New Britain herald., 1930-08-30
By JIGGER

Once ridiculed as a sissy game and termed "cow pasture pool' by the scoffers, the game that has "an- cient and royal' tackled after it on the other side of the water. has survived 10 see a change wrought in it's favor by the public, \
 It was freely predicted at the opening of this. season that golf would enjoy the greatest year in it's long history and the prophecy is being fulfilled. Never before have so many people played the game.
 Country club membership has swelled until there are waiting lists and the public courses have been deluged with divot diggers. Legiti- mate golf is making a bid for favor never dreamed of in the days not so long ago when only few nine hole courses provided the only places in this country to play the old game of the Scots.
 While the 6,000-yard courses have attracted hundreds Of new ad- herents, the miniature golf outfits have served to introduce thousands to a new species of golf.
 IL has taken the Lillipuuan courses long time to reach the east from the west and south where they have been popular for a couple of years. Now that the had has arrived, amusement pro- motors are hustling to get the lit tie courses constructed in time to grab off the easy money that goes with the new game.
 Regular golf has never paid for itself. Since its inception the game has been a luxury but there have been plenty of men willing to pay the bills.
 Now golf on a small scale has ar rived and it's sponsors have demon- strated that it could not only pay it's own way but provide hand some profit to those who control its destiny.
 AS might be expected, the new game is being run for the most part by men who know little golf a,,J care less for the royal game. It's attraction is mainly for those who do not play the regular game among them many women.
 It bears little resemblance to the real game but as an amusement it is lots Of fun. Like many other fads of bygone days, miniature golf prob ably will wear itself out but while in the heyday of it's glory. it will amuse thousands of folks and put money in the pockets of the own CTS Of the courses.
 Its ancestry may be traced back to clock golf that used to be 1uund on the lawns of summer hotels and the practice putting greens of the country clubs. 70.
 Neither proved wow ir amusement interest The real minia. ture courses, laid out beside large hotels such as the Edgewatel Beach in Chicago, and patterned after a larger course, appealed te the regular golfer. But they ore expensive 10 keep up and have never proved popular on an exten sive scale.
 The same idea was housed under the roof of Madison Square Garder but it has not attracted the crowds expected, in it's year of operation
 This spring the driving teey yer, introduced and did a land office business in the early summer. Ther came the building lot variety O. golf which immediately caught the ppblic's fancy.
 Its developers were clever in tht construction Of their courses Every feature of the game was cen tered around the element Of luck The veriest novice has as good { chance to score well as Hager might. The putting surfaces ar, hard enough to stand the wear o high heeled shoes. And last but no least the courses are lighted so tha the game can be played at night.
 Unyielding putting surfaces rol the regular golfer Of a deal of pleas ure in playing the new game, bu those who have not trod velVe greens do not miss this nicety
 While not much skill is require. 10 play 1t, knowing some Of the fun damentals of the golf stroke doe help as was proved to me recently 4 girl addict had been shootin, around so on q small 1S-hole lay out After a little instruction, sh' returned to her game and score, close to its par of 56.
 At present there are two standar designs Of miniature courses and ; variety of home made ones in tn! process of construction. The Ton Thumb" game is distinguished b, pipe enclosed fairWays and green and by its cotton-hull greens dye green. The "Florida" courses ar made with slab sides and road-s sur facing material utilized for the put ting surfaces.
 While non-grass greens are UT. familiar 10 players in this section c