Michigan Mini-Golf Misses Best-Of Tally

Miniature golf is a super fun and interactive activity that truly appeals to a wide range of people in Michigan and beyond. While the Mitten has some great mini-golf courses, it's certainly not something that's just for this region. Mini-golf is popular across the U.S. and around the world. There's just something playful and fun about going from hole to hole, trying to get a hole-in-one amid wacky themes and whimsical decor. It's really difficult to not have fun at a mini-golf course.

The experts at USA Today have released their roster of the best mini-golf spots in America, as part of their 10 Best series. This series has experts picking spots for which to vote, and then readers voting for their favorites. Unfortunately, no Michigan spots made the cut. Coming in at No. 1 was the Sky Pirates of Mermaid Bay in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which has a very cool pirates and mermaids theme.

But, we have plenty of great places to get your putt-putt on here. One in the Detroit area is Sport-N-Fun, located at 30749 Grand River Avenue in Farmington Hills. Open daily from March through November, weather permitting, this spot offers fun for the whole family when it comes to mini-golf. They also host parties, which is perfect for the kids.

So, how long has mini-golf been around? It's only been a thing for about a century, which may seem like a long time, but honestly, it seems like something that the Founding Fathers could have created. The very first mini-golf course was fashioned in 1917, shortly after the game started growing in popularity, according to Smugglers Golf. However, the actual game of mini-golf was started sooner.

As Smugglers Golf describes, the Scots invented putting in the late 1800s. "While it wasn't as detailed as today's miniature golf, the putting game is played on a yard measuring just a few meters and is considered to be possibly the first edition of mini golf ever played," they note, adding that people without much space or backyards "got a little creative" with how to get their putt on. "People built courses on rooftops in the early 1920s and, by 1926, there were hundreds of rooftop golf courses across the United States as the game became more and more popular," they add.

National Geographic adds that the history of mini-golf isn't super clear and that "the origin story of mini golf is up for debate," with some tracking "the idea to the private homes of elites in both Europe and the United States." Harris Miniature Golf also states, "The first iteration of the game we now know as mini golf was documented in the June 8th, 1912 edition of 'The Illustrated London News.' An article in this newspaper introduced the Golfstacle as a concept of a smaller, miniature-sized golf course." Today, it's a super fun summer activity that can even inspire art.