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Left Handed Golf Swing
and my family looking on, I decide I should set a good example. Reluctantly I give her my putter an...
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Body Golf Lower Swing
;What a dork," (I get that a lot) she hands me a red putter and a ball shaped like a Cadbury Eg...
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Computer Golf Swing Analyzer
place. Somehow without injury they manage to get their balls in the hole. "Dad, I got a 246! N...
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Diagram Golf Swing
l and runs off with it. "Hey! That's my ball!" I yell. Hopping the fence, tip-toeing throu...
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Free Golf Instruction Swing
daughter. She did the same thing ..." but before I could finish, he reaches down, takes my pin...
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Golf Club Swing Practice
putt, War Pig storms over to me, "What's your problem, man?" He snatches the ball I jus...
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Golf Momentus Swing Trainer
ersons honors. Letting their kids Nicholas and Noah putt first, they barely make contact. Just as I'...
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Full Swing Golf
1 Racing, tornados), "Hey dad, you think Jeff Gordon ever played mini-golf?" I stare at ...
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Golf Swing Video Clip
eam with everyone holding on to the same putter * Play the hole without stepping on the putting su...
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Full Golf Swing
hem go back inside and change into collared shirts, long pants and shoes. Grayson asks Lisa why th...
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With a flipchart, pictures of the course, and a copy of Jack Nicklaus's Golf My Way, we review tomorrow's strategy one last time. Tomorrow we play the Anderson family. Beaten by them in bowling, basketball and Jai Lai, I felt confident our family could win the coveted title, "Grand Masters of Mini-Golf."

"All right, does anyone have any questions?"

Madison Rose, my 3-year-old daughter, raises her hand, "Daddy?"

"Yes Madison Rose?"

"I'm a princess."

Sigh. "Yes you are Madison Rose ... any other questions?"

It's Grayson's turn. At 6 years old he loves anything fast (NASCAR, Formula 1 Racing, tornados), "Hey dad, you think Jeff Gordon ever played mini-golf?"

I stare at him for a moment.

"Yes Grayson, he's probably played mini-golf. Now about our game plan ..."

"How fast do you think he plays? I bet he's real fast, huh?" Grayson's talking restrictor plates, Madison Rose is squeezing a tiara on a stuffed Shamu, and my wife Lisa wants to know if there will be any malls nearby. I think we're ready.

I get up early, eat a light breakfast and putt a few balls around the house. Swapping my Tiger Woods pajamas for a pair of neatly pressed pants, golf shirt and spikeless golf shoes, I sneak a peak in the mirror. Yes, I'm looking like a pro.

While taking my lucky putter and a dozen golf balls to the car, I notice my family walking out the front door. What the ...? They're wearing T-shirts, baggy shorts and flip-flops. "Hey! You guys can't go golfing dressed like that!" I make them go back inside and change into collared shirts, long pants and shoes.

Grayson asks Lisa why they have to dress for church on Wednesday. Lisa whispers, "I don't know, but since we do, we might as well pray that your Father doesn't embarrass us like he did bowling."

Running late, I park the car in time "Loading Zone." We spot time Andersons--dressed in T-shirts, baggy shorts and flip-flops. My family gives me time, "What a dork" look. Ignoring them I go pay the cashier.

She says, "Sorry, no personal putters or golf halls allowed."

"What?" Getting hotter than a bowl of chicken jambalaya I shout, "I spent over $200 buying this putter and balls for today!"

"With a look that says, "What a dork," (I get that a lot) she hands me a red putter and a ball shaped like a Cadbury Egg. With the Andersons and my family looking on, I decide I should set a good example. Reluctantly I give her my putter and golf balls to hold.

Why Mini-Golf?

In 2003, a total of 502.4 million rounds of mini-golf were played at roughly 5,000 courses in the United States. That same year, a total of 494.9 million rounds of golf were played at regulation golf facilities.

With the golf industry experiencing a decline in rounds, mini-golf may be the solution. People today work more hours, have less money to spend, have greater family obligations, and are intimidated by larger courses. Addressing these challenges, a typical round of mini-golf can be played in about 45 minutes, costs only $5 and can be enjoyed by family members of all ages. Regarding fear and intimidation, trying to send a ball 200 feet is much easier than knocking one 200 yards.

While windmills, castles, lighthouses and clown beads surrounded by Lilliputian greens still adorn many mini-golf facilities, the current trend of course layouts resemble mini-replicas of golf holes found around the world. Complete with sand bunkers, water hazards and elaborate landscapes, mini-golf course designs today resemble their ancestors of the early 1900s when mini-golf was considered a shorter version of regulation golf. In addition, many present-day mini-golf courses are certified by the American Disability Association, making golf accessible to all people.

Game Time

A coin toss gives the Andersons honors. Letting their kids Nicholas and Noah putt first, they barely make contact. Just as I'm about to say, "Madison Rose can putt better than that left-handed!" our kids jump in and putt. Grayson shouts, "C'mon Nicholas, I'll race you!" Looking more like hockey players in the final Stanley Cup game, they smack their balls all over the place. Somehow without injury they manage to get their balls in the hole. "Dad, I got a 246! Nicholas got a 174! I'm faster, huh?" Before I can answer, Grayson's off again. Jeff Gordon would be proud.

Christine and Lisa putt, followed by Chris who rolls his ball to about four inches from the hole. Show-off. I line up my putt and send my ball rolling. Tracking toward the hole I'm thinking, this could go in! But inches from the hole, this little girl, no, little thief comes out of nowhere, snatches my ball and runs off with it. "Hey! That's my ball!" I yell. Hopping the fence, tip-toeing through the take lava pit, and slashing through the plastic rain forest, I run after her. She drops my ball in the water and runs off giggling. I scoop my ball out and sludge my way back to the first hole. No one's there. My group has gone on without me.

Catching up with them, I place my ball down, line up my putt and notice it was getting dark. That's odd, I thought, darkness at 10 a.m.? I turn around and see the sun eclipsed from this very big man! He was wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt and a hat that said "War Pig" on the front. Gulp.

"Your daughter just took my ball!" he growled. I look in the direction he's pointing--it's the little thief!

"Kind sir, that's not my daughter. She did the same thing ..." but before I could finish, he reaches down, takes my pink ball and meanders away. I go after the little thief, but again she's too fast. Scooping another ball out of the water I return only to find that once again my group has abandoned me. War Pig, was now on the tee getting ready to putt. Hmmm, there's something familiar about his putter. "Hey, that's my putter!" I shout. Oops, that wasn't supposed to come out.

Missing his putt, War Pig storms over to me, "What's your problem, man?"

He snatches the ball I just retrieved from the water, picks up my pink ball and hurls it. Plop! Nice throw. Once again I hop, tip-toe, slash and run to get my ball out of the water.

Finding my group on the 4th hole, discouraged and very wet, I sit down to wring my socks. Christine putts, the ball rolls down the drain, comes nut the other side, and disappears: hole-in-one! "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" she's shouting. Jumping up and down and doing a very impressive imitation of the Tiger Woods fist pump, we all give her high-fives sharing in her excitement. And for a brief nanosecond, I forget feeling bad for myself. Seeing Christine so happy made me feel good.

And that's when I finally got it.

For the first time I became aware of the variety of people playing: couples, teenagers on dates and families. They all shared one tiling in common: fun! Even War Pig, who is now using his putter (my putter) like a protractor for figuring out angles, seemed like he was enjoying himself. Mini-golf is for the young and young at heart. It is about playing a game with family and friends and remembering that recreation is meant to be fun.

The Mini on Mini-Golf

According to the Professional Miniature Golf Association (PMGA), most mini-golf courses cost between $200,000 and $250,000 to create (some elaborate designs could cost as much as $1 million), Harris Miniature Golf Courses, Inc., one of the largest mini-golf course designers and builders, estimate that new mini-golf courses can gross $150,000 to $500,000 per year. The challenge is making a golf course that is fun for everyone. Make it too challenging and it will discourage younger golfers from wanting to play. If they don't play, then neither do their chauffeurs--moms or dads. But, make a mini-golf course too easy and players become bored.

Mini-golf courses today are also becoming part of larger facilities known as Family Entertainment Centers (FEC). These FECs include batting cages, driving ranges, video arcade rooms, skateparks, bowling alleys and go-karts. They host birthday parties, corporate events, leagues and tournaments. They provide full-service snack shops that serve pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, hamburgers and hotdogs (Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf in Orlando has a full-service Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlor).

Mini-golf facility owners/operators also create fun golfing experiences by altering the way the game is played as well. Consider the following suggestions for certain holes:

* Tee off by kicking the ball

* Play the entire hole as a team with everyone holding on to the same putter

* Play the hole without stepping on the putting surface (boards are strategically placed throughout the hole to step on)

* Play the hole putting opposite handed

* Play the hole using a 12-inch putter (provided)

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