Miles Bennett
Miniature golf, also known as mini-golf, midget golf, putt-putt, peewee golf, crazy golf, adventure golf, and goofy golf, is a fun and often challenging game that is a scaled-down version of traditional golf. It is typically played on courses with 9 or 18 holes, with each hole featuring a variety of obstacles such as windmills, water hazards, and even interactive monsters. The game is suitable for all ages and can be as long or as short as players desire, usually ranging from 20 minutes to an hour. In the United States, National Miniature Golf Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May, providing an opportunity for people to enjoy a day of miniature golf with friends and family.
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What You'll Learn
- Mini golf is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May in the US
- The game is also known as midget golf, putt-putt, crazy golf, and more
- The first mass-produced mini golf course was the Thistle Dhu in 1916
- Mini golf is governed internationally by the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF)
- A typical game of mini golf lasts around 45 minutes
Mini golf is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May in the US
The origins of mini golf can be traced back to the early 1900s, with the earliest documented mention of a geometrically shaped mini golf course appearing in the June 8, 1912 edition of The Illustrated London News. This course, known as the Gofstacle, set a precedent for the unique and creative designs that would become synonymous with the game.
The first standardized mini golf courses to enter commercial mass production emerged in 1916 with the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course in Pinehurst, North Carolina. However, it was Thomas McCullough Fairbairn's formulation of an artificial green in 1922 that truly revolutionized the game. This innovative surface, made from a mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye, allowed mini golf to become accessible to people everywhere.
By the late 1920s, the American mini golf boom was in full swing, with over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone and tens of thousands across the rest of the country. This golden era of mini golf in the US came to an end during the Great Depression in the late 1930s, leading to the closure and demolition of most courses. However, a few enduring examples from this period remain, such as the Parkside Whispering Pines Miniature Golf Course near Rochester, New York.
Despite the setbacks of the Great Depression, mini golf continued to evolve and spread internationally. In the 1940s, brothers Joseph and Robert Taylor from Binghamton, New York, began constructing their own miniature golf courses, introducing landscaping and obstacles such as windmills, castles, and wishing wells. Their business, Taylor Brothers, went on to build courses for the US Military during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, further spreading the game's reach.
Today, mini golf is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels, offering a fun and challenging activity for everyone. The second Saturday of May is a day to celebrate the rich history and joy that mini golf has brought to people across the United States and beyond.
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The game is also known as midget golf, putt-putt, crazy golf, and more
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, is a game with many names that vary between countries. The World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) uses the name "minigolf", but the game is also commonly referred to as "mini-golf", "midget golf", "goofy golf", "shorties", "extreme golf", crazy golf, adventure golf, "mini-putt", and "putter golf". The name "Putt-Putt" is the trademark of an American company that builds and franchises miniature golf courses, and the term is often used colloquially to refer to the game itself. The term "minigolf" was formerly a registered trademark of a Swedish company that built its own patented type of minigolf courses.
The game's origins can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the earliest documented mention of a geometrically shaped minigolf course made of artificial materials appearing in the June 8, 1912 edition of The Illustrated London News, which introduced a minigolf course called the Gofstacle. The first standardized minigolf courses to enter commercial mass production were the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course in 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and the 1927 Tom Thumb patent of Garnet Carter from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, minigolf experienced a boom in the United States, with over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone and tens of thousands across the country. However, this boom came to an end during the Great Depression in the late 1930s, and most minigolf courses in the United States were closed and demolished.
One of the first documented minigolf courses in mainland Europe was built in 1926 in Hamburg, Germany, by a man surnamed Schröder, who had been inspired by his visit to the United States. In 1931, Edwin O. Norrman and Eskil Norman returned to Sweden from the United States and founded the company "Norman och Norrmans Miniatyrgolf", beginning to manufacture standardized minigolf courses for the Swedish market. The first miniature golf course in Canada was at the Maples Inn in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, which opened to the public in 1914 and added a miniature golf course in 1930.
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The first mass-produced mini golf course was the Thistle Dhu in 1916
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, putt-putt, crazy golf, and other names, is an offshoot of traditional golf that focuses on the putting aspect of the game. The game is played on courses consisting of a series of holes, usually a multiple of 9, that are shorter than those of traditional golf courses. Miniature golf courses use artificial putting surfaces such as carpet, artificial turf, or concrete, and often incorporate geometric layouts and artificial obstacles such as tunnels, tubes, ramps, and moving obstacles.
The first mass-produced mini golf course was the Thistle Dhu, which opened in 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The course was designed by James Barber and featured a compact, classical design with fountains, gardens, and geometric walkway patterns. The name "Thistle Dhu" was a play on the phrase "this will do," reflecting the idea that a mini golf course could serve as a suitable alternative to a full-size golf course.
The Thistle Dhu course revolutionized the game of miniature golf by introducing a mass-production, commercial approach that brought mini golf to the masses. In the years that followed, miniature golf continued to evolve and gain popularity. In 1922, Thomas McCullough Fairbairn (or Fairborn) developed an artificial green made from a mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye, making miniature golf accessible almost anywhere. By the late 1920s, there were over 150 rooftop miniature golf courses in New York City alone, and tens of thousands across the United States.
The American minigolf boom of the early 20th century came to an end during the Great Depression in the late 1930s. The economic hardship led to the closure and demolition of most miniature golf courses in the country. However, the interest in the game persisted, and people began constructing courses from locally available materials, incorporating unique obstacles such as tires, rain gutters, barrels, and pipes. This led to the development of "rinkie-dink" courses, which featured wild and creative obstacles that became a popular feature of miniature golf courses across America.
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Mini golf is governed internationally by the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF)
Mini golf, also known as minigolf, is governed internationally by the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF). The WMF is the umbrella organisation for minigolf associations worldwide, as well as continental associations in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The WMF prefers the name minigolf, but the sport has various names globally, including mini-golf, crazy golf, adventure golf, and putter golf.
The history of miniature golf can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the earliest documented mention of a geometrically shaped course in the June 8, 1912, edition of The Illustrated London News, which introduced a minigolf course called the Gofstacle. The first miniature golf course in Canada was at the Maples Inn in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, which opened to the public in 1914 and added a miniature golf course in 1930. In the United States, the first standardised minigolf courses to enter commercial mass production were the Thistle Dhu ("This'll Do") course in 1916 in North Carolina and the 1927 Tom Thumb patent of Garnet Carter from Tennessee.
The American minigolf boom of the early 20th century saw the spread of minigolf courses across the country, with over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone by the late 1920s. This boom came to an end during the Great Depression in the late 1930s, and most minigolf courses in the United States were closed and demolished. However, the idea of minigolf had already spread internationally, with one of the first documented minigolf courses in mainland Europe built in 1926 in Hamburg, Germany, by a man named Schröder, who had been inspired by his visit to the United States.
In 1938, brothers Joseph and Robert Taylor from New York began building and operating their miniature golf courses, which featured landscaping and obstacles such as windmills, castles, and wishing wells. Their business, Taylor Brothers, formed in the early 1940s, supplied prefabricated courses to the U.S. Military during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In the 1950s, Don Clayton invented the Putt-Putt brand, emphasising skill and player improvement and treating minigolf as a serious sport.
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A typical game of mini golf lasts around 45 minutes
A typical game of mini-golf usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete. This is based on the assumption that players move at a brisk pace between holes and do not spend extra time. The duration of the game can vary depending on several factors, including the number of players, their skill level, the complexity of the course, and the pace at which the game is played.
Mini-golf courses usually consist of 18 holes, but some courses may offer fewer or more holes. The more players in a group, the longer the game will take. For a single player or a very small group, a round of 18 holes can often be completed in around 30 to 45 minutes. For an average group of 2 to 4 people, the game can take 45 minutes to an hour or more.
The design of the course can also impact the duration of the game. Courses with more elaborate obstacles or larger layouts can take longer to navigate. Outdoor courses with longer paths between holes will also take more time to complete compared to compact indoor courses. Additionally, the crowd and waiting times can affect the overall duration of the game. Playing during off-peak hours can help reduce wait times and speed up the game.
While mini-golf does not have a formal time limit, it is important to maintain a good pace to ensure everyone enjoys the game. Taking too much time at each hole can slow down the game for other players on the course. Ultimately, the goal of mini-golf is to have fun and create memorable moments, regardless of the time it takes to complete the course.
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