Pennsylvania Mini-Golf Spot Named One of the Best
Miniature golf is a super fun and interactive activity that truly appeals to a wide range of people. While Pennsylvania has some great mini-golf courses, it’s certainly not something that’s just for this region. Mini-golf is popular across the U.S. and around the world. There’s just something playful and fun about going from hole to hole, trying to get a hole-in-one amid wacky themes and whimsical decor. It’s really difficult to not have fun at a mini-golf course.
Pennsylvania Mini-Golf Fun
The experts at USA Today have released their roster of the best mini-golf spots in America, as part of their 10 Best series. This series has experts picking spots for which to vote, and then readers voting for their favorites.
Coming in at No. 1 on the tally is the Philly Mini Golf at Franklin Square located at 200 N 6th Street in Philadelphia. USA Today raves about the spot, stating, “Part of the City of Brotherly Love’s beloved Franklin Square, Philly Mini Golf gives visitors a chance to putt in and around replicas of some of the area’s most notable attractions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the LOVE Statue, and the Liberty Bell.”
They add to “boost your experience by adding additional activities to your outing, like riding on the Parx Liberty Carousel or grabbing a bite at a nearby restaurant.”
So, how long has mini-golf been around? It’s only been a think for about a century, which may seem like a long time, but honestly, it seems like something the Founding Fathers could have created. The very first mini-golf course was fashioned in 1917, shortly after the game of golf started growing in popularity, according to Smugglers Golf. However, the actual game of mini-golf was started sooner.
As Smugglers Golf describes, the Scots invented putting in the late 1800s. “While it wasn’t as detailed as today’s miniature golf, the putting game is played on a yard measuring just a few meters and is considered to be possibly the first edition of mini golf ever played,” they note, adding that people without much space or backyards “got a little creative” with how to get their putt on. “People built courses on rooftops in the early 1920s and, by 1926, there were hundreds of rooftop golf courses across the United States as the game became more and more popular,” they add.
National Geographic adds that the history of mini-golf isn’t super clear and that “The origin story of mini golf is up for debate,” with some tracking “track the idea to the private homes of elites in both Europe and the United States.” Harris Miniature Golf adds that, “The first iteration of the game we now know as mini golf was documented in the June 8th, 1912 edition of ‘The Illustrated London News.’ An article in this newspaper introduced the Golfstacle as a concept of a smaller, miniature-sized golf course.” Today, it’s a super fun summer activity that can even inspire art.
