“Putt-Putt vs. Mini-Golf”

We were recently in Elkhart, Indiana for a few days waiting on some repairs of our “Dee” Luxe Toy Hauler and wanted to play a round of golf.  Due to our time constraints we didn’t have enough time to get in a round so we ended up playing Putt-Putt on the course at Elkhart RV campground.  We figured if nothing else we would get in some good putting practice, not to mention I figured I would totally ace it since I have recently become a huge fan of the reality sports show “Holey Moley”.

“I was wrong!”  

It seems I am not that good at Putt-Putt.  Marc not only beat me hands down 2 out of 3 rounds, he then explained to me that Putt-Putt is not the same game as the Miniature Golf game that is played on Holey Moley.  Being the skeptical person I am, I naturally had to GTS (Google That $hit) Putt-Putt vs Miniature Golf.  

While Miniature Golf goes by a lot of different names, including Putt-Putt, there are fundamental differences between the two and here’s what I found out.

History.  Wikipedia (the modern day Encyclopedia) states geometrically shaped Mini-Golf courses made of artificial materials (carpet) began to emerge during the early 20th century, with the earliest documented mention of such a course in the 8 June 1912 edition of The Illustrated London News, which introduces a Mini-Golf course called Gofstacle.

One of the first standardized Mini-Golf courses to enter commercial mass-production was the Thistle Dhu (“This’ll Do”) course 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Thomas McCullough Fairbairn, a golf fanatic, revolutionized the game in 1922 with his formulation of a suitable artificial green—a mixture of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye. With this discovery, miniature golf became accessible everywhere;

By the late 1920s there were over 150 rooftop courses in New York City alone…

…and tens of thousands across the United States.

One of the first documented Mini-Golf courses in mainland Europe was built in 1926 by Fr. Schröder in Hamburg, Germany.  Mr. Schröder had been inspired by his visit to the United States, where he had seen Mini-Golf courses spreading across the country

Themes.  Traditionally, Putt-Putt courses have no over-riding “theme” and have a spartan look about them.  Holes are very bare besides the obstacles guarding the hole. Many traditional Miniature Golf courses have themes (such as a story book or a religious theme), while more modern Mini-Golf courses twist in and around manmade mountains, lakes, caves and waterfalls, with the resulting water and elevation changes often in play. (Some Mini-Golf parks even serve up alcohol! Like Can-Can Wonderland in St. Paul, MN)

Basics of Mini-Golf vs Putt-Putt.  Mini-golf and Putt-Putt are both offshoots of golf (duh) that focus on just the putting.  The aim of both Putt-Putt and Miniature golf is to score the lowest number of points. Both are played on courses consisting of a series of holes (usually a multiple of 9) similar to traditional golf, but characterized by their short length (usually within 10 yards from tee to cup).

Scoring.  In Putt-Putt par for each hole is routinely 2 while in Mini-Golf par can range from 2 to 6. 

Playing.  When playing Putt-Putt the player must finish the hole before the next player putts.  In Mini-Golf all the players take their first putt, then the player furthest away from the hole takes his second putt, and so on…

Similar to real golf! 

Course Design.  Most Putt-Putt holes are designed so that a hole-in-one is possible with a well-aligned, skillful putt.  Some Mini-Golf holes on the other hand are impossible to make a hole-in-one due to the length of holes, random placement of obstacles, and uneven borders made of brick or rocks.  Speaking of obstacles, Putt-Putt is limited to small hills, pipes and blockers.  In Mini-Golf, anything can be an obstacle…

…water hazards, windmills, badgers, bridges, you name it!

Objective of the game.  Even with all of these differences the objective of both Putt-Putt and Miniature Golf is still the same – get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible.

Oh, and have fun too!

With all this “useless” knowledge that you can use to impress all your family and friends about Putt-Putt and Miniature Golf, I bet you are trying to decide if you should get out and play a round (or two) of either game aren’t you?   

Let me pass on even more “useless” knowledge to help you decide! 

Both Putt-Putt and Mini-Golf have mental, physical and social benefits……

–  Putt-Putt and Miniature golf offer cardiovascular exercise.  You can burn around 300 calories during a game of Putt-Putt or Mini -Golf. 

–  Putt-Putt and Miniature-Golf encourages using math skills.  At each hole, you have to calculate your score.  Even though it’s simple math, it is still beneficial for your brain to use math skills.

– Putt-Putt and Mini-Golf improves memory.  At every green you have to remember how many strokes you took to reach the hole.

–  Hand-eye coordination is a skill that is improved when playing Putt-Putt or Miniature Golf.  You have many opportunities to work on hand-eye coordination, which is a fine motor skill and works the central nervous system.  

– Putt-Putt and Mini-Golf courses are created to continuously challenge each player. Every hole is designed with a different obstacle to encourage players to find a creative way to get their ball in the hole.

Putt-Putt and Mini-Golf are the kind of games anyone can play!

It doesn’t matter how short or tall someone is…it certainly doesn’t matter if you have never played before – Anyone can play and feel good about participating!

My Read from the Reds……Putt-Putt and Mini-Golf are fun and if you ever find yourself playing a round of Putt-Putt or Miniature Golf, be sure to wear two socks….just in case you get a hole in one!

Fairways and Green Everyone! We are 18 Holes and Counting!

Written by Kathy Festa