I spotted this in a sports and social club recently.
Sunday, September 08, 2013
Anti-social?
Has anyone ever seen such an anti-social sign put up by a social committee before?
I spotted this in a sports and social club recently.
I spotted this in a sports and social club recently.
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Minigolf in Letchworth Garden City
Playing the 9-hole Mini Golf course in Letchworth Garden City’s Garden Square Shopping Centre's ‘seaside experience’.
.jpg "The Mini Golf course at Letchworth Beside The Seaside") |
| The Mini Golf course at Letchworth Beside The Seaside |
While in Letchworth Garden City on Friday 30th of August I walked through the Garden Square Shopping Centre and noticed some red flags in the distance and was surprised and excited to see they were part of a Minigolf course set-up as part of the shopping centre’s ‘Letchworth Beside The Seaside’ event!
.jpg "The Mini Golf and Games course gets the thumbs-up from me") |
| The Mini Golf and Games course gets the thumbs-up from me |
The 9-hole Swedish Felt type of Mini Golf had been in Letchworth for the week and would be closing at 5pm on the very day I happened to be there!
.jpg "Hole 1 - the loop-di-loop") |
| Hole 1 - the loop-di-loop |
A round of Crazy Golf was a reasonable £2.50 to play so I headed out for a round with the gaze of the shoppers on me as I attempted to have a good round on the tough type of Miniature Golf course.
.jpg "A view of the obstacle on hole 3, hole 7 in the middle and hole 8 in the distance") |
| A view of the obstacle on hole 3, hole 7 in the middle and hole 8 in the distance |
The layout was of the smaller, more portable type of Swedish Felt but still had some very tough obstacles and fiendishly small holes to putt into.
.jpg "Hole 4 of the nice and bright Minigolf course in Letchworth Garden City") |
| Hole 4 of the nice and bright Minigolf course in Letchworth Garden City |
I started with some OK twos, but hit a four at the third. However I recovered and hit a nice ace on the seventh to a ripple of applause from some of the shoppers enjoying the lovely sunny day and taking a break on the benches near the course. I also aced the ninth to score a total of 20(+2).
.jpg "Hole 7 - a hole I hit a sweet ace on, even if I do say so myself") |
| Hole 7 - a hole I hit a sweet ace on, even if I do say so myself |
After my round I had a chat to John from Mini Golf and Games who has been setting up the course at a number of events over the summer. The course is available for hire and more details can be found on the Mini Golf and Games website.
The course was well laid out, with a nice consistent playing surface and with felt in very good condition. It was well worth a play and with a second round played on the same day half price it’s worth challenging yourself to beat your previous score. I tried, but failed to best my 20 and even though I started well with an ace on the first (a loop-di-loop obstacle – a nemesis of mine) I could only manage a 20 again, as I hit a three on the last.
.jpg "Hole 9 required a shot that was nicely played and slightly angled to the right to score the ace. Or a wall shot rebound.") |
| Hole 9 required a shot that was nicely played and slightly angled to the right to score the ace. Or a wall shot rebound |
I’m looking forward to playing the Mini Golf and Games course in future and it’ll be nice to have a challenge match against Emily on it.
.jpg "The Letchworth public enjoying a round of Minigolf on the course at the Garden Square Shopping Centre") |
| The Letchworth public enjoying a round of Minigolf on the course at the Garden Square Shopping Centre |
The course was the 321st played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006 and the 536th visited overall. Interestingly the 535th course visited was also a Swedish Felt variety and the last new course played was also fairly close to home as it was in Bedford.
I also learned a bit of Swedish while playing the course as the scorecard had the line "Högsta antal slag per hål: 7" luckily I didn't score a seven while playing the tricky layout!
Back on the 29th September 2007 I played a Putting Green course in Letchworth Garden City – it was the 38th course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour – unfortunately it’s no longer there.
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Not Playing Minigolf in Walton on the Naze
Rain Stops Play in Walton on the Naze, Essex.
On the 22nd of August Emily and I visited Walton on the Naze in Essex to play the Crazy Golf and Putting course in the town's Coronation Gardens in Bathhouse Meadow on Hall Lane.
Unfortunately, and following the theme of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the last seven years, the courses were closed. To be fair the weather was rainy and it wasn't the best of days, but only we could visit a seaside resort in the height of summer and not play a Minigolf course!
.JPG "Closed due to the weather - another unplayable course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour") |
| Closed due to the weather - another unplayable course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour |
We did have a good look at the 9-hole Crazy Golf course (it's a Swedish Felt variety of Miniature Golf) and the interesting looking 18-hole Putting course - it had some very thin lanes and greens that were raised at the back.
.JPG "Outside the Putting course in Walton on the Naze") |
| Outside the Putting course in Walton on the Naze |
The pair of courses became the 534th and 535th courses visited in total on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Hopefully one day we'll get to play the courses.
.JPG "A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Crazy Golf course in Walton on the Naze") |
| A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Crazy Golf course in Walton on the Naze |
.JPG "A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Mini Golf course in Walton on the Naze") |
| And another... |
.JPG "A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Minigolf course in Walton on the Naze") |
| ...and another... |
.JPG "A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Miniature Golf course in Walton on the Naze") |
| ...and one for luck. |
The courses are open 11am to 5pm, seven days a week from the 20th of July until the 1st of September. The Crazy Golf course costs just £1 for adults (75p for juniors and seniors). The Putting is £2.50 for adults (£2 for juniors and seniors).
.JPG "The price list for the Crazy Golf and Putting in Walton on the Naze") |
| The price list for the Crazy Golf and Putting in Walton on the Naze |
Back in May 2009 we visited Walton on the Naze and obviously missed the courses then!? We did however find and play the Hillbilly Shooting Shack on the pier and managed to visit and play a few of the other Essex Minigolf courses, including those at Dovercourt, Clacton on Sea (1 and 2) and Blake End, near Braintree.
Links:
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Perils of the Seaside #1 - The Seagull
The British Coast's Public Enemy Number One!
While enjoying a day out in the Essex seaside town of Walton on the Naze a MASSIVE Seagull came after me!
I wasn't even eating a bag of chips.
Related Blog Posts:
- Seagull Sullies Minigolf Scorecard in Hastings
- Worthing's Splash Point Mini Golf Course Becomes a Temporary Seagull-Free Zone!
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
A Round of Minigolf on Felixstowe's Fantasia Adventure Golf Course
Re-visiting the 7th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk.
.jpg "Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk")
On the 20th of August Emily and I headed back to Felixstowe, Suffolk for a day out at the seaside.
.JPG "Richard on hole 6 - Evil Eye") |
| Richard on hole 6 - Evil Eye |
On what was a lovely sunny day we wandered past the 9-hole Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road and saw that the coast was clear for a nice 'relaxed' game of Minigolf.
.JPG "Emily putting on hole 1 - The Puzzler") |
| Emily putting on hole 1 - The Puzzler |
It's not often we're in Felixstowe in the summer, you're more likely to find us Putting away on the indoor Magical Golf course at Mannings Amusements just down the road, while it's raining/frosty/wintery outside.
.JPG "Richard playing hole 2 - The Crab") |
| Richard playing hole 2 - The Crab |
The Fantasia Adventure Golf course was the 7th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour way back on the 26th of August 2007!
In our one-round contest Emily quickly took the lead and also managed to ace the 4th hole! It's a tricky course to score holes-in-one on so it was a pleasing shot to see.
.JPG "Emily on hole 3 - Twister") |
| Emily on hole 3 - Twister |
Unfortunately Emily came unstuck on the 8th and was terribly unfortunate to score a dreaded seven.
.JPG "Emily putts out on Evil Eye") |
| Emily putts out on Evil Eye |
The final score saw me win with a score of 22 to Emily's 28.
The Adventure Golf course is always worth a play and costs £2.50 for adults and £2.00 for children. It's in very good condition and has had some new tee-off spots put in place since our last visit.
.JPG "Another Humpty Minigolf hole") |
| Another Humpty hole |
Links:
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I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
More Gluten Free Black Pudding
Spotting another black pudding that is suitable for Coeliacs.
While shopping in Morrisons yesterday we spotted another brand of Black Pudding that is gluten free and suitable for Coeliacs - Clonakilty Black Pudding.
Check out the Clonakilty Black Pudding website, Facebook page, Twitter feed and their YouTube Channel where you can learn how to make a "Clonakilty Black Pudding Burger"!
Looking forward to having it for breakfast :-)
Related blog posts:
- Coeliac
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Date of the 2013 UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships Announced!
2013 UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships to take place in London on the 23rd of November!
The date for the 2013 UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships has been announced! The big event will be taking place on Saturday 23rd of November.
Taking place at the Knights Templar Pub on Chancery Lane in London, the three hour UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships will see 250 competitors battle it out for the top prize of UK Champ, a trophy and £100 in prize money.
Emily and I have competed in a number of the Wacky Nation organised Rock Paper Scissors tournaments and always found them great fun. In the 2012 International Rock Paper Scissors Championships our team finished fourth, losing to Great Britain in the bronze medal match (we were San Marino).
.JPG "Taking on football legend Neil 'Razor' Ruddock in an International Rock Paper Scissors 'friendly' match at the event last year!") |
Taking on football legend Neil 'Razor' Ruddock in a 2012 International Rock Paper Scissors 'friendly' match!
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You can find out more about the 2013 event on the UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships and Wacky Nation websites.
Links:
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Revisiting the Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course
Replaying the 18-hole Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset.
In early July we were back in Boscombe, Dorset for the first time in a few years. In 2009 we'd played the Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course at the BMGA British Doubles Championship.
At the time the course became the 108th course played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.
Photos of the 18-hole course (July 2013).
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 1") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 1 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 2") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 2 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 3") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 3 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 4") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 4 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 5") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 5 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Pipe") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Pipe |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Green") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 6 - the Green |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 7") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 7 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 8") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 8 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 9 - the Green |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 10") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 10 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 11") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 11 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 12") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 12 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 13") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 13 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 14") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 14 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 15") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 15 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 16") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 16 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 17") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 17 |
.JPG "Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 18") |
| Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf - Hole 18 |
Prior to this year's BMGA British Matchplay Championships Emily faced-off against her Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club team-mate Seth 'Sethers' Thomas in the CMGC Matchplay Championship.
.JPG "Emily Putting on hole 4") |
| Emily Putting on hole 4 |
In game one Emily took the victory 1-up. Game two saw Seth take a 3&2 win while the decider saw Seth edge a 1-up victory to take the series win and the CMGC Matchplay Championship title.
.JPG "Seth tackles hole 6") |
| Seth tackles hole 6 |
Local character Mick 'The Man' Gisbourne was also in residence at the Boscombe Chine Gardens course during the championship weekend and played against Emily and Seth in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' competition.
.JPG "Seth leading the way in the three-player event") |
| Seth leading the way in the three-player event |
In the one-round contest Seth won with a round of 36(par), Emily was second with a 40(+4) and Mick The Man was third with a round of 48(+12).
.JPG "Mick The Man has a tricky and long second shot coming up in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' contest") |
| Mick The Man has a tricky and long second shot coming up in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' contest |
The Boscombe Mini Golf course is in a nice location and easily accessible (it's also a stop on the Bournemouth to Boscombe Land Train). Well worth a play if you're in the area.
.JPG "The floral train at Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset") |
| The floral train at Boscombe Chine Gardens Mini Golf course in Dorset |
Emily was third in the 2013 BMGA British Matchplay Championships and fellow Minigolfer Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd was keen to inspect her winnings after the competition!
 |
| Stop! Thief! |
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Links:
I’m a Champion Miniature Golfer on a tour of the UK’s minigolf and crazy golf courses. Coeliac living a gluten free life. Train nerd. Retro gamer. Urban explorer.
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