The new PMGA: Going pro on the putt-putt circuit
The Patriot Press, November 2002
Ryan Shain & Kenny Brentzel

It's every little boy's dream: There you are on the 19^th green of the golf championship. The only thing separating you from victory is a twenty yard putt in which your golf ball must travel down a hill, over a stream, through a clown's mouth, and make it past strategically placed windmill blades to finally rest in a little hole dug in the ground.

That may not really be every little boy's dream, but the world of golf is becoming more popular, and with Tiger Woods as the PGA's poster boy, golf is 'cool' again.  Riding in on the coattails of the increased exposure of golf, miniature golf has become a hot ticket with new courses sprouting up all over the country.

Don't think, however, that this is happening haphazardly.  This recent boom in the mini-golf industry is being guided by its own version of the PGA, or in the mini-golf world, the PMGA (the Professional Miniature Golf Association).

While mini-golf may no longer be blindly stumbling in the dark, there was a time when no PMGA existed. "Honestly, it started out almost as a joke," reminisced PMGA Board of Directors member Paul Hemingway. "A group of college buddies decided that it might be fun to go play some miniature golf, but place a bet on the outcome."

From there the game changed forever. "We had no clue how competitive we'd each take it, how much trash-talking would ensue, and how good of a time we'd have," Hemingway said.

Today that group of trash-talking college friends have developed into the definitive authority in mini-golf, setting standards for course construction, registering courses, and tracking the careers of players. 

This evolution is taking mini-golf beyond just a game. Annually, ESSPN televises a putt-putt tournament and the PMGA holds in excess of 20 tournaments, with the larger tourneys raking in thousands of dollars for the winner.  Fox Sports is even doing a television documentary with a spotlight on miniature golf addicts. 

What can the aspiring mini-golfer do to improve his game?  "It's all mental, man," Hemingway tells us. "It's just a matter of being confident of your abilities and practicing a ton."

So maybe one day little boys really will dream of sinking the world championship mini-putt.  Maybe one day, Monday Night Mini-Golf will replace Monday Night Football.  Until then, Hemingway reminds us, "Have fun with it…us it (miniature golf) as a venue to be with friends, family, whomever."

You can find the PMGA website at www.thePmga.com for world rankings, course reviews, or to learn how to become a PMGA members. The site is both funny and informative and provides a good introduction into the newest sport to go professional.