Outdoor Mini Golf Season Heats Up In May
After a month of April that featured no AMA scoring events, May kicks off a 6 month period where the majority of our events will take place.
Inaugural Lighthouse Classic competitors
In the first of its kind on Long Beach Island in New Jersey, The Lighthouse Classic attracted 17 pros and 8 amateurs to Jen’s Links at Lighthouse Cove in Barnegat Light, NJ on May 4. With three rounds for pros and two for amateurs, competitors did their best to conquer the High Tide course and seven pros managed sub-40 averages. Tournament organizer David Biggy fell one stroke short of Matt Liles of Connecticut who shot a 110. Justin Seymour took 3rd with a 113 and after a long tie-breaker, Ed Weiss won 4th place over Highlighter Mark Novicki who finished in 5th. Bradford Birch scored a two-set total of 82 to win the amateur division with Connecticut’s LouAnn Corbidge in 2nd and Barbette Lovas in 3rd.
The field for the tournament included pros and amateurs from New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia and New York. David Biggy did a longer recap on the event page and plans to run this tournament again in 2025.
The 2nd annual Looniest Mini Golf Open saw a strong field from across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Connecticut compete once again on the challenging undulating mini golf course at Island Lake Golf in Shoreview, MN. Despite the drier carpets and faster greens, we had a repeat in both pro and amateur divisions. Pat Sheridan shot a tournament best 39 and in the 5th hole of a sudden death tie-breaker, bested Zack Haselius. Zack had a final round of 40 to put himself in a position to win that followed winning the aces only round. Connecticut’s Mark “Highlighter” Novicki came in 3rd with Matt Roalstad one stroke behind in 4th and Kameron Haselius 2 strokes behind in 5th. In the two-round amateur division competition, Robin Schwartzman repeated as the amateur champion by two strokes over Ryan Walsh. Mandy Ranslow of The Putting Penguin took home the first women’s division title and Nya Neinhuis took home the first junior division trophy for a tournament hosted by A Couple of Putts.
June Tournaments
We have 3 tournaments in the month of June that take place at least in some part in the state of Wisconsin. Both the Salty Seagull Pro Tournament and Rosebud Open are new red tier tournaments to the AMA scoring season and taking place fully in the state of Wisconsin. The 27th M.C. Mini Masters starts this year at America’s Action Territory on the Wisconsin Adventure course where the Rosebud Open will be held and it is the first white tier tournament of the season.
Both Caleb Smith and Dave Vayda represented the US and AMA at the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) World Adventure Golf (WAG) Tour Finals on April 27 & 28 in the Czech Republic at Bowling BRNO. The two men held their own against some of the best competitive putters on the planet. You can read our member feature on them from last month or check out their interview on the Puttcast where they talked about their experience competing on one of the biggest stages for adventure golf.
Player Spotlight
Name: Susan Crane
Where are you from: Soddy Daisy,TN
When did you start playing mini golf? : When I was very young. My Great Aunt Ruth would take me to the putt-putt located in Chattanooga, TN. Those are some of the coolest memories I have. I did not start competing until 2021.
Home course: I claim Mossy Creek Miniature Golf in Jefferson City, but I have one in Chattanooga that I practice at just as much and that is Top Golf.
Favorite course either for fun or competition: My favorite course of all time has to be Hillbilly Golf in Gatlinburg, TN. You ride a tram up the side of the mountain and then play the course to get back down. My favorite competition course is Mossy Creek Miniature Golf. That course makes you love it and hate it in the same round.
AMA scoring tournaments you're planning to play in 2024: I will be playing in the Putters League Summer Classic at the Fringe mini golf course and the TN Open at Mossy Creek Miniature Golf course.
Favorite playing partner: My all-time favorite person to play with is my hubby, Philip Crane. I also like playing with Danny Baddeley, whom I call my mini golf bestie.
What do you do outside of playing mini golf? I love to do new things! I love to draw, paint, juggle, hike, write. I just published my first book last November and will have my first children’s book out this December. This list could go on and on.
Goal for the 2024 season: I am playing in 14 tournaments this year and that is the most I have ever done. I am also participating in the masters this year which has been a goal of mine since I first learned about competitive mini golf.
Anything else you'd like to share with AMA members? I hope that you find joy in whatever you do and I hope that some of that joy comes from mini golf.
