Send CT Minigolfers to World Adventure Golf Finals

Local minigolfers David Vayda (Simsbury) and Caleb Smith (Farmington) are gearing up to represent Connecticut and the United States at the World Adventure Golf (WAG) Tour Finals in Brno, Czech Republic, on April 27 and 28. They will have a shot at one of the largest European minigolf cash purses (over 5,000 EUR) and the glory of potentially bringing an international title to the United States! With over 40 years of golfing experience, David Vayda's journey to the global stage holds special significance as he embraces his Eastern European heritage while competing against top talent from around the world. Joining him is Farmington High’s Caleb Smith, a past winner of many high school and junior golf events who brought that same passion to minigolf that evolved into competitive play, culminating in this prestigious opportunity to vie for victory on an international scale. With support from organizations like The Putting Penguin dedicated to promoting minigolf and community engagement, Vayda and Smith are poised to make their mark at the WAG Tour Finals. Please help them raise funds for this prestigious trip!

Here's a little more about our competitors:

David Vayda

I'm, a 40+ year resident of Simsbury, CT and a finalist and competing in the WAG tournament in the Czech Republic in late April 2024.

I have been playing ‘real’ golf for over 40 years as well and am most recently a proud member of the CT Amatuer golf tour where I sharpen my skills at various golf tournaments throughout the year in New England.

I am super exited and honored to represent CT and the USA in this global event in the Czech Republic at Brno. For me, it means even more as this is an opportunity for me to explore my roots and heritage of eastern Europe as it’s where my father’s family is from. It has been a goal to have the chance to experience and share the culture and visit my parents’ family’s homeland as well as walk in the footsteps of my ancestors.

I would be extremely gracious for any support you can offer me to help offset the costs of travel expenses and accommodations so I can share our culture with others in the world during this event and challenge the best in the world to bring home the gold! I sincerely appreciate your consideration and will keep you all up-to-date on the competition.

Dave during the 2023 MIPA

Caleb Smith

My name is Caleb Smith and I am excited to be representing the US and the state of CT in the World Adventure Golf Tour Final in Brno. I was born and raised in CT and am an avid golfer. I have loved playing in competitive tournaments and with my friends throughout my junior golf career. Through the game of golf, I developed an interest in mini golf as well. It would always just be something I would go do with my friends to have fun, until I learned about the professional circuit when playing in my first Amateur event at the Matterhorn. I have continued my love for mini golf ever since that first tournament and would love the opportunity to make the trip overseas and compete in the World Adventure Golf Tour Finals. Every dollar donated to help the team and I achieve our goals is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use as we go to the Czech Republic and look to bring home the gold. Thank you all for your support and generosity in your donations.

Caleb during the 2023 MIPA

Why are we raising funds?

The world of competitive minigolf is intense but not lucrative (yet!). The cost for each individual to attend is expected to exceed $2,000 when accounting for international airfare, lodging, food and the purchase of additional minigolf equipment to play at the international level. Our two competitors expect to spend at least 5 days on the ground for the tournament and practice as they compete against some of the best miniature golfers in the world. It is not unusual for international miniature golfers, including members of Team USA, to have to pay their own way for these competitions. Any bit that individuals can provide to this cause will help Dave and Caleb fulfill the opportunity of a lifetime.

In addition to the funds raised here, The Putting Penguin will be providing each competitor with a $200 stipend. If more funds are raised than is needed, including if one of our competitors cannot make the event, excess funds will be put toward either supporting next year's US qualifiers of the WAG Tour, supporting members of Team USA or will be put to a charity of the players' choice (possibly after a minigolf match to decide!)

More information about how they earned their spot:

Seven years ago, The Putting Penguin started a minigolf tournament at Matterhorn Minigolf with the intention of bringing together some of the best miniature golfers in the Northeast. Fast forward to 2023 and the 7th Matterhorn International Pro-Am (MIPA) was honored to be the only United States stop on the newly created World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) World Adventure Golf Tour. This tournament is also part of the American Minigolf Alliance 's (AMA) tour schedule.

This meant the winner of MIPA would be automatically qualified to attend a 2023-2024 WAG Tour final in the Czech Republic on April 27 and 28, 2024. Others had the potential to qualify based on their overall finish and ranking against others in the world. They will compete against 11 other winners from WAG tournaments (primarily tournaments held in Central Europe) as well as the top ranked points achievers for a field of 36 competitive minigolfers. Our US putters will be true underdogs in such a competitive field located much closer to the finals site. You can find the complete list of Final competitors here.

We are rallying support for two individuals who are longtime friends of the Penguin. Our goal is to help the US be well represented in this tournament!

David Vayda ended up winning with an ace over Justin Seymour and with that auto-bid and the points calculation both have qualified for this tour final! Caleb Smith, a past winner of the amateur division at MIPA, made a big move in the final round to work his way up the leaderboard and secure third place.

The location of the final is the same venue where the 2024 World Adventure Golf Masters (WAGM) will be played, so Dave and Caleb will have an early view of what those international competitors, including Team USA, will face in June 2024.

The Tour Final is expected to be live streamed so we can watch our friends compete! For an example of some of the other live streaming done by the WAG Tour, you can check out some of the New Zealand Open .

Justin Seymour (previously qualified but can no longer make it)

When I was younger I always had a love for mini golf. There was a course right down the street from where I grew up in East Hartford, CT. Any chance that I got to go with my brother and dad I was always full of excitement. Throughout the years this excitement has never left me, and as a teenager I learned that there are actually mini golf tournaments that you can compete in. I played in my first ever tournament when I was in High School and won in the amateur division. Since then I have been hooked on these tournaments. Qualifying for the Tour Final has been a dream for me, but unfortunately the travel and lodging expenses are a little steep and I am asking for any donations possible. This would be a life experience I would never forget, and really would be a dream come true to participate in this amazing event.

For more about how Dave got to earn this honor you can watch the full 3rd round video and the playoff below. Caleb also appears as the first putter in the final round video.

MIPA Final Round Video:

Playoff Video:

About the WMF WAG Tour

This new miniature golf tour, focused specifically on adventure golf (the type we are most familiar with in the US) started its inaugural year with 12 tournaments in 11 countries. You can read all about the tour in the official announcement as well as information about the second season which was just released.

About The Putting Penguin:

The Putting Penguin started in 2001 as a miniature golf course review website. We have grown over the years to include coverage on social media of all things minigolf, including being actively involved in the competitive community playing in events in both the United States and internationally. We have also been active in organizing tournaments, with the latest being the Matterhorn International Pro-Am. You can find the whole history of that tournament here .