Welcome…to the AMA
If you read the title in John Hammond's (aka Richard Attenborough's) voice, then we're off to a good start. While what we're presenting here today may not be as exciting as the first glimpse of a several story tall dinosaur, we do think it's groundbreaking in its own right. Plus, we don't think we have any attractions that will eat our members at the end of the day (though you never know on some of these minigolf courses).
Dinosaurs notwithstanding, what we want you to take away from the launch of the American Mini Golf Alliance (AMA) is the word "Welcome". All are welcome here. Whether you are a hardcore competitive player or just like to celebrate when your kid's ball goes through the windmill, the AMA is about the love of the game.
The founding members of the AMA have over 50 years of experience playing in miniature golf tournaments, designing minigolf holes/courses and just playing as much on the mini-links as we can. We've all been members of the more competitive organizations such as the USPMGA, but realize that the top levels of competition may not be for everyone. There's a lot of great minigolfers out there who are limited in how they can participate on the major levels but still deserve a chance to show how well they can stack up against a field from across the nation. More importantly, we want there to be a community where even if you aren't playing in tournaments, you can be involved and share the thrills of aces and the agony of bogies.
By bringing together our current regional events (covering New England, the mid-Atlantic and Minnesota) and branching out to other areas of the country (starting with Texas and South Carolina) we hope to fill the need in having a true nationwide alliance of miniature golf players. This is an organization built with the players in mind first and foremost. Nearly all of us spent time on Holey Moley and during those late nights filming, we got to realize there is a huge world of minigolf fans out there looking for a way to connect all of their endeavors.
We developed a structure for our first year that allows us to try a few things and see if they stick. The introductory nature of our alliance is why, for at least this first year, it will be free to be a member. In the future we hope to grow the tournament listing, get members more involved in some decision making and yes, raise some money to support some national prizes and marketing.
Our organization is not meant to be a competitor to the USPMGA or Putt Putt, but rather something that can grow and support those major tournament providers. We want to be recognizable across the country and the world as a comfortable stepping stone for people who want to be part of a broad competitive community. We want this community to be passionate but also respectful of all members, courses and programs. There's no place in the AMA for hate. As one of members says "Minigolf is for Everyone."
We'll be sharing our tournament line-up as the year goes on as well as other events in the minigolf world. First up, you’ll be seeing more about the International Mini Golf Summit in early February, which will include course and registration information.
We encourage you to check out our partners' pages as well as the other putting organizations to find a myriad of events around the nation. We want you to connect with other players and if you have questions or suggestions - reach out! We look forward to joining you in this journey around the course and hope that all your putts find the bottom of the cup!
Let's all putt when ready!
