Adventure Golf in Hereford

Playing the 194th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

After playing the Miniature/Miniatvre Golf course at Symonds Yat West we decided to remain in England a little while longer before heading back over the border for the rest of our weekend in Wales.

Our next stop on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was at the 12-hole Adventure Golf course at TGS in Hereford, Herefordshire.

The course was the 194th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and was built by City Golf, the builders of both the Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Porthcawl (Trecco Park) courses.

The TGS course contains a variety of holes and obstacles, some of the holes are very long, while others are incredibly short!

Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played

Playing the Wye Valley Miniatvre Golf course in Symonds Yat West

A Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the Wye Valley Miniature Golf course in Symonds Yat West.


Following our visit to the Tredegar Park Minigolf course in Newport, Wales on Saturday 21st August 2010 we headed back over the border for a couple of rounds at the 12-hole Roman-themed Miniatvre Golf course at Wye Valley Miniatvre Golf in Symonds Yat West.

The course was the 193rd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and also home to the final two rounds of the 2010 Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament).







The course is great fun to play, with some excellent obstacles and well designed holes. I'd definitely return to play there again.








While at the course we talked with Lindsay Heyes, co-owner of the Wye Valley Miniature Golf course who kindly gave us some background history to his very well thought out course.

He told us that the Wye Valley Miniature Golf was opened on 11th September 2007, and he designed the course, while his brother Edward Heyes led the construction team. In the research stage they looked at 80 parameters which determine playability, from drainage and gradient to type of ball and gap-width between obstacles.

Interestingly the whole course acts as a water-collector for, and admits light to, the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo as part of their environmental sustainability effort. Nearly all components were sourced from local suppliers - e.g. the colonnade was cast just a mile away from the course, where they had the columns distressed to age them two thousand years!

The concept was that the course would wind its way through a fictional excavation, complete with a grave, of a Romano-British villa engaged in the fellmongery business.

The centre also has an Amazing Maze (and Maze Museum), Butterfly Farm, Tea Room and Garden Centre, and makes a great location for a day out.

The Maze



Richard Gottfried, Leo Kukielka & Owen Johnson try their hand at juggling(!?) at the Amazing Maze after the minigolf.


Links:
- Wye Valley Miniature Golf website
- Wye Valley Miniature Golf on Twitter

Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Tredegar Park Minigolf, Newport - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Course Played #192

On Saturday 21st August 2010 we played minigolf course number 192 on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, when we visited the 9-hole course at Tredegar Park Minigolf, Newport, Wales to play the first three rounds of the 2010 Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament).







The course wasn't too bad to play, but unfortunately the park's facilities and course hut/kiosk weren't even open, despite our visit being on a Saturday during the summer!?








Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales
- Minigolf etc. - English to Welsh translations

45 minutes on Barry Island

Having previously spent '10 minutes in Canvey Island' in 2008 we found ourselves visiting Barry Island in Wales for a quick 45 minutes of amusements and seaside attractions*.

Having previously played the Pirate Adventure Golf course on our Tour of Wales in August 2009 we instead visited 'The Buttons' and also found a crazy shooting gallery.

Links to other shooting shack adventures on our seaside tour here and here.

* We were only able to spend 45 minutes there as the Parking machine charged £1 for an hour, or £4 for anything over an hour!?

Gluten Free Fish & Chips at the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar, Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales

On Saturday 21st August 2010 we visited the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar in Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales as we'd heard they sold Gluten Free Fish & Chips.

And they did!


They also sell a wide-range of Gluten Free Fish & Chip shop classics that are safe for Coeliacs to eat - including Battered Sausages, an absolute rarity!

Highly recommended, very knowledgeable staff and very tasty Gluten Free food!

Contact details for the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar:
15 Fairwater Square
Fairwater, Cwmbran, Gwent NP44 4TA
01633 485 262

Quick Results: 2010 Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament)

Leo Kukielka won the second annual Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament) in a 5-round 48-hole tournament played at Tredegar Park, Newport, Wales and the Roman-themed Wye Valley Miniatvre Golf course at Symonds Yat West, Herefordshire on Saturday 21st August 2010.

Seve Kukielka was runner-up, with Paul Johnson taking the bronze medal back to England.

It was a completely different podium from the 2009 competition.

Richard Gottfried was 5th, with Emily Gottfried 6th.

A full report, results and photos to follow.

Vote for our "Minigolf at the seaside" video & help us win a holiday!

We need your help again as Emily and I could win a 10,000 minute holiday in the Enjoy England 'Enjoy Every Minute' competition.

Our "minigolf at the seaside" video, filmed at the Adventure Golf course in Felixstowe, Suffolk, has been shortlisted among the top ten videos from all those entered into the Enjoy England 'Enjoy Every Minute' Competition!

All you need to do is click on the link here and then click on the voting link and select our video as the one you'd like to vote for!

The vote will be closed on August 27th and the winner announced on August 28th, receiving 10,000 minutes of holiday in England!

Thank you for voting on our minigolf video, it's very much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Richard & Emily

PS - If you'd like us to send you a postcard from our holiday leave a comment here too ;-)

'Squire' Richard Gottfried's Career Minigolf Matchplay Singles Record - Update

'Squire' Richard Gottfried's Career Minigolf Matchplay Singles Record - Update (last match 04/07/10)


Win/Loss Record (in all events)
Played - 16
Won - 10
Lost - 6
Drawn - 0

Win/Loss Record (in BMGA Tour events)
Played - 9
Won - 5
Lost - 4
Drawn - 0

13 Different Opponents
9 BMGA Tour Matchplay Competition Matches
7 Non-BMGA Matchplay Competition Matches

'Squire' Richard Gottfried's Minigolf Career Doubles Record - Update

'Squire' Richard Gottfried's Minigolf Career Doubles Record - Update (last match 16/07/10)


Win/Loss Record (in all friendlies & full BMGA Tour events)
Played - 40
Won - 20
Lost - 17
Drawn - 3

Win/Loss Record (in BMGA Tour events)
Played - 19
Won - 11
Lost - 5
Drawn - 3

Record (in BMGA Warm-up Doubles events)
Played - 2
First - 0
Second - 1
Third - 0
Other - 1

11 playing partners (current competition team mate is Kevin Moseley)
19 competitive matches
21 friendlies
29 matchplay matches
11 strokeplay format matches
2 BMGA Warm-up Doubles events

British Talent - British Airways Great Britons

Link to my entry to the British Talent - British Airways Great Britons competition.

Adventure Golf Grass Putting at Hyde Park, London

On the 14th August 2010 we played the Mini Golf Putting course at  London's Hyde Park.



Video - Introducing the visit to Hyde Park's Adventure Golf Grass Putting course



The 9-hole layout is also called 'Adventure Golf' on one of the Park's signs, and the Grass Putting course was quite different to other Putting Miniature Golf courses we have played.

Video - A Walkround of the Adventure Golf Grass Putting course in Hyde Park, London






The course was the 191st played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the 251st minigolf course location visited since the tour began in 2006.

The Hyde Park 'Adventure Golf' grass putting course is open from early-May to October.





Video - Richard Putting on Hole 6 at the Hyde Park Adventure Golf Grass Putting course in London






The cost was £5.00 per player for two 9-hole rounds. The holes are quite tricky and if some of the lawns were in a little better condition it would have been great. Apart from that it was one of the most aesthetically pleasing courses we have visited to date.

In our match I managed to beat Emily by one-shot with a score of 33(+6) over the one 9-hole round we had time for.

If you're looking for other Mini Golf, Crazy Golf or Adventure Golf courses in London check out my blog post about those we've found.

Related Blog Posts:

- Adventure Golf Grass Putting at Hyde Park, London - Course played #191

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- London

Link:

- Will To Win

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

The Green Mini Golf Club (GMGC) Rankings

The Green Mini Golf Club (GMGC) has released the first edition of its ranking list and I am currently ranked at number five.

Selected ranking list for GMGC members as of August 14, 2010:
1. Nick Sandqvist -5
2. Michael Smith -4
3. Marc Chapman -4
4. Sean Homer -2
5. Richard Gottfried -1
6. Oliver Florence +2
(21 players are currently ranked in the GMGC List.

The GMGC are based at the Green Indoor Mini Golf course in Hither Green, Lewisham, London.

You can check out the club and course website at www.thegreenminigolf.co.uk.

Photos from play at the Green Indoor Mini Golf course:

Florence wins! Florence wins! Florence wins!

BMGA Tour Rookie and fellow Minigolf Blogger Ollie 'The Machine' Florence has picked up his first minigolf win!

You can read all about it over at his blog in the story "Tributes as triumphal machine makes minches history."

The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Tour of Wales - It's been a year!

On the 13th August 2009 we went on a nine-day 983-mile Minigolfing Tour of Wales, where we managed to play 28 Crazy Golf, Miniature Golf and Adventure Golf courses (93% of all the public Minigolf courses in Wales).

The first of the 28 Welsh courses we played on the Minigolf Tour of Wales was at Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf in Barry Island / Ynys y Barri and the last was at Riverside Park, Llangollen.

On our holiday roadtrip we also competed in the first-ever 2009 Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament).

Stats & Facts from the Minigolf Tour of Wales 2009.

Links to the Welsh minigolf courses played:
121 Barry Island/Ynys y Barri (Smuggler's Cove) - Adventure Golf
122 Porthcawl (Trecco Caravan Park) - Adventure Golf
123 Porthcawl (Trecco Caravan Park) - Putting
124 Swansea/Abertawe (Southend Park, The Mumbles) - Crazy Golf
125 Swansea/Abertawe (Singleton Boating Lake) - Crazy Golf
126 Gowerton (Gowerton Golf Range) - Minigolf
127 Gowerton (Gowerton Golf Range) - Putting Course
128 Pembrey/Pen-bre (Pembrey Country Park) - Crazy Golf
129 Pendine Bay - Crazy Golf
130 Saundersfoot - Crazy Golf
131 Heatherton Park, near Tenby - Adventure Golf
132 Eglwyswrw (Dyfed Shires & Leisure Farm) - Crazy Golf
133 Henllan Station (Teifi Valley Railway), near Newcastle Emlyn - Crazy Golf
134 Llanrhystud (Penrhos Golf & Country Club) - Crazy Golf
135 Aberystwyth - Crazy Golf
136 Aberystwyth - Putting
137 Aberdovey/Aberdyfi - Putting
138 Tywyn (Leisure Park) - Crazy Golf
139 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Holyhead Park) - Crazy Golf
140 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Bodorgan, Henblas Country Park) - Crazy Golf
141 Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (Anglesey Sea Zoo) - Swedish Felt
142 Llandudno (Great Orme/Y Gogarth) - Alpine Adventure Golf
143 Llandudno (Great Orme/Y Gogarth) - Rocky Pines Adventure Golf - The highest minigolf course in the British Isles
144 Towyn (Knightly's on Sandbank Road) - Crazy Golf
145 Rhyl (Drift Park) - Minigolf
146 Rhyl (Welsh Dragon) - Adventure Golf
147 Prestatyn - Arnold Palmer Putting Course
148 Llangollen (Riverside Park) - Minigolf

Minigolf course locations visited in Wales, but not played:
21 Barry Island/Ynys y Barri - Crazy Golf - Demolished for new Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf
22 Pendine Sands - Crazy Golf - Demolished
23 Saundersfoot (Merlewood Hotel) - Putting Course - for hotel guests only
24 Gumfreston (The Dinosaur Park) - Adventure Golf - was just closing
25 Herons Brook Animal Farm - Crazy Golf (Demolished five years ago)
26 Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - Claimed to have a new Crazy Golf course - it did not exist
27 Aberystwyth Cliff Railway - The 'Games Room' did have a broken minigolf arcade machine that was out of order
28 Tywyn (Leisure Park) - Putting (ran out of time on visit)
29 Porthmadog - Crazy Golf (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
30 Porthmadog - Swedish Felt (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
31 Porthmadog - Putting (arrived at 5.30pm, course closed at 6pm but would not let us play)
32 Criccieth - Miniature Golf (Pitch & Putt)
33 Criccieth - Miniature Golf (Pitch & Putt)
34 Abergwyngregyn (Aber Falls Tavern) - course unplayable, Tavern under redevelopment
35 Llanfairfechan - Crazy Golf - only holes 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17 remain - no kiosk

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list of courses visited and played
- Wales
- Minigolf etc. - English to Welsh translations
- All Four Home Nations Visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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

British Airways - Great Britons - Richard Gottfried, Minigolfer

I have entered the British Airways Great Britons competition.

About the competition:
As the official airline partner of the London 2012 Games, British Airways has launched a programme called Great Britons, which will help and inspire people in the UK to be the best they can be. This scheme will look for individuals who demonstrate the values associated with Olympic and Paralympic Games and who strive to be the best, whether their passion is in sport, music, fashion, performing arts, art and design, innovation, or community.

Why have I applied?
If I won the Great Britons competition I would use the flights to compete in Professional Miniature Golf tournaments in the USA and Europe.

You can view and comment on my full BA Great Britons Profile Entry at - http://www.greatbritons.ba.com/users/42187

Link to my Minigolf Player Profile on The Ham & Egger Files.

"Gottfried triumphs at the GMGC Tournament" Minigolf Report in the Luton News

The Luton News and Dunstable Gazette covered my win in the GMGC Club Tournament in the sports section of the paper.

You can read the 'minigolf extra' piece on the Luton Today website at "Gottfried triumphs at the GMGC Tournament".

UrbanCrazy Minigolf Course Party in East Finchley

Visiting the 250th course location on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!
On Saturday 7th August 2010 Emily and I were guests of UrbanCrazy at the launch party of their latest minigolf course, at the home of their client in East Finchley, London.




The six-to-nine hole minigolf course is a course tailor-made for the customers and features some unique obstacles and some changeable holes! This means that it can vary from round to round and range from a six hole to a nine hole course!

In the practice rounds and various challenge matches against other guests my best score was 12(par). I also managed to Ace every hole bar the 1st and 5th. It's a tricky, interesting and visually pleasing minigolf course. The course was the 190th we have played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and is also the 250th overall course location visited in the four years of the Tour.

Minigolf Report - Richard Gottfried wins the GMGC Club Tournament at Hither Green

GMGC Club Tournament at Hither Green

Richard Gottfried accepted an invitation to compete in the Green Mini Golf Club’s first Club Tournament on Friday 6th August. Competing in a field of eleven players Richard won the 36-hole event with scores of 35(-1) and 36(par) for a total of 71(-1) – adjusted to 63 with the GMGC’s handicap scoring system. Hither Green’s Julio Kent was runner-up, with Kent’s Sean Homer third.

The event was a first for the Green Mini Golf Club (GMGC) which is based at the 18-hole Green Indoor Mini-Golf course in Hither Green, Lewisham. Earlier this year the course hosted the Spring Classic Competition where Richard was runner-up. The GMGC is now looking to organise regular competitions at the venue.

In the un-handicapped competition Richard’s two rounds were good enough to see him ranked third, behind London Open champion Nick Sandqvist and Sean Homer.

Richard said “It’s great to get a tournament win, and after my recent spate of runner-up spots it’s good to grab gold and a bronze. It makes a change to second place silver. The GMGC’s Club Tournaments also look like they are going to be great developmental events and I can’t wait to return for more action.”

Full results list from the GMGC Club Tournament.

Photos from the GMGC Club Tournament:

Richard at the Green Indoor Mini Golf Course in his new GMGC Club Polo Shirt.

Course owner Nick Sandqvist presents the prize money.

Richard plays a shot on the course.

The 'podium' at the first-ever GMGC Club Tournament, from l-r Sean Homer (3rd), Richard Gottfried (1st), Julio Kent (2nd).

The 18-hole indoor Swedish Felt minigolf course in Hither Green, Lewisham, London was the 160th course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in February 2010.

Richard is currently ranked at a new career high of 7th of 88 players in the 2009-2010 BMGA Order of Merit. Emily is currently 34th in the BMGA Order of Merit list. Having missed two ranking events this season, Richard has dropped slightly from 8th to 11th, in the 2010 BMGA Season Only Ranking list. Emily is 56th of 94 players in the list.

Ends

All Four Home Nations Visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Since our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour began on the 30th September 2006 we have now visited 249 minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf, miniature golf and putting courses all over the UK.

Our recent trip to Bangor, Belfast, Antrim and Larne in Northern Ireland completed the list of home nations visited to play Miniature Golf on the Irregular Mini Golf Tour, The Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and the BMGA Tour.

Obviously our first course was played in England, at the Treasure Island Adventure Golf in Portsmouth/Southsea on the 30th September 2006.

The next country visited was Scotland, where we headed to Glasgow and played three courses (and found a derelict) in May 2009. We've since been back to Scotland, where we competed in the BMGA Scottish Open tournament at Codonas Amusement Park in Aberdeen in May 2010.

Next up was our Minigolf Tour of Wales in August 2009. The first of the 28 Welsh courses we played was at Smuggler's Cove Adventure Golf in Barry Island / Ynys y Barri (another island visit too) and the last was at Riverside Park, Llangollen. While in Wales we also competed in the 2009 Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament), and visited the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn to play the island's three courses (Holyhead Park, Henblas Park and Anglesey Sea Zoo).

The trip to Northern Ireland saw us play five courses. One in Antrim, two in Larne (1&2), and two in Belfast. We also competed for a new Minigolf title in the NIBBAL-IT Doubles Challenge Competition, which saw the Bangor Minigolf Club defeat the Luton Wanderers in the 7-round event. In January 2010 we popped to Ireland for 30 seconds!?

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we've also headed to a few other 'Islands' within the British Isles. Back in 2008 we visited the Isle of Wight and Hayling Island (for Minigolf, Shooting Shacks, Rollercoasters, Miniature Steam Railways and Scarecrows), and in 2008 and 2009 we also visited Canvey Island.

In July 2010 we even found ourselves in New England!

Other countries we've visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour include Finland (once), USA (thrice - 1, 2, 3) and Austria (once). Although there wasn't a minigolf course there and it's not on a map(!?) we did drive through Egypt on the way back from a Minigolf Tour in August 2010!