Sometimes, sporting traditions hide curious stories that explain how certain activities became what we know today. Mini golf, a family-friendly game accessible to all and present in clubs worldwide, has a surprising origin that dates back to Victorian Scotland in 1867.
During that period, women’s participation in sports was extremely limited. Traditional golf was considered, according to the social values of the time, “too violent” and inappropriate for women. As a result, ladies who wished to play were confined to small putting areas alongside the caddies, where they could strike the ball without performing movements deemed improper.
However, what began as a practical exception soon became a social issue. The concern did not, as is sometimes mistakenly suggested, stem from supposed romances with the caddies, but from the idea that different social classes should interact, something completely censored at the time. For the Victorian mindset, it was unthinkable for a high-society lady to argue or interact regularly with a caddie.
Faced with this situation, an exclusive space was created where women could play golf without violating strict social norms. Thus was born the St. Andrew’s Ladies Putting Club, popularly known as “The Himalayas” due to the undulating nature of its course.
This course was specifically designed for them:
- With gentle obstacles,
- Without the need to lift the club above the shoulder,
- Away from the presence of caddies.
It was a safe and socially acceptable environment according to the codes of conduct of the time, but it also marked a turning point: it became the seed of modern mini golf.
What began as a social solution eventually evolved into a recreational and sporting activity enjoyed today by people of all ages around the world. Mini golf, born from past restrictions, has over time become an accessible, creative, and fully integrated pastime in contemporary leisure.