New junior category in World Crazy Golf Championships

Early June sees the World Crazy Golf Championships in the Old Town, for which entry is now open. For the first time, in its 17-year history, a new junior category has been introduced. Hastings Adventure Golf, which runs the event, describes what lies in store.

Taking place at Hastings Adventure Golf across the weekend of 7–9 June, the championships boast a £4,500 prize fund.

The new junior category is open to those aged 8 to 14 and will be played on Friday 7 June at 5.30pm. The novice competition category,  introduced two years ago, will continue to be played over one day, Saturday 8 June, while the crazy golf professional category will take place over two days, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June.

“We are thrilled to introduce the junior category to this year’s championships,” said Simon Tompkins of Hastings Adventure Golf. “The three separate competitive categories, professional, novice and junior, help make the championships even more inclusive.

“The novice category was established two years to give non-professionals an event of their own. Now the addition of the junior category makes the championships an open playing field for younger players too. So get the putters polished and start practicing!”

Prize funds

Each category enjoys a separate prize fund. The professional category enjoys a £3,000 prize fund, with the overall winner scooping £1,000 – the largest prize fund in mini golf.

A separate prize fund of £1,500 is allocated to the novice category. There are also opportunities for team entries in both the novice and professional categories. Meanwhile the junior category offers prizes of trophies and vouchers for first, second and third place.

All competitors must beat the windmill and watermill as well as negotiate the bends, twists and ramps on the traditional seaside course at Hastings Adventure Golf on the Old Town sea-front – dubbed the UK’s “spiritual home of mini golf”.

Following last year’s fantastic efforts, there will again be prizes for “best dressed” and “personality of the competition” this year.

2018 winner

In 2018, which saw the largest number of competitors since 2005, Marc Chapman from Kent was crowned the World Crazy Golf Champion, scooping £1,000 in prize money. His score was 226, 26 under par, which beat the previous year’s top score of 235, 17 under par, by Olivia Prokopova from the Czech Republic.

“It felt amazing to finally become the World Crazy Golf Champion!” said Marc. “It was a great personal ambition of mine to win the event and I had been close to it a few times before – which made the win even more amazing!”

Adam Kelly took the runner’s-up prize of £750 and Michael Smith, former World Champion, won £500 for third place.

The novice title, worth £500, went to Russell Smith from Tunbridge Wells. The runner-up Chris Horn took home £300, while third place went to Italian Mark Berezicki who won £200.

There were several other runner’s-up prizes. In all eight novices went home with prize money.

This is the 17th year that Hastings Adventure Golf has hosted the global championships – now firmly considered the pinnacle competition for crazy golfers in the UK and beyond.

All entrants are entitled to half-price practice golf at the complex.

 

Competitors can enter via the Hastings Adventure Golf website.

Also in: Sport

« New 6-a -side football league recruiting teams
Six-way tie for chess trophy »