Ohio: Allison’s Mini Golf in Geneva On the Lake, Ohio, is the oldest miniature golf course in continuous play in the USA, established in 1924. Oregon: Portland, Oregon’s pop-up The 19th Hole miniature golf course is on par through the summer at the Hotel deluxe.
Whether you call it "mini golf," "putt putt," or "a cheap date," the miniaturized sport has been popular since the 19th century. The oldest mini golf course in existence can actually be found in Scotland: The Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews was formed in 1867 as a members-only green for women golfers.
Texas: The iconic Peter Pan Mini Golf course in Austin, Texas, has been a local landmark and tradition since 1946. Recognized by its giant Peter Pan and T-Rex figures, players will encounter a variety of characters, obstacles and surprises when playing through.
After being forced to leave the Scotscraig Golf Course in 1834 due to farming, the Scotscraig Golf Club returned in 1888 and has been playing there since, making Scotscraig the oldest course owned by the club which founded it and still plays it.
Ohio: Allison's Mini Golf in Geneva On the Lake, Ohio, is the oldest miniature golf course in continuous play in the USA, established in 1924.
The Old Course at St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, UK, is the oldest golf course in the world. Archbishop Hamilton's Charter in 1552 is the earliest documentary evidence that allowed the people of St Andrews to play golf on the Links.
In 1922, the golf aficionado Thomas McCullough Fairborn developed a new artificial green made out of a mix of cottonseed hulls, sand, oil, and dye. This changed the miniature golf game and made it accessible almost anywhere. In the late 1920s, New York City boasted over 150 rooftops with miniature golf courses.
Experts say evidence of mini golf can actually be traced back to China between the years of 937 and 975 A.D. Meanwhile, Dutch historians swear the sport originated in Denmark around 1297.
St. Andrews, ScotlandAndrews, Scotland: See the place where golf was born and Will and Kate fell in love. Tiny St. Andrews has a huge reputation, known around the world as the birthplace and royal seat of golf.
BLOGSt Andrews Course (1754)Musselburgh Old Course (1774)Elie and Earlsferry (1787)Fortrose (1793)Kinghorn (1812)
The Dutch talk of a 13th-century sport called "colf"; the French say they first had the idea with "palle-mail" in the 1400s; but it is the Scots who have been most widely credited with having invented the game of golf.
Don Clayton, the founder of 'Putt Putt Golf Courses' wanted to shake things up a bit, so in 1953, he designed short holes so that a hole-in-one could be scored on each hole with a skillful putt, often through the use of banking the metal rails for accurate rebounds.
In crazy golf, these are found on the playing surface, and players have to putt their ball through or over them. In adventure golf, the features are often next to the holes, with players instead having to negotiate humps, bumps and big slopes. Minigolf is the umbrella term for the sport as a whole.
The game of golf officially became a sport when the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith formed the first club in 1744 and set up an annual competition with silverware prizes.
If talking about the oldest golf courses in the world, Musselburgh Links is deemed to be the oldest golf course in the world with documented evidence that Sir John Foulis of Ravelston played golf there on March the 2nd of 1672. St Andrews is recorded as being the first 18 hole golf course in the world.
Royal North Devon at Westward Ho! can rightly claim to be the cradle of English Golf. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest golf course in the country and is regarded as the St Andrews of the South.
St Andrews Old CourseSt Andrews Old Course The Old Course is the oldest golf course in the world. The first documented rounds of golf here date back to 1552 and since then the course has become the most famous golf course in the world and an absolute must for any golf fan.
Old Course at St AndrewsClub informationEstablished1552 (469 years ago)TypePublicOwned byFife CouncilOperated bySt Andrews Links Trust12 more rows
All of the early miniature golf courses fell under a few broad categories, including the "pitch and put t," the "regulation par-3," and the "executive." All of them used a short driver along with a putter, and kept the same design of the larger courses: sand traps, hills, ponds, and trees. In 1916, James Barber designed a miniature golf course in North Carolina called "Thistle Dhu." The course was compact and featured a classical design, with fountains, gardens, and geometrically-designed walkway patterns. In 1926, a few innovative designers created miniature golf courses on the roof of a New York City skyscraper, and other buildings followed suit—around 150 rooftop courses were in existence by the end of the decade in New York City alone.
Toward the end of the 1990s, country-club style miniature golf courses began to make a comeback, thanks in part to the interest of well-known celebrity golfers like Jack Nicklaus. Today, miniature golf competitions are held not only on courses with windmills and castles, but also on miniature replicas of famous greens, with the same sand and water traps courses used back in the early 20th century.
Whether you call it "mini golf," "putt putt," or "a cheap date," the miniaturized sport has been popular since the 19th century.
New York: Parkside’s Whispering Pines Miniature Golf in SeaBreeze (Rochester), New York, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest miniature golf course in the USA, opened in 1930.
The history of miniature golf may in fact date back to the 1860s when a Ladies Putting Club was built in St. Andrews, Scotland. In the USA, the sensation began sweeping the nation in the late-1920s, and by August 1930, ...
In the USA, the sensation began sweeping the nation in the late-1920s, and by August 1930, it’s believed than an estimated 25,000 miniature golf courses could be found throughout the country. Today, a fraction of those courses remain, yet they continue to delight both mini golf enthusiasts and those new to the game.
Nevada: What happens on the mini golf course in Vegas stays in Vegas, especially when it comes to the 18-hole, glow-in-the-dark KISS by Monster Mini Golf course inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. KISS memorabilia and videos are found throughout the course while, of course, KISS music surrounds you.
Wisconsin: Five different courses and 91 total holes make for a full day of miniature golf at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The courses are made even more enticing interesting by their landscaping – 17 waterfalls and sandstone rock formations.
The indoor course’s 18 holes are accompanied by thumping music and colorful artwork that lights up under the black lights. Tennessee: Firehouse Golf in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee features two 18-hole courses with a firehouse theme. Be sure to have your picture taken on the fire truck between holes.
Iowa: Take a tropical vacation without ever leaving Waterloo, Iowa, when you tee off on Lost Island’s 36 holes of adventure golf on two courses. The courses’ challenging 36 holes – 18 of which are handicap accessible – are set amidst waterfalls and island ruins.
The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland is the oldest golf course in the world, dating back to 1552. Every golf aficionado knows that St. Andrews is the “home of golf” as the game was played on the links as far back as the 15 th century. St. Andrews is essentially, the world’s first golf course.
10 Oldest Golf Courses in the World. Although the exact origins of golf have been lost to history, it is generally accepted that modern golf developed in Scotland in the Middle Ages. There is some evidence of games very similar to golf dating to the late 13th century. However, the game that modern golf is based on became popular in the 16th century.
During World War II, land mines were installed on the Kingsbarns Golf Links course as part of the national security defence effort and the ground reverted to rough pasture until the course was rebuilt in the 21 st century.
The original Carnoustie Golf Course featured 10 holes and was designed by Allan Robertson with assistance from Old Tom Morris. The course was modified in 1926 by James Braid. Carnoustie Golf Links is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation and has hosted golf’s oldest major on eight occasions.
The Kingsbarns Golf Club and the links were not resurrected until 1922. Scottish pro golfer Willie Auchterlonie laid out the course in 1922 near Kingsbarns Bay. Unfortunately, the links were shut down again due to the onset of World War II.
Records of golfing in Carnoustie go all the way back to the mid-16 th century, but the current Carnoustie Golf Links only dates to 1842, when the Carnoustie Golf Club was formed. There is evidence that there were earlier golf courses on what is now Carnoustie’s Burnside course prior to 1835.
An eighth hole was added in 1838, followed by the ninth and final hole in 1870. In 2009, Musselburgh Links was named by Guinness World Records as the World’s Oldest Golf Course, however this distinction now belongs to St. Andrews since they uncovered golf records dating back to 1552.
Some golf courses have a “19th Hole,” where the partying starts after the game ends, so we're including this bonus “course” to cover the special realm of pop-up mini golf around the world. New putting structures designed by artists, students, and hobbyists frequently pop up in museums, libraries, churches, funeral homes, dorm rooms, and backyards. Sometimes they are for fundraisers, other times just for fun.
This course, located in the heart of Franklin Square, features oversized obstacles themed around local landmarks including the Liberty Bell, the art museum steps, the LOVE sculpture, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and many more. Recreations of local buildings have been made with impeccable attention to detail and at a scale that makes players feel like they are fully immersed. Many courses theme around their surrounding communities and cities, but Philly Mini Golf is probably the most well-executed version. When you’re done putting, you can enjoy the nearby carousel, playground, eateries, and music in the park.
There are more than 50 courses in this mini golf haven, with volcanoes, tropical birds, pirate ships, and crashed airplanes in all sorts of inventive spaces. Of the many options spread across town, Mt. Atlanticus is home to the most immersive, odd, and distinctive courses.
Located in Turda, Transylvania, this modern art theme park is nestled 400 feet underground, inside one of the oldest salt mines ever known. The innovative look of this gargantuan amusement park seems like something out of a science fiction movie. Despite the location, the park is brightly lit and contains attractions such as an amphitheater, an underground lake that can be explored with paddles and rowboats, a Ferris wheel, a bowling alley, table tennis, pool tables, and, most importantly, miniature golf. The historical home of Count Dracula is now on our bucket list due to this wild-looking cave.
The rustic, 14-hole course was built entirely by artist and owner Bruce Stillman and features mammoth obstacles made from tree trunks, carved rock, sculpted metal, and an antique ship hull.
Yes, we're talking about miniature golf , the Lilliputian game with a big imagination. Since 2012, we—Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman—have been documenting the world of mini golf on our website A Couple of Putts.