A blog about our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. With a sprinkling of nostalgia and urban exploration for good measure.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
From a Minigolf Course to Flower Beds...
No Crazy Golf course in Heaton Park anymore
'Old School' Joke on the Minigolf Course
Minigolf Doubles - Career Stats
Minigolf Course Visit No. 114 - Wythenshawe Park
The Gottfrieds also took on the Johnsons in 9-hole Strokeplay and Matchplay Doubles Matches, with one win for each team. Full Doubles record and scores follow.
A 'new' golfing definition of 'ham and egger'
Under 'h' they list the term 'ham and egger' as "...a feature or golf course that is very common in nature."
A list of other definitions and an introduction to The Ham and Egger Files can be found on my first blog post from 21st December 2006 here http://hamandeggerfiles.blogspot.com/2006/12/ham-egger-files-introduction.html
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Minigolf Report – Gottfrieds finish first and second in the Manchester Miniature Open tournament
Press Information
For Immediate Release
Minigolf Report – Gottfrieds finish first and second in the Manchester Miniature Open tournament
Luton minigolfers Richard & Emily Gottfried finished first and second in the Manchester Miniature Open tournament at the 9-hole Championship MiniatureGolf course at Playgolf Manchester on Saturday 25th July.
The second ‘Mini Major’ competition of the year was played over 27-holes, and in a field of twelve players Richard won with a three round total of 87(-18) after scoring rounds of 27, 31 and 29.
After tying for second place with scores of 90(-15), Emily and Birmingham’s Paul Johnson played a four-hole cumulative score play-off to decide second and third place. Emily was able to score a total of 11, while Johnson hit 15, giving Emily her highest minigolf tournament finish to date.
Richard Gottfried said “I am so happy to have won my second Mini Major minigolf title. I seem to play really well on the tough greens in Manchester. It’s so difficult to ace any holes here that a two is worth its weight in gold. The final round was very tense, as going into it I was only two shots ahead of Emily and Nick Ashfield. Emily did very well to get second place.”
Emily said “It was a really great tournament, and at one point I thought I might win it as I was playing really well, but Rich played better and definitely deserved to win.”
The Manchester Miniature Open is Richard’s fifth tournament win since his British Minigolf Association debut in April 2007; he is also the Manchester Mini Masters Champion, Weymouth Open Champion, Adventure Island/Heart FM Open Champion, and one-quarter of the reigning BMGA British Club Champions.
Richard is currently ranked 19th of 81 players in the BMGA Order of Merit Rankings, while Emily is in 44th place.
Ends
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Richard Gottfried wins the Manchester Miniature Open minigolf tourney...
...Emily Gottfried second after a four-hole cumulative score play-off victory over Birmingham's Paul Johnson.
Full results to follow.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Practice at Tea Green Crazy Golf
Hole 3 has changed for a second time with the obstacle switching positions and now has the ramp to the left hand side (below).
Speaking with Tea Green Golf's manager Lester Coles the Crazy Golf competition scheduled for Friday 17th July was postponed due to the torrential rain that fell, flooding the course.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tea Green Crazy Golf Course 'Then' & 'Now'
When I first visited Tea Green's Crazy Golf course on the 1st July a couple of the holes were in need of some refurbishment, and I am happy to say that they have now been improved.
Hole 3 - 1st July
Hole 3 - 16th July
Hole 8 - 1st July
Hole 8 - 16th July
Tea Green Crazy Golf Course Record and Competition
The course is holding a knockout minigolf tournament for new players tomorrow (17th July) and are advertising this (and the course record) outside the clubhouse.
The Crazy Golf course has also been improved a lot over the last few weeks, with new obstacles on the third and the eighth holes, and with other holes re-concreted and freshly painted.
More details, and 'then' & 'now' photos to follow.
Minigolf Course Visit No. 113 - Putting Green at Tea Green
In the game I managed a 21(+3), which included an Ace on the 3rd hole.
Crazy Golf, Big Golf and Putting at Tea Green
In the 'Big' Golf I had a victory over Issarrar Malik, followed by wins in four games of Crazy Golf, and a 9-hole match on the Putting Green (which was also my 113th course played).
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Joy of the Amusement Arcade - Crazy Air Squash in Hastings
With the previous matches being a draw and one win to Steve, the battle to become the UK (and arguably the world's) number one Air Hockey & Variants Champion drew the attention of two new challengers (and fellow Minigolfers) - Scott Lancley and Kevin Moseley.
In a new format, the four would battle it out at the Family Amusements on Hastings' Sea Front following the first day's play in the BMGA British Championships.
In the first match reigning and defending Crazy Air Squash Champion Steve Gow beat Richard Gottfried 8-4.
In the other first round match Scott Lancley beat Kevin Moseley 5-3 to take him through to the final.
Both matches saw plenty of off 'field' action with the puck being lost at least five times.
In the final, Steve Gow lost his crown to newcomer Scott Lancley in an exciting, high scoring and very close match, with the final score standing at 8-7.
In the 3rd/4th place play-off match Kevin Moseley beat Richard Gottfried 5-4.
Rankings
1. Scott Lancley
2. Steve Gow
3. Kevin Moseley
4. Richard Gottfried
Photos from the event:
Steve Gow and Richard Gottfried ahead of their Crazy Air Squash match.
Heads of Tails - pre-match coin toss to see who hits the puck first.
Scott Lancley and Kevin Moseley battle it out in their first round encounter.
Richard Gottfried and Kevin Moseley following their 3rd/4th place play-off match.
The final score in the final between defending Crazy Air Squash Champion Steve Gow and new challenger Scott Lancley.
Scott Lancley receives the 'prestigious' trophy.
Following the four-player tournament, play took place at the original Crazy Air Squash table in The Deluxe Amusement Arcade as the originators of the sport battled to find out the winner in the ongoing Gow/Gottfried competition.
In a high scoring and 103 second time-limited match it was Gottfried who took the win 9-5. Gow/Gottfried Air Hockey Competition Results to date: Wroxham Barns (Aug 08) - Draw Hastings (Oct 08) - SG Win Hastings (July 09) - RG Win
Minigolf Players Tackle Tea Green's Big Golf
Below: Jon 'El Pato' Angel and 'Hot Streak' Richard Gottfried adopt new nicknames for their round of golf.
Richard & Jon head to their respective bunkers for their second shots on the sixth hole!
'Hot Streak' Richard Gottfried beat Jon 'El Pato' Angel by one-shot with the same total he hit on his first visit, a 48(+19).
After the Big Golf came a round of Minigolf on the centre's Crazy Golf course.
With four holes currently being refurbished, holes 1, 2, 5 and 6 were replayed as the back four.
Jon 'The Stance' Angel beat 'Squire' Richard Gottfried 17(-1) to 21(+3).
The Tea Green Crazy Golf course record of 15(-3) set on the 1st July 2009 and held by Richard remains.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Photo published in Living Locally Magazine, July 2009
You can read the magazine here. The photo is on page 27.
Gottfried Minigolf Reports in the Luton News
"Tenth place for Gottfried"
www.lutontoday.co.uk/lut/Tenth-place-for-Gottfried.5417434.jp
"Disappointing weekend for minigolfer Gottfried"
www.lutontoday.co.uk/lut/Disappointing-weekend-for-minigolfer-Gottfried.5435610.jp
New Tenpin Bowling Personal Best
My previous PB was in Denver Colorado in March, details here.
Minigolf Report – British Championships & British Matchplay Championships 2009
Press Information
For Immediate Release
Minigolf Report – British Championships & British Matchplay Championships 2009
Luton Minigolfer Richard Gottfried competed in two minigolf tournaments in Hastings, East Sussex over the weekend.
First up was his second-round match in the BMGA British Matchplay Championships against British number seven, and Planet Hastings Club Co-Captain, Ted McIver. Played on the Sea Front Crazy Golf course on Friday 3rd July, Richard lost by one-hole after fighting back from being four-down after seven holes. His holes-in-one on the 16th and 17th holes were not quite enough to force a play-off.
On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July Richard competed in the 2009 BMGA British Championships played on the 18-hole Sea Front Minigolf course. Played over 126-holes Richard entered rounds of 39, 43, 39, 45, 39, 37 and 41 to finish with a total of 283(+31) and be ranked 25th of 31 players. The winner was Keith Kellard from Bishop’s Stortford, with a seven-round total of 241(-11).
Kellard’s winning average score per hole was 1.91 shots, with Richard hitting an average of 2.24 shots per hole.
Richard said “I must admit I’m disappointed in both being knocked out of the matchplays and my finish in the British Championships. But to lose to Ted in the second round by only one-hole after a fightback from four-down wasn’t too bad, nor were many of my shots in the British Championships. So many of them were nearly Aces and over the course of the tournament I had 95 twos and so many shots that were so close to going in. Although I must have set a new BMGA Tour record after going 78 holes without a hole-in-one, but I managed to knock a few in on the Sunday.”
Ends
Video - Richard Gottfried attempts some practice ahead of the BMGA British Championships with an audience of Seagulls.