New Britain herald., 1930-11-28

Miniature Solf furnished materia for the jokesmiths last summer anl continues to provide the funnies with new angles of the ludicrous :1 human behavior. Putting a rubber ball through dog-houses and oveI little bridges io rather a ridiculous form of amusement and no ont realizes it's better than the adult: who play midget golf.
 But they take it lightly, even T in frequent doses, and very little bragging is heard about the birdies and eagles shot On the miniatures That feature of little golf stands out in sharp contrast with the locker room talk after the days work IS finished on regular course.
 A form of golf that can be laugh ed over has a good deal to be said in it's favor anytime, and especially now that we are in the throes oi hard times. It is good medicine tc take in a day when most everybody Is having a peck of trouble.
 A writer in one of the monthly reviews, in attempting to explain the why's and whercfores of the present crabe, attributes the country wide popularity of the new game to the fact that it appeared during harG times. He quoted another authority who recalled that the bicycle crazl lowered during the business depres. sion of 1893 and that nah jongg anL the radio appeared after the slump of 1921.
 Regardless of the cause of it's sud. den rise to popularity, miniature golf, in an astonishingly short tim, has mushroomed into a big business It is estimated that there are 50,. 900 little courses in the UniteL states, representing an investment of s2o0, 100000. Some 140,00 peo pie find a new employment in tho new am nuSernent.
 So, while the game has it's hu morous side, miniature golf is no as funny a business as it may lool on it's putting surface. It is on. that went through the sum. mer and the fall gleefully and at the same time provided solace il its pursuit to people whose bushes. and jobs were not the source O. comfort to them that they had been
 New as it appears to be, a littl; research reveals that the puttinl courses have been in existence fol five or six years. The earlier a. to interest fickle public 1T small size golf were not very sue. cessful. Indoor tricky putting course! languished for want of patronage.
 One Of the leading recreation mer Of this city eXperimented with thi. form of diversion in one of his out. of-town locations several years ago And five years ago. Joe Hergstrou an obstacle course or the top floor of the '. M. C. A in connection with the gol school there.
 But those interested in the gamC are inquiring less about it's past thar they are asking how long it will last It is just a passing fad? One man guess may be just as good as anoth CTS. If it Withers as quickly as i sprouted, there will be a host 0 folks who will tell you they foresap it's sudden end.
 Without attempting to predic how long miniature golf will provt a bonanza to its promoters. we vii d suggestion or two regard ing it's future. The first one is tha the game will continue, at leas m oderately popular, as an amuse ment attraction in recreation center! where people go for various form! of exercise or diversion. There tht money making aspect of miniature golf will not be the chief concern O its managers.
 Someone may devise a little course that will combine the fanc, shots, now required on the presen courses, with the short but legiti mate shots of regular golf. Somt progress is already being made 1T this direction. Success in this line may serve 10 greatly lengthen the life of miniature golf.
 It seems certain that, when spring rolls around again. there is going tt he q big graduating class who vii go out to dig divots on a real course instead of continuing 10 putt througf the tunnels of the miniatures. Be cause there arc not enough gol courses to meet present demands m clines US 10 think that the loSica
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