Miniature golf is a game that friends play on a nice summer day. Miniature golf has multiple names such as mini golf, mini putt, goofy golf, crazy golf or putt-putt. Some places have a bonus hole at the end of the course that looks like a skee ball. This hole requires you to get the ball into the center hole to receive a reward at the end of the course. 

Did you know that there is actually a professional mini golf league? In fact, there is a tournament held every year for players to showcase their skills. The sport of mini golf is popular in Europe because of the history of the European Championships which started around 1930. The United States ProMiniGolf Association (USPMGA) organizes tournaments throughout the U.S. Players in the USPMGA can become candidates for Team USA. 

There are many mini golf courses right here in Beaver County, like the one at Fun Fore All or Frontier Falls. Some courses can be harder than others which can help when it comes to being more competitive. Typically mini golf courses have 18 holes, but it depends on how the course is set up. Mini golf is great for families, dates and even youth groups. Some courses also do different themes which involve cool props and light-up balls. 

“I remember playing mini golf at Fun Fore All on an overnight church event and it was a lot of fun to pass the time,” junior Katrina Adams said. 

In the game of mini golf, players have to move the golf ball through obstacles to get the ball in the hole. Some obstacles that players may experience while playing are misleading holes that direct the ball away from the hole. However, one may lead the ball to the correct position to get a hole in one. Players are given a certain putter depending on their height and a colored golf ball which is to help determine whose ball is whose. The group also receives a scorecard and a little pencil to keep the overall score of the group. The goal of the game is to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of swings. Each hole has a par, which is the number of tries it should take to get the ball into the hole. The United States Golf Association defined par as the score that an expert player would be expected to make for a given hole. After you get through all of the holes, you add up everyone’s score, and the player with the lowest score wins. 

Some people play the game just for fun and do not pay attention to the scores, but it is still important to remember the rules of the game to ensure it is played fairly and no one gets hurt. The ball should stay on the green, the putter should not be brought back above knee height at any time and players should not stand behind other players when swinging the putter. Either way, when playing mini golf, it will almost always be a good time. Just try to not lose the ball before you get to the end of the course.