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.

Practice at Tea Green Crazy Golf

This evening I had nine practice rounds at Tea Green's Crazy Golf course and scored rounds of 15, 17, 21, 20, 18, 16, 17, 17 and 19. The round of 15(-3) included three aces and six twos and was an equal to my course record, and my lowest score on the 'new' course since it was semi-refurbished.




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.

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

More improvements are planned for the course over the summer and I look forward to returning again soon to try and better my PB and Course Record of 15(-3).

Tea Green Crazy Golf Course Record and Competition

The course record for the Crazy Golf course at Tea Green, near Luton, that I set on my visit on the 1st July has now been equalled by Course Manager Lester Coles who managed to hit a 15(-3) earlier today.

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

Thursday 16th July saw me play on my 113th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour when I teed-off on Tea Green's Putting 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

A bumper evening of Crazy Golf, Big Golf and Putting took place at Tea Green Golf this evening, with 54-holes played in total.

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).

The Joy of the Amusement Arcade - Crazy Air Squash in Hastings

Back in October 2008 Minigolfers Richard Gottfried and Steve Gow battled it out in a game of Crazy Air Squash at The Deluxe Amusement Arcade in Hastings, East Sussex, which in turn was a kind-of-rematch from their original Air Hockey battle at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

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

BMGA Minigolfers 'Squire' Richard Gottfried and Jon 'The Stance' Angel competed in a round of 'Big' Golf at the Par-3 course at Tea Green, near Luton on Saturday 11th July.

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.

Photo published in Living Locally Magazine, July 2009

A photo of mine featuring a Duck and her chicks in Wardown Park, Luton has appeared in the July 2009 edition of Living Locally Magazine.

You can read the magazine here. The photo is on page 27.

Gottfried Minigolf Reports in the Luton News

Following my recent participation in the Midland Open, BMGA British Matchplay Championships and BMGA British Championships the following Minigolf Sports Reports have been 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

At Namco Station Luton yesterday (8th July) I hit my all-time personal best Tenpin Bowling score with a 179 (including 5 Strikes, a Turkey and 3 Spares).

My previous PB was in Denver Colorado in March, details here.

Minigolf Report – British Championships & British Matchplay Championships 2009

6th July 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.

BMGA British Matchplay Championships 2009 - Round Two Match

BMGA British Matchplay Championships 2009 - Round Two Match

The draw for the second round of the 2009 BMGA British Matchplay Championships saw 'Squire' Richard Gottfried play John 'Big Top Ted' McIver, of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club.

The full second round draw was as follows:
1. Anthony Pope vs Rocky Bullin
2. Andy Exall vs Matthew Harding
3. Trevor Robertson vs Brad Shepherd
4. Chris Harding vs Chris Jones
5. Gareth Holmes vs Seve Kukielka
6. Peter Emmerson vs Terry Exall
7. Tim Davies vs John Moore
8. Richard Gottfried vs Ted McIver

The match took place on Friday 3rd July 2009 at the Sea Front Crazy Golf course in Hastings, East Sussex.

'Squire' Richard Gottfried and John 'Big Top Ted' McIver in Hastings

Referee - John 'YI' Moore
Photographer - Emily 'Coach' Gottfried

'Squire' Richard Gottfried gives a pre-match interview



Coin Toss:
'Squire' Richard Gottfried calls Heads
John 'Big Top Ted' McIver wins with tails

'Squire' Richard Gottfried to tee-off first.


Match Scorecard:


John 'Big Top Ted' McIver wins 1up.

Minigolf Course Visit No. 112 - Metropole, Bexhill on Sea

On the 3rd July I visited my 112th Minigolf course - the 12-hole Crazy Golf in Bexhill on Sea.







Related blog post:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Tea Green's Big Golf

Following our visit to Tea Green Golf Club to play the Crazy Golf we returned to play the Par-3 course on the 2nd July.











Not the lowest scoring rounds ever!

I shot a 48(+19), Christopher a 59(+30) and Emily a 60(+31).

Minigolf Course Visit No. 111 - Tea Green, Luton!

On Wednesday 1st July we made a visit to our 111th Minigolf course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, and of all places it was a course right on our doorstep in Luton!

The 9-hole Crazy Golf course at Tea Green Golf Club at Wandon End, near Luton, was spotted in an advert that appeared alongside the feature on Golf & Minigolf in the July 2009 issue of Luton at Large magazine (see here).

The course is currently being refurbished but was still playable on our visit, with three holes needing to have felt relaid.

Below is a video of a practice round I had.




The course owner and Club Pro were very friendly and welcoming and I had a match against each of them, winning 19(+1) to 21(+3) & 15(-3) to 21(+3) respectively.





All in all a good little course that is looking to be improved. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

"Minigolf Grows Bigger" - Richard & Emily Gottfried feature in Luton & Dunstable at Large

Luton Minigolfers Richard & Emily Gottfried feature in the July 2009 Issue of Luton & Dunstable at Large magazine in a story called "Minigolf Grows Bigger".

You can view the story here

Richard Gottfried - BMGA Tour Majors - Record of Results

Record of career finishes in BMGA Tour 'Majors' for Richard Gottfried since his debut on the BMGA Tour in 2007.



Official BMGA Tour Majors include the:
- BMGA British Championships
- BMGA British Open
- Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships

The BMGA British Masters is not yet considered to be a Major tournament due to its one day format. The three Official Majors comprise at least six rounds held over two days.