Definitions of Miniature Golf

A look at names for the game of miniature golf.

Minigolf Miraflores in Mallorca, Spain in May 2023

There are a number of different names for the game of minigolf. While there are some design standards for courses, most would be regarded as 'fantasy' courses where the end result is limited only by imagination, building regulations and budgets.

In the UK many people would refer to 'minigolf' as 'crazy golf'. This is me and the sign for 'The Original Crazy Golf' course (established in 1926) in Skegness, Lincolnshire back in May 2015

Here's a look at the common names for the game of putting:

Minigolf (also Mini Golf, Mini-Golf, Miniature Golf) – Minigolf is a catch-all name for the game and can be used to describe every type of course no matter its make-up or design.

Some Pitch & Putt and Par-3 Golf courses also describe themselves as Minigolf / Miniature Golf.

Adventure Golf – Adventure Golf is a relatively new name for the game and mostly describes a course with theming such as pirates, jungles, dinosaurs and space.

Crazy Golf – Crazy Golf is a name most commonly used in the UK. It is seldom, if ever, used overseas except in tourist spots popular with UK natives.

An equivalent name in the USA would be Goofy Golf.

Mini-putt – Mini-putt courses are similar in appearance to Putt-Putt courses however they have distinct standardised hole designs and are particular to Canada.

"Mini-putt" is the Québécois term for the game of minigolf, thanks largely to the popularity of the Quebec cable sports show 'Défi mini-putt' in the 1970s and 80s.

Pitch & Putt – Sometimes Pitch & Putt courses will use the name Miniature Golf or Minigolf.

Putt-Putt – Putt-Putt is a trademark and denotes specific patented types of miniature golf courses. Most courses can be found in the USA, with some still in operation in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Putt-Putt is sometimes incorrectly used as a catch-all / interchangeable name with Minigolf to describe a course or the game.

Putting – Grass Putting courses and Putting Greens are a type of minigolf and are often found at the seaside or in parks and gardens.

We have found 100 synonyms, types and variants of minigolf on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour travels to date.

Crazy Golf at the Yorkshire Ice Cream Farm Hatfield, Doncaster

What do you call the game? Do let us know in the comments.

Number of holes on a miniature golf course

Most minigolf courses consist of either 9 or 18 holes. There are also a number of 12-hole courses. Some venues have two, three or four separate 9-hole or 12-hole courses to create 36-hole centres.

Some courses classify themselves as 19-hole courses by including a Lucky Last Hole where a free game can be won.

Pop-up miniature golf

There are also a growing number of pop-up minigolf courses created for retailtainment activity and promotions, sports tasters, marketing events, art installations and more.

Miniature Golf competitions and tournaments

As well as being played as a fun, leisure activity there is also an official competition side to the game.

Tournament play is more established in continental Europe, although the UK and USA have governing bodies and hold a number of competitions each year.

The World Minigolf Sport Federation

The World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) is the governing body for minigolf and has member nations around the world.

Players competing in official WMF tournaments tend to use putters specially designed for the needs of minigolfers as well as minigolf balls made of rubber and designed with competition players in mind, allowing them to find the best hole-in-one shot.

Tournaments are held on four types of minigolf courses and the WMF has its own definitions:

Feltgolf – Feltgolf courses (also known as Swedish Felt) are a type of course made of a felt covered wooden base consisting of 18 holes from a selection of 32 standardised designs.

Concrete – Concrete courses (also known as Beton) are a type of course made of a concrete base with metal rails as borders. They consist of 18 standardised holes. Some courses have a mirror-image of certain designs.

Miniaturegolf – Miniaturegolf courses (also known as Eternit) are a type of course made of a thin concrete material consisting of 18 holes from a selection of 28 standardised designs.

Minigolf Open Standard (MOS) – these are courses that do not fit into the above standard types and would be more recognisable to most players in the UK and USA. MOS courses include Adventure Golf courses, Crazy Golf layouts and Minigolf courses that take inspiration from regular golf. Each hole on a WMF-sanctioned MOS course can range from 3 to 40 metres in length.

Competitions are also held on the Stern Golf and Cobi Golf systems, although these types of courses are not well known outside of Germany.