World Crazy Golf Championships, arranged annually in Hastings (Great Britain) in the wet and stormy weathers of late autumn, might be one of the most entertaining minigolf tournaments of the year. If you can ignore the bad weather and bad location, and focus on the good money prizes and good company at the minigolf courses.

... And if you can swallow the special playing rules (on the final round): All players of the group play one shot, and leave their ball where it stops. When you play your second shot, your ball can sometimes be hopelessly buried behind other balls, without a clear route to the hole. Or you may see an opportunity to bounce your ball to the hole from other balls near the hole. Without worrying where these other balls go, when you knock them out of the way with your ball.

This is the game, and Tim Davies is the world champion — now for 5th time in the 6 years history of the competition. (2007 was the only time when Tim Davies, manager at one of the minigolf courses in Hastings, did not knock all other competitors out of his way to gold.)

Top three of World Crazy Golf Championships, year by year:

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

1. Tim Davies 1. Chris Harding 1. Tim Davies 1. Tim Davies 1. Tim Davies 1. Tim Davies

2. Chris Harding 2. Andy Exall 2. Andy Exall 2. Olivia Prokopová 2. John McIver 2. John McIver

3. Andy Exall 3. Brad Shepherd 3. Brad Shepherd 3. Pasi Aho 3. Peter Emmerson 3. Olivia Prokopová

World Crazy Golf Championships has traditionally offered quite sizeable money prizes, thanks to its sponsors. (This year the first three prizes were 1000 GBP, 750 GBP and 500 GBP.) Also well-known celebrities have sometimes visited the event, or even participated in the competition.

results of the competition

course 1: Hastings Seafront Mini

course 2: Hastings Seafront Crazy

photo by miniaturegolfer.com