Ralph Lomma is often credited, along with his brother, Al, with popularizing miniature golf

Miniature golf

Miniature golf, or minigolf, is a miniature version of the sport of golf. While the international sports organization World Minigolf Sport Federation prefers to use the name "minigolf", the general public in different countries has also many other names for the game: miniature golf, mini-golf,...

 in the mid 1950s through their design and manufacture of now famous obstacles such as castles, clown heads and windmills. Lomma Enterprises, which Ralph Lomma founded, is still in business today.

History

In 1959, he engineered the development of Elk Mountain

Elk Mountain Ski Area

Elk Mountain Ski Resort is set in the Endless Mountains, 30 miles north of Scranton PA. The mountain has been given favorable reviews from Ski Magazine, including a listing in "Six Unsung Heroes", a roundup of hidden gems in skiing.-History:...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 into a ski resort and in 1961, Lomma founded the Village of Four Seasons, Pennsylvania. Lomma Enterprises is the world's largest supplier for the pint-size sport, with courses in all 50 states and five continents. Lomma claimed that one course was built in a federal penitentiary and another aboard an aircraft carrier, nearly 6,000 miniature golf courses in all.

In the 1980s, Lomma was appointed by Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 to the Coast Guard Commission and sat on the board of directors of Allied Artists film company, at that time involved with the production of The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese is a British 1978 film about a group of mercenaries in Africa. It stars Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris and Hardy Krüger...

, starring Richard Harris

Richard Harris

Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....

, and Cabaret

Cabaret

Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...

starring Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli

Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....

.