All About Mini Golf:

 

Mini Golf, Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf, Putt-Putt, Miniature Golf…the list goes on.

 

There are many names that all point to the same game. These have popped up and stuck from different cultures and locations over time.

In general, Mini Golf is the umbrella name or encompassing name for the sport (a golf hole that is mini) it is a version of the sport of golf, but only focuses on the putting part of the game.

Each game name has a slight twist with different rules, regulations and design. Let’s take a look at the variety of courses there are relating to mini golf and what benefits and differences there are between them all.

 

 

Miniature Golf Courses:

• These are the most common type of course found throughout the world and often found in holiday parks, tourist locations and seaside resorts. They don’t look pretty but do serve a purpose.
• These types of course are also the most commonly used for competition level mini golf. They are constructed mainly of fibre reinforced cement and there are 28 standard hole designs that can be chosen from for a course.
• Although the holes are often the shortest in length, they can be some of the most challenging to play.
• They don’t require a lot of space and a full 18-hole competition course can be sited inside of 600-800m2.
• When playing competitively, you are not allowed to stand or walk on the course or obstacles, even when putting. You have to complete your putt from tee to cup, whilst standing off the lanes.

 

Felt Golf: These particular courses are more common in Sweden and Finland. The surface is made of felt and the edges are made from wood. You are allowed to stand on these courses when you play, but you should avoid walking on the lanes as there is a risk of carrying dirt or small stones onto the course. You can also select the holes from almost 40 different hole types, even though not all of these are used for competing.
	Concrete Courses: First constructed in the 1950’s by Paul Bongni who came from Switzerland. These courses are very popular throughout Europe and have an assortment of obstacles that are used on the putting lanes for players to putt around. These are fixed/permanent courses and are constructed of concrete with steel edgings. The putting lanes and surfaces are often painted green, red or sometimes blue. You are allowed to stand and walk on these lanes as this will not affect the surface.
Crazy Golf: These courses are very similar to concrete mini golf courses. They are often made of concrete or wood with metal edgings with a simple hole layout. Instead of having obstacles to play around – each hole has a challenge or obstacle on the playing surface that you have to play through or over to complete the hole. These courses can be found in many seaside towns and resorts, inner-city centres and are now looking rather outdated and in need of repair.

 

Adventure Golf:

Adventure golf takes Mini Golf to a ‘hole’ new level. As well as being able to offer enjoyment to all, Adventure Golf also offers the added sense of excitement through the use of specialist theming, FX and more… Essentially, Mini Golf in a themed environment.

 

Courses often have large decorative features to the side and over the top of the holes and you have to negotiate humps, bumps, slopes, thicker grass (rough) and occasional play through obstacles on the greens.

 

Courses tend to follow a particular theme or story – Jurassic Golf, Lost World Golf, Safari Golf, Historic Golf, Woodland Adventure Golf and so on.

Adventure Golf courses are bespoke built to suit each individual site and although some hole designs may be preferred for playability, there is no particular list of set hole layouts to work from.

 

The optimum course would include pathways and themed hole signage to guide visitors around the course and keep a good flow of traffic. Ideally, pathways should be DDA compliant to allow for buggy and wheelchair users.  An excellent example of this is the Fairhaven Lakes Adventure Golf in Fylde near Blackpool that we completed for Fylde Council. See the full case study here.

 

Other theming elements can include large artificial rock formations, crashed planes and vehicles, waterfalls and water features, large sculptures or models, dinosaurs and more.

Courses can also be constructed indoors or undercover so visitors can play all year round as well as into late hours of the night.

 

Why Install Adventure Golf?:

There are a few reasons why it may be a good idea to include adventure golf as part of your offering.

• The Adventure Golf business model can be extremely profitable
• Ongoing and maintenance costs are very low
• The cost of sale is only a few pence (cost of scorecard, pencil & general wear)
• Can be placed in any location with a captive audience and organic footfall
• Appeals to all ages and demographics
• Can be included in tourist and non-tourist areas
• Require minimal marketing spend

Read our blog ‘Why add Adventure Golf or Mini Golf to your venue?’ for the full list of benefits.

 

For many countries, adventure golf helps fill a gap in between individual attractions like ice rinks and cinemas to multi-attraction sites like Theme Parks that offer something for all age groups. Unlike these attractions, Adventure Golf is a single offering that appeals to and is fun for all ages and abilities.

 

What Do You Need To Install Adventure Golf:

• Land or business unit (size of a 1 tennis court – but preferably 2 or 3)
• Facilities (staff, parking, toilets)
• The demographic area
• Organic footfall
• An excellent design and build partner

 

Greenspan has worked with many companies and venues to help master plan and develop their unused areas to help maximise their profits. We can do the same with your venue.

 

We have a downloadable revenue calculator that can help show the potential annual revenue you could be making by installing Adventure Golf. Get your free revenue calculator by emailing us at sales@greenspanltd.com.

Why Choose Greenspan:

1. We understand the adventure and Mini Golf business.
2. We understand that your course must be playable and fun for all.
3. We understand that your course must be appealing to new and repeat customers.
4. …and most of all, we understand that for it to be worth it, you need to make a decent return.

Also, some of our team have successfully built, run and sold their own courses in the past… so we can offer you the whole package from concept to completion.

We will hold your hand throughout the whole process as well as helping form a realistic business model for your venue or location (if required).

 

Talk to us about how we can help you with your venue. Call us on +442380 476 737 today to get your project moving.

 

See some of the other projects we have completed on our case studies page here:

 

We hope you have enjoyed our post, and we would really like to hear from you in view of helping you on your Mini Golf journey… 

 

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As you may have already seen, we are designers and creators of bespoke play and inspirational leisure spaces that give you, and your venue the ‘WOW’ factor. We deliver something unique for each and every client. Need Help with your project at your visitor attractions?

Talk to us on +44 2380 476 737 or go to our Contact Us page here.