Idiots on the Miniature Golf Course
Rick Baird from Charlotte, North Carolina, is not an idiot, nor does he play “miniature golf”.
He plays Putt-Putt, and he’s really good at it.
Web Watch knows you’re confused — isn’t putt-putt golf and miniature golf the same thing? No, dear reader, it isn’t. Putt-Putt is a franchised company that defines a standard set of putting challenges that will be mainly the same from one Putt-Putt location to another. Consistency is important here, and putting is a true skill to be showcased.
Miniature golf, on the other hand, is the one with windmills, gorillas, fake blue water, tunnels, obstacles, and other entertainment stuff scattered across the putting surface and environment. Definitely not the same thing.
So when Rick Baird putted a perfect game – 18 holes-in-one – one would think that it would make worldwide news. Why? Because it’s a feat that’s only been done twice before in the 52-year history of Putt-Putt tournaments. And if you’ve every played on a true Putt-Putt course, you’ll know how difficult this can be to pull off when you’re playing for fun, let alone in a tournament. This was such a rare occurence, there’s even a video available so you can see how it was done.
We really shouldn’t be surprised – Rick is a professional Putt-Putt putter, and won the PPA national championship in 2007. Don’t laugh – the 2011 national Putt-Putt championship paid out $35,000. Oh yes, there’s money to be made.
So the next time you head out for some date-night fun, don’t pass by the low-key Putt-Putt course in favor of some Adventure Golf or Pirate Golf or Jungle Golf course that relies mainly on luck and chance. Give Putt-Putt a serious look to see if you can come close to matching Rick Baird’s accomplishment.
Web Watch is betting that you won’t. Because if you were that good, you’d be competing for some cash instead. But you won’t know unless you try…