Felixstowe Minigolf Updates - and a Match at Mannings

On Saturday 11th December we headed to Felixstowe, Suffolk to re-visit the minigolf courses there.


First up was a visit to Mannings Amusements, where we played an Irregular Mini Golf match at the Indoor Magical Golf.










I defeated Emily in the Irregular Mini Golf Tour match 36 shots to 41. Neither of us won a free game though.

The Magical Golf course was originally the 5th course we played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour, back when it was called Golf FX.

Next we had a look at the Adventure Golf course. It was closed for the season.

A view of the 9-hole Adventure Golf Course in Felixstowe (December 2010).








A little way along the seafront we found that the 'storied' Hollywood Holes Crazy Golf course has now been removed!


The well-travelled 'Hollywood Holes' are no longer there!?



There's also a 'Dolphin' Guarding the Go Karts and Fairground (much like the one at the Crazy Golf course in St Albans).

Next up we had a look at the location where a course was going to be built a couple of years ago, it's next to the Donkey Rides area (itself formerly a Putting Course).


A little way down the seafront, next to the Leisure Centre and Pier, we had a look at the area that used to house a Crazy Golf course. It's still empty, although you can see where the holes used to sit.

Ipswich Minigolf course 'finds' on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

On Saturday 11th December 2010 we headed back to Ipswich and while there we popped along to the Suffolk Leisure Park as we'd heard there was a Mini Golf Putting Course there.


When we arrived we were surprised to see there was also a brand new Minigolf/Crazy Golf course being built!






















The course is that new that the holes themselves have yet to be cut out!



The Putting Course/Green was unplayable as it was out-of-season.





We're looking forward to visiting and playing the new Minigolf course when we return to Ipswich.

We also found a couple of Putting Greens just outside of Ipswich on Sunday - at the Fynn Valley Golf Club in Witnesham (near Westerfield).

Back on the 24th July 2010 we played a portable Crazy Golf course in Ipswich's Christchurch Park.

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Playing Minigolf at Suffolk Leisure Park in Ipswich

Two videos of our matches at the World Series of Pong Slam Jam Grand Final

Videos of our opening two matches at the World Series of Pong Slam Jam Grand Final





Blog post about the World Series of Pong Slam Jam Grand Final.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #52 Tampere, Finland - Swedish Felt

The 52nd Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Swedish Felt course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.

The story of the Rotten Shark Classic!

Following the first days play in the Nations Cup tournament, the Great Britain Team and its entourage headed to the Viking Restaurant - Harald - in Tampere, where we asked for the Viking Speciality, which turned out to be Rotten Shark and Aquavit!!!

Only three of the team were brave (daft) enough to try it, with myself, Andy 'Sarge' Booth and Tim 'Ace Man' Davies eating the rotten shark and earning ourselves a place on the 'Wall of Fame' as people who had completed the dish!

After the main Nations Cup tournament had finished, the Great Britain Team played the Rotten Shark Classic tournament over one round of the 18-hole Swedish Felt course. Sean Homer and Steve Gow tied for the lead, with Sean picking up the win on Aces.

Results of the Rotten Shark Classic (The unofficial 2008 British Swedish Felt Run Championships)
1. Sean Homer 46 (GBR)(6 Aces)
2. Steve Gow (GBR) 46 (4 Aces)
3. Jouni Valkjarvi (FIN) 48 (1 Ace)
4. Richared Gottfried (GBR) 51 (2 Aces) (7’s 1)
5. Tim Davies (GBR) 53 (2 Aces)
6. Emily Gottfried (GBR) 64 (1 Ace) (7’s 1)
7. Ted McIver (GBR) 65 (2 Aces) (7’s 4)
8. Andy Booth (GBR)75 (7’s 6)
9. Alex Barr (GBR) 78 (1 Ace) (7’s 4) (cameraman)
10. Matt (GBR) 85 (7’s 7) (journo)

On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #51 Tampere, Finland - Eternit

The 51st Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Eternit (Miniaturegolf) course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.







On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour - Course Played #50 Tampere, Finland - Beton

The Landmark 50th Minigolf Course visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour was the Beton (Concrete) Miniature Golf course at the Manse RG Club in Tampere, Finland where we played for Great Britain in the 2008 Nations Cup competition.

While in Tampere we also played the Eternit (Miniaturegolf) course (in the Nations Cup itself), and the Swedish Felt (Felt Golf) course at the Manse RG course.

On the 9th May 2009 five members of the 2008 Nations Cup squad played in the first Tampere Reunion Classic competition at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk.

Adventure Golf at Watford TopGolf - change to Hole 18

I had a round of minigolf at the 18-hole Adventure Golf course at TopGolf in Watford, Herts this evening.

The 18th hole on the Adventure Golf has changed since I last played there in July 2010. The shot used to be straight through the two rocks (where a good shot would be rewarded with a hole-in-one), you now have to lay up in front of the new 'ball collecting' tunnel, with an Ace being nigh on impossible.

It was very icy at the course today too:
Photo 1
Photo 2

The Indoor Putting Course had also had a Christmas Tree put up in the middle of it.

Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

Details of Gluten Free Ale, Beer and Lager that I've 'sampled' since being diagnosed as a Coeliac *hic*

Having had two bottles of Mongozo Gluten Free Pilsener bought for me I thought I'd give a run down of the other Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers I've tried since being a Coeliac (as people 'Intolerant to Gluten' can't drink 'normal' Beer/Lager).

Enjoying a Redbridge Beer at The Yardhouse in Las Vegas in 2010

I must admit that I do like all of them, they all taste like 'the real thing'. Reading reviews in Crossed Grain magazine some people in 'taste tests' rated some more highly than others, but I can't say I'd avoid any of them. I do have a particular favourite in Redbridge Beer, but that's only available in the US.

I was a big fan of all types of lager, beer and ale before I was diagnosed as a Coeliac, so it is nice to know there are brewers out there providing for Coeliac customers.

Here's a list and links of those I've tried to date:

- Mongozo Pilsener

- Hambleton’s Gluten Free Ale (GFA) and Gluten Free Lager (GFL) - I've tried both.

- Green's Gluten Free Beers - I've tried both their of their new Premium Golden Ale and the Premium Pils. Previously I've tried a few of their other beers, including Pioneer and Trailblazer. Green's do have a wide-range, further details below.

- Estrella Damm Daura

- Schnitzer Brau

- St Peter's Brewery - I've tried the G-Free™ variety

- Glebe Farm Pathfinder - Spotted in the window of Drinkers Paradise in Camden

- CELIA at The Regent Pub in London

- Green's Supreme Golden Ale - on sale in a Sainsbury's in Birmingham

- Daas Blond Beer

Many of these beers and lagers are available in major supermarkets, although stock levels are generally quite low.

I've yet to try the following UK beers and lagers (they're definitely on my 'To Drink' list):

- Against the Grain

- Ambar

- Crop Circle bottle-conditioned beer by Hopback Brewery

- Green's Refermented Blonde Ale

- Green's Refermented Dark Ale

- Green' s Refermented Brown Ale

- St Peter's Brewery Winter Ale

- Green's Mission

- Green's Quest

- Green's Discovery

- Green's Endeavour

- Green's Herald

- Green's Pathfinder

- Stringers Brewery - Plan B - I heard about it via twitter in March 2012 from North Herts CAMRA & Stingers Beer - the beer will be available at the 2012 Hitchin Beer & Cider Festival on the 9th & 10th of March.

While in Las Vegas we tried Redbridge Beer which was great, and we picked up a case of Bard's Beer, which was nice too.

While writing this blog post I also spotted this excellent list of Gluten Free Beers on the Gluten Free Diet website. I can't wait to work my way through that list too!

I found out via twitter that the Orange Tree Pub in Baldock, Herts can cater for Coeliacs, with both food and drink, as they also serve Gluten Free beer and lager.

Enjoying a bottle of gluten free beer

In November 2014 the excellent GFree Radio Show had a gluten free drinks special and I was a guest on the show to discuss alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You can listen to the show at 'GFree Radio episode 80: Our #GF drinks special'.

Non-Gluten Free, but Beer (and Minigolf) related Blog Posts:

- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in Pub Beer Gardens

- A New Minigolf Beer - The '19th Hole' from Uncle Stuart's Brewery at Wroxham Barns, Norfolk
- Mini Golf at the Camden Town Brewery in London

Non-Gluten Free and just about Beer-related Blog Post:

- The Weymouth Preliminaries Rock Paper Scissors Contest

Gluten Free Food & Drink-related Blog Posts:

- Gluten Free Beer
- Gluten Free Reviews on Travel Gluten Free

- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Great Gluten Free Tea Rooms

Links:
- For more information about Coeliac Disease please visit the Coeliac UK website.

- The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has a list of Gluten Free Beers on its website.