How Fun is Miniature Golf?

It has been quite a job to go from an area buried in pine straw, to uncovering all 18 holes, to trying our hand at laying carpet to actually opening the course. We kept buying drill bits, glue and more carpet.  How fun is miniature golf anyway?
It tuns out, it is really pretty fun. Three of us tried the holes out this Saturday morning using our new plastic head putters and brightly colored balls. We still had a bit of work to do on the course but playing seemed a better option.  We did everything I remember from those days of my youth playing Putt Putt. Putt Putt courses were not fancy like the ones you see at the beach but they did require some skill. I even remember there being tournaments that were shown on TV. One of my shots went over the barrier, a second went right over the hole and lipped out. My competitive nature kicked in and I started thinking about my score. My math brain wondered about the best angle to hit each shot. When I sank a long putt all the near misses were forgotten. But most fun of all - watching everyone else play.

Our 18 month old grandson figured out the point was to put the ball in the hole. When the putter did not cooperate he used his hand.  Three boys were next to try their luck- it seemed fast was sometimes better than accurate. One family had a number of different skill levels and did great with everyone taking turns. Another group was all about the score, coming into  the office to add up each stroke. Some folks played wet from the pool. Several played barefoot. Some came back and played multiple times.

I told a friend that  we were close to opening the course and he shared a great golf story. It seems he and buddy were just picking up the game and were paired with another twosome at the golf course. They took a lot of strokes to get on the green but then both sunk long putts. Their new buddies said- I bet you play a lot of Putt Putt.

The group at Chamber of Commerce was told the name of the course was Gator Golf  and that we were so close to completion that yesterday we released the gators. Noticing the look of alarm on several faces I quickly reassured them that the "gators" were all made of cement. I guess the news of  the 900 lb gator from the recent hunt had everyone thinking twice about the gators we see from a distance at the wildlife refuge.

In any case our course is something new for the community. It's a game that can be played by young and old. It's something kids can do outside with a group of kids. It's math in action  and it takes practice to get better. The course is fun to decorate and we can perhaps add some additional features as time goes by. I have heard it said by more than one camper- we have been camping a lot but this is one campground that really has something to do for the kids. The kids or those of us that are kids at heart.  When you are in the area come by and play a round of mini golf. Who knows- next time we might have a space to build a fort.