Report from the 2015 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings

Results from the off-course shenanigans at the amusements in Hastings.

What the sport is all about

Since 2010 Crazy Mini Golfers from around the world have descended on the amusement arcades of Hastings to compete in 'Tat Challenge' tournaments.

One of the machines not in use this year

2015 would be no different at 23 competitors lined-up to fight for the honour and prizes that come with being the World Tat Challenge Champion.

The competitors receive some last minute instructions from The Buttons Committee

Following the first day's play of the World Crazy Golf Championships the group headed over the road to the Old Town Amusement Arcade for 20-minutes of non-stop tu-penny pushers gaming to see who could land the largest haul of prizes. There had been some doubt as to whether the event would take place, as in the lead-up to the contest on Saturday there had been reports that the Old Town Buttons had closed down and the site was up for sale!

Afternoon of the Living Dead - a shocking sight indeed

Fortunately the Old Town ones were open and buzzing on the big day itself. Rendering the recce to the buttons next to The Deluxe pointless. Speculation that an alternative venue would be 'Keith's' buttons down by The Stade were also dismissed as hogwash. Especially when the rumour included something about the use of ten pence pieces. A ridiculous notion.

Tatters Buttonsing

The 2015 champion was Helen Dodd with a total of seven bits of tat, leaving her closest rivals trailing in her wake with a mere four bits. The defending champion Kate 'Mrs' Kelly was unable to hold onto the crown as she slipped to a disappointing last place after drawing a blank.

The Champ Helen Dodd shows off her winnings as a character looks on

The modern era of the sport has quite possibly seen advances in technology that favour 'the house' as the days of one person winning an event with 40 pieces of tat (as veteran James Rutherford rocketed into his pocket during the great summer of sport in 2012).

Sussex's finest

With a total prize bag of 51 tats Helen declared that the toys and stuff would be put to good use as the 'second best Crazy Golfer in the Dodd household' (Emily Dodd) would be given them when Helen and Matt arrived back home.

Results of the 2015 Worlds £2 Tat Challenge (all competitors GB & NI except where stated)
1 - Helen 'Lucky 7' Dodd = 7
2 - John 'Forgot his Waffles' Moore = 4
2 - Richard 'Seen Better Days' Gottfried = 4
2 - Steve 'Stay Puft' Le Velle = 4
5 - 'Peter Peter Ice Cream Eater' Jones = 3
5 - Martin 'Alien' Greenhead = 3
5 - Ollie 'Little Alient' Greenhead = 3
5 - Steve 'The Treasure Hunter' Sturdy = 3
9 - Will 'Donnelaney' Donnelly = 2
9 - Tony 'Better than Kate this year' Kelly = 2
9 - 'The Portuguese Man o' War' Nuno Cunha (POR) = 2
9 - 'Big' Stevie Gow = 2
9 - Ed 'Dressed for the weather conditions for a change' Haynes = 2
9 - Chris 'Tusk' Wood = 2
9 - Adam 'On Par with Pa' Kelly = 2
9 - David 'Local Competitor' Hartley = 2
17 - Marion 'Local Athlete' Hartley = 1
17 - Mark 'Character' Wood = 1
17 - Matt 'Not top' Dodd = 1
17 - Steven 'Bonnie' Langford = 1
21 - Kathryn 'Debutee' Haynes = 0
21 - Ed 'Friend of Le Velle' Pope = 0
21 - Kate 'Oh dear what happened this year' Kelly = 0

To date ten official Tat Challenge competitions have been played with 800 bits of tat won for a total of £382.

Hands like lightning! Peter Jones in action

Local competitor Marion Hartley made her debut this year

The former People's Champion 'Big' Stevie Gow in action, with Johnny Waffles eyeing up some 'rattin' opportunities

Not winning this year

Keith Kellard stalks the floors for some loose change while David Hartley is in the zone. Kellard would eventually find over £2 in dropped money while everyone else competed

An Essex-based character playing the Buttons

Ed Haynes uncharacteristically wearing a jacket

£2 Tat Challenge Hall of Fame:

#1 - Paul Johnson - 9 pieces of Tat (World Title)

#2 - Richard Gottfried - 10 pieces of Tat

#3 - Alan Norman - 6 pieces of Tat +1

#4 - Polly - 11 pieces of Tat (World Title)

#5 - James Rutherford - 40 pieces of Tat

#6 - Richard Gottfried - 23 pieces of Tat (World Title)

#7 - Richard Gottfried and Mike Small - a tie with 32 pieces of Tat each

#8 - William Edwards - 8 pieces of Tat (World Title)
#9 - Kate Kelly - 10 pieces of Tat (World Title)
#10 - Helen Dodd - 7 pieces of Tat (World Title)

Related Blog Posts:

- Report from the 2013 World £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings
- Report from the 2013 World £2 Tat Challenge in Hastings

- Tat Challenge blog posts

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Schär gluten free

There are many funny things about being a Coeliac, not least being called a 'Celery', 'Celeriac' or even a 'Solero'.

When I checked my post this morning I didn't expect to be given a new first name on a mailer from Schär Gluten Free!?

I'm used to having a wide range of spellings for my surname - but 'Richard' is normally straightforward

I know I'm good at making up Italian sounding words for foodstuffs, but 'Riamo' takes the biscuit.

Schär used to be known as DS Gluten Free and I've been buying their products since I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2008. At the recent Beds & Mid Herts Coeliac Group Food Fair I added my name to the Schar UK mailing list - my handwriting must've been terrible.

The offending mailer and some of the tasty Schar Milk Chocolate Nobbles that are currently residing in my cupboard

Find out more about Schar UK's products on their website. I'm a big fan of their Chocolate Fingers - I find it impossible to not eat a whole box at a time!

Related blog posts:
- Funny things about being a Coeliac
- Gluten free
- Coeliac
- Schar

Link:
- Schar UK website

Note:
- According to a quick search on the internet 'riamo' is a "first-person singular present indicative of 'riamare'". Riamare means 'to return the love of another' or 'to love again'.

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Videos from the 2015 World Crazy Golf Championships

Action from the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings.

The 2015 World Crazy Golf Championships took place on the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October.

Check out the video of the final group of Michael Smith (GBR), Nuno Cunha (POR) and Chris Harding (GBR) playing their final shots of the tournament.

Michael Smith defeated 74 players to become a three-time World Crazy Golf Champion.

Pasi Aho (FIN) was runner-up. Former, and three-time, champion Chris Harding (GBR) was third.

The date of next year's World Crazy Golf Championships has been announced as Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June 2016.

Emily playing the 5th hole at Hastings Crazy Golf

Videos:
- World Crazy Golf Championships 2015 - Phil Botto on Hole 2
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - Hole 16
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - Wasps in Hastings
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - the leading group play hole 18
- World Crazy Golf Championships Final 2015 - the leading group play hole 18 version 2

Links:
- Hastings Adventure Golf
- British Minigolf Association
- World Crazy Golf Championships 2015 results

Related blog posts:
- World Crazy Golf Championships 2014 Videos
- BMGA British Crazy Golf Open 2013 Videos
- Videos from the Final of the 2012 'Castle Golf' World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- Videos of the 2011 Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- Report from the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings
- World Crazy Golf Championships
- Hastings

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Gluten free beer update

Earlier this week I spotted that Twitter had introduced a new Poll function, so immediately asked a question.

The result of the poll is this blog post - on a topic I haven't posted about in a little while.

The Beer Cave and Westerham Brewery Co

En route to Hastings for the recent World Crazy Golf Championships we made a stop in Tunbridge Wells and while having a wander to stretch out legs we spotted a chalkboard sign advertising the Beer Cave. We heeded the instructions and found ourselves in the underground beer shop.

A great bit of advertising

If I see an independent beer shop I'll always pop in on the off chance that I'll find a gluten free beer, ale or lager that I haven't seen or tried before

The Beer Cave

I was in luck on this occasion as the chap at the Beer Cave let me know about Scotney Pale Ale from the Westerham Brewery Co! I had to buy a bottle at the reasonable price of £2.80.

Scotney Pale Ale by the Westerham Brewery Co

Find out more about Westerham Brewery Co's range of gluten free beers on their website. They do a fair few.

Check out the Beer Cave website and if you're walking along the High Street do make sure you head down the alley for a look around.

Flatstick Pub

Another gluten free beer I've only recently heard about is from the Ghostfish Brewing Co based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It's served at the Flatstick Pub in Kirkland, Washington, a place that is on my must visit list!

The main four gluten free beers from the Ghostfish Brewing Co are:
- Grapefruit IPA
- Shrouded Summit Witbier
- Vanishing Point IPA
- Watchstander Stout

They also have Taproom Exclusives.

Not only does the Flatstick Pub serve gluten free beer, but they've also got a minigolf course and an array of pub games, two of which I'd never seen before - Duffleboard and Puttskee!

Gluten free beers around the world

With the addition of the Ghostfish Brewing Co beers I've now found out about 108 gluten free beers, ales, lagers, stouts, porters etc. since I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2008. Check out the full list on my blog post here.

Links:
- The Beer Cave
- Westerham Brewery Co
- Flatstick Pub
- Ghostfish Brewing Co
- The Puttskee
- Coeliac UK

Related blog posts:
- Details of gluten free ale, beer and lager found since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease
- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Pub Beer Gardens
- Pub Games

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The Game That Got Away sports blog

My friend and minigolf rival Marc 'The Roller' Bazeley has started up a new sports blog.

The Game That Got Away is dedicated to Rugby League and will include opinion, analysis and features on the sport.

Marc (left) and me outside the now demolished Greyfriars Bus Station in Northampton during the epic year of sport that was 2012

Find out more about Marc's blog here.

Links:
- The Game That Got Away blog
- The Game That Got Away on Twitter

Related blog posts:
- Marc Bazeley
- Blog
- Blogging

Mini Golf in the 2016 Picture Postcard Annual

The 2016 Picture Postcard Annual has a feature on minigolf postcards.

I wrote the piece about the top minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf and putting postcards we've found on our travels this year.

A postally unused Harvey Barton Viewcard of the Mini Golf course in Newquay, Cornwall (A1E). We visited the course on our summer roadtrip

Other articles in the 2016 Picture Postcard Annual include early Donald McGill cards, Alpine mountains, artist drawn London cards and more. There are also dates for fairs and auctions taking place next year and useful reference info.

Visit the Reflections of a Bygone Age website to order the 2016 edition of the Picture Postcard Annual and for more information about the postcard collecting hobby. Do check out the website of Picture Postcard Monthly magazine too.

We've been collecting postcards for a few years now and have found some great old and new cards showing the ever changing landscape of miniature golf in the UK and overseas. Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has so far taken us to 671 courses and we've amassed almost that amount of postcards!

I've written other features for Picture Postcard Monthly, starting with an article on Crazy Golf in the December 2011 edition.

Links:
- Picture Postcard Annual
- Reflections of a Bygone Age
- Picture Postcard Monthly magazine

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Picture Postcard Monthly

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Adventure Golf at Stevenage Leisure Park in Hertfordshire

New indoor Adventure Golf courses heading to Stevenage.

A brand new Adventure Golf course is heading to Stevenage Leisure Park in Hertfordshire. The 36-hole centre will have two 18-hole layouts with a nautical theme.

We've visited Mr Mulligan's Pirate Adventure Golf courses in Milton Keynes, Castleford and Woking. The Stevenage course will differ from the other sites as it'll be an indoor venue.

A view of Mr Mulligan's Pirate Adventure Golf course in Milton Keynes

We're looking forward to visiting and playing the new Adventure Golf course in Stevenage when it opens in Spring 2016.

Links:
- Adventure Golf Limited website
- Mr Mulligan's Adventure Golf website
- Stevenage Leisure Park website

Related blog posts:
- Indoor Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Hertfordshire
- Stevenage

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666 - the mark of the...

...666th course visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

Earlier this year we visted the seaside town of Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire. While our stop in the town was only a short one on this occasion we did manage to play a couple of rounds of minigolf.

Emily about to ace the 1st hole

Walking along the esplanade we spotted the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course. You can't really miss it as the stern of the pirate galleon is certainly quite a sight jutting out as it does from the row of shopfronts!

Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Bridlington is very well themed

Emily was on a real roll in Bridlington, scoring five holes-in-one in a row between the previous course we played at North Marine Gardens and the first two holes at Treasure Island!

Skellingtons and skulls on hole 2

I managed to get the win 19 to 24 in our match-up on the ten-hole layout, with a six on the 8th hole doing Emily in while I scored an ace.

On the 3rd hole

The Treasure Island Adventure Golf course was the 384th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Emily aced the Volcano. I did not

Thar be treasure

My victory wasn't all plain sailing though as I got locked up early in the round and had to play a shot out of a prison cell!

What an obstacle

Treasure Island in Bridlington is also home to a Pirate Golf Walk. We weren't too scared to go in, it was just that unfortunately we didn't have time to have a wander around it this time.

The walls have eyes!

Hole 8 and the caves of the course

We really enjoyed our visit to Bridlington and will definitely be returning for more seaside fun and games in the town.

A view of the 9th (the 10th hole is a very short 'Lucky' last hole)

Links:
- Treasure Island Adventure Golf on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Indoor Mini, Crazy and Adventure Golf courses
- Bridlington

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Report from the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings

Gottfried’s compete in the World Crazy Golf Championships.

Leagrave minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried competed in the 13th annual World Crazy Golf Championships held on the Arnold Palmer Putting Course at Hastings Adventure Golf in East Sussex on the 24th and 25th October.

Richard finished in 20th place in the 75-player field after scoring rounds of 37, 34, 37, 35, 35, 35 for a 213(-3) total.



Richard Gottfried playing hole 2 of the Crazy Golf course in Hastings

Emily recorded rounds of 33, 38, 39, 39, 37, 35 for a 221(+5) total, and 34th place overall. Emily scored 22 holes-in-one during the tournament and won The Gommery title for the second year in a row.



Emily Gottfried is now a two-time Gommery Champion

Richard said “I always enjoy competing in the World Crazy Golf Championships and was pleased with my consistent play during the weekend. In such a large and competitive field I’m delighted with a top 20 finish, but I’m looking forward to my return to Hastings next year for another shot at the finals and the title.”



Emily Gottfried playing the first hole of the Crazy Golf course in Hastings

Emily said “I had a great weekend at the World Crazy Golf Championships. I achieved two out of three of my pre-tournament goals: to retain the Gommery for most Aces and to score all six rounds with sub-40 totals. The only goal I didn’t achieve was to beat my rival Ruth Burke, who defeated me by two shots in the end, although we did chop and change throughout the tournament. I’m really happy with my overall performance, particularly of being joint-third following the first round, and I really enjoyed the weekend.”

The World Crazy Golf Championships was won by Oxford’s Michael Smith who became a three-time World Champion. Finland’s Pasi Aho was runner-up, with former champion Chris Harding third.

Next up for the Richard and Emily is a trip to Birmingham for the Star City Open in December.

Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo in Arma, Italy

Photos of the minigolf course in Arma, Italy.

Our friends Karl and Sophia Moles were recently on holiday in Arma, Italy and sent through some snaps of the minigolf course they found there.


Sophia and Karl Moles at the course



Action on the Arma minigolf course

Karl told me "I came joint first with 61. There was one hole that was dead straight down the fairway and the green was a circle about three metres in diameter, depending on where your ball stopped there was a code round the outside with instructions on a sign which you had to decode which then gave you the direction to hit the ball to get it in the hole. For example when you worked it out it would say 3cm to the left of the hole! It was in Italian which made it even harder!"

The Moles family are big minigolf fans and always give a course a play if they see one. We've also had some matches against Karl while daytripping in Felixstowe.

The course is a Concrete (Beton) variety of minigolf. We've played a few Beton minigolf courses on our travels. Most notably in Finland and Sweden while playing for the Great Britain team in Nations Cup international tournaments.

You can find out more about the different types of minigolf in the World Minigolf Sport Federation's Starting Out In Minigolf guide.


The minigolf course is approved by the World Minigolf Sport Federation


Check out the Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo Facebook page for more information.


The trophies won by Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo!

Links:
- Minigolf Sport Club Sanremo Facebook
- World Minigolf Sport Federation website
- Federazione Italiana Golf su Pista / Italian Minigolf Federation website

Related blog posts:
- Italy
- Karl Moles
- Sophia Moles

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

Minigolf in Sirmione, Italy

A visit to the Mini Golf course in Sirmione, Italy.


Charter member of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Christopher Gottfried has found another miniature golf course while overseas!

A wavy and long hole

On his mini-honeymoon in Sirmione he spotted a Mini Golf course!

A bit of a dip. We played a hole similar to this (without the plateau) in Lyme Regis

Christopher told us they were having an afternoon stroll and about half a mile from where they were staying in Sirmione they spotted the 18-hole course. He said they saw only two people playing there.


Sirmione is the small peninsula that points out at the southern part of Lake Garda. Christopher tells me that apart from the thermal spas and the ice cream parlours, the Crazy Golf course was the only other nearby attraction in the historic town.

The course is a style of minigolf called Concrete or Beton. We've played a few of them on our travels. Most notably in Finland and Sweden while on international duty with the Great Britain team.

It looks like a nice setting for a course

You can see links to other courses visited by Christopher at the bottom of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour links page.

Link:
- Minigolf Sirmione website

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Christopher Gottfried
- Letoonia Golf Resort, Belek, Turkey - Minigolf
- Majorca (Vista Alegre, Porto Cristo, Mallorca) - Minigolf

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter. You can also sign-up to receive our newsletter.

Gottfried’s compete in the first Cambridgeshire and Essex Open Championship

Report from the first CEMGC Open minigolf competition.

Leagrave minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried competed in the inaugural Cambridgeshire and Essex Open Minigolf Championship held on the 18-hole Miniature Golf course at Dunton Hills Family Golf Centre in West Horndon, near Brentwood on Saturday 10th October.



Richard finished in 9th place in the 28-player field after scoring rounds of 48, 49 and 47 for a total of 144(+36).

Emily recorded rounds of 54, 55 and 55 for a 164(+56) total and 27th place overall. Emily finished the CEMGC Club Championship in 6th place, with that contest won by Mark Wood.



Richard said “The Miniature Golf course at Dunton Hills is a really tough layout and I’m pleased with my consistent rounds to finish in the top-ten of a very competitive field of players. The CEMGC’s first Open event was a great success and brilliant fun.”



Emily said “My overall performance was not particularly good, but I did score a hole-in-one on a really tricky hole, which was a silver lining for me. The Dunton Hills course is unique and I really enjoy the random element of the rough-brick borders, as well as long, wide greens, which are very different to other courses we play regularly. My CEMGC team mates are a great bunch and did a fantastic job organising and hosting the event.”



The tournament was won by Oxford’s Michael Smith with a total of 123(+15). Sussex’s Steve Lovell was runner-up with 129(+21), with Portugal’s Nuno Cunha finished in third-place on 132(+24) after defeating Essex’s Mark Wood at the fifth hole of a sudden-death play-off.

In addition to the Miniature Golf layout, Dunton Hills Family Golf Centre is home to a full Golf course and an 18-hole par-3 course. The venue has hosted three Invitational minigolf contests in the lead-up to the CEMGC's first Open.

CEMCGC / Dunton Hills Hall of Fame
• CEMGC Invitational Tournament, Dec 2014 - Emily Gottfried won a two-round event with 99
• Dunton Hills Invitational, Feb 2015 - Richard Gottfried won a three-round event with 140
• Dunton Hills Invitational II, Aug 2015 - Steve Lovell won a three-round event with 140
• Cambridgeshire and Essex Open, Oct 2015 - Michael Smith won a three-round event with 123
• Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club Championship, Oct 2015 – Mark Wood won a two-round event with 85

Next up for the Richard and Emily is a trip to Hastings, East Sussex for the 13th annual World Crazy Golf Championships held on the Arnold Palmer Putting Course at Hastings Adventure Golf.