The Sqonkey Classic minigolf competition in Dorridge

Following the 2011 BMGA British Doubles Championships on Sunday 31st July, team mates ‘Squire’ Richard Gottfried and Scott ‘Donkey Gringo’ Lancley faced-off in a 12-hole match for the Sqonkey Classic minigolf title at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull.

In an exciting tussle the ‘Sq’ (but no ‘u’) portion of the team defeated the ‘onkey’ 24-26.

Photo: From l-r, Sq and onkey

Minigolf Report - BMGA British Doubles Championships 2011

3rd August 2011
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report - BMGA British Doubles Championships - Gottfried & Lancley 7th, Gottfried & Shepherd 10th

The 2011 BMGA British Doubles Championships were held at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull on Sunday 31st July, with both Richard and Emily Gottfried competing.

Photo: Team Sqonkey - 'Squire' Richard Gottfried and Scott 'Donkey Gringo' Lancley

In the tournament Richard teamed with Margate’s Scott Lancley for the first time, while Emily reformed her team with London’s Brad Shepherd. Richard’s team achieved seventh place overall; with Emily’s team finishing in tenth spot in the 14-team competition.

Each of the competing 14 teams played in a round robin group qualifying stage, before moving on to a knockout stage to determine the final rankings.

Richard and Scott won their group with two wins and a loss, to qualify for the play-offs for positions 1-8, only to be defeated in their next match against the defending champions Chris Harding and Marc Chapman, who went on to win the event for the second time.

The Gottfried/Lancley team (playing as 'Team Sqonkey) had a win/loss record of three wins, and three defeats.

Photo: Team Sqonkey look on as Richard 'Gentle Touch' Skeggs plays the seventh hole at Dorridge as his Team Wilson team mate Oliver 'The Machine' Florence watches

The Gottfried/Shepherd duo (playing as 'Fist N Lemony') had a win/loss record of two wins, one draw and three losses.

Ends

Minigolf Report - Midlands Open 2011 - Emily Gottfried 7th, Richard Gottfried Ties for 8th Place

3rd August 2011
Press Information
For Immediate Release


Minigolf Report - Midlands Open 2011 - Emily Gottfried 7th, Richard Gottfried Ties for 8th Place

Luton Minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried were in action over the weekend as they competed in two competitions at the 12-hole Minigolf Course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull.

First up was the Midlands Open competition on Saturday 30th July, with Emily finishing in seventh place in the 25 strong field with a score of 95(-1). Emily had been in tied second place with British Number One Michael Smith heading into the last round, and with her strong performance in the event placed higher than Richard Gottfried for the first time in a BMGA Tour event. Richard carded a four-round total of 96(par) to finish one-shot behind in tied eighth place with London's Nick Sandqvist.

Photo: Emily plays the 12th hole in the final round

Emily scored rounds of 25, 22, 21 and 27 for her 95(-1) total.

Richard scored rounds of 25, 22, 23 and 26 for his 96(par) total.

Emily said “The Midlands Open was a fantastic tournament for me. I played particularly well in the first three rounds, so I was very pleased to be playing in the leading group going out into the fourth and final round. Unfortunately it was an average round for me, which came just when other player seemed to be reaching their peak, so I dropped down the leader board. I still enjoyed the tournament greatly and it was nice to play the final round with such good players as Chris Harding and Michael Smith.”

The four-round competition was won by the reigning World Crazy Golf Champion, Birmingham’s Chris Harding with a score of 88(-8). Greenhithe’s Sean Homer defeated Canterbury’s Marc Chapman and Lewisham’s James Rutherford in a play-off to take second place after the trio had scored 90(-6).

Ends

Richard Gottfried - Coeliac UK Member Story - Travelling Gluten Free, Fish & Chips and Minigolf

I have had a 'member story' published in the latest issue of Coeliac UK's Electronic Crossed Grain (eXG) newsletter (August 2011). The topic for the August issue was 'travel themed member stories'.

I wrote about me and Emily's resolution to visit all of the UK's seasides, travelling on a Gluten Free diet, Minigolf, Fish & Chips, and some of the best places we've been able to eat out at.

You can read my story online at - Member Stories: Richard Gottfried

Coeliac UK is the leading charity working for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Their mission is to improve the lives of people with coeliac disease through support, campaigning and research.

Course Played #70 Wroxham Barns - Adventure Golf - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Archive

On the 2nd of August 2008 Emily and I were invited by UrbanCrazy to attend the launch of the new 18-hole Miniature Golf/Adventure Golf course at Worxham Barns, Norfolk.

The course became the 70th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At the launch event two competitions were played, with me picking up the win and setting the course record at 34(-2).

We have since played at the Wroxham Barns course in two BMGA English Open competitions (2009 & 2011) and the BMGA British Championships (2010).

A great course and well worth a visit. Very tricky too.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Crazy Golf at 'the beach' at The Centre: MK in Milton Keynes - Minigolf course played #263

Crazy Golf at 'the beach' at The Centre: MK in Milton Keynes - Minigolf course played #263

On Friday 29th July 2011 we visited and played the temporary 9-hole Crazy Golf course that has been set up at the Centre: MK Shopping Centre in Milton Keynes.

The Centre: MK has a 'beach' set up for the summer with a number of seaside amusements to enjoy, the Crazy Golf being one of them. The Beach will be open until the 31st of August 2011.

The Crazy Golf course was the 263rd played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up Emily defeated me 25-28.

Milton Keynes is also home to another Minigolf course - the permanent 9-hole Adventure Golf course at Willen Lake. We visited and played the course on the 28th of July 2007 (#29).

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

The Dorridge Invitational Minigolf Competition 2011

As a warm-up to the Midlands Open the Dorridge Invitational Competition was contested on the 12-hole Minigolf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull on the evening of Friday 29th July 2011, with the eight players making up the field drawn from those still practicing.

Lewisham/Tooting/Hither Green/London/Wandsworth’s Seth ‘Clockwork Orange’ Thomas picked up the win in the 12-hole one-round event with a three shot margin over runner-up James ‘The Rocket’ Rutherford. Nick Sandqvist was third on 25.

The Dorridge Invitational Competition 2011
Rank Player Score
1 Seth Thomas 20
2 James Rutherford 23
3 Nick Sandqvist 25
4 Richard Gottfried 27
4 Richard Skeggs 27
6 Marina Breedon 28
7 Emily Gottfried 29
7 Adam Breedon 29

From the archives - the last remnants of the Crazy Golf course in Llanfairfechan, Wales

Back in August 2009 Emily and I were on a Roadtrip around the Welsh Coast that also saw us visit and play a number of Minigolf (Minigolff) and Crazy Golf (Golff Gwyllt) courses as part of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

After visiting Anglesey and before we hit the Great Orme mountain/Llandudno portion of our trek we paid a visit to Llanfairfechan as we'd heard there was a very interesting Minigolf course that was still (partially at least) there.

In Llanfairfechan, under the shadow of the Penmaenmawr Mountain we found the last five holes of the Minigolf course that was once in the seafront park.









Link to more courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

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

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Hastings Seafront Adventure Golf

Following the conclusion of the 2007 Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships, held on the Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Hastings, East Sussex, Emily and I had a round on the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at the Sea Front complex. The course became the 41st visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

In our Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up Emily defeated me 47-48.

We last played the course in September 2010 at the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open.

Links:
- Hastings Adventure Golf website
- Hastings Adventure Golf on Facebook
- Hastings Adventure Golf on Twitter

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

Course Played #40 Hastings (Seafront) - Minigolf - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Archives

On the 26th October 2007 we visited and played the 40th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at the 18-hole Minigolf course at the Sea Front Adventure Golf complex in Hastings, East Sussex.

The 18-hole Minigolf course was removed and replaced by a brand-new Pirate-themed Adventure Golf course which opened in May 2011. Emily and I both competed in the 2011 WMF World Adventure Golf Masters International Minigolf Tournament held at the new course.

The old course had been host to a number of BMGA Tour events over the years, and we had been able to compete there in a fair few of the competitions.

Video: Minigolf British Championships 2009 - Seagulls spectate



Video: Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open 2010 - Richard Gottfried in minigolf action



The new 18-Hole Pirate Adventure Golf Course was the 219th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Photos from the construction site (November 2010)

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Hastings

Blog post about our visits to the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course on Hastings sea front.

Back on the 26th October 2007 we visited and played the 39th and 40th courses on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at the Sea Front Adventure Golf Complex in Hastings, East Sussex. We also played the Adventure Golf course on the 28th October 2007 (#41).

The Crazy Golf course is an Arnold Palmer Putting Course and is kept in brilliant condition by the team at Hastings Adventure Golf. The course includes great obstacles such as the Windmill and Waterwheel, and is a great test of putting skill. It's my favourite course in the UK.

We were in town getting ready to compete in our first-ever World Crazy Golf Championships where Emily and I were to finish 54th and 39th respectively.

Before the main-event we held our usual Irregular Mini Golf Tour Match-up in which I defeated Emily 86-95 played over a round on both the Crazy Golf course and the Miniature Golf course.

We've since played the course loads of times, both in competition and just for fun.

Photos from the 2007 Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships

Video: A walkround the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf in Hastings (September 2010)



The unofficial 'Magazine' for the 2010 Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships included a piece I wrote about the Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course. Text from the article below:
"The Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course in Hastings is a design classic and includes all the elements
that make a Crazy Golf course great – the Windmill, the Waterwheel, an Obelisk, ledges, bunkers,
traps, flat loops, hills and plateaus – everything laid out to make a course interesting, testing and
most of all fun!

Back in 2007 the course became the 39th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. In the last
few years we’ve visited and played at 284 minigolf course locations all over the UK, and a few
overseas, but of them all, the Hastings Seafront Crazy Golf course is arguably the finest course in
the country and a great example of an Arnold Palmer Putting Course, it’s a pleasure to play and a
great host venue course for the World’s Biggest Crazy Golf Tournament.

There are plenty of Aces out there, but it’s a course that can trip you up if you’re not careful, in
my first competition here I equalled the course record (at the time) of 32(-4), but you can also
easily hit a round in the 40s! It’s a great place for a fun round, and also a top location for
tournament play, where I’ve had the honour to play on it in the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Open,
the BMGA British Matchplay Championships, and this, my fourth Castle Golf World Crazy Golf
Championships.

It’s in an excellent location and is well maintained by David and Marion Hartley and their team,
and it’s always a pleasure to visit. Here’s to many more years of competition and fun."

Photos of the course (May 2011)

Check out more course visits on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Laser Maze at Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier - and 'The Crystal Maze'

While on Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier we had a chance to play our first ever Laser Maze!

As big fans of Laser Tag (and all manner of other amusements) we couldn't wait to give it a go.

It's quite like playing one of the dreaded 'Automatic Lock-In' games on The Crystal Maze, in that you have to reach a target at one end of the room and return to touch another button to complete the task, all in the fastest possible time, and without breaking any of the Laser Beams!

I managed to beat Emily with a score of 399.4 to 427.0.

The Grand Pier is also home to 'The Crystal Maze'! Unfortunately it only shares its name with the brilliant TV Show and is not the same as the 'Cyberdrome' Crystal Maze Games (such as the one we played in Narbeth, Wales in 2009).

Dead Mans Cove Pirate Shooting Shack on Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier

On Weston-Super-Mare's Grand Pier I got to have a play on one of my all-time favourite seaside amusements - The Shooting Shack. This time it was a Pirate-themed Gallery.

I managed to rack up a score of 300, I believe this is an all-time Personal Best!

Other Seaside Shooting Shacks visited and played on our travels.