A Tauranga father will represent New Zealand on the world stage for the first time in a sport typically played as family fun rather than elite competition.

James Goatley is turning a childhood dream into reality after earning a place in the 2026 World MiniGolf Federation (WMF) World Adventure Golf Tour Final.

The 46-year-old will join four other Kiwi players in Gloucester, United Kingdom, on May 1 and 2 to compete against some of the world’s best mini golfers.

They will be competing for a prize fund of €6,000 (EUR) and the world mini golf title.

“I’m not sure I could represent New Zealand in any other sport,” he said with a laugh.

“As a child, I would have loved to represent New Zealand in a sport. I was always very sporty. But it was the common tale of good at a lot of sports, but a master of none.”

Goatley has been competing in the 2026 NZ Putting Tour throughout the year, sneaking into the top 40 and earning enough points to qualify for the WMF World Adventure Golf Tour Final in May.

“It is much more competitive in Europe,” he said. “But New Zealand are always the underdogs.”

He will be playing alongside top Kiwi mini golfers, including Matt Ansley and Cameron Couper, who have achieved podium finishes before.

“I play against them regularly and have beaten them before,” Goatley said. “So if I can keep up with them here, then I should be ok over there.”

A 6-handicap golfer, Goatley said putting is usually the best part of his game.

“It often turns a bad day into a good one,” he said.

His journey into elite mini golf began when taking his 7-year-old daughter to the New Zealand Mini Golf Open in Whitianga a few years ago. He had decided to enter the family category and went on to win the amateur division.

“That’s where I got the hook.”

Goatley said the mini golf community was very inclusive in New Zealand.

“A lot of people think mini golf is just a bit of family fun. Some of us just take it a bit more seriously. But it’s not PGA Tour golf.”

Goatley occasionally plays the Tauranga Mini Golf course at Memorial Park in preparation for big events, but said the Europe courses were a lot different.

“Here in NZ we play mini golf on artificial grass, but in Europe they play on a smoother surface,” he said. “I have to prepare for the Europeans to be a lot quicker.”

His advice to others wanting to take up mini golf was to keep an eye out for New Zealand events and simply join in.

“It’s one of those sports where it’s something a little bit different. Sports are often about being the strongest or fastest. But, mini golf is much more about your finer skills and accuracy.”

Goatley, who teaches at Bethlehem School, will be taking time off work to travel to the UK in May and thanked Bower Real Estate for helping to sponsor his trip.

-Supplied content