Prompt Cast
The History and Popularity of Miniature Golf in the United States
TLDR This podcast episode explores the origins of miniature golf, starting with the first course built in 1867 for women, and its rise in popularity in the 1920s. It discusses the different types of miniature golf courses and highlights some of the most challenging and unique courses in the United States.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This podcast episode is about miniature golf and the hosts discuss their childhood memories and experiences playing putt-putt.
05:27
The first miniature golf course was built in 1867 at St. Andrews for the ladies' putting club, as women were not allowed to play regular golf.
10:26
Par three, pitch and putt, and executive courses are all types of miniature golf courses that differ in length and time required to play, with pitch and putt courses focusing on the short game and allowing men and women to compete evenly.
15:08
The hosts discuss the origins of miniature golf in America, starting with the first course built by James Barber in North Carolina and the use of the term "miniature golf" to describe it, and then the rise of miniature golf in 1926 with the opening of rooftop courses in New York.
20:01
The hosts discuss the presence of a miniature golf course on top of Pond City Market in Atlanta and the interconnected tourist attractions of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, including Rock City and Ruby Falls, where the first mini golf course with obstacles and a fairy tale theme was built by Garnett and Frida Carter and named Tom Thumb Golf.
24:37
In the 1920s, Tom Thumb Golf became a popular craze and spread quickly throughout the US, with 25,000 mini golf courses being built in just six to eight months in 1930.
29:26
By the 1950s, miniature golf had lost some popularity, but some courses remained, and a man named Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, decided to create a new version of miniature golf that involved more skill and didn't have all the whimsical elements like clowns and windmills.
34:31
Don Clayton created a version of miniature golf called putt-putt that was less goofy and more skillful, and it quickly became popular, with 256 courses worldwide at its peak.
39:25
Putt-putt is a deceptively difficult game, with only three perfect games ever recorded in its 65-year history, and each of the 108 trademarked holes or lanes on a putt-putt course is very challenging.
44:18
The United States is the home and capital of miniature golf, with Myrtle Beach, South Carolina being the world capital, and there are many unique and challenging courses to play, such as Molten Mountain and Hawaiian Rumble in Myrtle Beach, and Algram Acres in Palantine, Illinois.
49:12
Golf Gardens on Catalina Island is considered the hardest miniature golf course in the United States due to its difficult layout and the wear and tear it has experienced over the years.
Categories:
Society & Culture
