29th Lee Stoddard Dolphin Open Recap
At 29 years running, the Lee Stoddard Dolphin Open (which has had a few names over the years) is one of the longest running miniature golf tournaments in the nation. Dolphin Mini Golf was hand built by the late owner Lee Stoddard and a few years after opening he brought competitive miniature golf to the greens. The highlight of the course was hosting the 2008 U.S. Open, the first time the tournament had been held outside of Myrtle Beach. The course is a mix of more traditional banking holes, some obstacles and a couple unique shaped and carpeted ones in the form of a dolphin and a whale. A score of below 36 is a must have to do well in this tournament.
Dolphin Mini Golf from the upper corner at Hole 7
Prior to 2016, the Dolphin Open was primarily a 10 round event held over two days - 8 rounds on Saturday (3 morning, 3 afternoon, 2 night) and 2 rounds on Sunday. After 2016, the tournament took a few different forms but the past 2 years has settled back into the normal pattern. Players will often comment that the night rounds in the cool Maine September air are some of the most enjoyable competitive rounds they have ever played.
Justin Seymour taking his second on Hole 11
The 2022 event seemed to be all about one thing - could anyone dethrone Justin Seymour who has come up from Connecticut for years and was sitting on a three-peat streak of winning. Unfortunately for the field, despite some opening gambits, Seymour would put on a clinic in consistency and finish with a 34.6 average and a whopping 14 stroke win over second place, earning him $500 and a wonderful champions trucker hat. The fight was then on for the rest of the podium spots as Mark “Highlighter” Novicki eeked out the silver by one stroke over Pat Sheridan. Todd Viau, all the way from Michigan, put a challenge on both of them but ended up 4 strokes behind Sheridan. Local owner of the next door Ice Cream Hut, Katrina Dunsmore, would take the final paying spot at 5th.
The event also features two special prizes. Novicki would win the prize for 1st ace on hole 15, which is the least aceable hole on the course. For that you get $100. After the event everyone also gets one shot at an ace on hole 18 and all winners split a $100 prize. This year was the first time in recent memory that there was no winner!
The 2023 event will be held the weekend after Labor Day, September 9 and 10, 2023. Full results from 2022 can be found here.
