Minigolf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

A visit to the miniature golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, West Midlands.

Hole 1 at Dorridge

We recently visited the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull for what would be the last minigolf tournament to be held on the 12-hole course - the 2015 MMGC Midlands Open. Over the years the venue has hosted many British Minigolf Association tournaments and we've competed in quite a few of them. The course has always been a pleasure to play (even when it's been punishing) and is far more difficult to master than it first appears.

The tricky second hole

Back in September 2008 the course became the 72nd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. I visited the layout while en route to the Monday night league at Adventure Island Mini Golf at Star City, Birmingham.

Hole 3

There are plans to create a new adventure golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre. The existing course will be removed. It will certainly be missed.

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 5's obstacle

An even closer look inside the castle on hole 5

And hole 5's green

Hole 6

Hole 7 - the scene of many a minigolfing nightmare!

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Hole 2 from another angle

Playing hole 5

Having a shot on hole 9

Over the humps on hole 10

Emily playing the first

For more information check out the Four Ashes Golf Centre website.

Links:
- Four Ashes Golf Centre
- British Minigolf Association

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Dorridge
- Mini Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge (September 2017)

Mini Golf courses in Knaresborough

Playing minigolf at Knaresborough's Castle Yard and a revisit to Conyngham Hall.

Mini Golf grass Putting at Knaresborough Castle

Back in September 2010 we visited Knaresborough in North Yorkshire and enjoyed an afternoon wandering around the town and playing some Mini and Crazy Golf at Conyngham Hall. Last March I found out that on that visit we'd actually missed the other miniature golf course in the town! It's situated in the Castle Yard.

Emily putting at Knaresborough's Castle Yard course

Note the interesting sign on the drainpipe

The Castle Yard Putting course in Knaresborough is an 18-hole layout

The course is the first we've ever played that had a sallyport and secret tunnel running underneath it!

The tunnel was built in the late 13th or mid 14th century and was large enough for a small group of armed men to leave the castle secretly at night and launch an attack on any besieging troops.

The sallyport on the left and hole 8 on the right. While we were playing, the sallyport was opened up for a group on a tour

On this trip to Knaresborough we spent the night in the town before heading back home. On our arrival it was very nice to receive a special welcome from Andy at Art in the Mill!

Andy Grinter from Art in the Mill is a local businessman and minigolf enthusiast. Ahead of our arrival in town he'd chalked up a message for us on our visit to Knaresborough

The grass Putting course at Knaresborough's Castle Yard became the 357th course played and 591st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It was also the second course in a row that was played near a castle, as last month we played Crazy Golf in Tamworth's Castle Grounds.

Hole 1 and Knaresborough Castle in the background. A very nice location for a round of minigolf

Putting on the 13th hole

In our minigolf match-up on the Castle Yard Putting course I beat Emily with a score of 43 to 49.

As well as the Putting you can play Bowling on a nice looking green at the Castle

While in Knaresborough we also revisited Conyngham Hall grounds where you can find a grass Putting course, Crazy Golf and a Pitch & Putt layout.

Crazy Golf at Conyngham Hall

The Pitch & Putt layout at Conyngham Hall

When we arrrived at Conyngham Hall only one of the flags was still out on the Putting Green - it was about to close, so it's a good job we'd played the good little layout five years ago

We're looking forward to our next visit to the town already.

Knaresborough Castle

A view of the viaduct in Knaresborough from the Castle Yard

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has taken us to other courses in the Harrogate district, including Harrogate itself and Ripon's Spa Gardens.

Putting at Knaresborough's Castle Yard costs £2.30 per adult. You get to use some odd headed putters for your game!

Links:

- Sports and Games in Harrogate and District

- Games in the Park - Knaresborough Castle Yard

- Games in the Parks - Conyngham Hall

- Art in the Mill

Related blog posts:

- Knaresborough

- Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough, Yorkshire - Minigolf courses played #201 and 202

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Bar Billiards in York

Playing Bar Billiards at The Golden Ball pub in York.

On our walk back to the city centre following the York International Postcard Show at the racecourse we stopped off for a Gin & Tonic and a game of Bar Billiards at The Golden Ball pub.

Emily playing the Bar Billiards table at The Golden Ball pub in York

In action and en route to a win

In our match-up I scored 1,980 to Emily's 0 after she wiped-out a score of 770

Along with The Phoenix, The Golden Ball set-up the York Bar Billiards league in 2013. For more information, teams and fixtures check out the York Bar Billiards website. The Golden Ball pub website also has a Bar Billiards section on it. It's brilliant to see the pub game thriving in the city. We're looking forward to returning and checking out the tables at the other pubs.

The York Bar Billiards League Fixture list. Check out the league's website and Facebook page for information on the coming season

On a postcard-related note, The Golden Ball has its own postcard available to purchase at the bar.

Links:
- York Bar Billiards
- The Golden Ball
- Bar Billiards Forum
- The All England Bar Billiards Association (AEBBA)

Related blog posts:
- Bar Billiards
- Pub games

Gluten free beer

Details of gluten free ale, beer and lager found since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.

On a trip to York I found two new gluten free beers - Hoptical Illusion by Brass Castle Brewery and Mongozo's Buckwheat White Beer.

The four new gluten free beers I've recently found

Since my diagnosis in 2008 I've found out about 117 gluten free beers, ales and lagers. There are more and more gluten free beverages appearing all the time. It certainly gives some new and interesting drinking options.

Coeliac and Beer Drinker

Of the 117 gluten free beers available around the world I've tried the following 46 beers:

1. Ambar
2. Bard's Beer
3. Brewdog's Vagabond Pale Ale
4. CELIA Lager
5. CELIA Lager Dark
6. Crop Circle by Hopback Brewery
7. Daas Ambré
8. Daas Blond Beer
9. Estrella Damm Daura
10. Estrella Damm Daura Märzen
11. Glebe Farm Pathfinder / Night Mission
12. Glebe Farm Wellington Bomber Porter
13. Green's Export Lager Lite
14. Green's India Pale Ale
15. Green's Lager Dry Hopped
16. Green's Pioneer
17. Green's Premium Golden Ale
18. Green's Premium Pils
19. Green's Refermented Blonde Ale
20. Green's Refermented Brown Ale
21. Green's Refermented Dark Ale
22. Green's Supreme Golden Ale
23. Green's Trailblazer
24. Green's Glorious Pilsner (new 2015)
25. Green's Gilded Golden Ale (new 2015)
26. Green's Gorgeous Blond Ale (new 2015)
27. Green's Gutsy Dark Ale (new 2015)
28. Green's Gallant Amber Ale (new 2015)
29. Green's Great Discovery Amber (new 2015)
30. Green's Grand India Pale Ale (new 2015)
31. Green's Gold Dry Hopped Lager (new 2015)
32. Hambleton’s Gluten Free Ale (GFA)
33. Hambleton's Gluten Free Lager (GFL)
34. Hoptical Illusion by Brass Castle
35. M&S Belgian Golden Ale by Brouwerij De Brabandere
36. M&S Belgian Premium Pilsner by Brouwerij De Brabandere
37. Mongozo Pilsener
38. Redbridge Beer
39. Saxon (in a can!)
40. Schnitzer Bräu Lemon
41. Schnitzer Bräu Premium
42. St Peter's Brewery Dark G-Free™
43. St Peter's Brewery G-Free™
44. To Øl Reparationsbajer
45. Wold Top Against the Grain
46. Wold Top Scarborough Fair IPA

Those that I've heard about but not yet tried are:

1. Brunehaut
2. Ghostfish Brewing Co Grapefruit IPA
3. Ghostfish Brewing Co Shrouded Summit Witbier
4. Ghostfish Brewing Co Vanishing Point IPA
5. Ghostfish Brewing Co Watchstander Stout
6. Gluten Freedom
7. Glutenberg Beer Blonde
8. Glutenberg Beer Glutenberg 8
9. Glutenberg Beer Pale ale américaine
10. Glutenberg Beer Rousse
11. Green's Discovery
12. Green's Endeavour
13. Green's Herald
14. Green's Mission
15. Green's Pathfinder
16. Green's Quest
17. Hepworth & Co Brewers Blonde
18. Hepworth & Co Brewers Iron Horse
19. Hepworth & Co Brewers Saxon
20. House Brew by Pitt Bros BBQ
21. Koshihikari Echigo Beer
22. Laitilan Kukko Vahva Pils (can)
23. Lebensfreude (Zest for Life)
24. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère 
25. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère aux fruits
26. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère Millet
27. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère Red Ale
28. Masquerade by Monty's Brewery
29. Mikkeler American Dream
30. Mikkeler Green Gold
31. Mikkeler Peter, Pale & Mary Gluten Free
32. Mikropolis Pils
33. Mongozo Buckwheat White Beer
34. Neumarkter Lammsbräu
35. New Planet Beer
36. O'Brien Brown Ale
37. O'Brien Light Lager
38. O'Brien Pale Ale
39. O'Brien Premium Lager
40. Ocho Reales
41. Omission Beer - IPA
42. Omission Beer - Lager
43. Omission Beer - Pale Ale
44. Riedenburger Brauhaus Gluten Frei
45. RESIDENZ - BIO Ingwer (BIO Ginger)
46. RESIDENZ - Reisbier (rice beer)
47. RESIDENZ - Reisbier dunkel (rice beer dark)
48. Sally Monroe
49. Saor by 9 White Deer Brewery
50. Savernake by Kennet & Avon Brewery
51. Spalt BIO Buchweizen (Spalt BIO Buckwheat)
52. Stringers Amber
53. Stringers Golden
54. Stringers Outlook
55. To Øl Hop Love Pils
56. Wold Top Marmalade Porter
57. William Wilberforce Freedom Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
58. British Bulldog by Westerham Brewery Co
59. Scotney Pale Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
60. Scotney Bitter by Westerham Brewery Co
61. Viceroy India Pale Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
62. Hop Rocket IPA by Westerham Brewery
63. Bohemian Rhapsody by Westerham Brewery Co
64. Audit Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
65. Double Stout by Westerham Brewery Co
66. Allendale - GFPA by Murphy and Son Ltd
67. First Chop - Ava
68. First Chop - DOC
69. First Chop - Extra Love (Mango)
70. First Chop - FCB
71. First Chop - The Chop

In November 2014 I was a guest on the GFree Radio Show's gluten free drinks special episode. You can listen to the show at 'GFree Radio episode 80'.

In 2015 Green's Gluten Free Beers refreshed the look of their range. Check out the blog for an update.

The updated range of Green's Gluten Free beers

Related blog posts:

- Gluten free

- Coeliac

- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

New minigolf course in Battersea, London

Miniature Golf course opening in London's Battersea Park in June 2015.

The Putt in the Park course at Wandsworth Park. A similar layout is being built in Battersea Park

I've heard that the team behind the Putt in the Park minigolf course in Wandsworth are opening a new miniature golf site in Battersea Park, London this summer.

Emily playing at Putt in the Park in Battersea on Miniature Golf Day 2015

The 12-hole mini-golf course is due to open in June and will be located in the former One O'Clock Club in Battersea Park.

As well as the putting course the new Putt in the Park site will include a café, pizzeria and bar.

Check out the Putt in the Park website for details, plans and initial photos of the new site.

We've played the original Putt in the Park course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and recently returned for a round with Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin website.

Playing the island hole at Putt in the Park, Wandsworth

We look forward to visiting and playing the newest course in the capital.

Watch Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin website play hole 7 of the Putt in the Park course at Wandsworth Park.

 

Until recently there has been a bit of a dearth of permanent mini golf, crazy golf and adventure golf courses in London, so it's great to see a new layout opening up.

Links:
- Putt in the Park
- Putt in the Park Battersea

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf course visit to Putt in the Park, Battersea
- Putt in the Park Minigolf at Wandsworth Park, London
- Minigolf with The Putting Penguin at Putt in the Park
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- 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.

Gluten free mixes from Spice Queen

On a trip to Ipswich we stopped off in Chelmsford and enjoyed a walkround the town centre and market. we've always got our eyes peeled for gluten free things and so were pleased to see the Spice Queen stall selling a range of mixes that were gluten free.

The chap on the stall was very knowledgeable about gluten free needs and offered some samples which Emily tried and liked. We bought the Chicken Tikka, Chicken Curry and Any Bean Curry mixes.

The pots of flavour come with a recipe sheet and Emily made some great dishes with the mixes. Some photos of the prep and results of the delicious Chicken Tikka and Chicken Curry are below.

Ingredients and recipe sheet for the Chicken Tikka

Getting messy marinating the chicken

Sealing in the flavour

We like to cook chicken using the 'beer' can method. As I'm gluten free we opt for cider cans instead

The curry mix ingredients

A fine gluten free curry. A nice treat. Especially with an obligatory gluten free beer

You can find the Spice Queen team at farmer's markets across Essex. For more information visit the Spice Queen website.

Links:
- Spice Queen website
- Spice Queen on Twitter
- Spice Queen on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Emily's cooking
- Gluten free beer

Minigolf Clubs in the UK

Details of miniature golf clubs in the UK.

I'm a member of the reigning and two-time BMGA British Club Champions, the Midlands Minigolf Club, and Emily is a member of the Cambridgeshire & Essex Mini Golf Club.

The 2015 BMGA British Club Champions - the Midlands Minigolf Club. From l-r Seth Thomas, Michael Smith, Brenda Smith, Paul Johnson, Owen Johnson, Richard Gottfried, John Moore, Chris Smith

We compete as individuals on the British Minigolf Association Tour, with occasional forays into doubles and team competitions.

The 2015 bronze medalists from the Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club. From l-r Chris Wood, Adrian Amey, Emily Gottfried, Mark Wood

There are currently eight miniature golf clubs affiliated to the BMGA - they are the Midlands Minigolf Club, Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club, Kent Minigolf Club, Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club, Splash Point Mini Golf Club, Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club, London Minigolf Club and the Brighton Minigolf Club.

Former / defunct / inactive minigolf clubs in the UK include (in no particular order) the Welwyn Garden City Minigolf Club, Tunbridge Wells Minigolf Club, Brighton and Hove Minigolf Club, Cwmbran Minigolf Club, Thames Valley Minigolf Club, Hampshire Minigolf Club, The Green Mini Golf Club, Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club, Sandbanks Crazy Golf Club, Basingstoke Minigolf Club, Portsmouth & Southsea Crazy Golf Club, Luton Wanderers Minigolf Club, Bangor Minigolf Club and the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club.

Around the world there are over 900 minigolf clubs and 38,000 competitive minigolf players registered with the World Minigolf Sport Federation via the 46 member nations.

Active club links:
- Midlands Minigolf Club
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club
- Kent Minigolf Club
- Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club
- Splash Point Mini Golf Club
- Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club
- London Minigolf Club - no website, but there's some great old info on the LMC at MiniatureGolfer.com
- Brighton Minigolf Club - no website

Association links:
- British Minigolf Association
- European Minigolf Sport Federation
- World Minigolf Sport Federation

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

My life as a Coeliac in LEGO form

This is why I avoid gluten!

I'm often asked 'what would happen if you ate some gluten?' The answer is above

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. So it's in a lot of food and drink - like hot dogs, pizza and pretzels. People with Coeliac Disease can suffer a wide-range of symptoms and health problems if even the tiniest amount of gluten is consumed.

Links:
- LEGO
- LEGO 60073 Service Truck
- Coeliac UK

Related blog posts:
- Coeliac
- Gluten free

A gluten free meal at Honest Burgers in London

Honestly one of the best burgers ever.

I recently visited Honest Burgers in London and I really wish I'd been there sooner.

On an evening out in King's Cross we were feeling hungry and as a Coeliac that's not always a good thing due to the limited choice available when dining out. Luckily Emily remembered that Honest Burgers on Pentonville Road served gluten free options - she'd noticed they served Estrella Damm Daura gluten free beer on a previous visit.

Honest Burgers stock a lot of beer, including the very good Estrella Damm Daura gluten free lager

We checked out the menu and saw they had GF options, including buns (although there is a £1 surcharge). As dining out is an anxious affair for me I steeled myself with another alcoholic beverage but then bit the bullet and decided to go there.

We were welcomed by a member of staff and I asked her about the gluten free options, where the GF buns were heated and other food was cooked?

I received very confident answers on the preparation and cooking of the food and cross-contamination controls in place. Additional information on the cooking of the fries was also volunteered meaning I would be able to have a whole meal with no substitutions, or going without. This was all excellent.

When we were seated I was shown the allergy sheet so that I could see what was/wasn't OK to order. Thankfully for gluten free/coeliac diners most of the menu is OK. I chose the Special Burger - Beef, smoked bacon, Honest guacamole, Swiss cheese and Harissa mayonnaise. Served with rosemary salted chips.

It was absolutely delicious.

A very happy Coeliac with his gluten free burger, chips and beer

Check out the links below for more about Honest Burgers, the menu and locations.

I'm looking forward to returning and working my way through the other burgers.

Links:
- Honest Burgers website
- Estrella Damm Daura

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Burgers
- Estrella
- Beer

Happy April Fools' Day from 'The Kentish Town Mini Golf Club'

Setting up a new minigolf club in the UK.

Emily and I have decided to set-up a new minigolf club - the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club.

Minigolf characters Richard and Emily Gottfried in Margate, Kent

I have played for the Midlands Minigolf Club since my rookie season in 2007, while Emily was most recently a member of the Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club.

There were two main reasons for us creating a brand new club on the exciting and action packed British minigolf scene.

• Emily works in Kentish Town and is a mere eight minute walk away from the Clarence Way Crazy Golf course that we finally managed to play in 2012
• Since we moved from Luton to Leagrave in 2013 our local sports team is Kent Athletic Club - home to north Luton's number one football team, Kent Athletic FC

Last month we both competed for our respective former clubs in the BMGA British Club Championships and did well in the event. Now the time is right to build a new legacy. Starting today.

Richard playing the Clarence Way Crazy Golf course in Camden. Near Kentish Town

Back in 2011 Kent Athletic Club held a Bank Holiday Fun Day and one of the activities was Crazy Golf! The course became the 267th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the first we'd played on a football pitch.

A Crazy Golf course, with a windmill, set up on a football pitch, in Leagrave

We held the inaugural Kent(ish) Invitational Tournament on that course visit and the victory went to me with a score of 34 to Emily's 42.

The code of conduct of the Kentish Town Mini Golf Club is summarised below:

• Action - our events will be action packed 
• Playability - we'll play at any course. Anywhere
• Rankings - we'll set up the Kentish Town MGC ranking list for our members
• International - we welcome players from around the world to represent the KTMGC
• Lifestyle - we recognise minigolf is a lifestyle choice and we will have as much fun as possible while doing it
• Fun - see above
• Original - from it's name down, the KTMGC will be original in all it does
• Official - it is
• Longevity - we're in this for the long haul. Oh yes

The Kentish Town Mini Golf Club is open to all and for today only is offering free membership (the normal subs price will be £5 per player, per season). If you're interested in joining please get in touch via the comments below or on Twitter.

News of the British minigolf scene hasn't gone unnoticed. Mr Uri Foal from Kentish Town Council said "The forming of a new sports club in Kentish Town is always a cause for celebration. Having two fine minigolfers, Emily and Richard, committing their futures to the KTMGC is a sign of things to come."

Check out the links below for websites and Facebook pages of the other UK minigolf clubs.

Links:
- Kent Minigolf Club
- Midlands Minigolf Club
- Cambridgeshire and Essex Mini Golf Club
- Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club
- London Minigolf Club - not online
- Splash Point Mini Golf Club
- Sussex Wasps Mini Golf Club
- British Minigolf Association
- European Minigolf Sport Federation
- World Minigolf Sport Federation

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Finally Playing the Camden Crazy Golf Course
- Crazy Golf in Luton - Charity Fun Day at Kent Athletic Club
- Richard Gottfried player profile
- Emily Gottfried player profile