Par Golf
About This Machine
The Moorman Game Company's 1936 Par Golf is a rare and historically obscure pure mechanical (PM) pinball machine, and the only known surviving example of its kind. Its production year is approximated from a paper apron stamped "LICENSE APPROVAL NO. 39 OCT. 20, 1936," since the underlying 1933 patent by Albert S. Moorman (later revealed to be the vaudeville performer known as Bert Wheeler) doesn't exactly match the playfield as built.
Par Golf uses 12 wooden balls, each 1.42 inches in diameter, on a playfield fitted with 16 trap holes. Pushing the coin slide starts the game and dispenses a "Bag-A-Ball" scorecard through a slot for the player to track results by hand. A center knob drops the trapped balls onto the playfield to begin play and closes a metal gate blocking the lower playfield; a separate knob opens that gate, with players trusted on their honor to use it only at the proper moment.
As the sole known surviving example of a game covered by Moorman's 1936 "ball rolling game" patent, Par Golf offers a rare window into pre-flipper, honor-system pinball design, where trust in the player was as central to the rules as the mechanism itself.
Images (23)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Sports - Golf
- Notable Features:
- 12 balls per game. Trap holes (16). Pushing the coin slide starts game and dispenses a "Bag-A-Ball" score card through a slot in the lower left front of cabinet to be used by the player for personal scorekeeping. Pushing the knob at center front of cabinet drops the trapped balls through the playfield for start of play and closes metal gate in upper left playfield to block ball access to lower playfield. Pushing knob on left front of cabinet during play opens this gate. It is on the player's honor to follow the game rules to open this gate only at the proper time. Ball composition: wood, 1.42 inches (36mm) diameter Patent 2,027,244 [BALL ROLLING GAME] filed Oct 3, 1933. Granted Jan 7, 1936 to Albert S. Moorman.