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From which country will the World Adventure Golf Tour Final (April 27-28, 2024) come from?


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Finland John Mittler's blog« See all JJM's blogs

MOS minigolf at World Games?
10 Aug 2009 at 09:31 | Posted in: General | Views: 5687 | Comments: 15
World Games is often mentioned in the speeches of minigolf leaders. Also in the documents of WMF Delegates Conference 2009 in Odense. The next World Games will be in Cali, Colombia, 2013. And then somewhere else in 2017, 2021, and so on.


The arena: adventure golf courses only?

World Games organization has many strict rules, which would affect the nature of our game during this sports event. One important detail in World Games rules is the principle that no new structures should be built for the event. This would practically mean that a minigolf competition at World Games would be played on adventure golf courses, because other kind of minigolf courses don't exist in Cali, Colombia, or in other randomly chosen cities around the world.

A quote from World Games website: "Ideally, the event is to be staged at existing venues (...) Existing infratsructure and venues in and around the host city are the determining factor for the sports' selection to be on the Official Sports Program."


Maximum 60 participants (including all men and women)?

The number of participants at World Games is limited to approximately 60 in individual sports — including all categories, both men and women. We could have maybe 20 women and 40 men at the event, no more than that.

The rules of World Games also require that the event must be an "elite
competition, which is reserved for invited competitors of the highest standard only". This means a good-bye to all new and small minigolf countries. Only the best of the best are allowed at World Games (which is true for Olympic Games too: you must be very good, to get the right to participate).

Looking at the top of WMF world ranking, to see which players would possibly have the right to participate in World Games, we see the national team players of the richest (but not necessarily the best) European countries, which can afford to collect ranking points at Nations Cup and at major championships in August.

This would be an interesting question, how to fairly decide which players have the right to participate in World Games — especially if the event would be played on adventure golf courses. The best adventure golf players are in USA, but they have no status whatsoever in WMF world ranking.

The exclusive nature of World Games is a good reason to think of it as something extra, which would be done in addition to the existing competition calendar of WMF. Not something that replaces WMF World Championships, which is an important event to motivate players from new rising minigolf countries, who have no chance to qualify to World Games at this moment.


No team competition possible at World Games?

Another rule of World Games says: "The results in single sports events cannot at the same time count for team events." This is exactly what we are doing at minigolf championships: the first 8 rounds count both for the team competition and for the individual competition. At World Games this is not allowed.

But as we remember the limited number of participants allowed in the event, and the strict requirement that they must be among the best players in the world, any team competition sounds quite unrealistic at World Games. Size of the teams would need to be much smaller than normally, but even then we would have the problem that individual competition rounds cannot be counted to any team competitions.


I don't know anything about the schedules, when World Games organization will make the decisions about the sports events that will be included in World Games 2013 in Colombia. What is the deadline when WMF needs to fulfill the requirements of World Games organization (minimum number of member countries etc.)?

World Games is an interesting dream for minigolf, because it is a higher level of sport experience than our friendly tournaments, where everyone is invited regardless of skill level. World Games is a step towards hardcore sport world, where only the best of the best have the right to step on the arena.

I can smell a hectic debate arising: Who are the 60 best adventure golf players in the world, and how do you prove to World Games organization that these are the best of the best?

previous comments    next comments
Comments (15)

United States of America Smitty (Jeffrey Smith) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 13:32
Hey Bub74, I thought you guys got drug tested in Europe. Based on your comments regarding the best adventure golfers-you must have tested positive. Some of the best USA putters have just started playing adventure golf. Some of the best have not yet played... I believe that the best of the PPA would likely win any team event on a system other than eternit, beton or felt. Americans do not play those systems. Haazeman is being kind, however, to state with a little practice the USA could finish 5th to 7th in a world championship contested on european playing systems.

Sweden Haazeman (Hans  Olofsson) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 10:19
If i remember correctly the US player Bobby Ward scored 72 or 74 at the eternit in Vaasa over 3 rounds, a pretty decent score in my opinion. All respect, he is a very good player, but US has several players way better than Bobby at the moment, with playing skills that would surprise many europeans.

I hope to see some of the best US players in Sweden 2010 and 2011, they would do very good. Maybe not challenge Sweden & Germany, but placing somewhere around 5-7 in teams would be very possible and most likely if having their best players present in Stockholm 2011.

Sweden C-J (Carl-Johan Ryner) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 09:12
I can guarantee that 10 of the top 32 men and top 16 women would not beat a US-team on any course. I'm not saying we couldn't beat them, but there would be a great competition.
When I played in Myrtle Beach in 2004 I really struggled on the three courses. I can't remember where I finished exactly (9th or so) and there were only three Swedes ahead of me. The Americans, and some specialized Europeans, are really good at the game with one golf ball. Just because we excel when have thousands of balls to select from doesn't mean that we can handle their game.

Austria bub74 (Markus Berger) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 09:05
As I said - my view is maybe really limited. I also maybe did not see the "best" americans. And I never saw a "good" Adventure Golf Course. And I have no doubt that the play on a high level, especially when Hans says so - I believe it ...

I just have sometimes the feeling that several things are mixed up. And there are to many medicore adventure golf player who ask fo excuse because the are not used to mid-european style minigolf - and maybe there are also to many courses, which aren´t worth for a championchip. That is something worth to mention!

But there are very good examples (like Jon Angel from GB) who already proof that they can score a very good score (like in Canegrate 2007). Maybe we should go for a adventure golf champ. -> would be nice -> but please - just on course that it is worth ...

Sweden Haazeman (Hans  Olofsson) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 08:21
having experience from playing at the highest international level on all surfaces (not cobi-golf...) I will toss in a few comments.

The best players of Putt-Putt are almost as good at their own game as the Swedes are on felt. I needed 6-7 days of practice and several tournaments to barely match up with the best when I played their national championships in 2004. And I was in very good shape that week!

The same goes for my experience with the adventure golf courses in Myrtle Beach, it took us Swedes several years of participation to be in contention, and in the end we managed to dominate the quest for the green jacket for a few years. Now, the best players with a background from Putt-Putt wins every year, their were not present our first successful years, luckily for us maybe...

I agree that the best european players have a fairly easy time to match up with the Americans on most adventure golf courses. But it all comes down to how the course is set ut. I have also lost to beginners at some occasions, just because some of the courses doesn't reward skill. But again, the best US players are good at their game!

And, I think we would all be up for a big surprise if;
we send a european team to the Putt-Putt Nationals or
US send their 7 best players (background from Putt-Putt) and we gave them proper support on beton and eternit.

In the end it is always hard to compare apples and pears, but some of the US minigolf players deserve much more respect for their skills!

Czech Republic Olivia (Olivia Prokopova) | Delete

11 Aug 2009 at 06:47
Markus. Me is that when considering (a theory) that the World Games was a mini (Adventure golf) is played by players who do not play him and do not want to play. We, who have dedicated his whole life, we stayed home!
I am absolutely no one doubts the art of European players! In particular, Swedish players! Many times I am with them and always played to the experience. I know but also what is the art of American players. This is Adventure golf at a high level. Therefore, any claim that it is better, very brave.
Please excuse my English.

Austria bub74 (Markus Berger) | Delete

10 Aug 2009 at 23:34
yes - maybe I have just a very limited point of view ...
nevertheless someone not involved in the sport should not get the chance to beat a world class player simply because the course design offers him the possibility! PGA tour operator also won´t build a golfcourse - where I can roll me tee-shot into the green - right?

United States of America Blondie (Astra Miglane Stanwyck) | Delete

10 Aug 2009 at 18:48
John, no reason to kill you. Anything that can raise level of competition is great.

Finland JJM (John Mittler) | Delete

10 Aug 2009 at 18:25
As I said, I smell some hectic debate around this topic...

A golfer with handicap under 10 must be very talented (much above the average person) and he must have many years experience of playing with a putter, trying to hit a perfect force and direction. Doesn't sound like a "beginner" to me.

Swedish top players have visited USA quite many times. In the early years they won quite easily, but in the latest 4 or 5 years the competition has become very tough. Also more Putt-Putt players are participating in USPMGA events nowadays, which raises the skill level of the competitions (Astra will kill me for this comment).

Austria bub74 (Markus Berger) | Delete

10 Aug 2009 at 17:56
Simply I do not think that the "best" adventure golf players are located in the USA.
Several europeans showed up in the US and did a good job there - even if the had not much practise and experience on adventure golf. The other way round it never worked on the same level. (Cheering to Astra, she tried hard and had some nice results)
I know this is maybe very, very unpopular und not adventure golfer friendly thinking - but I just saw one year all the skilled players in sweden! They are great artists of playing proper speed shots and they can hit straight with high&low speed shots. Not forgetting the manage spin shots as well. It would be an insult to think that a swedish top player could not beat any adventure golf player. That is my opinion! But anybody can prove that I am wrong. Give me examples!
Next thing is that usually the grade of luck on adventure golf is a lot higher than on other systems. I think it is a little bit wired to be against matchplay and on the hand and at the same time to promote adventure golf for World championchips.
Well maybe I have never seen good quality adventure golf courses ...
I just remember my play `95 in Buddy World against someone who played minigolf the first time, but was a skilled golfer (single handicap). It was a very hard job to win this match - simply because he never missed a put within 1 meter.
Everybody should be honest - if a skilled minigolfer almost looses against a beginner: Something is wrong, right?!
If we need a proove - we need a high-level competion on adventure golf with all world class players. And I don´t think the US guys bring us europeans to tears - as the swedes will do the same to the rest of the world in Odense ...
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