Thomas McCulloch Fairbairn is widely considered the inventor of modern
miniature golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
. Fairbairn is credited with changing minigolf from the earlier incarnation played at Thistle Dhu in
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 13,124. It is home of the historic Pinehurst Resort, a Golf resort, which has hosted multiple United States Open Champion ...
to the modern version. Fairbairn's invention of an artificial green as well as his addition of artificial bunkers, curves and water hazards led to the miniature golf boom of the 1920s.
Fairbairn Cup
A team miniature golf tournament named in honor of Fairbairn is held each summer at the miniature golf course Pirate Island on the
Seven Mile Island
Seven Mile Island or Seven Mile Beach is the name of a barrier island on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is divided between the boroughs of Avalon to the north, from 6th to 80th Streets, and Stone Harbor to the ...
in New Jersey. The proceeds from this tournament are donated to find a cure for
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
.
References
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Miniature golf