Leisure Lines

REFLECTIONS from a practitioner and educator who served 44 years in the field of recreation and leisure services

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Fun for Everyone


ANYONE CAN PLAY: all ages, both sexes, and people with various skill levels from beginner to advanced! The game is miniature golf - oftentimes referred to as "putt-putt" or carpet golf because it is almost always played on carpet. Miniature golf is ideal for couples, small groups, and families.

As the name suggests, putt-putt is a game of putting a golf ball from a beginning point or "tee" toward a flag and into a cup on each of 18 separate playing areas or "holes." The route from tee to cup can be straight, curved, or with sharp angles or "doglegs" to the right or left. There may be ramps or valleys for the ball to traverse. Various obstacles or hazards are usually in the path of the ball. The idea is to try to avoid these obstructions and to hit the ball into the cup in the least amount of hits or "strokes." This is generally not an easy task since many obstacles have moving parts. Many shots in miniature golf must be banked off a side surface in order to attempt to move the ball as close to the cup as possible.

Scores for each player should be recorded after each hole. Like the regular version of golf, the player with the fewest strokes (and lowest score) is the winner.

Numerous miniature golf courses exist in towns, cities, and large metro areas as stand-alone commercial recreation enterprises. Also, many outdoor recreation centers and family fun parks include a miniature golf course. Therefore, finding a place to play is not usually an extreme problem.

Putt-putt is a wonderful leisure activity which provides fun for everyone!
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-- The photo above was taken at Golf Garden in Destin, Florida.