A new minigolf blog by The Putting Penguin

My fellow minigolf enthusiast Pat Sheridan has entered the world of blogging.

Having had his entry to the USPMGA US Open tournament accepted, pro-putter Pat Sheridan is readying himself for a tilt at the title. In the lead-up to tee-off he'll be keeping the world up-to-date on his new blog.

Since 2001 Pat and his colleague Mandy Ranslow have operated the world's largest miniature golf course review website - The Putting Penguin.

Veteran minigolfer and rookie blogger Pat Sheridan about to tee-off at Putt in the Park in London, England

The 2015 US Open competition will be hosted by the Champions Golf Learning Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina on 15 and 16 May.

Pat has played in 36 minigolf tournaments in his career, winning three events in 2011 - the Ice Breaker Tournament, Ocean's 18 Tournament and Mulligan's Warm Up Tournament. In USPMGA events Pat recorded a 12th place finish at the 2014 US Open, and was 5th in the 2014 Maine State Dolphin Open.

Read the first posts of the new blog at 'The Check is No Longer in the Mail' and 'What's in a tournament? (Part I)'. I'm looking forward to following his progress and wish him all the very best in the US Open.

The Pro Minigolfers at Putt in the Park

Last month Emily and I had the pleasure of meeting Pat while he was on a trip to the UK. We had a fun round at Putt in the Park in Wandsworth, London.

Links:
- The Putting Penguin blog
- The Putting Penguin website
- US Pro Mini Golf Association (USPMGA) website
- Champions Golf Learning Center website

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf with The Putting Penguin at Putt in the Park
- The Putting Penguin

National Golf Day 2015

Happy National Golf Day 2015.

Lining up a putt from the very edge of the green at Stockwood Park in Luton - I'm not the best at pitching, but I'm a decent enough putter

My fellow minigolf enthusiast (and Putt Putt pro) Matt Bellner alerted me to the fact that today is National Golf Day!

The tweet Mattie 5 sent me shows Jon Guhl, CEO of the Middle Atlantic Section of the PGA of America hitting the ceremonial putt to tee-off the Congressional Putting Challenge. Proof that 'regular' BIG golf is all about the Putting. I look forward to seeing the Putting Challenge results.

National Golf Day is organised by WE ARE GOLF - a coalition of leading organisations in Golf including the Club Managers Association of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA TOUR, The PGA of America, the U.S Golf Manufacturers Council and the World Golf Foundation.

The 2015 event is the eighth annual edition. For more information about National Golf Day check out the WE ARE GOLF website.

In the minigolf world there are three 'Mini Golf Days' taking place around the world this year (and every year) - National Miniature Golf Day on Saturday 9 May 2015, Miniature Golf Day on Monday 21 September, and Minigolf Tag in Austria (date TBC for 2015).

Links:
- WE ARE GOLF
- National Golf Day
- Mattie 5 Bellner

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf Days in 2015
- Golf

Plonk Golf in Dalston, London

New Crazy Golf / Snooker hybrid course opening in east London.

The capital will see the opening of a new miniature golf course this month as Plonk Golf pitches up at Efes Pool and Snooker Club in Dalston.

The working and smoking volcano on hole 1 at Plonk Golf!

The 200ft long 9-hole Crazy Golf course has been created by The House of Revelry and with it's mix of putting and cue sports it sounds intriguing. I'm looking forward to giving Plonk Golf a play on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

The pop up course was previously open for private bookings over the festive period, but will be open to the public from 29 April.

For more information, opening times and booking details visit the Plonk Golf website.

On our travels we've played a few Minigolf/Cue Sport crossover games including Pit-Pat, Q Golf and a bizarre hole at the Golf Apocalypse.

Playing Crazy Golf on a Snooker Table at the Golf Apocalypse of 2012

Update: I played the course on 23 April 2015, check out the photos and details on my post at Plonk Golf Crazy Golf at Efes Snooker Hall in London.

Links:
- Plonk Golf website
- Plonk Golf on Facebook
- Plonk Golf on Twitter
- Efes Snooker Hall on Twitter
- The House of Revelry website

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Plonk Golf Crazy Golf at Efes Snooker Hall in London

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

M&S gluten free Rice Porridge

Trying the new Made Without Wheat Rice Porridge from Marks and Spencer.

While Spring and Summer may not be the seasons for warming breakfasts, after spotting a new gluten and wheat free product in the York city centre branch of M&S I had to give it a try.

The boxes contain eight sachets of the gluten free porridge (made of brown rice flakes and ground maize porridge)

I had a bowl, made using milk, for breakfast and it tasted great. It filled me up until lunchtime too. This is a glowing endorsement as I have never been one for breakfasts (although this is probably something to do with 27 years of undiagnosed Coeliac Disease and feeling immediately ill after eating breakfast).

I like the fact the box contains individual sachets of porridge. And even though it contains no oats at all, it tastes like porridge. I'll be buying it again.

Links:
- Marks & Spencer website
- Marks & Spencer Made Without Wheat page
- Link to a product list of M&S products that DO NOT contain GLUTEN
- Coeliac UK website

Related blog posts:

- Gluten free

- Coeliac
- M&S
- Cereal
- Breakfast

Minigolf at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge

A visit to the miniature golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, West Midlands.

Hole 1 at Dorridge

We recently visited the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge, Solihull for what would be the last minigolf tournament to be held on the 12-hole course - the 2015 MMGC Midlands Open. Over the years the venue has hosted many British Minigolf Association tournaments and we've competed in quite a few of them. The course has always been a pleasure to play (even when it's been punishing) and is far more difficult to master than it first appears.

The tricky second hole

Back in September 2008 the course became the 72nd played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. I visited the layout while en route to the Monday night league at Adventure Island Mini Golf at Star City, Birmingham.

Hole 3

There are plans to create a new adventure golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre. The existing course will be removed. It will certainly be missed.

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 5's obstacle

An even closer look inside the castle on hole 5

And hole 5's green

Hole 6

Hole 7 - the scene of many a minigolfing nightmare!

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 12

Hole 2 from another angle

Playing hole 5

Having a shot on hole 9

Over the humps on hole 10

Emily playing the first

For more information check out the Four Ashes Golf Centre website.

Links:
- Four Ashes Golf Centre
- British Minigolf Association

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Dorridge
- Mini Golf course at the Four Ashes Golf Centre in Dorridge (September 2017)

Mini Golf courses in Knaresborough

Playing minigolf at Knaresborough's Castle Yard and a revisit to Conyngham Hall.

Mini Golf grass Putting at Knaresborough Castle

Back in September 2010 we visited Knaresborough in North Yorkshire and enjoyed an afternoon wandering around the town and playing some Mini and Crazy Golf at Conyngham Hall. Last March I found out that on that visit we'd actually missed the other miniature golf course in the town! It's situated in the Castle Yard.

Emily putting at Knaresborough's Castle Yard course

Note the interesting sign on the drainpipe

The Castle Yard Putting course in Knaresborough is an 18-hole layout

The course is the first we've ever played that had a sallyport and secret tunnel running underneath it!

The tunnel was built in the late 13th or mid 14th century and was large enough for a small group of armed men to leave the castle secretly at night and launch an attack on any besieging troops.

The sallyport on the left and hole 8 on the right. While we were playing, the sallyport was opened up for a group on a tour

On this trip to Knaresborough we spent the night in the town before heading back home. On our arrival it was very nice to receive a special welcome from Andy at Art in the Mill!

Andy Grinter from Art in the Mill is a local businessman and minigolf enthusiast. Ahead of our arrival in town he'd chalked up a message for us on our visit to Knaresborough

The grass Putting course at Knaresborough's Castle Yard became the 357th course played and 591st visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. It was also the second course in a row that was played near a castle, as last month we played Crazy Golf in Tamworth's Castle Grounds.

Hole 1 and Knaresborough Castle in the background. A very nice location for a round of minigolf

Putting on the 13th hole

In our minigolf match-up on the Castle Yard Putting course I beat Emily with a score of 43 to 49.

As well as the Putting you can play Bowling on a nice looking green at the Castle

While in Knaresborough we also revisited Conyngham Hall grounds where you can find a grass Putting course, Crazy Golf and a Pitch & Putt layout.

Crazy Golf at Conyngham Hall

The Pitch & Putt layout at Conyngham Hall

When we arrrived at Conyngham Hall only one of the flags was still out on the Putting Green - it was about to close, so it's a good job we'd played the good little layout five years ago

We're looking forward to our next visit to the town already.

Knaresborough Castle

A view of the viaduct in Knaresborough from the Castle Yard

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour has taken us to other courses in the Harrogate district, including Harrogate itself and Ripon's Spa Gardens.

Putting at Knaresborough's Castle Yard costs £2.30 per adult. You get to use some odd headed putters for your game!

Links:

- Sports and Games in Harrogate and District

- Games in the Park - Knaresborough Castle Yard

- Games in the Parks - Conyngham Hall

- Art in the Mill

Related blog posts:

- Knaresborough

- Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough, Yorkshire - Minigolf courses played #201 and 202

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Bar Billiards in York

Playing Bar Billiards at The Golden Ball pub in York.

On our walk back to the city centre following the York International Postcard Show at the racecourse we stopped off for a Gin & Tonic and a game of Bar Billiards at The Golden Ball pub.

Emily playing the Bar Billiards table at The Golden Ball pub in York

In action and en route to a win

In our match-up I scored 1,980 to Emily's 0 after she wiped-out a score of 770

Along with The Phoenix, The Golden Ball set-up the York Bar Billiards league in 2013. For more information, teams and fixtures check out the York Bar Billiards website. The Golden Ball pub website also has a Bar Billiards section on it. It's brilliant to see the pub game thriving in the city. We're looking forward to returning and checking out the tables at the other pubs.

The York Bar Billiards League Fixture list. Check out the league's website and Facebook page for information on the coming season

On a postcard-related note, The Golden Ball has its own postcard available to purchase at the bar.

Links:
- York Bar Billiards
- The Golden Ball
- Bar Billiards Forum
- The All England Bar Billiards Association (AEBBA)

Related blog posts:
- Bar Billiards
- Pub games

Gluten free beer

Details of gluten free ale, beer and lager found since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.

On a trip to York I found two new gluten free beers - Hoptical Illusion by Brass Castle Brewery and Mongozo's Buckwheat White Beer.

The four new gluten free beers I've recently found

Since my diagnosis in 2008 I've found out about 117 gluten free beers, ales and lagers. There are more and more gluten free beverages appearing all the time. It certainly gives some new and interesting drinking options.

Coeliac and Beer Drinker

Of the 117 gluten free beers available around the world I've tried the following 46 beers:

1. Ambar
2. Bard's Beer
3. Brewdog's Vagabond Pale Ale
4. CELIA Lager
5. CELIA Lager Dark
6. Crop Circle by Hopback Brewery
7. Daas Ambré
8. Daas Blond Beer
9. Estrella Damm Daura
10. Estrella Damm Daura Märzen
11. Glebe Farm Pathfinder / Night Mission
12. Glebe Farm Wellington Bomber Porter
13. Green's Export Lager Lite
14. Green's India Pale Ale
15. Green's Lager Dry Hopped
16. Green's Pioneer
17. Green's Premium Golden Ale
18. Green's Premium Pils
19. Green's Refermented Blonde Ale
20. Green's Refermented Brown Ale
21. Green's Refermented Dark Ale
22. Green's Supreme Golden Ale
23. Green's Trailblazer
24. Green's Glorious Pilsner (new 2015)
25. Green's Gilded Golden Ale (new 2015)
26. Green's Gorgeous Blond Ale (new 2015)
27. Green's Gutsy Dark Ale (new 2015)
28. Green's Gallant Amber Ale (new 2015)
29. Green's Great Discovery Amber (new 2015)
30. Green's Grand India Pale Ale (new 2015)
31. Green's Gold Dry Hopped Lager (new 2015)
32. Hambleton’s Gluten Free Ale (GFA)
33. Hambleton's Gluten Free Lager (GFL)
34. Hoptical Illusion by Brass Castle
35. M&S Belgian Golden Ale by Brouwerij De Brabandere
36. M&S Belgian Premium Pilsner by Brouwerij De Brabandere
37. Mongozo Pilsener
38. Redbridge Beer
39. Saxon (in a can!)
40. Schnitzer Bräu Lemon
41. Schnitzer Bräu Premium
42. St Peter's Brewery Dark G-Free™
43. St Peter's Brewery G-Free™
44. To Øl Reparationsbajer
45. Wold Top Against the Grain
46. Wold Top Scarborough Fair IPA

Those that I've heard about but not yet tried are:

1. Brunehaut
2. Ghostfish Brewing Co Grapefruit IPA
3. Ghostfish Brewing Co Shrouded Summit Witbier
4. Ghostfish Brewing Co Vanishing Point IPA
5. Ghostfish Brewing Co Watchstander Stout
6. Gluten Freedom
7. Glutenberg Beer Blonde
8. Glutenberg Beer Glutenberg 8
9. Glutenberg Beer Pale ale américaine
10. Glutenberg Beer Rousse
11. Green's Discovery
12. Green's Endeavour
13. Green's Herald
14. Green's Mission
15. Green's Pathfinder
16. Green's Quest
17. Hepworth & Co Brewers Blonde
18. Hepworth & Co Brewers Iron Horse
19. Hepworth & Co Brewers Saxon
20. House Brew by Pitt Bros BBQ
21. Koshihikari Echigo Beer
22. Laitilan Kukko Vahva Pils (can)
23. Lebensfreude (Zest for Life)
24. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère 
25. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère aux fruits
26. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère Millet
27. Les bières de la Nouvelle-France Messagère Red Ale
28. Masquerade by Monty's Brewery
29. Mikkeler American Dream
30. Mikkeler Green Gold
31. Mikkeler Peter, Pale & Mary Gluten Free
32. Mikropolis Pils
33. Mongozo Buckwheat White Beer
34. Neumarkter Lammsbräu
35. New Planet Beer
36. O'Brien Brown Ale
37. O'Brien Light Lager
38. O'Brien Pale Ale
39. O'Brien Premium Lager
40. Ocho Reales
41. Omission Beer - IPA
42. Omission Beer - Lager
43. Omission Beer - Pale Ale
44. Riedenburger Brauhaus Gluten Frei
45. RESIDENZ - BIO Ingwer (BIO Ginger)
46. RESIDENZ - Reisbier (rice beer)
47. RESIDENZ - Reisbier dunkel (rice beer dark)
48. Sally Monroe
49. Saor by 9 White Deer Brewery
50. Savernake by Kennet & Avon Brewery
51. Spalt BIO Buchweizen (Spalt BIO Buckwheat)
52. Stringers Amber
53. Stringers Golden
54. Stringers Outlook
55. To Øl Hop Love Pils
56. Wold Top Marmalade Porter
57. William Wilberforce Freedom Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
58. British Bulldog by Westerham Brewery Co
59. Scotney Pale Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
60. Scotney Bitter by Westerham Brewery Co
61. Viceroy India Pale Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
62. Hop Rocket IPA by Westerham Brewery
63. Bohemian Rhapsody by Westerham Brewery Co
64. Audit Ale by Westerham Brewery Co
65. Double Stout by Westerham Brewery Co
66. Allendale - GFPA by Murphy and Son Ltd
67. First Chop - Ava
68. First Chop - DOC
69. First Chop - Extra Love (Mango)
70. First Chop - FCB
71. First Chop - The Chop

In November 2014 I was a guest on the GFree Radio Show's gluten free drinks special episode. You can listen to the show at 'GFree Radio episode 80'.

In 2015 Green's Gluten Free Beers refreshed the look of their range. Check out the blog for an update.

The updated range of Green's Gluten Free beers

Related blog posts:

- Gluten free

- Coeliac

- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

New minigolf course in Battersea, London

Miniature Golf course opening in London's Battersea Park in June 2015.

The Putt in the Park course at Wandsworth Park. A similar layout is being built in Battersea Park

I've heard that the team behind the Putt in the Park minigolf course in Wandsworth are opening a new miniature golf site in Battersea Park, London this summer.

Emily playing at Putt in the Park in Battersea on Miniature Golf Day 2015

The 12-hole mini-golf course is due to open in June and will be located in the former One O'Clock Club in Battersea Park.

As well as the putting course the new Putt in the Park site will include a café, pizzeria and bar.

Check out the Putt in the Park website for details, plans and initial photos of the new site.

We've played the original Putt in the Park course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and recently returned for a round with Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin website.

Playing the island hole at Putt in the Park, Wandsworth

We look forward to visiting and playing the newest course in the capital.

Watch Pat Sheridan from The Putting Penguin website play hole 7 of the Putt in the Park course at Wandsworth Park.

 

Until recently there has been a bit of a dearth of permanent mini golf, crazy golf and adventure golf courses in London, so it's great to see a new layout opening up.

Links:
- Putt in the Park
- Putt in the Park Battersea

Related blog posts:
- Mini Golf course visit to Putt in the Park, Battersea
- Putt in the Park Minigolf at Wandsworth Park, London
- Minigolf with The Putting Penguin at Putt in the Park
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

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