From its beginning, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and during the entire depression, miniature golf spread like wild fire all over the country. Corner lots in most cities were covered with sawdust and poor folks had their own country clubs.For the next decade and a half the sport grew into an estimated 40,000 courses. Even while other businesses were crumbling, miniature golf exploded with popularity.It wasnt until the second world war that lack of personal leisure time caused the industrys first downswing.It took two entrepreneurs from Scranton, Pennsylvania to breathe fresh life into this once dynamic industry. Ralph and Al Lomma, brothers, opened their first miniature golf course in Scranton in the early 1950s. The immense popularity of their local course caused them to open several others.By 1955 Lomma Miniature Golf was in the business of selling miniature golf courses to the general public. One of the brothers, Al, toyed with the motors, gears, belts, and moving parts which could block the path of a wellstruck putt.These obstacles proved to be the secret of the immense success attained by the Lommas.As the oldest and largest manufacturers of miniature golf courses in the world, with over 5,000 courses sold worldwide, Ralph Lomma , and his late brother Al, are credited as being the fathers of modernday miniature golf. Just one of the Lommas inventions was the placing of a clowns face at the end of the game.Where the lucky customer could win a free game by hitting the clowns nose. This last shot also served as the owners control, as the balls were locked inside the obstacle and the balls played were electronically counted.Since many of Lommas customers are absentee owners, this crowd pleasing chance to win a free game, also gave the owner the best control over cash revenue.Because miniature golf is a noninventory, noncommodity business, the cash revenues stay with the owner. Operators of courses are basically renting air, and dont have inventory to replace. In most cities, the cost of one movie ticket would allow a family of four to play miniature golf. It is also one of the few events the entire family can participate in together.

Address: 305 Cherry St. Scranton, PA 18505
Telephone: (570) 346-5559
Fax: (570) 346-5580
Website: http://www.lommagolf.com/