Junction Jack's Adventure Golf in Antrim, Northern Ireland - Crazy World of Minigolf course played #185

On the 31st July 2010 we played at our first minigolf course in Northern Ireland, when we made a visit to the 18-hole Pirate Themed Junction Jack's Adventure Golf in Antrim.

Video introducing the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour course visit to Junction Jack's Adventure Golf in Antrim, Northern Ireland on the 31st July 2010.



The course has some great theming and effects, along with some excellent music, which helps create a fun playing atmosphere.



In the pre-NIBBAL-IT practice round (The Antrim Classic) the scores were as follows:
1 - Richard Gottfried - 43(+7)
1 - Mark Swain - 43(+7)
3 - Emily Gottfried - 46(+10)
4 - Craig McCallister - 47(+11)



We played two further rounds at the course as part of the inaugural Northern Ireland Belfast Bangor Antrim & Larne Invitational Tournament.

Results and Report from the 2010 NIBBAL-IT Minigolf Competition.

The course is a BMGA Affiliate course which means you can receive a discount when you play there.






You can check out the Junction Jack's Adventure Golf website at http://www.junctionjacks.co.uk/

Breaking News - Bangor Minigolf Club win the 2010 NIBBAL-IT Minigolf Competition

The 7-round 4-course Northern Ireland Belfast Bangor Antrim & Larne Invitational Tournament (NIBBAL-IT) trophy was contested over the weekend of the 31st July and 1st August.

The winners of the team competition were the Bangor Minigolf Club, who defeated the Luton Wanderers MGC.

In the individual standings Mark 'The Horse Whisperer' Swain won the gold medal, by 15 clear shots of runner-up 'Squire' Richard Gottfried. Craig 'Kamikaze' McCallister was third. Emily 'Coach' Gottfried took the NIBBLA(sic)-IT Wooden Spoon in fourth place.

Full results, photos and videos to follow.

The title will be contested again in 2011 at the NIBBAL-IT (Northern Ireland Bangor Bedfordshire and Luton) competition.

World Finger Jousting Federation's Fifth Anniversary

The World Finger Jousting Federation celebrated it's Fifth Anniversary on the 1st of August 2010!

In a message from Julian Gluck, aka The Lord of the Joust, he described to WFJF members how the sport has grown since the forming of the WFJF in August 2005 and that he is pleased with the way the game has been played by thousands of players worldwide. He also hinted at the 'major changes' that may follow over time and he thanked WFJF members and Finger Jousters everywhere for their support of the fun activity and the WFJF.

In the time since my debut I have battled against 27 different opponents from five countries, in 20 locations in the UK and Austria. I am currently on a 66 match unbeaten streak, with my last loss at the hands of Emily Gottfried on the 21st December 2006 in Luton, Beds! My latest victory was a Quick Play Rules defeat of Suffolk's number one Finger Jouster Kallum Harper on the 23rd July 2010.

My Career Finger Jousting Record:
Career Win-Loss Record Stats
Played 117
Won 105
Lost 9
Tied 3
% Won 89.74%

Matches (Since Official Membership of the WFJF)
Played 103
Won 96
Lost 4
Tied 3
% Won 93.20%

A video of a match pitting me (Squire Richard of Surleigh) against my Arch-Rival Sir Myles of Hampshire.


Montegue Blister and his Strange Games Blog have also covered the noble sport of Finger Jousting, you can read the post here.

Finger Jousting was also recently placed at number three in Montegue Blister's "Top 10 Strange Jousting Games" list!

I would like to congratulate The Lord of the Joust and the WFJF on reaching this milestone and I wish all the best to the WFJF in all their future endeavours!

Minigolf Interview on BBC Radio Shropshire

I was interviewed about Minigolf on the Ryan Kennedy Show on BBC Radio Shropshire on Saturday 31st July.

You can listen to the interview on the BBC iPlayer for the next week at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p0090kr6

The interview begins at 1 hour 8 mins in. Then there is some more about Crazy Golf at 1 hour 18mins in.

There's also a good bit of Spandau Ballet at 45mins and 20secs into the show!

Changes to the felt and mats at Watford TopGolf

Over the last month I've played the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at Watford TopGolf three times. Each time the course has been different!

Visit 1 - 7th July 2010

On my visit on the 7th July for a minigolf Challenge Match versus my old Dodgeball nemesis 'Rowdy' Russell Fenner the course was in much the same condition as it has been on our last few visits - a little worn in places, but quite playable. On this round I scored a new personal best at the course of 39(+3).




Visit 2 - 13th July 2010

On my visit on the 13th July a lot of pieces of felt were missing!? Most noticeably on the tee-off areas! Instead of felt the area was bare concrete. My best score in the two rounds played was 44(+8).





Visit 3 - 22nd July 2010

On my latest visit on the 22nd July the finishing touches had been made to the 'refurb', with new patches of felt over worn areas, aling with new tee-off areas of felt (which play incredibly slowly). I scored a disappointing 45(+9) on the 'new' course.




The 18th hole (which is one of the course's best challenges) also looks like it will soon be changed.

Putting Green / Mini Golf in Bedford - Crazy World of Minigolf course played #184

Playing the 18-hole Minigolf Putting Course in Bedford's Russell Park.
 
On Thursday 29th July 2010 I was in Bedford and played the 18-hole Putting Green in Russell Park.



It's a tricky course, but in great condition. It's £2.35 a round for adults and the course had a few other groups out on it.


Heading 'out' I scored 20(+2), but heading 'in' I scored a horrendous 28(+10)! That was even including a hole-in-one on the 15th hole.


The visit was the 184th Minigolf course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.




Walking back along through the park I also spotted what could have been a Minigolf hole!



Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Tea Green Golf's Minigolf Course - Upgrade

Tea Green Golf Club in Luton have given their 9-hole minigolf course a bit of a spruce up and have added some new flags. The course looks very nice, and with a good clean is playing better. I even managed a hole-in-one on the tricky 'par 3' dog-leg 6th hole in a challenge match versus Simon 'Shotgun' Hall this evening.





A little over a year ago on our first visit of the course it wasn't in the best condition - see the blog post from the 1st July 2009 at Minigolf Course Visit No. 111 - Tea Green, Luton!

The course is now much improved and has a current course record of 13(-5) for 9-holes - held by Scott Holmes - and an 18-hole course record of 30(-6) held by me!

Gottfried's Rankings in the latest BMGA Order of Merit Minigolf Rankings List

In the latest British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Order of Merit Rankings for the 2009-2010 Season I have moved up one place to 7th of 88 ranked players, with 3,250 points - this is a new career best position for me.

Emily is now ranked at number 34, with 816 points. She is also the third highest ranked female in the Order of Merit.

The top three minigolfers in the BMGA Order of Merit Rankings at present are:
1 - Chris Harding - 4,625 points
2 - Marc Chapman - 4,085 points
3 - Nick Chitty - 4,080 points

The Bell Pub, Wendens Ambo, Saffron Walden, Essex - No minigolf course there

An internet search for minigolf in Essex had brought up details of The Bell Pub in Wendens Ambo, near Saffron Walden.

However, there was no course there.



There was however a Boules/Petanque Piste (which reminded us of the Boules Invitational Tournament at The Mumbles in Swansea (Abertawe) last August).


On the way to the Pub we did pass through New England! A very interesting place to spot, as it's not on the map!?

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - List and links for all Miniature Golf courses visited to date
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf in Essex

Saffron Walden Golf Club - Putting Green not played

While searching for The Bell Pub in Saffron Walden we passed Saffron Walden Golf Club - and the Putting Green there. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to play it.


We did discover that The Bell Pub was actually in the village of Wendens Ambo, and not Saffron Walden itself.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf in Essex

Felixstowe Minigolf July 2010 - Hollywood Holes Crazy Golf - Old New Minigolf Frames - Derelict Course - Adventure Golf

On Saturday 10th July 2010 we also headed to Felixstowe, Suffolk.

The Hollywood Holes Crazy Golf course is still there.




The old location for the Hollywood Holes actual course was being used for an Active Sports Event (a bit ironic).




The course that was going to be built is still in mothballs - piled up next to the Donkey Rides.


Previous visits - 1 and 2.

We played the 9-hole Adventure Golf course on the sea front.






In the Irregular Mini Golf Tour event, we drew on 27(+9).

We didn't play Mannings Magical Golf (Golf FX), as we were heading to a potential course in Saffron Walden.