90 years since the first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place

The first National Tom Thumb Championship was contested in Chattanooga, Tennessee 90 years ago today.

Garnet Carter created the first artificial miniature golf course in the USA in 1926. The first of the 'Tom Thumb Golf' brand of miniature golf course was an 18-hole layout located near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

By 1930 there were some 25,000 miniature golf courses in the USA, 3,000 of which were the now patented Tom Thumb course franchises.

The course and fantasy theming caught the imagination of visitors and on the 23rd October 1930 the final of the first-ever National Tom Thumb Championship took place.

Qualifying events had taken place in all of the then 48 states of the USA, with 200 players representing 30 states in the grand final. The event had a total prize fund of $10,000, with the champion winning $2,000!

We haven't played a Tom Thumb Golf course on our travels, but we do have some nice old postcards of Tom Thumb courses in our collection. This one is of a course at Westende Bains in Belgium

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more details of minigolf history.

Orpheum Mini-Golf in Memphis, Tennessee

A look at the pop-up minigolf course at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Lion King

Many thanks to our friend, team-mate and minigolf rival Jon Drexler for sending us some photos from his visit to play the new pop-up minigolf course set up at the Orpheum theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Memphis The Musical

Orpheum Mini-Golf is a 9-hole socially distanced Broadway-themed course and is set-up on the stage of the theatre.

The view from the stage

It's a nice use of the theatre space during the pandemic and a way to connect with old and new audiences.

What a place to play some minigolf

The Orpheum Mini-Golf course opened this month and is open Thursday to Sunday. The 'show' runs until 15th November.

Hamilton

We love seeing miniature golf course pop-ups and unique layouts. The Orpheum Mini-Golf course certainly ticks those boxes. I really like the look of the Hamilton hole above.

Les Misérables

The green on Les Misérables

Memphis the Musical

Wicked

The Phantom of the Opera

The Colour Purple

Chicago

Fiddler on the Roof

Visit the Orpheum Mini-Golf website for more information, opening times, booking details and prices.

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89 years since the first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place

Celebrating 89 years since the first National Tom Thumb Championship was contested in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Garnet Carter created the first artificial miniature golf course in the USA in 1926. The first of the 'Tom Thumb Golf' brand of miniature golf course was an 18-hole layout located near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

By 1930 there were some 25,000 miniature golf courses in the USA, 3,000 of which were the now patented Tom Thumb course franchises.

The course and fantasy theming caught the imagination of visitors and on the 23rd October 1930 the final of the first-ever National Tom Thumb Championship took place.

Qualifying events had taken place in all of the then 48 states of the USA, with 200 players representing 30 states in the grand final. The event had a total prize fund of $10,000, with the champion winning $2,000!

Today hundreds of miniature golf competitions take place around the world and new courses are opening up all the time.

We haven't played a Tom Thumb Golf course on our travels, but we do have some nice old postcards of Tom Thumb courses in our collection. This one is of a course at Westende Bains in Belgium

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more details of minigolf history.

88 years since the first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place

Celebrating 88 years since the first National Tom Thumb Championship was contested in Chattanooga.

Garnet Carter created the first artificial miniature golf course in the USA in 1926. The first of the 'Tom Thumb Golf' brand of miniature golf course was an 18-hole layout located near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

By 1930 there were some 25,000 miniature golf courses in the USA, 3,000 of which were the now patented Tom Thumb course franchises.

The course and fantasy theming soon caught the imagination of visitors and on the 23rd October 1930 the final of the first-ever National Tom Thumb Championship took place.

Qualifying events had taken place in all of the then 48 states of the USA, with 200 players representing 30 states in the grand final. The event had a total cash fund of $10,000, with the champion winning $2,000!

We haven't played a Tom Thumb Golf course on our travels, but we do have some nice old postcards of Tom Thumb courses in our collection. This one is of a course at Westende Bains in Belgium

Today hundreds of tournaments take place around the world and the game is experiencing a real boom.

Check out the Crazy Golf Museum website for more details of minigolf history.