My initial trip to Myrtle Beach was as a spectator to the 2019 Masters. There were a ton of courses I was eager to play with friends on my first visit to this tourist town that is jam-packed with more mini golf than any other city on the planet. I ventured out to the 3 main courses (Aloha, Hawaiian Rumble, Hawaiian Village) where the Masters of Mini Golf are held each year and knew that if I were to take part in the largest US mini golf tournament that I would need a lot of work on my game. After some formal assistance with my form and two years of practice, I anxiously anticipated competing in my first USPMGA Masters. My game plan was to arrive early and soak in all the wisdom from those who had previously competed in the Masters many times over. While Pat Sheridan and Aaron Kaminski provided me with the bulk of guidance in tackling the trio of tropical-themed courses, I received lots of additional advice from other seasoned pros like Frank Bisesi and Mark “Thee Highlighter” Novicki in the three days leading up to the 12-rounds of competition.
The photos and videos below are semi-chronological documentation of my big adventure. While as A Couple of Putts we’ve been documenting our adventures in putting since 2012, I have only taken the competitive game seriously for about 2 years. I set out with modest goals not to come in dead last and despite being fueled by little sleep and loads of anxiety, I ended up tied for 49th place out of 72 of the best competitors from across the country. More importantly, I had a blast competing with my partners for each round and all of the other mini golf pros. This miniature game has been a source of extreme joy for me in my adult life. I worried that by going deep into a rabbit hole of the competitive world I might lose some of the magic but I found my experience at the Masters to be quite the opposite. Fun was had and I’ll certainly be back!