Carter House, Prairie Village senior, is counting down the days till he can swing a nine iron again. “I miss being in the outdoors—out in the sun,” says House. “I just want to get in a cart with a cooler full of beer and tear that golf course a new one.”

Once Old Man Winter finally loosens his grasp on Lawrence, many students will arise from hibernation and flock to golf courses for some quality time with Mother Nature.

According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the United States is home to more than 2.2 million acres of golf courses. Think of all the water that goes into keeping those courses lush all season long. Think of all the pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer that are needed to keep courses as protected, as pristine, and as green as the Emerald City. With all the toxic runoff, deforestation and harm to natural habitats, maybe these green acres aren’t the place to be.

This information might be disheartening to those of you who eagerly await the days when the weather will finally permit you to take the fuzzy socks off your golf clubs and get freaky-deaky Tiger Woods-style. But never fear, steel swingers. There is a green alternative to hitting the greens: putt-putt.

Ah yes, miniature golf: those delightful plots of land filled with synthetic carpet, fake windmills and two-foot-deep water traps. Who knew that they could be so eco-friendly?

Well, they’re not. They’re not green by any means. Most mini golf courses are made of processed wood and concrete. The turf is made of silicone, rubber and polypropylene, a plastic obtained from a by-product of oil refining. Then there’s all that bright, toxic paint that goes into making courses look like the love child of a community park and a McDonald’s playhouse.

But all those materials are used so these courses will last for decades without much need for maintenance. Ralph Lomma, founder of Lomma Enterprises, a miniature golf course manufacturer, says courses are made to last at least 25 years. And he would know: The man has been making golf courses since 1951. Lomma is credited as the creator of the mini golf windmill and the annoying clown that spits back your balls with a spiteful grin.

There aren’t many things that stay intact and enjoyable a quarter of a century after they were manufactured. And longevity is an important element of sustainability. Even if the courses are made out of eco-no-no’s, they require virtually no upkeep or chemicals, and they take up about 1/300th the amount of land standard golf courses do. They’re there, and they’re not leaving, so you might as well enjoy them.

Lawrence only has one mini golf course, located inside the Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 McDonald Dr., but there are 10 other courses within 35 miles of town.

Some students, like John Irvine, Leavenworth junior, frequent these nearby courses. Irvine and his freinds make the drive to Smiley’s Golf Complex in Lenexa about once a month.

Terri Tuntland, Chicago junior, learned the art of putt-putt from her family members, who often bet on games. Since coming to KU, Tuntland has remained an avid mini golfer. Her only problem is finding worthy opponents.

“I used to go play with this guy I was dating,” she says. “I would kick his butt. I didn’t mean to kill him—I couldn’t help it. Sometimes he would get angry. He broke a putter once.”

Golf is known as a lifetime game that you can enjoy long after your body prevents you from playing contact or fast-paced sports. But when your back and joints start rotting away, and you get that hip replaced, you might think otherwise.

“Mini golf really is a sport for all ages,” says Lomma. “With golf, 4-year-olds are too young to swing a club and 94-year-olds are too old to walk all 18 holes. Mini golf lets a child and his 94-year-old grandpa play together.”

Mini golf truly is a lifelong game. It is a wonder that people often compare life to golf, but not to its miniature counterpart. Maybe life would be a little better if it were more like mini golf. After all, in mini golf, no one takes things too seriously, the obstacles are never too great, and you never have to worry about losing your balls.