Whitley Bay Mini Golf - Courses not played

Following the Newcastle Minigolf Open competition on the 12th September 2010 we headed to the seaside at Whitley Bay.

There are two 'Mini Golf' courses there - a 9-hole and an 18-hole set-up, both are Pitch & Putt courses. Unfortunately time was against us on our north east roadtrip so we didn't get a chance to play.

Gosforth Park Putting Green - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour unplayed course

We didn't play it as we weren't Club Members, nor paying members of the BIG Golf course.

Minigolf Report - Newcastle Open 2010

12th September 2010
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report – Newcastle Open at Gosforth Park


On Sunday 12th September Luton Minigolfers Richard and Emily Gottfried headed to Newcastle to compete in the inaugural Newcastle Open minigolf competition. The two-round tournament was played over 36-holes at the Mini Golf course at Gosforth Park.

Ten players competed in the event, with Richard finishing in 3rd place following a sudden-death play-off to decide the champion after three players tied on 79(+7) after regulation play. Newcastle’s Simon Hardie won the event after scoring a two on the first hole of the play-off, with Gottfried and Wallsend’s John Moore both scoring threes. The 2nd/3rd place play-off was decided on the 6th hole, with Moore hitting a two and Richard only able to manage a three.

Richard’s total of 72(+7) came after rounds of 41(+5) and 38(+2). Emily Gottfried was also competing at the event and finished in 6th place after rounds of 45(+9) and 41(+5) for a total of 86(+14).


The score of 38 achieved by Gottfried, Moore and Hardie is also a new course record at the Gosforth Park course.

Richard said “The Newcastle Minigolf Open was a great event, and there was some great local talent competing too. The Gosforth Park course was a good test of Putting ability. We are looking forward to returning north in 2011.”

Full results from the 2010 Newcastle Open
1st Simon Hardie (41,38) 79 (won on first hole of play-off)
2nd John Moore (41,38) 79 (took 2nd place on 6th hole of play-off)
3rd Richard Gottfried (41,38) 79
4th Michael Chipchase (41,42) 83
5th Paul Johnson (45,39) 84
6th Emily Gottfried (45,41) 86
7th Owen Johnson (48,44) 92
8th (T) Kayleigh Heslop (48,46) 94
8th (T) Jonny Mather (48,46) 94
10th Brian Kerr (50,47) 97

Ends

Latest BMGA Minigolf Rankings

In the latest British Minigolf Association Official Rankings update Richard Gottfried is 7th of 89 players in the BMGA Order of Merit, with Emily Gottfried in 35th place. In the BMGA Season-only Rankings for 2010 Richard is up to 9th place of 98 players, with Emily in 58th spot.

Results of the GMGC Club Tournament (09/09/10) at The Green Indoor Mini Golf

Minigolf Report
GMGC Club Tournament (09/09/10) at The Green Indoor Mini Golf in Hither Green

Richard Gottfried competed in the Green Mini Golf Club’s third Club Tournament on Thursday 9th September 2010. In the field of thirteen players Richard finished in 9th place in the 36-hole event with scores of 37(+1) and 43(+7) for a total of 80(+8) – adjusted to 82(+10) with the GMGC’s handicap scoring system. The tournament was won by Greenhithe's Marion Homer, her first minigolf tournament victory.

Richard said “I was very disappointed with my round of 43, and my 37 wasn't too great either. My only consolation was that in practice I did hit a new personal best on Swedish Felt with a score of 35 on the hard obstacle version of the course.”

In the un-handicapped scores Richard’s two rounds were only enough to see him ranked eighth.

Heading into the competition Richard had risen from 5th place of 21 players, to 4th of 23 in the GMGC Rankings. Following this week's tournament he has dropped down again to 5th spot of 24 ranked players.

Full results list from the GMGC Club Tournament 09/09/10
1. Marion Homer 52 49 = 101 (+42) 59
2. Andy Exall 39 32 = 71 ( +8 ) 63
3. Sean Homer 30 35 = 65 ( 0 ) 65
4. Julio Kent 37 37 = 74 ( +8 ) 66
5. Seth Thomas 40 38 = 78 ( +6 ) 72
6. Marc Chapman 36 31 = 67 ( -6 ) 73
7. Nick Sandqvist 34 32 = 66 (-10 ) 76
8. Michael Smith 36 31 = 67 (-12) 79
9. Richard Gottfried 37 43 = 80 ( -2 ) 82
10.Giuseppe R. 46 51 = 97 (+14) 83
11.Danyal 52 53 = 105 (+20) 85
12.David Donelly 51 55 = 106 (+16) 90
13.William Donelly 59 58 = 117 (+14) 103

Current Ranking List for the GMGC (as at 09/09/10)
1. Michael Smith -4
2. Nick Sandqvist -4
3. Marc Chapman -4
4. Sean Homer -2
5. Richard Gottfried 0
6. Oliver Florence +2
(24 players are currently ranked in the GMGC list).

Richard won the first GMGC Club Tournament on his last visit to Hither Green on the 6th August.

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 The Green Indoor Mini Golf.

Ends

An almost fruitless minigolfing roadtrip

The recent south east minigolfing roadtrip was in some respects fruitful, but in others quite fruitless!

While we did find a number of minigolf courses, only one of them happened to be be playable - the 9-hole converted skatepark (!?) Crazy Golf course at Folkestone Sports Centre becoming course played number 198 on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since the 30th of September 2006.

My performance in the 2010 Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open minigolf competition wasn't much better either, finishing 12th of 21 players.

Some interesting minigolf and crazy golf information found, logged and archived, but not enough courses played for my liking!

Which will become the 199th and 200th courses played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour???

Minigolf course visited but not played - Tonbridge (Sportsground) - Crazy Golf - Closed for the day

Following our weekend in Hastings & other seasides and towns we headed to Tonbridge, Kent on our way home, primarily as we found out that there was a Gluten-Free restaurant there (Antonia's) where we could 'celebrate' my 12th place finish in the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open.

Before dinner we decided to have a wander around the town, the castle ruins and the park - and in the Sportsground we found the 18-hole Crazy Golf! Unfortunately it was closed for the day.

My Worthing Splash Point Mini Golf Course Review on www.theputtingpenguin.com

My Worthing Splash Point Mini Golf Course Review on http://www.theputtingpenguin.com/.

A review of my Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the Splash Point Mini Golf Course in Worthing, West Sussex has been published online at http://www.theputtingpenguin.com/.

You can read my review of the excellent Splash Point Mini Golf Course (run by my BMGA Tour rivals Anthony Pope & Peter Emmerson) at
http://www.theputtingpenguin.com/files/minigolf/Splash_Point.htm

The Putting Penguin website was set up to showcase reviews of Miniature Golf courses around the USA and the world. The course review is the first The Putting Penguin has covered in England (and is their sixth country to have a review listed).

The visit to the Splash Point Mini Golf Course in Worthing was the 181st course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - http://hamandeggerfiles.blogspot.com/2010/07/splash-point-mini-golf-in-worthing.html

Check out http://www.theputtingpenguin.com/ for more reviews, and The Putting Penguin's tweets on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PuttingPenguin.

Pat, Mandy & Putt at The Putting Penguin have recently published a book about their first ten years - "10 Courses for 10 Years" - check it out here.

Minigolf course visited but not played - Rye - Putting Course - Closed for the day

Mini Golf course visit in Rye.

Driving from Camber Sands and Dymchurch we passed through Rye, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a Minigolf Putting Course Course next to the Bowling Green!

However, it was not to become the 199th course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as it had been closed for the day (early too, as some of the Bowlers said there hadn't been many customers so it was shut early at 4pm).

It was a good looking Putting Course, with some raised greens, which would make for some interesting shots.








Perhaps the Irregular Mini Golf Tour's 'Race to Play Near Rye' competition could actually now take place in Rye itself!

Other course visits on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Not a minigolf course in Hastings

It looked like one, but it wasn't.

Minigolf course location visited but no course to play - Camber Sands (Old Lydd Road)

Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course demolished to make way for a Car Park!


We took a trip to Camber Sands following our visit to Folkestone on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Unfortunately the old Arnold Palmer Crazy Golf course on the Old Lydd Road in Camber Sands is no more - it's been demolished to make way for a Car Park!

Popeye Arm Wrestling in Camber Sands

While in Camber Sands scouting out old Crazy Golf courses we popped into the amusement arcade there and spotted an interesting looking Popeye Arm Wrestling game!


One question I have though is - what's a 'Muscel Man'!?


I'm a big fan of 'The Buttons' and love seaside amusements. On our travels we've found some other Arm Wrestling Arcade machines - here, here, and here.

Attempted Minigolf course visit but not played - Dymchurch

On the drive from Folkestone to Camber Sands we attempted to find the Minigolf course in Dymchurch (at the Children's Farm, Picnic & Play Area) - however, we just couldn't seem to find the course!?

According to the maps it's accessible via the "twisting Donkey Street either from Dymchurch and Burmarsh or West Hythe and Botolphs Bridge"!

We'll no doubt attempt to find it again in the future.

Link:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Minigolf courses visited but not played - Folkestone (Sports Centre) - Mini Golf & Putting Green

At the Folkestone Sports Centre there are three variants of 'Mini Golf'. One is the Crazy Golf that we played (a very 'unique' course to say the least). The others are a Mini Golf, which was a Pitch & Putt Golf course which we had no time to play, and a Putting Green, which you are unable to play unless playing the Mini Golf (Pitch & Putt) too.

The Mini Golf / Pitch & Putt


The Putting Green



Link:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Crazy Golf Course visited but not able to be played - Folkestone (Seafront) - 18-holes Art Installation

A visit to Folkestone and the 18 Holes Crazy Golf art installation by Richard Wilson.


The old Rotunda Arnold Palmer Putting Course in Folkestone is now a brilliant permanent Art Installation by Richard Wilson - called 18 Holes. It was built for the Folkestone Triennial art event in the town in 2008.













As an aside to the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour visit to the 'course', here are two near identical photos with which to play 'Spot The Difference'?



Links:
- Artist Richard Wilson's website
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour blog post
- Folkestone Triennial website
- Folkestone-related blog posts

Course visited but not played - Folkestone (Martello Tower 3) - Mini Golf

The next course we visited but could not play in Folkestone was at Martello Tower 3! Here the Mini Golf, turned out to be a Pitch & Putt course which we had no time to play.



However, according to Thisisfolkestone.co.uk "Up until 1940, the first floor of the tower was used as a clubhouse for a miniature golf course, and the word 'GOLF' painted in large white letters around the outer wall."

Very interesting information!

Link:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Folkestone Sports Centre Crazy Golf - Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played Number 198

The one minigolf course we were able to play at Folkestone Sports Centre was their attempt at Crazy Golf. The course become the 198th to be played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 30th 2006.


The 9-hole course was very interesting to say the least. It was constructed out of what appeared to be part of a former skate/BMX park, and was located in half a derelict tennis court beside a dry ski-slope!?





Truly one of the oddest courses and course locations we've encountered on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour to date!

The Folkestone Sports Centre is also home to a Mini Golf (Pitch & Putt) course and a Putting Green.

Links:
- Folkestone Sports Centre
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Course visited but not played - Folkestone (The Rotunda) - Arnold Palmer Putting Course - Demolished

Following our trip to Smeeth we headed to the coast and to Folkestone to see what minigolf courses we could find there.

Once-upon-a-time The Rotunda was home to an Arnold Palmer Putting Course. Sadly the area now resembles a desolate wasteland.


But there is some good news about the fate of the remnants of the Crazy Golf course itself, as it has been 'converted' and now exists as a permanent art installation just along the coastal walk, where it is now three beach huts!!!

Link:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Course visited but not played - Smeeth (The Woolpack Inn) - Crazy Golf

On our way to Hastings, East Sussex to compete in the 2010 Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open minigolf competition we decided to see what other courses we could find in that neck of the woods!

We've been to the south east on a number of occasions, for both tournament play and seaside tours, and we'd heard there were a few courses around.

One such course that has a bit of recent Minigolf history is the Crazy Golf course at the Woolpack Inn in the village of Smeeth. While the course itself has never been played on the BMGA Tour, it does lend its name to the 'Smeeth Cup' tournament that is (was) contested between the Kent Mini Golf Club (KMGC) and the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club (PHCGC). The competition was so-named due to the village's equi-distance between Margate & Hastings!



Unfortunately the course was not to be the next course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour as we arrived at the pub at 11am, but it didn't open until 12pm!

Richard Gottfried Minigolf Report – Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open

5th September 2010
Press Information
For Immediate Release

Minigolf Report – Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open

On Sunday 5th September Luton Minigolfer Richard Gottfried competed in the tenth annual Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open. The four-round tournament was played out over 72-holes on the three seafront miniature golf courses and at Planet Hastings (White Rock Gardens) Adventure Golf Course in Hastings, East Sussex.

21 players competed in the event, with Richard finishing in 12th place with a total of 159(+15) after rounds of 41(+5), 38(2), 42(+6) and 38(+2). The tournament was won by Canterbury’s Marc Chapman following a sudden-death play-off with Tim Davies of Hastings, after both players had hit scores of 140(-4).

Following the tournament Richard said “I would have liked to get into the top ten in the Planet Hastings Open, but I can’t say I’m too disappointed with 12th place really. I didn’t play to my fullest on the seafront Crazy Golf course, where I could have shot in the low 30s, but I am very pleased with the new personal best score of 41 I hit on the seafront Adventure Golf course. This Open event was all good practice for the upcoming Minigolf Majors in Hastings.”

Photos from the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open 2010








Ends

Minigolfing North, East, South, West, High & Low

Since September 2006 our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has taken us all over the UK to both seek and play many new, wierd and wonderful miniature golf courses and compete in BMGA Tour events.

In September 2009 I identified an interesting pattern in the 1st, 100th and 150th courses visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - in that they were all related to the word/area 'South'!!!

However, the pattern of milestone visits including a 'southerly-related' term finished with the the 175th course played being in NORTH WEST Las Vegas, Nevada. But the 168th course we played was in Sudbury, Suffolk, which according to Wikipedia and The Saxon Chronicle records the town as Suthberie ("south-borough"), circa the 9th Century.

Interestingly the landmark 250th course visit overall was to a minigolf course in a garden in EAST Finchley!

We've also played the highest located minigolf course in the UK - situated at the peak of The Great Orme, in Llandudno, Wales. The mountain is also home to the second highest minigolf course in the UK- which is half-way up the mountain!

The easternmost course in the British Isles is located in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Here there is a Pirate Themed Adventure Golf course.

In Denver, Colorado, USA I also played Miniature Golf at an altitude of one-mile, while in The Boondocks!

For further links and details of the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour please visit the list page here.

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

Conga dancing on the pages of The Racing Post!

Emily and I are photographed on page 7 of today's Racing Post. We were taking part in the Guinness World Record Attempt for the UK's Longest Conga at Huntingdon Racecourse yesterday!

I'm Conga-er #16, Emily is #15.

Eternit Sports and Social Club - No Miniature Golf

Driving to Kingsway Golf Centre in Melbourn to visit the Himalayas Putting Course we drove through Whaddon (itself home to a Crazy Golf course), and equi-distant between the two we found the "Eternit Sports and Social Club"!


The Miniaturegolf format of the sport of Minigolf is often called 'Eternit' as the primary construction material that makes up the course is Eternit. Miniaturegolf is a type of course most often found in Europe. On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour we played one as part of the 2008 Nations Cup competition in Tampere, Finland. We've also played some in the UK (Clacton-on-Sea, Maidenhead, Windsor, Warrington, Oswestry, and West Bromwich), and visited a couple of others that were closed (Colchester and Vienna) and recently a visit to Pontypool Park in Wales turned up a demolished one.

Unfortunately, looking at Google Maps for the Eternit Sports and Social Club it doesn't seem like there is any Minigolf there.

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