Photos of Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

A revisit to the first Crazy Golf course I ever played.

At Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

Last weekend I was back in my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames for the Bun Throwing tradition held to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday. While in town Emily and I made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in the Abbey Meadows.

Back in Abingdon for one final game

The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed as part of a programme to upgrade and improve the area. It's a real shame the minigolf course won't be receiving a spruce up as part of it.

A view of the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course

I last visited the course in December 2014 and the last time I'd had a game there was in June 2012.

The 4th hole

In August 2007 the course became the 31st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Emily on the sunken green on hole 3

I overcooked my tee-shot on hole 4 and ended up in a big ditch

On hole 4

Hole 6

Hole 5

Emily on hole 8

Hole 7

Playing the 9th

Emily on the 9th

The course is a ten-holer

About to play one of the very last shots on the course

In our match-up on the course I managed to get the win over Emily with a score of 25 to 29. Not bad considering how tricky the playing surface is!

Emily on hole 2 - look at that tee-area!!!

One of the last scorecards to be issued by the course

Related blog posts:
- Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course
- Photos from Abingdon's Royal Bun Throwing
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

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Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf in Nottingham

Playing Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf at the New Art Exchange.

Last summer our friends and minigolf rivals Gareth and Lhurlyn Holmes were lucky enough to visit Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf course at the Venice Biennale. This year the course came to England.

Playing Pleasure Seekers by Candice Jacobs

Last week the art-installation Crazy Golf course became the 401st played and 682nd visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

One of two holes I scored an ace on - The Turkey Shoot Galactico by John Akomfrah

It was brilliant fun to play and very well built. It was also pleasing to defeat another minigolf rival and friend Jam Trubridge in our match-up. At just £2 per player it was a bargain to play too.

Jam playing the first hole on the street in Nottingham

Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf is at the New Art Exchange in Nottingham until the 19th June. It then moves on to the Derby QUAD.

Hole 1 was unique to the New Art Exchange's layout of Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf

Definitely an Alligator

Jam on the hand cranking 9th - Coloured Processor by Hetain Patel

Playing the 9th

Putting through a hole in the wall

The Bridge of Konigsberg by Eyal and Ines Weizman - very interesting as you automatically score a zero!

A view of Putting a Hole in the Wall by Yara El-Sherbini and three other holes

Doug Fishbone's Costa Concordia hole

 

We both scored a 20

We found there is a knack to playing the 'Life Raft' hole by Ellie Harrison. It's quite different to how the hole was last year in Venice

There was some great minigolf merch on sale at the New Art Exchange too

The beermat scorecards and branded balls & pencils look excellent

On our travels around the world we've played some interesting courses, including some designed for art shows, exhibitions and as playable sculptures.

We've played art-based minigolf at the one-day only M!MS Mini Golf course in Bedford, Crazee Golf at the TinType Gallery in London, the Bompas & Parr food architecture course on the roof of Selfridges and Putt Putt #2 by TURF Projects in Croydon. We've also not played art courses in Clerkenwell and Folkestone - where the remnants of the old Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course were used to create a series of beach huts!

We were also recently involved in the London Design Festival's Kickstarter campaign to build a Crazy Golf course in Trafalgar Square.

Links:
- New Art Exchange (NAE)
- Doug Fishbone

Related blog posts:
- Doug Fishbone's Leisure Land Golf
- Art
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Nottingham

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

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Last visit to Abingdon's Crazy Golf course

While in Abingdon for the town's Bun Throwing tradition we made our last ever visit to play the Crazy Golf course in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows. The course has been in the park since the 1950's, but at the end of the 2016 summer season it will be removed.

It was the first course I ever played!



Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Mini Golf course at the Thermal Quellen Resort in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland

A look at the Mini Golf course at the Thermal Quellen Resort in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland.

Our friend David Dukes has been on a cycling trip across Europe recently and on his journey he spotted this 'very well presented' miniature golf course in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland.

It does look like a lovely spot for a game.

The Mini Golf course in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland. Photo by David Dukes

You can find the course at the Thermal Quellen Resort. Looking on the course website there's a Beton Mini Golf course, plus an Adventure Golf course with a shark on it!

We've played a few Beton type courses over the years - including those in Tampere, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden while playing in international ranking events.

Singhbury's Local in Aylesbury

While driving back from Abingdon to Luton Emily spotted the Singhbury's Local shop in Aylesbury!

As fans of funny signs and quirky marketing we had to stop for some photos, have a look inside and buy some snacks.

The owners - Inderjit Singh Nagpal and Manmeet Singh Bhatia - came up with the name by combining their own name with that of the 'bury' part of Aylesbury. The orange colour scheme represents that of the Sikh religion.

Related blog posts:
- Funny sign
- Shop
- Marketing
- Advertising

Link:
- RG Marketing & Events

Abingdon's Bun Throwing for the Queen's 90th Birthday

Here's a video with action from the Bun Throwing event to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's 90th birthday.



Held on Saturday 11th June 2016, the first of 4,500 currant buns was thrown by the Mayor of Abingdon at 7pm.

The 2016 bun throw was the 34th since the tradition of Bun Throwing in Abingdon-on-Thames began in 1761. The first event was held to celebrate the coronation of King George III.

I have attended each Bun Throwing in Abingdon in my lifetime, a total of 14 since 1981.

Visit my other blog at the World of Bun Throwing for more information on the unique custom.

The Major Series of Putting in Las Vegas

Details of the new miniature golf competition concept - the Major Series of Putting in Las Vegas.

News broke this week of a brand new miniature golf tournament - the Major Series of Putting.

The event is to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in March 2017 on a custom built 18-hole Putting Green. Check out the teaser trailer for more info on this minigolf competition innovation.



Pros, amateurs, men and women alike can enter the MSOP Championships by paying an entry fee or competing in one of many qualifying events around North America. Check out the Major Series of Putting (MSOP) website, and on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for more details.

Emily and I love competing in minigolf tournaments and have played in, and won, a number on our travels around the world.

Winning the 2011 Putt Park Mini-Golf tournament in Las Vegas

In 2011 I won the Putt Park tournament in Las Vegas, while Emily was runner-up. Emily is also a two-time World Adventure Golf Masters Women's Champion, while I'm a four-time finalist in the World Crazy Golf Championships.

Emily in minigolf action on one of her visits to fabulous Las Vegas

We've both also played for the Great Britain minigolf sport team in tournaments in Finland, England and Sweden.

It's going to be interesting following the progress of the Major Series of Putting over the next few months.

Links:
- Major Series of Putting website
- Major Series of Putting Twitter
- Major Series of Putting Facebook
- Major Series of Putting YouTube

Related blog posts:
- Las Vegas
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Richard Gottfried Tournament Player Profile
- Emily Gottfried Tournament Player Profile
- Mini Golf in Las Vegas

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Minigolf in Sandhamn and Sigtuna, Sweden

I've received more brilliant photos from John Snelgrove from his visits to two miniature golf courses in Sweden.

The first was a 12-hole course in Sandhamn, on an island around 50km from Stockholm.

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sandhamn Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

The second was an 18-hole layout in Sigtuna, Stockholm.

Sigtuna Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

Sigtuna Minigolf course by John Snelgrove, May 2016

In April John sent me some great snaps of the snow covered 'Bangolf' minigolf course at the Hellasgården in Nacka, Sweden.

In 2011 Emily and I played for the GB team in the WMF Nations Cup international tournament in Stockholm.

On National Miniature Golf Day this year we played the refurbished Swedish Felt Mini Golf course in Guildford's Stoke Park, and later this month we'll be playing the new Swedish Felt course on the end of Southend Pier.

Links:
- Seglarhotellets minigolf
- Sigtuna minigolf

Related blog posts:
- Sweden
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Beton Minigolf
- Stockholm, Sweden (Tantogårdens BGK, Tantolunden Park) - Eternit Minigolf

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.

Crazy Golf at the Herrings Green Farm Birds Of Prey Activity Centre in Bedford

Minigolf in the Birds Of Prey Activity Centre at Herrings Green Farm in Wilstead, Bedfordshire.

Our friend and minigolf rival Cheryl Angel from the UrbanCrazy team recently visited the Birds Of Prey Activity Centre at Herrings Green Farm and spotted they have a Crazy Golf course!

It's not one that was on our radar - and it's not a million miles from us! You can find the Birds Of Prey Activity Centre at Herrings Green Farm at Cotton End Road, Wilstead, Bedfordshire, MK45 3DT. Visit the Birds Of Prey Activity Centre website for more info.

Lurking in the back of one of the photos Cheryl sent over was what appears to be a 'Humpty' obstacle! A popular character to be found on these Crazy Golf courses

With Humpty at the Bainland Country Park Crazy Golf course in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire back in 2011

The course is a DK Fibreglass style and is one of their '5 Star Crazy Golf' courses that has five cups to putt into on the green - I've scored a 'perfect' round on this type of course before!



Links:
- Birds Of Prey Activity Centre at Herrings Green Farm
- DK Fibreglass
- UrbanCrazy

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Bedfordshire
- DK Fibreglass
- 5 Star Crazy Golf
- Humpty

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.