Stuff You Should Know: “Selects: How Miniature Golf Works”

Hosts: Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant
Original Air Date: August 2020 (aired as a Select episode on December 27, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this nostalgic and lively episode, Josh and Chuck take listeners on a deep dive into the unexpected history and evolution of miniature golf—often known as mini golf, putt putt, or goofy golf. Mixing fun personal stories with historical insight, they trace the journey of this quirky pastime from its Victorian origins to its explosion across America and its distinct variations and cultural impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Nostalgia and Mini Golf Memories (02:39–07:48)

• The hosts reminisce about their childhood experiences playing mini golf, with Josh recalling Putt Putt courses in Toledo, OH, and vacations on Lake Erie, while Chuck shares memories of church youth group outings to Putt Putt at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia.
• Both discuss the joys of go-karts and arcades commonly adjacent to mini golf courses.
• Notable Quote:
  “Putt Putt was wonderful and great. And there were arcades and birthday parties there that featured heavily with GI Joe action figures and stuff like that. The good kind. The three and three quarter inch ones.” — Josh Clark (04:27)

The Origins of Miniature Golf (07:50–14:05)

• Miniature golf traces back to the Ladies Putting Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, created in 1867 due to Victorian-era restrictions on women playing “full” golf.
  • Women weren’t permitted to use a full swing: "There was a decree basically, that women shall not take the club back past their shoulder...like a real golf swing...was, I guess, improper for a lady to do." — Chuck (08:20)
• The St. Andrews course is nicknamed “the Himalayas” for its rolling, hilly greens and is still in use today.

Miniature Golf Comes to America (17:34–22:12)

• James Barber, inspired by the St. Andrews club, commissioned the first American mini golf course—Thistle Dhu—in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in 1916.
  • The legend behind the name: "Supposedly, as legend goes, when he first saw it, he said, ‘this’ll do.’ I guess he was not blown away. Maybe. I don’t know. Sounds a little underwhelming." — Chuck (18:33)
• The term “miniature golf” appears in a newspaper account describing early competitions at Thistle Dhu.
• The American courses began as direct, shrunken analogs to “real” golf, rather than the whimsical style known today.

Mini Golf Mania & the Explosion of the 1920s–1930s (22:12–30:53)

• 1926: The Fairyland Club in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (built by Garnett & Frieda Carter), is credited with launching “Tom Thumb Golf”—introducing imaginative obstacles and fairy tale themes using construction scraps.
  • “They added this statuary of cute little, you know, Mother Goose type stuff, and they actually called the whole thing Tom Thumb Golf.” — Josh (23:17)
• Thomas McCulloch Fairbairn’s invention of cheap, artificial turf allowed for franchising and rapid expansion of mini golf courses using prefab kits.
• By 1930, the U.S. had up to 25,000 miniature golf courses—many built in the prior 6–8 months.
  • “In eight months, like 12 to 15,000 mini golf courses being built in the U.S—it’s crazy.” — Chuck (29:23)
• The Great Depression cemented mini golf’s status as affordable family entertainment, surviving as a pastime while other fads faded.

The Rise and Standardization of Putt Putt (34:02–44:21)

• Don Clayton, in 1954, invented “Putt Putt Golf” after a doctor-prescribed month off work led him to play and critique the “whimsy” of existing courses.
  • “From what I understand, though, Don Clayton was like, this whimsy sucks. We need something better than this. And I think I’m just the person to build it.” — Josh (35:11)
• Clayton’s vision was minimalist, skill-focused courses: all holes are par twos, with standardized and mostly static obstacles (no windmills or clown mouths).
  • The name “Putt Putt” was coined on a whim because Clayton couldn’t remember how to spell “Vale” for his original “Shady Vale Golf Course” name. — Chuck (38:18)
• At its peak, the Putt Putt franchise boasted over 256 courses worldwide; its simplicity made scoring a perfect game (18 strokes) extremely rare—just three on record in 65 years.

Evolution of “Goofy Golf” and Whimsical Attractions (44:21–47:07)

• In 1955, brothers Ralph and Al Lomma of Scranton, PA revolutionized mini golf by introducing mechanized and animated obstacles—moving windmills, clown mouths, and more—effectively shaping what most people today think of as “mini golf.”
• This led to a split: some courses emphasized skill and simplicity (Putt Putt), others focused on fanciful themes and kinetics.

Mini Golf as Serious Sport & Unique Courses (44:36–51:00)

• Miniature golf grew into a legitimate professional sport, with bodies like the US Pro Mini Golf Association and the World Minigolf Sport Federation (Germany) enforcing rules and hosting competitions.
  • “There are actual prize purses…they have their own US Open. I don’t think they call it the little US Open.” — Chuck (44:44)
  • “They should, though.” — Josh (44:56)
• Noteworthy and weird mini golf courses highlighted:
  • Myrtle Beach, SC, called the “world capital of miniature golf,” boasts over 50 courses, such as Molten Mountain (with a working volcano) and Hawaiian Rumble.
  • Algrim Acres in Palatine, Illinois—a funeral home with a death-themed 9-hole course in its basement (48:19).
  • Kiss-themed indoor mini golf in Las Vegas (“not a Kiss fan”—Chuck (49:06))
  • Par-King in Lincolnshire, Illinois—an “ultimate” course blending difficulty and whimsical obstacles (49:30).
  • Golf Gardens on Catalina Island, CA—deemed the hardest U.S. mini golf course, due in part to decades of wear and quirky surface notches (50:24).
  • Florida’s historic mini golf trail, featuring vintage courses over 50 years old (50:46).
• Abandoned mini golf courses as a fascination for urban explorers and nostalgia-seekers (51:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Victorian restrictions (08:44):
  “The Victorian era was just so stupid when it came to social constraints.” — Josh Clark
• On Depression-era popularity (30:08):
  “…you could take your whole family out to play miniature golf for pretty cheap, nickel or something. That was a big attraction.”
• On skill required in Putt Putt (41:07):
  “Only three people have ever, ever gotten a perfect game. Which kind of shows you how like deceptively hard a putt putt course is...” — Josh Clark
• On choosing creativity for course names (38:18):
  “He didn’t know how to spell Vale...so he just said Putt Putt and wrote down putt putt. It wasn’t something he brainstormed...just sort of on a whim. And it’s a name that really, really stuck.” — Chuck Bryant
• Hilarious exchange about themed courses (48:30):
  “...you can also play nine holes on their death themed course in the basement.” — Chuck
  “First of all, the basement of a funeral home is just creepy on its own. But a death themed miniature golf course in a funeral home that actually functions, that’s just downright interesting.” — Josh

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:39–07:48 – Childhood memories & mini golf’s sensory joys
• 07:50–14:05 – Historical foundations in Scotland & early U.S. courses
• 17:34–22:12 – Thistle Dhu, the Ladies Putting Club, and early U.S. expansion
• 22:12–30:53 – Fairyland Club, Tom Thumb Golf, franchise boom, Depression-era survival
• 34:02–44:21 – Don Clayton’s Putt Putt: standardized, skill-focused revolution
• 44:21–47:07 – Animated obstacles: the Loma brothers & "Goofy Golf" tradition
• 47:07–51:00 – Mini golf as sport, U.S. and international competitions, unusual courses
• 51:00–53:23 – Listener mail & reflections on the enduring charm of mini golf

Tone and Style

Josh and Chuck keep their signature blend of curiosity, wit, and self-deprecating humor throughout the episode. Their playful banter and genuine affection for the subject—and one another—make even the deepest historical dive feel like a chat among friends. They frequently poke fun at each other and at oddities in mini golf’s evolution, creating an inviting and accessible show, even for listeners with no interest in golf.

Summary

This episode is a heartfelt and information-packed journey through the world of miniature golf—full of nostalgia, oddball history, and reflections on what makes the game a beloved American institution. From Scottish putting greens invented to appease patriarchal norms to mechanized clowns’ mouths and death-themed courses in funeral home basements, Stuff You Should Know uncovers the weirdly fascinating, endearingly silly, and unexpectedly skillful sides of mini golf.