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An avid golfer, James Barber knew when he immigrated to the United States in 1887 he wanted to settle in Pinehurst, known even back then as a golfer’s haven.
When planning his estate in 1916, he asked his Scottish landscape designer to design a small course for him. Upon seeing the finished work, he replied “thistle dhu” (this’ll do). The world’s first miniature golf course, often called putt-putt, was not for children, however, as Jim Barber designed it for him and his adult friends.
But the name “Thistle Dhu” stuck. Pinehurst now has its own Thistle Dhu Putting Course.
– Ron Smith, S&A Communications