Golf is the sport where you whack a small ball with a club until it goes into a small hole. A golf course’s 18 holes are spread out, so it takes hours to finish a game. Thankfully, someone invented “miniature golf,” where the holes are much closer to each other — and the ball bounces off bumpers and rolls through waterwheels, windmills, and fake animals with their jaws wide open. Every September 21st is Miniature Golf Day, so let’s celebrate — and let’s hope no real gators show up.
Wee ones: If you putt the ball through the alligator’s mouth, then around the castle, then over the bridge, then through the windmill, how many obstacles have you passed?
Little kids: If the spinning windmill blocks every 4th player’s ball starting with the 4th, who’s the next player to get blocked? Bonus: If you’ve played all 18 holes except the alligator at the end, how many holes have you played?
Big kids: If you get through the windmill on just 2 strokes, but then take 4 putts for the alligator and for each of the next 4 animals, how many strokes is that so far? Bonus: If you have a final score of 72 after 18 holes, how many strokes did you take per hole (on average)?
The sky’s the limit: If you score a “hole in one” (get the ball into the hole on 1 putt) on every 3rd hole starting with the 3rd, and your friend gets a hole in one on every 5th hole starting with the 5th, on how many of the 18 holes does nobody get a hole in one?
Answers:
Wee ones: 4 obstacles.
Little kids: The 8th player. Bonus: 17 holes.
Big kids: 22 strokes. Bonus: 4 strokes per hole.
The sky’s the limit: 10 holes. You will score on 6 holes: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18. Your friend will score on 3 holes: 5, 10 and 15. But you already counted hole #15 in your set. So that makes just 8 holes total, leaving 10 holes with no hole in one.
