Miniature Golf

Before you start knocking the concept of miniature golf, let's get practical. Where can you spend an entire evening watching your date bending over every couple of minutes to pick up a little white ball? And when can you stand behind a first date with your arms around him or her, bodies pressed together and fingers touching, without having to feel like you're crossing the line?

All of this for under $6.00 each, and they even throw in funky windmills with gushing fountains and waterfalls where the water has been dyed some kind of gaudy bright pink or blue. Forget having to chase your balls across the wrong fairway or needing to fish them out of some ravenous sandtrap or water obstacle. Forget having to make excuses for why your drives are so pathetic. We're talking eighteen holes of miniature bliss where the only "fore" you'll be hearing is followed by the word "play."

HOW TO FIND A MINIATURE GOLF COURSE

Wherever you are, the chances are you're only a few minutes away from a fine miniature golf course such as "Bobby's Putt Putt Palace" or "MiniGolf Garden and Pizzeria." Practically every amusement park and family entertainment center now offers one or more miniature golf courses as part of its attractions.

In the Yellow Pages, look under "golf," "miniature golf," and "family fun centers."

For a listing of miniature golf sites and even a history of miniature golf check with the U.S. ProMiniGolf Association, or USPMGA at www.mastersnationalchamps.com/ or (843) 458-2585.

Try www.dmoz.org and enter "miniature golf" in the search box. You'll find more than two-hundred miniature golf courses.

For one of the more complete sites on miniature golf, aim your putter toward www.miniaturegolfer.com.

ARE YOUR BALLS SANCTIONED?

If you find yourself seriously into miniature golf and you start gearing up for tournament play, you will need to get your balls sanctioned. Persons with unsanctioned balls will simply have to play by themselves. Save yourself the heartbreak of having balls that aren't worth a putt. Check with the World Minigolf Sport Federation for a list of authorized balls that you can play with.

PROBLEMS WITH YOUR PUTTER?

Are your short putts coming up long? Do your long puts keep falling short? Does it seem like your putter and balls have a mind of their own? Stop beating yourself up—plenty of us have had this problem at one time or another. For an incredible archive of tips, articles, books and videos on how to heal a wayward putter, go to www.miniaturegolfer.com/booksart.html#Putters and putt to the middle of the page. Who knew that putter problems plagued so many people and that there were so many thoughtful resources to throw at them?

EXCELLENT ALTERNATIVES

Okay, so whacking a ball through a clown's mouth isn't your idea of a fun date. Plenty of miniature golf courses also have batting cages, bumper cars and go-carts.