Putting

Putterfingers.co.uk sell equipment for learning how to putt and improving your putting. Learn how to putt with our portable putting greens and golf training and practice aids and equipment.

Meet the Gottfrieds: the nation’s favourite putter nutters

Putterfingers Crazy Golf / Mini Golf, Just for Fun!, Putting , , , , , , , , ,

Couple play on over 700 crazy golf courses

The couple who played on over 700 crazy golf courses ??“It's about 50/50 about who comes first”

Posted by BBC Radio 5 live on Monday, July 10, 2017

If you haven’t heard about Richard and Emily Gottfried, they are the charmingly eccentric (but otherwise normal) couple who have made it their life’s mission to play every single crazy golf course in the country. Their Crazy World of Minigolf tour started in 2006 and is showing no signs of slowing down. With new courses opening all the time and being reported on this blog and elsewhere, it’s clear that their task is never-ending. To date the Gottfrieds have played 740 crazy golf courses in the UK and quite a lot abroad too. Both are tournament winners with a swelling trophy cabinet – which includes a Putterfingers mug! Richard blogged about that in 2012.

Minigolfers the Gottfrieds
Minigolf makes them happy – or maybe they are happy anyway and that’s why they play minigolf. Either way they are winners.

 

The past week has been a media extravaganza for the putting-mad couple, with radio and TV interviews, newspaper articles and social media exposure. So we’re adding to the buzz by dedicating this week’s blog to Richard and Emily’s various media appearances in the last week or so. What a week it’s been!

BBC Radio 5 Live’s segment on Richard and Emily is at the top of this post. You can hear Richard tell the story of how the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour got started and ‘kind of steamrolled from there’. The Beeb have overlaid the sound onto various clips of Mr Gottfried holing out and fist-pumping with infectious enthusiasm.

Emily and Richard Gottfried
The Gottfrieds on international minigolf duty

Next thing we knew they were on the 6 O’clock news on Radio 4. The dulcet tones of Radio 4’s Danny Savage relate the tale of the Gottfrieds’ first game of minigolf at Southsea, and Richard tells the nation about the equipment used by top players, including the special set of minigolf balls. Here’s the programme, start listening at 27:10.

As if that wasn’t enough media exposure to warrant the Gottfrieds going around in dark glasses and wigs, The Times published an article about their putting exploits, in which Richard said, “It really has become an addiction. Mini golf is incredibly good fun and always such a challenge as the courses are different.

“Some require a lot of skill, and others are just down to luck. Visiting all of them has become a bit of an obsession, but it’s also been a great way to use our weekends and see other parts of the country we otherwise would never have been to.

“As much fun as I always have playing with Emily, we are also really competitive. We very often finish only a couple of shots apart, and sometimes if I lose I won’t speak to her in the car on the way home.”

The readers’ comments below the article are quite amusing too, reflecting both the general public’s bafflement at people getting obsessed with minigolf and the ‘dull’ image it is given by people who have never played it. The Gottfrieds revel in such prejudices – they are longstanding members of the Dull Men’s Club, an organisation that celebrates the ordinary.

We wish Richard and Emily all the best for their future putting endeavours. Their fun approach to life makes them wonderful ambassadors for the sport!

Spring is outdoor minigolf season!

Putterfingers Crazy Golf / Mini Golf, Putting

The S-bend hole using interlocking astro grass tiles

It looks as if we can all emerge from our Winter holes now … the air is getting warmer, we can shed a few layers and outdoor activities are suddenly a lot more appealing. It’s the time of year when outdoor minigolf really comes into its element. It’s simple and easy to crank up the fun at parties, weddings and events with a minigolf course to challenge and amuse guests. Delivery from Putterfingers is the day before the event and setup is ridiculously easy – a full course can be laid out in just half an hour. Here are a few common questions people ask us about our minigolf courses and equipment, and their answers. Here we go then – you’ll see how straightforward it is. Then it’s just pure fun for you and your guests.

How is the course put together?

The putting surface consists of a number of interlocking astro grass tiles. They dovetail together to create a smooth green. A wide variety of different putting green shapes can be made out of the square tiles, from smaller Tetris-like L’s and T’s to looooooong holes for a challenging putt. You get a large number of foam edge bumpers to line each hole with. They stick to the putting surface with Velcro, so you just lay them along the edges of the hole to keep the ball in play. The bumpers can also be used to create barriers across the putting green to make a ‘pinball’ – type hole where it’s hard to get a hole in one. Bumpers can also be used at various angles to create bank shots where players have to calculate the angle to get a good bounce towards the cup.

Obstacles come in quite a few shapes and sizes. The My Minigolf set contains Bridge, Acapulco (spiral), Daytona (banked curve), 360 and Maze. Place them anywhere you like to make the hole as challenging or easy as you see fit. For kids, we have the Soft Golf set of spongy farm animals with a hole at the bottom to aim for. And with Picture Putt, you putt towards face in hole boards featuring Punch and Judy and traditional seaside characters for a fun photo opportunity.

Portable mini golf crazy golf obstacles
The My Minigolf obstacle set

When the course is laid out, just place the cones or flags at the tee for each hole, grab a putter and you’re off!

What kind of outdoor surface do I need?

Any reasonably flat and level outdoor or indoor surface is fine for a Putterfingers minigolf course. You can use a sports field, a tarmac area, a back garden or a car park – pretty much anywhere. If you’re planning an event indoors, you’ll be pleased to know that the tiles do not mark or scratch floors, so whether it’s a wooden floor, a gym floor, a hotel function room, an office or a community centre hall, it will work just fine. The tiles are also non-slip with a rubberised backing so the course is stable when walked on.

outdoor minigolf

What if it rains?

Our putting surface is astro grass which dries out quickly after a shower. The ball is never bogged down by water as there is none on the actual putting surface. It soaks through the tiles via the little holes. So after a downpour you can be playing again in no time.

astrograss putting surface, portable crazy golf, rain, wet, puddles
Rain, rain, go away …

How much space do I need?

For a Supersize or Funsize course, about half a tennis court. Roughly 50 square metres. For a Bitesize course, it can fit in a small back garden – around 20 square metres.

Portable crazy golf in the shopping centre
At a shopping centre

What are the delivery options?

minigolf, delivery, pallet, collection

The delivery cost includes return delivery. We deliver via a pallet service with national coverage and the option of selecting a timed delivery if required. Arrange with us beforehand when and where you want the course collected. Then simply pack up your course when finished and leave it for collection.

Call us on 08450 570321 to find out more or email office@connectedshopping.com !

www.putterfingers.co.uk

 

Putting bumblebees enjoy the sweet game of minigolf

Putterfingers Just for Fun!, Putting , , , , ,
bumblebees, bee, minigolf, crazy golf, reward, sugar
The clever critters can ‘putt’ for a prize

Scientists have discovered that bumblebees can learn to ‘putt’ a ball into a hole in order to receive a sugary reward. It’s surprising because rolling a ball into a hole isn’t standard bee behaviour. But they can learn how to do it, and not only that, but teach other bees how to do it as well.

Using a fake bee on a little stick, the boffins rolled a tiny ball into a hole and then administered a drop of sugar solution which the test bee hungrily sucked up. After a couple of goes at this, the bee was left to its own devices with a ball and a hole rigged to dispense a reward when the ball dropped into it. Pretty much straight away, the test bee rolled the ball into the hole and had a sweet drink. It then appeared to show this behaviour to another untrained bee. Watch it in this video.

One of the boffins said, ‘We wanted to explore the cognitive limits of bumblebees by testing whether they could use a non-natural object in a task likely never encountered before by any individual in the evolutionary history of bees.’ Not only did the bees succeed, but they got better at it over time and showed adaptive behaviour that goes well beyond what most people would expect from a bee. They haven’t tried including obstacles in their experiments yet because it’s difficult to make really tiny windmills, but the bees would probably learn to get round them if they were there.

So what do we learn from this? Well, that minigolf is fun, even for bees. And all human minigolfers know the sweet sensation of holing out. This research shows that bees experience the sweet sensation too. All right, it is administered by someone in a lab coat holding a pipette, but still, this shows that bees enjoy minigolf just as much as people.

We don’t sell putters for bees, but we do sell them for people. Maybe after holing out you could drink a coke or eat a cupcake if you want to imitate the experiment. But usually just playing minigolf is enough enjoyment in itself.

Hire or buy a minigolf course from Putterfingers and see what the buzz is all about.

www.putterfingers.co.uk

08450 570321

 

Minigolf technique: finding your groove

Putterfingers Competitive Minigolf, Crazy Golf / Mini Golf, Putting , , , , , , ,

Minigolf can be a carefree day out, a serious obsession, or anything in between. Where do you lie on this scale? Have you played a few times and started to hanker after a better score? Or are you already impressing your friends and wanting to improve your technique to shave a few more strokes off your rounds?

Here are some general suggestions on minigolf technique. We should start out by saying that there is no one-size-fits-all set of instructions on how to putt successfully. The beauty of the game is that different players will grow into a style that works for them, and each player looks a bit different as they putt. But there are some basics that apply to everyone, and this Mr Bean-style video covers a few of them. Actually rule number one should be ‘don’t dress like him’.

So, bring your own putter if you have one because you’ll be more used to it.

Walk the course before you start and check out any imperfections in the edges or putting surface that might affect your shot. Walking it also gives you a better idea of distance.

Observe the timing of moving obstacles (if any) to help you time your shot just right.

Focus. Tune out all distractions.

Hit the ball just hard enough to get the desired effect, no harder.

Now for actual putting technique.

The backhand grip is the most common grip used by pro minigolfers. If you are right handed, your right hand is above your left hand on the grip of the putter. It gives firm control of the putter and requires less movement of the upper body when playing a shot. Not every minigolfer uses this grip but some pro ‘big’ golfers have stated that they wish they had started out with it rather than the forehand grip.

Experiment with how far apart you place your hands on the putter grip. It will affect how much force you can easily get into a shot. If playing on beton or eternite, less force is needed so you might have your hands closer together. If playing on felt or astrograss, especially on long holes, you are likely to need more leverage to get the required power, so move your lower hand further down the grip.

Stance is very important too. It is a balance between stability and upper body movement. The feet should be no less than 30cm apart. Any closer together and you are sacrificing stability. Many good minigolfers will adopt a much wider stance than this, which is great for stability but allows less ‘pendulum’ effect of the upper body, so the arm muscles are more involved in the shot. It is generally easier to play gentle shots accurately with a wider stance since you are not swinging your whole body at the ball. Bend your knees a little, but not so much that your legs get tired. Keep your heels on the ground throughout the shot so as to preserve the solid base of your chosen stance.

minigolf technique, putting technique, improve your minigolf scores
Keep your heels on the ground!

The head of your putter should be at 90 degrees to the intended direction of travel of the ball and the head should rest horizontally on the putting surface when you are sighting. Find a putter that fits your stance to achieve this. There are also putters with adjustable-angle heads to help you address the ball perfectly.

So there are a few pointers on technique. Apart from that, it’s practice, practice, practice!

For all your putting equipment and minigolf hire needs, visit www.putterfingers.co.uk

 

All-weather minigolf that drains when it rains!

Putterfingers Crazy Golf / Mini Golf, Putting , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here’s a little video of what happens at a typical minigolf course after it rains. Small children might love it, taking after infant role model Peppa Pig and splashing in puddles for fun. But grown-ups who have paid for a minigolf experience might feel that they could have found a puddle elsewhere for the little ones to splash around in free of charge.

So how about a putting surface that drains when it rains? Water doesn’t lay on top of the rolling surface of Putterfingers astrograss tiles, which means they can be played on in any weather, barring heavy snow. No more putting in puddles. Your ball rolls evenly over the surface unimpeded by water, even after a heavy shower. So even if players get a bit soggy, the minigolf course won’t be.

The tiles are also UV-treated so that the lovely green colour won’t fade even when left out in the sun for extended periods.

astrograss putting surface, portable crazy golf, rain, wet, puddles, rains
Rain, rain, go away …

 

astrograss putting green, portable putting green,minigolf putting surface, rains
Side view of our tiles

When the tiles interlock together with their dovetail joins, it creates a smooth putting surface and the ball does not bobble when it rolls over a join. The surface is like a flat, well-trimmed lawn.

We hope it doesn’t rain at your event. But if it does, the minigolf won’t have to stop with a Putterfingers minigolf course.

To hire a minigolf course whatever the weather, drop us a line at office@connectedshopping.com or call Shelley on 08450 570 321. Check out all our courses and options at www.putterfingers.co.uk.