Last Pre-Season Minigolf Challenge Matches - at Tea Green Golf, Luton

Before the start of the 2010 BMGA Tour I played my final two pre-season warm-up Challenge Matches today at the Minigolf course at Tea Green Golf.

I faced-off against my old Tea Green rivals Lester Coles and Scott Holmes in two 18-hole/two-round matches.

Match one vs. Lester Coles:
Richard won with - 17 + 16 = 33(-3)
Lester - 18 +17 = 35(-1)

Match two vs. Scott Holmes:
Richard won with - 19 + 18 = 37 (+1)
Scott - 22 + 16 = 38 (+2)

Some great fun and competitive minigolf practice ahead of the new BMGA Tour season.

Many thanks to Lester and Scott for providing the opposition.

30 seconds in Ireland!

Driving through rural Bedfordshire this afternoon we found ourselves in Ireland!?

The Green Man Country Inn - Gluten Free (but no Crazy Golf anymore)

After finding out earlier this week that The Green Man Pub in Stanford, Bedfordshire now serves Gluten Free menu options for Coeliacs I couldn't wait until the planned Beds & Herts Coeliac Group meal in February to try the food out, so we headed there today.

I was also keen to see what the area where the old Crazy Golf course used to be would look like now.



Though the Crazy Golf has gone I would highly recommend the food in the restaurant, as not only can they cater for Coeliacs but the food tastes great and is such good value!

I opted for the Green Man Special Roast Dinner - this came with two huge Rib Eye Steaks! Can't wait to go back for more!

Check out the menu and pub at http://www.greenmanstanford.co.uk/

From the archives - Crazy Golf at The Green Man Pub, Stanford, Bedfordshire

I found out today (15th January 2010) that the Crazy Golf course at The Green Man Pub, Stanford, Bedfordshire has been removed! I will be visiting the pub in February (for a Gluten Free meal!) so will be able to see what remains, or what has taken its place.

The course was the 11th minigolf course visit on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and took place even before we joined the British Minigolf Association (BMGA) and so the rules we were using were not 'Official' - note the non-movement of the ball from the borders to allow backswing for example (much like our first ever course visits on the Tour at the Adventure Golf in Southsea).

Videos of Minigolfers 'Squire' Richard Gottfried* and Emily 'Coach' Gottfried playing the 9-hole Crazy Golf course on the 29th December 2006 on one of the first course visits on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.







Photos that I took of the course as it was back at the end of 2006 can be found at the excellent MiniatureGolfer.com website Green Man Pub course entry.

In the 9-hole round played at the course (which counted towards half the score in the 2006 Irregular Mini Golf Tour Christmas Challenge tournament) I scored a 41 to beat Emily by one-shot. The other course played as part of the competition was another public house course at the Horse & Harrow in West Hagbourne, Oxon.

For the full list and links to other courses visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour please visit - http://hamandeggerfiles.blogspot.com/2009/12/crazy-world-of-minigolf-tour-courses.html

* Prior to my BMGA Tour debut (and after some terrible shots on the course at The Green Man pub) my minigolf nickname was almost Richard 'Hole in Two, or Eight' Gottfried!

Despite the course closing the The Green Man Pub itself continues to operate, and now offers Gluten Free menu options for Coeliacs - excellent news! I look forward to returning, but am sad that the Crazy Golf has gone!

Snow Crazy Golf at Tea Green Golf, Luton

Attempting to play Minigolf on a snowed under Crazy Golf course.


We headed up to Tea Green Golf near Luton this afternoon to hit the driving range and attempt to play the 9-hole Minigolf course (despite the heavy snow and ice covering the course).

Video: Attempting to play Crazy Golf in the snow at Tea Green Golf, Luton.


After getting a 5 on hole one and a 3 on hole four (bypassing holes 2 & 3) the round was abandoned due to the adverse weather conditions - it was impossible to play and I was some way off beating the course record of 13(-5), needing 5 shots in seven holes. It was great fun putting through the snow and ice, and attempting to find the actual holes!?




The Putting Course


The BIG Golf Putting Area

The Driving Range

Looking forward to another round or two soon, hopefully in better conditions!

Links:
- Tea Green Golf website
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

More Snow - Sledging & Crazy Golf

After the snow a few short weeks ago in December another great flurry has meant that the time is right for more sledging action - and hunting out snow covered Crazy Golf courses in Luton.




Back in March 2008 the course in Wardown Park had a dusting of snow, but nothing like the covering it got earlier this week.


Here's what hole one looks like in better weather.

The slopes in Luton.

Luton's second best Sledging Team.

'Best of 5 Pro Spirit Challenge Tour'

Following the two BIG Golf Challenge Matches between me and fellow Minigolfer Jon 'The Stance' Angel (at Tea Green Golf near Luton, and at Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club) the venues for the final three matches in the 'Best of 5 Pro Spirit Challenge Tour' have been agreed and will be played as follows:

1 Stockwood Park, Luton
2 Northwick Park, Harrow
3 Finale: West Park, Chelmsford

'Mini Majors' Adventure Golf at Northwick Park in Harrow

A revisit and replay of the Miniature Golf course at Northwick Park, Harrow.

Following my BIG Golf match win at Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club Emily and I headed to Northwick Park in nearby Harrow to play the 9-hole 'Mini Majors' Adventure Golf Course.

Emily won the Northwick Park Challenge competition as part of the Irregular Mini Golf Tour with a cracking score of 59 over two rounds (including a 24) on the tough course (which contains many long and winding holes). I scored a total of 66, after rounds of 35 and 31.



Emily also won the Matchplay contest with a hole-in-one on the last hole of the match to win 2-Up.

The conditions were very cold, with all of the water features frozen!








We had previously visited the course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in July 2008 when it was the 59th Minigolf course we played.

While at Northwick Park I also had a play on the TopPutt machine - scoring a pitiful 101!

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- London

Links:
- Playgolf London Northwick Park
- Playgolf London Northwick Park Adventure Golf

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

Putting Green at Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club

The latest course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the 9-hole Putting course at Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club yesterday - 158th Minigolf course played since September 2006!

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- London

Not a Minigolf course, nor a Minigolf hole

Spotted in the bushes at Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club yesterday.



But it did look like a bit of an old derelict course (I've seen worse on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!).

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- London

BIG Golf Challenge - Re-match at Stanmore & Edgware GC

Back in July 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. In that match Richard came out on top, winning by one-shot.

Yesterday they competed in a re-match, this time on Jon's 'home' turf at the 9-hole Par-3 course at the Stanmore & Edgware Golf Club.

Also joining Jon 'El Pato' Angel and 'Hot Streak' Richard Gottfried was Dan '5-star' Angel, another regular on the greens at Stanmore & Edgware GC.

After some great action in the very cold and icy conditions (preceded by a warm-up at the Driving Range at Northwick Park - who's own course was closed due to frozen greens, and on the 9-hole Putting Course at Stanmore) it was Richard who again won (and again by one-shot) in a close fought contest, with a total of 41(+14), to Jon's 42(+15) and Dan's 43(+16).






Due to demand, the BIG Golf/Pitch & Putt Series has now been extended to a best-of 5 match series.

Related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- London

2010 Luton Invitational Minigolf Tournament - New Year's Day at Woodside Animal Farm

Results of the 2010 Luton Invitational Minigolf Tournament at Woodside Animal Farm, Slip End Village near Luton.



The first Minigolf Competition to be held in 2010 took place today at the 18-hole Crazy Golf Course at Woodside Animal Farm, Slip End Village, near Luton.

The 2010 Luton Invitational Tournament featured four players, who braved Arctic-cold conditions on New Year's Day over the 18-hole round.

The winner was 'Squire' Richard Gottfried, with '?' and Emily 'Coach' Gottfried tied for second place. Simon 'The Ice Man' Hall finished in fourth place, but impressed with two holes-in-one in his debut on the Irregular Mini Golf Tour.

2010 Luton Invitational Results:
1. Richard Gottfried - 46 (+10)
2T. Emily Gottfried - 54 (+18)
2T. Mystery Player - 54 (+18)
4. Simon Hall - 57 (+21)

The results from the event count towards the 2009/10 Irregular Mini Golf Tour Rankings.

Photos from the 2010 Luton Invitational.









The Luton Invitational was last held in 2006 when Ipswich's Jo Tubby won, with Luton's Emily Gottfried second, and Richard Gottfried third.

2006 Luton Invitational Results*:
1. Jo Tubby - 54 (par)
2. Emily Gottfried - 56 (+2)
3. Richard Gottfried - 62 (+8)
* Note: Par used was 'Course Par' of 3 shots per hole, rather than 'BMGA Par' of 2 shots per hole.

In results from the Minigolf Doubles Match also held on the 1st January 2010 at the course:
Richard Gottfried & Emily Gottfried defeated Simon Hall and his Mystery Partner 5&3.

The Crazy Golf course at Woodside Animal Farm was the fourth course visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back on the 27th October 2006.

Photos from the trip to Woodside Animal Farm.





The visit to Woodside Animal Farm was part of the Farm's New Year's Day Party that was raising money for the charities Grove House & Keech Cottage Children's Hospice.