In the realm of literature, witches have long been a fascinating subject. From their magical abilities to their mysterious appearances, witches have captured the imaginations of readers for centuries. However, not all literary witches are created equal. Some authors have created witches that are truly memorable and captivating, while others have missed the mark and created lackluster characters. In this note, we will explore some of the worst witch characters in literature. One example of a disappointing witch character is Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legends.
One example of a disappointing witch character is Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legends. While she is often portrayed as a powerful sorceress, Morgan le Fay's character lacks depth and complexity. She is typically depicted as a one-dimensional villain, constantly plotting against King Arthur and his knights.
GOLF'S MAGIC CARPET RIDE
"Adventure" golf, the new breed of miniature golf courses, has replaced the windmills and ceramic animals with 20-foot shipwrecks and waterfalls. These courses have sloped putting greens, water hazards and rocks on a landscape that looks like something out of Epcot Center.
All this comes at a price. At the seven courses with an adventure golf theme in the Tampa Bay area, players pay up to $6 for one round.
A course costs more than $1-million to build, but the rewards are hefty, too. With some locations bringing in $500,000 a year and keeping half of that as profit, there's nothing miniature about adventure golf.
"The old, flat, obstacle-laden, rinky-dink courses are passe," said Skip Laun, executive director of Tallahassee-based Miniature Golf Association of America. Many say the newer courses add a sporting element to miniature golf, which has long been perceived as more of a children's game.
"I think those windmills (on old putt-putt courses) are luck and chance. This is the '90s and people want real golf," said David Sheppard, manager and part owner of Fiesta Falls Adventure Golf in Indian Rocks Beach. Sheppard, a professional golfer for five years, helped design the Fiesta Falls course, complete with water hazards on the greens.
The adventure golf courses have pars around 40, but scores average in the high 40s and low 50s. Some courses, like Congo River Golf & Exploration Co. in Clearwater and Tampa, change the layout and difficulty of the holes so returning players don't play the same course each time.
This brand of golf is catching on. There are more than 1,000 courses with adventure golf or similar themes nationwide, Laun said, compared to 7,000 more traditional courses.
The first adventure golf courses were built in the Myrtle Beach, S.C., area in the early 1980s. After the builders saw the success of the first courses, they began to look for warm locales where players could play year-round. Florida was an obvious choice.
At most area adventure courses, majority ownership is held by one of a number of out-of-state private companies, most of which are based in Traverse City, Mich. The city is the mecca of adventure golf courses. Designers built two courses there in the mid-'80s, and course designers then took their success to other states.
Adventure Golf Design and Development, a Traverse City company, is the biggest adventure course operator in Florida, with six Congo River courses. The adventure courses started appearing in the Tampa Bay area about seven years ago.
Fiesta Falls, the Indian Rocks Beach course, has been open for five years and draws as many as 1,000 players a day during its peak season, January to April. With an average price of $4.87 per person ($5.45 for adults, less for children and seniors), that's as much as $4,870 in revenue lining up at the ticket booth in a day.
Creating these courses isn't cheap. Building Fiesta Falls' elaborate rock formations, waterfalls and putting greens took several months and cost almost $500,000, said Wayne Lobdell. His firm, Lobdell Management of Traverse City, is a general partner in the course.
Then there are "soft" costs, including design and legal fees, that can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. The initial investment on an adventure golf course is well over $1-million, Lobdell said.
The high initial cost of adventure golf courses forces owners to charge higher fees to play. In contrast to nearby adventure golf courses, players pay only $2.50 at St. Pete Beach's Polynesian Putter, a traditional miniature golf course.
But once the course is built, operating costs are comparatively tiny. The payroll for the courses is small, utility bills are low and most of the maintenance is done by the employees. Sheppard said Fiesta Falls has had as much as $800,000 in revenue in a year and can make about $400,000 in profit.
The courses pay for themselves in two years, Laun said, and only two adventure golf courses have gone out of business nationwide since the concept began.
The players at these courses, mostly tourists, don't seem to mind paying more money to play. Bill and Linda Faletti, on vacation from Ashford, Conn., stopped at Pirates Cove Adventure Golf in Madeira Beach recently because it was the first course they saw.
"We find it relaxing," Bill said after his ball lipped the 17th hole, eliciting a groan from his wife. "We hit every (course) we see."
The course owners say two basic elements in business success, location and good service, get people to come and play. The courses are located on heavily traveled streets like Gulf Boulevard on the Pinellas County beaches and U.S. 19 in Clearwater and Port Richey, where many people drive by, see the shipwrecks and waterfalls, and stop to play.
But the key to survival in this business isn't getting players to come on the course _ it's getting them to come back.
There are four courses within 12 miles of each other on Gulf Boulevard, and the courses have plenty of tricks to get visitors to play their course more often than the competition's.
Brenda Bromley, manager and part owner of the Ruins de El Dorado course in St. Pete Beach, uses coupons, special rates for residents, discounts on second rounds, and a variety of other incentives to get people to come back.
While the adventure golf courses are businesses out to make money, the owners and managers tend to think of them as labors of love.
"It's a fun business because, in general, people go there and have a good time," said Jerry Kocis, part owner of Global Golf, the company that started Ruins de El Dorado. "You don't have to deal with irate people or other people of that nature."
Another plus is that adventure golf appeals to people of all ages. That alone should keep people paying to putt yellow, purple and green golf balls, course owners say.
"It's an escape," said Fiesta Falls' Lobdell. "I think the most important thing is that the whole family can go out and play. The whole family can't go out to play tennis, the whole family can go out to play miniature golf and each can be reasonably competitive."
Fiesta Falls, the Indian Rocks Beach course, has been open for five years and draws as many as 1,000 players a day during its peak season, January to April. With an average price of $4.87 per person ($5.45 for adults, less for children and seniors), that's as much as $4,870 in revenue lining up at the ticket booth in a day.
Her motivations are often unclear and her actions seem illogical, making it difficult for readers to understand or sympathize with her. Overall, Morgan le Fay falls flat as a witch character and fails to leave a lasting impression. Another underwhelming witch character is Bellatrix Lestrange from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Although Bellatrix is a member of Voldemort's inner circle and is supposed to be a formidable antagonist, her character development is lacking. She comes across as a one-note villain, with her only defining trait being her unwavering loyalty to Voldemort. This lack of nuance and complexity makes Bellatrix a forgettable character among the rich tapestry of witches in the Harry Potter universe. In addition to these examples, there are countless other witches in literature whose characters fail to make a lasting impact. These characters often lack development, have unclear motivations, or fall into tired tropes and stereotypes. While creating a memorable witch character is no easy feat, it is disappointing when authors fail to breathe life into these fascinating beings. In conclusion, the realm of literature is filled with an array of witch characters, both memorable and forgettable. Unfortunately, some witches fall into the category of the worst witch characters, due to their lack of depth and development. Whether it be a one-dimensional villain like Morgan le Fay or a forgettable antagonist like Bellatrix Lestrange, these characters fail to captivate readers and leave a lasting impression. However, it is important to remember that for every disappointing witch character, there are also many examples of talented authors who have created witches that are truly captivating and enchanting..
Reviews for "The never-give-up attitude: The resilient characters of Worst Witch"
1. John - 2/5 - I found the characters in "Worst Witch" to be extremely weak and uninteresting. The main protagonist, Mildred Hubble, was incredibly annoying and lacked depth. I couldn't connect with her or any other character in the story. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, making it difficult for me to become immersed in the world. Overall, I was disappointed with the character development in this book and it left me uninterested in continuing with the series.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - I was looking forward to reading "Worst Witch" based on the positive reviews I had come across, but I was extremely disappointed with the characters. They were one-dimensional and lacked any sort of complexity. The main character, Mildred, was depicted as clumsy and ditzy without any redeeming qualities. The interactions between the characters felt forced and unnatural, taking away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I was hoping for more depth and development but unfortunately, that was lacking.
3. Emily - 2/5 - The characters in "Worst Witch" were incredibly cliché and didn't offer anything new or interesting. Mildred Hubble, the main character, fit stereotypical characteristics of a clumsy and less competent individual which became repetitive and dull. The supporting characters were equally uninspiring, lacking any real depth or growth throughout the story. Overall, I found the characters to be unengaging and unmemorable, which greatly impacted my enjoyment of the book.
4. David - 2/5 - I struggled to connect with any of the characters in "Worst Witch". Mildred, the supposed main character, lacked any real growth or development throughout the story. I found her to be whiny and self-centered, making it difficult for me to root for her. The other characters were equally forgettable, with no real standout moments or traits that made them interesting or relatable. I was hoping for more engaging and well-rounded characters, but unfortunately, this book fell short in that aspect.
5. Jessica - 3/5 - While I didn't hate the characters in "Worst Witch", I found them to be quite forgettable. None of the characters stood out or left a lasting impression on me. Mildred Hubble, the protagonist, was mediocre and lacked the depth I was hoping for. The supporting characters had potential, but their development felt rushed and incomplete. Overall, the lack of memorable characters made it difficult for me to fully invest in the story and left me feeling underwhelmed.