One of the great things about Harris Miniature Golf Courses is that our greens are like no other.
While many traditional miniature golf courses feature windmills and other types of obstacles, Harris Miniature Golf builds exciting holes that are challenging for skilled players while not over penalizing novice golfers. We use undulations and banks in the green as well as a few specialty holes such as a ball in the water shot and a pipe shot, where the ball goes into a pipe on the green and reappears closer to the hole. Our methods may not be traditional, but they sure are fun.
There are, however, some fun facts about mini golf that might be interesting for everyone.
Miniature Golf Day
Miniature golf has become such a special and fun pastime that it has been awarded its own day of celebration. September 21
st is officially known worldwide as Miniature Golf Day, making it the perfect day for friends and family to get together and putt.
Miniature Golf Tournaments
There are four kinds of miniature golf tournaments recognized by WMF (World Minigolf Sport Federation). These include:
- MOS (Mini Golf Open Standards)
- Concrete Golf
- Felt Golf
- Miniature Golf
Mini Golf in the 1920s – 1930s
By the late 1920s, miniature golf had gained immense popularity in the United States. In New York City alone there were approximately 150 mini golf courses. A large number of these mini golf courses could be found on the rooftops of high-rise buildings in the iconic city. Unfortunately, many mini golf greens closed or were demolished as a result of the Great Depression.
In the late 1930s, however, as the US started to pick back up, mini golf saw a major rejuvenation.
The “Ancient” Miniature Golf Course
The Ladies Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland is the world’s oldest known miniature golf course. It sits adjacent to a regular British Open site, the legendary St. Andrews Golf Course.
Miniature Golf’s Early Days
Pronounced “this’ll do”, the Thistle Dhu miniature golf course in Pinehurst, California opened in 1916 as the first recognizable United States miniature golf course. The play on words of the title implied that mini golf would “do” in place of a full-sized golf course. The expression “this will do!” was shortened to “This’ll do!”
The Evolution of Mini Golf
In the initial years of miniature golf, there were no fancy, automated barriers or
custom created themes. Rather, to challenge a golfer’s skill, old tires, rain gutters, barrels, and pipes were featured on early courses. Nowadays, mini golf developers have unique setups to bring about more challenging courses.
Today, an increasing number of people are getting involved in the
business of mini golf. The sport remains a worthy investment in industries such as family entertainment, tourism, and more.
