Harper Lin
The origin story of mini golf is disputed, but it is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom in the 19th century. One of the earliest groups to engage in putting competitions on a small scale was the Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, formed in 1867 as a members-only green for women golfers. At the time, it was deemed improper for a lady to take the club back past their shoulder. The first miniature golf course in the United States was created in 1916 by James Barber, who designed a compact course with a classical design, including fountains and gardens. Mini golf was intended to make golfing more accessible to everyone, regardless of sex, race, or class.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of origin | 1867 |
| Origin location | St. Andrews, Scotland |
| Origin designer/creator | St. Andrews Ladies' Golf Club/Putting Club |
| Reason for creation | It was deemed improper for ladies to "take the club back past their shoulder" or "take a full swing at the golf ball" |
| Course designer | Scottish golf legend Old Tom Morris |
| Course features | 9 holes, a stream, a bridge, and other obstacles |
| Participants | About 100 women |
| Course type | Members-only |
| Other names | Himalayas |
| Purpose | Socializing and competition during lavishly catered monthly events |
| Prizes | Opera glasses and rings |
| Current status | Still open |
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What You'll Learn
- The first mini-golf course was built for women in Scotland in 1867
- Women were blocked from playing golf due to societal norms
- Mini-golf was designed to be accessible to all, regardless of sex, race or class
- The first standardised mini-golf course was mass-produced in 1916
- Mini-golf courses became popular on rooftops in the 1920s
The first mini-golf course was built for women in Scotland in 1867
The history of mini golf is a surprisingly intriguing one. The idea of mini golf is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom during the late 19th century. However, the first miniature golf course was built for women in Scotland in 1867.
Known as the "Himalayas", this course was located at the St. Andrews Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews, a prestigious golf club. The club was formed as a members-only green for women golfers, as it was deemed improper for a lady to "take the club back past their shoulder" or take a full swing at the golf ball. About a hundred women came together to create the club, and the putting green was designed by Scottish golf legend Old Tom Morris. The course featured nine holes and obstacles like a stream and bridge, and well-heeled women participated in monthly, lavishly catered competitions, with prizes like opera glasses and rings.
The St. Andrews Ladies' Golf Club was a precursor to miniature golf, emerging from the sex-based segregation on golf courses that frustrated women. Women were interested in the sport, but they were largely blocked from participating due to societal norms that condemned active women as "unladylike" and incompetent. While some prestigious golf clubs allowed women, they were relegated to fundraising, social events, and supporting male family members' play. At the legendary St. Andrews golf course in Scotland, women banned from the links took to playing on the caddies' course. Their husbands, however, objected to their wives interacting with caddies, considering them social inferiors, so they designated a separate, more "suitable" course for their wives. This course was the "Himalayas", which, due to its small size, is considered a precursor to the putting craze of miniature golf.
The late 1920s and early 1930s saw a boom in miniature golf's popularity, particularly in the United States, with over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone by the end of the 1920s. The first miniature golf course in Canada was built in the 1930s, and the game continued to spread across Europe and the world, evolving with technological advancements and creative course designs.
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Women were blocked from playing golf due to societal norms
Golf, which emerged in Scotland during the Middle Ages and was formalised in the 18th century, has always been a sport dominated by men. While women have been interested in the sport since its inception, they were largely blocked from participating due to societal norms and values of their times.
The sport, which originated among the Scottish nobility and upper-class men, was considered a masculine domain, with women deemed too "delicate" and incompetent for such strenuous athletic pursuits. Social norms also deemed it unacceptable for women to participate in sports and physical recreation alongside men. The presence of women on golf courses was regarded as a distraction for male golfers.
This anti-women sentiment was encapsulated in the acronym "GOLF", which stood for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden". This phrase reflected the widespread belief that golf was an exclusionary, male-only pastime. Formal policies and barriers were put in place to proactively prohibit female participation across golf clubs, courses, tournaments, and other realms.
As a result, women were relegated to the sidelines in the world of golf. While some prestigious golf clubs allowed women, their participation was often limited to fundraising, social events, and supporting male family members.
It was within this context of exclusion that miniature golf, or mini golf, emerged as a welcome alternative for those shut out of elite golf clubs. The exact origins of mini golf are somewhat unclear, but it is believed to have originated in Scotland in the 19th century by a group of women known as the Ladies' Putting Club. They invented a form of golf where players only needed to putt the ball instead of taking a full swing, which was considered more feminine. This new style of golf soon caught on with both women and men, offering a more inclusive and accessible version of the traditional sport.
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Mini-golf was designed to be accessible to all, regardless of sex, race or class
Mini-golf was designed to be accessible to all, regardless of sex, race, or class. While the sport of golf emerged in Scotland during the Middle Ages and was formalised in the 18th century, women were largely blocked from participating due to the societal norms of their times, which condemned active women as "unladylike" and incompetent. At the legendary St. Andrews golf course in Scotland, for instance, women were banned from the links and relegated to a small, bumpy course known as the Himalayas.
In 1867, about a hundred women came together to form the St. Andrews Ladies' Golf Club, creating a putting green with nine holes and obstacles like a stream and bridge. This is considered the oldest miniature golf course in existence and marked the beginning of mini-golf as a sport accessible to women. The small size of the course also set a precedent for the putting craze to come.
Mini-golf continued to evolve and gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in the 1920s, with the development of artificial greens and the spread of miniature golf courses across the United States. The first standardised minigolf course to enter commercial mass production was the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course in 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. This course featured artificial greens, obstacles, and creative hole designs, inspiring the creation of more elaborate courses.
By the late 1920s, there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone and tens of thousands across the United States. During this time, Garnet Carter, a hotel owner from Georgia, created the "Tom Thumb" golf course with his wife, Frieda. Their course designs took the idea of "miniature" to an extreme, featuring diminutive fairy-tale-themed elements, garish statuary, neon lights, and fanciful hazards. The concept became so popular that Carter patented it, and it inspired the first miniature golf franchise, Tom Thumb Golf, in 1929.
Today, mini-golf is a beloved game enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds around the world. It has become a competitive sport, with organised tournaments and professional players. The sport continues to evolve, with new course designs, creative obstacles, and innovative approaches, ensuring its accessibility and appeal to a diverse range of players.
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The first standardised mini-golf course was mass-produced in 1916
The origin story of mini golf is a topic of debate. While the sport emerged in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, the first standardised mini-golf course to enter commercial mass production was the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course, created in 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, by James Barber. The course featured artificial greens, obstacles, and creative hole designs, setting the stage for the development of more elaborate courses. With its compact and classical design, including fountains, gardens, and geometric walkway patterns, the Thistle Dhu course revolutionised the game.
Prior to the emergence of standardised mini-golf courses, women played a pivotal role in the development of the sport. In 1867, the St. Andrews Ladies' Golf Club in Scotland, formed by about a hundred women, created a small putting green with nine holes and obstacles such as a stream and bridge. This course, known as the Himalayas, is recognised as the first miniature golf course and was designed by Scottish golf legend Old Tom Morris. The creation of this course was driven by the exclusion of women from the main golf course at St. Andrews, where women were deemed unfit to play due to social norms that condemned active women as "unladylike" and incompetent.
Following the introduction of the Thistle Dhu course in 1916, mini golf experienced significant growth in the 1920s, particularly in the United States. During this decade, Garnet Carter, a hotel owner from Georgia, created the "Tom Thumb" golf course, which featured miniature fairy-tale-themed elements, garish statuary, neon lights, and imaginative hazards. Carter's course was so popular that he patented it, and it became the first miniature golf franchise in 1929. By the late 1920s, there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone, and tens of thousands across the United States.
The accessibility and popularity of mini golf continued to grow with Thomas McCullough Fairbairn's formulation of a suitable artificial green in 1922. This mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye made miniature golf accessible everywhere, and it spread across the United States during the early 20th-century boom. However, the Great Depression in the late 1930s brought an end to this prosperous era, as most mini-golf courses were closed and demolished.
Mini golf has continued to evolve in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, with technological advancements and innovative course designs. The game has become a beloved pastime for people of all ages worldwide and has also emerged as a competitive sport, with organised tournaments and professional players.
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Mini-golf courses became popular on rooftops in the 1920s
The concept of miniature golf is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom during the late 19th century. The Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, which sat next to the home of the British Open, is considered one of the earliest groups to engage in putting competitions on a small scale. In 1867, the St. Andrews Ladies' Golf Club created a small, bumpy course known as the Himalayas, which is recognised as the first-known documented form of mini golf. The putting green was designed by Scottish golf legend Old Tom Morris and included obstacles like a stream and a bridge.
In the 20th century, miniature golf continued to evolve, with people looking for ways to enjoy the game in smaller confines. The first dedicated mini-golf course was created in 1917, and the game soon grew in popularity. Miniature golf or mini-golf is an offshoot of traditional golf, focusing solely on the putting aspect of the game. It is played on courses consisting of a series of holes, usually a multiple of nine, with each hole no more than ten meters from tee to cup. The game typically uses artificial putting surfaces, such as carpet, artificial turf, or concrete, and may include obstacles like tunnels, tubes, ramps, and walls.
In the 1920s, mini-golf experienced a surge in popularity in the United States, and people began constructing courses on rooftops. By the late 1920s, there were over 150 rooftop mini-golf courses in New York City alone, and tens of thousands across the rest of the country. This boom in mini-golf popularity was driven in part by the development of suitable artificial greens made from a mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye by golf enthusiast Thomas McCullough Fairbairn in 1922. This innovation made it possible to build mini-golf courses almost anywhere, including rooftops.
The miniature golf craze of the 1920s also spread to mainland Europe. In 1926, a man named Schröder constructed one of the first documented mini-golf courses in Hamburg, Germany, after drawing inspiration from the growing number of courses in the United States. The American mini-golf boom continued into the early 1930s, but it eventually came to an end due to the Great Depression. By the late 1930s, most mini-golf courses in the United States had closed or been demolished.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the first miniature golf course was built for women in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1867. It was deemed inappropriate for ladies to take a full swing at a golf ball, so they created a separate course.
Mini golf was created to make golfing accessible to everyone, regardless of sex, race, or class.
The oldest miniature golf course in existence is the Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, formed in 1867 as a members-only green for women golfers.
Mini golf gained popularity in the United States during the early 20th century. By the late 1920s, there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone and tens of thousands across the United States.
The first miniature golf course in the United States was the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course in Pinehurst, North Carolina, created in 1916.
