lost City Adventure Golf in Nottingham

Richard Gottfried's rankings in the Strokeplay Order of Merit for the 2013/14 season:
- Following the BMGA Star City Open - 12th of 74 places (135 players)
- Following the BMGA Star City Open & AGM changes - 11th of 79 places (135 players)
- Following the BMGA British Masters - 7th of 84 places (137 players)
- Following the BMGA British Championships - 10th of 85 places (138 players)
- Following the Splash Point Open - 11th of 85 places (138 players)
- Following the Midlands Open - 10th of 86 places (140 players)
- Following the BMGA Players Championship and BMGA British Open - 8th of 88 places (142 players)
- Following the BMGA English Open - 8th of 91 places (147 players)

Emily Gottfried playing on the Temple Trail course at The Lost City Adventure Golf in Nottingham

Emily Gottfried's rankings in the Strokeplay Order of Merit for the 2013/14 season:
- Following the BMGA Star City Open - 42nd of 74 places (135 players)
- Following the BMGA Star City Open & AGM changes - 34th of 79 places (135 players)
- Following the BMGA British Masters - 26th of 84 places (137 players)
- Following the BMGA British Championships - 21st of 85 places (138 players)
- Following the Splash Point Open - 21st of 85 places (138 players)
- Following the Midlands Open - 21st of 86 places (140 players)
- Following the BMGA Players Championship and BMGA British Open - 26th of 88 places (142 players)
- Following the BMGA English Open - 26th of 91 places (147 players)

In the BMGA Season Only Rankings for 2014 I am 20th of 65 players, Emily is in 21st place.

In the BMGA Matchplay Order of Merit Rankings Emily is in tied 20th place of 55 players, I am in 38th position.

We are both ranked in the World Minigolf Sport Federation's General Class ranking lists. In the women's rankings Emily is in tied 120th position of 128 places (132 players). In the men's rankings I am ranked in tied 397th place of 413 places (419 players).

Links:
- British Minigolf Association (BMGA)
- BMGA on Facebook
- BMGA on Twitter

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf Report from The Lost City Adventure Golf in Nottingham
- World Minigolf Rankings for 2014
- Rankings
- Richard Gottfried's Minigolf Player Profile
- Emily Gottfried's Minigolf Player Profile

Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z board game

Backing a Kickstarter campaign for the latest addition to the Zombies!!! board game series.

Earlier this year I spotted that the team at Twilight Creations were launching a Kickstarter campaign for the latest addition to the post-apocalyptic survival horror game series and knew I had to chip in to the funding.

I'm a big fan of games, horror and zombies and while playing many of the editions and expansions of the Zombies!!! and Humans!!! games I'd noticed that the ruined cityscapes and environments in the Zombies!!! universe were lacking something that many towns and cities have.

You guessed it - a miniature golf course!

I was one of fifteen Tile Designers who backed the project and so now 'Squires Minigolf' is a playable part of the game!

The ruined, derelict and overrun Squires Minigolf course in the new Zombies!!! board game

Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z sees the military, the CDC and others begin the fightback against the zombie menace and takes place in the years after the original outbreak caused the end of the world as we know it!

Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z box front

The Zombies!!! games are very high quality - with great artwork on the event cards and game board tiles. There are also quite a few different types of zombie figures to kill (or avoid) in the game's universe - including humans, clowns, military enhanced zombies and zombie zoo animals!

Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z box reverse

Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z is a standalone expansion can be played in combination with Zombies!!! or in its own right. The set includes 25 map tiles (including the Minigolf course), 50 event cards, heart, bullet and new 'infection' tokens, dice, new player figures and 100 Zombies in four new poses.

What you get in the box - all ready to play!

The cast of characters - Zombies and Survivors

Check out the Twilight Creations website for more details and stockists of the Zombies!!! games and expansions, as well as other board and card games they make.

Back in 2011 we played in a Zombie Apocalypse outdoor laser tag event in Hastings. We were told that our group were the worst to ever play and so in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse we can all now rest easy in the knowledge that we would make better Zombies than survivors.

This year World Zombie Day is scheduled for Saturday 11 October!

Links:
- Twilight Creations website
- Twilight Creations on Facebook
- Zombies!!! 13: DEFCON Z Kickstarter page

Mini Golf Putting Green in Rhyl

Finding and playing a Mini Golf Putting Course in Rhyl, Wales.

On the last day of our Holiday on the Buses weekender we headed to Rhyl for some Charity Shop shopping, amusement arcading and anything else the seaside resort had to offer on a slightly out-of-season Monday in September.

'avin a larf at the East Parade Bowling Club's Mini Golf Putting Green in Rhyl

Parking up outside the Wales National Crown Green Bowling Centre on East Parade I spotted a Putting Green set-up on a Bowling Green!

The Mini Golf Putting Green in Rhyl

The 9-hole Mini Golf course is at the East Parade Bowling Club. There are four bowling greens at the Wales National Crown Green Bowling Centre with one set-out for putting.

Seth Thomas taking a putt while Brad Shepherd and I look on

At only £1 per player for an hour of minigolf it was marvellous value for money.

Bargain Mini Golf at Rhyl's East Parade Bowling Club

The course was tricky, with some long putts - but we all came close to scoring some holes-in-one.

The 'podium' after the Rhyl Thrill Mini Golf Classic

Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd playing a long shot

Seth playing the final hole

Brad having a shot

In our match-up I picked up the win with a score of 21(+3), Seth Thomas was the runner-up with a round of 23(+5) and Brad Shepherd was third on 27(+9).

Minigolf 'Star' Richard Gottfried at Rhyl's Putting Course

The Mini Golf Putting Green at East Parade Bowling Club was the 349th course played and 583rd visited overall on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

On our travels we've played a number of miniature golf layouts on grass bowling greens. A good use of a 'fallow' part of the facilities.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Wales
- Rhyl

Link:
- East Parade Bowling Club