Martinez mecca of mini-golf featured
Champions often tread the greens of this nationally acclaimed course, which is considered by golfing experts as one of the greatest in the world.
But it's not the Augusta National. It's the Martinez Putt-Putt Golf and Games that's about to showcased to the country.
The 36-hole putting course, located at 3763 Martinez Blvd., will be featured on a Travel Channel special tonight as one of the 10 world's finest miniature golf courses.
Considering the multitude of mini-golf courses dotting the American landscape, Martinez Putt-Putt owner Mark Ross said he feels a certain vindication at being included in such exclusive company.
"I think it should verify to anybody that we've got a world class miniature golf course in the area that has hosted many tournaments," he said.
A film crew from Michael Hoff Productions, which produced the show entitled Mini Golf Madness, filmed action at the course last June.
Producers, Travel Channel executives and putting experts chose the course for inclusion in the program, which also features putting greens in Chicago, Myrtle Beach, S.C. and a course in Illinois located beneath a funeral home, Ross said.
Ross viewed a preview of the show and said producers chose the top courses from specific mini-golf genres. For example, a course named Camelot in California was picked as the best Medieval-themed course, he said.
"We're considered the best skill-based course," Ross said of his Putt-Putt, which will host three Professional Putters Association regional tournaments this year and was the 2002 site of Putt-Putt National Championships.
The Travel Channel is available to local Knology subscribers on channel 50 and Charter subscribers on channel 52.
Mini Golf Madness airs tonight at 8 and 11 p.m. The show will be replayed on Thursday at 9 p.m. and midnight, Apr. 1 at 10 p.m. and Apr. 2 at 1 a.m., according to the Travel Channel Web site.
"In terms of timeliness, the air date is wonderful," Ross said. "Having the Masters here in a couple of weeks, my hope is that people watching the show that may be coming to the Masters will want to venture over and see us. I think that is the biggest advantage for us."