Miniature Golf: Putting It Plainly

Also known as mini golf, miniature golf is modeled after the game of golf and it is also called Putt-putt which is a gernericized trademark of a miniature golf company and is a term that commonly describes this sport. A number of miniature golf courses exist of which five have official recognition with baton and eternit being the most common.

There is the same number of holes as in a normal golf course, though fewer holes may exist such as twelve holes with the main objective being to place the ball in the hole using the fewest strokes possible. The main difference is obviously that the holes are much shorter and are simple putting surfaces.

Challenges in the Form of Ramps and Bunkers

To make it more challenging, there are a number of obstacles presented such as ramps and bunkers and it is quite a popular pastime around the world, especially among families. The first miniature golf course may have been either the backyard Thistle Dhu course in Pinehurst, North Carolina which was formed in 1916 or the 1927 Tom Thumb patent of Garnet Carter that is located in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. However, The Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews, Scotland was the first miniature golf course and it began operations in 1867 and was an answer to what was considered inappropriate for women to raise a club beyond their shoulders. Thus miniature golf courses such as this had regulations that adapted golf especially for play by women in this manner.

It is a very competitive game and is played in the United States as well as other parts of the world and there are two organizations that offer miniature golf tournaments at the professional level in the United States which are The Professional Putters Association and the US Pro Mini-Golf Association. It is also popular in Europe and every even numbered year, top European golfers via in miniature golf championships to win the European Champion title in individual as well as team competition.

The miniature golf course is for some, nothing short of a dream that is also manifested in movies and is thought of as magic incarnate, a beautifully set course in a landscape that allows the imagination a lot of latitude. Some may even think that the miniature golf course be compared to the Louvre or Stonehenge, such is its artistic merit. It provides the many people a means of playing the sport without the attached expenses and frills.