100 names for Miniature Golf

A look at different names for miniature golf.

Looney Golf in Bradford - the name makes a change from the 'usual' Crazy Golf often found in the UK

There are a number of different names for the game of miniature golf and on our crazy golfing adventures we've found 100 different names for it:

1. 3D Golf
2. 4D Golf
3. 5 Star Crazy Golf
4. Abenteuergolf
5. Adventure Crazy Golf
6. Adventure Golf
7. Adventure Golf Grass Putting
8. Adventure Putting
9. Bahnegolf
10. Bangolf
11. Beach Golf
12. Beton
13. Blacklight Indoor Mini Golf
14. Carpeted Miniature Golf
15. Chrizy Golf
16. Circuito de Minigolf
17. Cosmic Golf
18. Crazee Golf
19. Crazier Golf
20. Crazier Nolf
21. Crazy Adventure Golf
22. Crazy Golf
23. Crazy Golf Adventure
24. Crazy Golf Pool
25. Crazy Jungle Golf
26. Crazy Pool
27. Crazy Putting Challenge
28. Crazy Snooker
29. Cwrs Golff Bach
30. Eternit
31. Extraordinary Golf
32. Fantasy Golf
33. Feltgolf
34. Garden Adventure Golf
35. Garden Minigolf
36. Ghetto Golf
37. Golf Byr
38. Golff Anturus
39. Golff Bach
40. Golf FX
41. Golff Giamocs
42. Golff Gwallgof
43. Golff Gwirion
44. Golff Gwyllt
45. Golff Mini
46. Golf Trail
47. Grass Putting
48. Gwallgolff
49. Hindernis Billard
50. Indoor Adventure Golf
51. Indoor Crazy Golf
52. Indoor Miniature Golf
53. Indoor Mini Golf
54. Indoor Minigolf
55. Junkyard Golf
56. Jurassic Golf
57. Krazy Golf
58. Le Mini Golf
59. Llain Bytio
60. Looney Golf
61. Maes Golff
62. Magical Crazy Golf
63. Magical Golf
64. Magical Golf FX
65. Midgetgolfbaan
66. Mini Golf
67. Mini-Golf Garden
68. Mini Putting
69. Mini Sculpture Golf
70. Miniature Crazy Golf
71. Miniature Golf
72. Miniaturgolf
73. Miniaturegolf
74. Miniatvre Golf
75. Minigolf
76. Minigolff
77. NIFO Steel Minigolf
78. Novelty Golf
79. Obstacle Golf
80. Pit-Pat
81. Pit-Pat Table Golf
82. Pitch & Putt
83. Plonk Golf / Plonk! Golf
84. Portable Crazy Golf
85. Portable Minigolf
86. Portaputt
87. Putting
88. Putting Course
89. Putting Green
90. Putt Putt
91. Ratagolf
92. Realistic Miniature Golf
93. Retro Golf
94. Rock N Golf
95. Snookergolf
96. Super tech mini golf
97. Swedish Felt
98. Table Golf
99. Themed Golf
100. Woolly Golf / Wooly Golf

Do you know of any other names, or call it something else yourself? Do let us know in the comments.

Our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

When our travels began in 2006 there were around 600 courses in the UK. There are now more than 1,000, and there are lots of new places to play the game opening all the time. Several courses have closed over the years, while others have been refurbished, redeveloped or completely transformed into new layouts.

All the of the changes and updates means our minigolf quest to visit every course is becoming never-ending! When we originally set off to visit as many courses as possible the target list was 600 in the British Isles. We've still got around 50 of those original courses to visit.

We've now been to 1,064 courses overall in the last 18 years, with 1,007 of those locations in the British Isles.

Together with my brother Christopher - a charter member of the tour - and his family, we've visited a total of 1,111 courses.

Our travels have been recognised by the Guinness World Records, and I'm a record holder for "Most miniature golf courses visited" (902 at the time of going to press). Check out the Guinness World Records 2024 book to see a lot more minigolf records too!

You can see all of the courses we've visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour list.

Related blog posts:

• Definitions of Miniature Golf
• Types and Variants of Miniature Golf

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.

The Himalayas Miniature Golf course at St Andrews

A look at The Himalayas putting course in St Andrews, Scotland - the world's first Miniature Golf course.

Emily playing The Himalayas course at the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club back in 2012

Playing The Himalayas course at the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club

The layout was created in 1867 and is the world's first Miniature Golf course.

When we visited there were two courses to play, an 18-hole course and a 9-hole layout. They were an absolute pleasure to play and one of my very best putting experiences.

The two courses at The Himalayas became the 292nd and 293rd miniature golf courses played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Visit the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club website for more information.

Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club

A look back at the Crazy Putting Challenge minigolf course at Hamptworth Golf Club - the 875th course we visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Crazy Putting Challenge minigolf course at Hamptworth Golf Club (May 2019)

Our 2019 trip to Southampton saw us visit 18 more courses on our tour, playing eight of them. One of the courses we had a round on was the Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club in Wiltshire.

On hole 4

The excellent 9-hole course was the 875th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour and the 511th played.

We really enjoyed our game on the Crazy Putting Challenge at Hamptworth Golf Club. The staff at the club were very welcoming and we could've easily spent a few more hours enjoying the course.

The Rules of the Crazy Putting Challenge course

In our match-up over 18-holes I won with a score of 41 (20 and 21) to Emily's 44 (22 and 22).

Playing hole 4

Emily on hole 1

I played two further rounds to try to shoot a sub-20 score, but hit another 21 and 20. It's the sort of course I could've played over and over again.

Playing hole 5

Check out my blog post with videos of me playing each of the 9-holes.

Teeing-off on hole 8

There was a nice little Putting Green at the Club too and a number of people were enjoying a round on the big golf course. Big being the operative word, as Hamptworth Golf Club is home to a 666 yard par-6 hole!

The Putting Green

Hole 9 was the longest hole on the Crazy Putting Challenge course

Photos of the 9-hole Crazy Putting Challenge course.

Hole 1

Hole 2

Hole 3

Hole 3

Hole 4

Hole 5

Hole 6

Hole 6

 

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 7

Hole 8

Hole 9

Hole 9

Visit the Hamptworth Golf Club website for more information on the venue.

Minigolf courses in Manchester & Greater Manchester

A look at minigolf courses in Manchester & Greater Manchester.

There are a number of options for minigolfing in Greater Manchester, with a variety of courses to play, ranging from traditional crazy golf to indoor minigolf to new adventure golf layouts. The city centre itself has seen an increase in courses over the last few years and there are more to open in the coming months too!

Here's a list of the minigolf courses in Manchester

• Paradise Island Adventure Golf at the Trafford Centre - two indoor adventure golf courses
• Junkyard Golf at First Street - three indoor crazy golf courses.
• Treetop Adventure Golf at The Printworks in Manchester - two indoor adventure golf courses
• Dino Falls Adventure Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre - two outdoor adventure golf courses
• Roxy Ball Room on Deansgate - indoor mini golf course
• Roxy Ball Room on Withy Grove - indoor crazy pool (think of a cross-between pool and crazy golf)
• Putters Crazy Golf at the Urban Playground in Manchester Arndale - indoor crazy golf
• Crazy Golf at Challenge Point Manchester - indoor crazy golf
• Mini Golf at King Pins at the Manchester Arndale - indoor mini golf

Here's a list of the minigolf courses in Greater Manchester

• The Lost Valley Adventure Golf at Amazonia, Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton - an indoor adventure golf course
• Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan - an outdoor adventure golf course
• Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan - an outdoor crazy golf course
• UV Crazy Golf at One Adventure in Droylsden - an indoor crazy golf course
• Pitch & Putt at Bruntwood Park in Cheadle, Stockport - an outdoor miniature golf course
• Puttstars at Rochdale Riverside - three indoor minigolf courses
• Park Square, Cheadle Heath, Stockport - an outdoor Putting Green (for tenants only)
• Parr Fold Park in Walkden - a Pitch & Putt course
• Kearsley Golf Range - Pitch & Putt and Putting Greens
• Victoria Park in Pendlebury, Swinton - an outdoor putting green
• Buile Hill Park in Salford - a Pitch & Putt course
• Woodheys Park in Sale - a Pitch & Putt course
• HUKD Golf in Bury - indoor crazy golf

Minigolfing in Manchester

We've been travelling to play minigolf in Manchester on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since 2009 when I won the Mini Masters and Mini Open at the Trafford Golf Centre. I also won the Chrizy Golf Masters at Piccadilly Place in 2012. We moved to Stockport in 2016 and have continued to compete in events. Emily won the Paradise Island Adventure Golf Open in 2019, while I won the tournament in 2018. I also won the DinoFalls Masters at the Trafford Golf Centre in 2018.

Former courses

• Championship Miniature Golf at the Trafford Golf Centre - an outdoor miniature golf course
• Chrizy Golf at Piccadilly Place - pop-up Christmas-themed crazy golf course
• Tea Party Mini Golf at Spinningfields, Manchester - a pop-up mini golf course
• Junkyard Golf at the Great Northern Warehouse and at Piccadilly Place - indoor crazy golf courses
• Alexandra Park in Edgeley, Stockport - an outdoor crazy golf course
• Walkden Town Centre - pop-up crazy golf course

Derelict and abandoned courses

• Stamford Park, Stamford Street, Stalybridge, Tameside - an outdoor crazy golf course
• Wythenshawe Park, Wythenshawe - an outdoor crazy golf course

Please do get in touch and let us know of any other minigolf, crazy golf, adventure golf, pitch & putt, or putting layouts we don't yet know about in the area.

Atomic Golf in Las Vegas

A new miniature golf course is opening as part of a golfing venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Atomic Golf opens next to The STRAT in Las Vegas this month.

The venue will be home to a variety of golf games, including the Putting District - which is described as a modernized putting game experience.

Check out the Atomic Golf Las Vegas website for more information.

It'll be another new minigolf venue to visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on our next next trip to the city.

Miniature Golf did you knows...?

Did you know these things about miniature golf?

• The world's first miniature golf course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867.
• James Barber opened the first minigolf course in the USA in 1916. The 'Lilliputian' miniature golf course was called 'Thistle Dhu' and located in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
• A Miniature Golf contest was part of the Olympic Games at the 1904 St Louis Games in the USA.
• Crazy Golf is 97 years old in 2023. The first course opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England in 1926.

At The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness in May 2015

• 1926 also saw the first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA. Garnet Carter opened the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• The first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place on the 23rd October 1930.
• The first Putt-Putt brand miniature golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA in 1954.

What are your favourite minigolf facts and stats?

Minigolf did you knows...?

Did you know these things about minigolf?

• The world's first miniature golf course was set-up at St Andrews, Scotland in 1867.

Playing The Himalayas at St Andrews in April 2012

• James Barber opened the first minigolf course in the USA in 1916. The 'Lilliputian' miniature golf course was called 'Thistle Dhu' and located in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

• A Miniature Golf contest was part of the Olympic Games at the 1904 St Louis Games in the USA.

• Crazy Golf is 97 years old in 2023. The first course opened on South Parade in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England in 1926.

At The Original Crazy Golf in Skegness in May 2015

• 1926 also saw the first artificial miniature golf course open in the USA. Garnet Carter opened the 'Tom Thumb' miniature golf course near Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

• The first National Tom Thumb Golf Championship took place on the 23rd October 1930.

• The first Putt-Putt brand miniature golf course was set-up by Don Clayton in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA in 1954.

What are your favourite minigolf facts, stats and did you knows?

Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing

A look at the grass Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing, West Sussex.

I swung by the Putting course at Marine Gardens in Worthing on my recent trip to the seaside town.

We first visited the course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2010.

A mini golf putting postcard from Burgh Hall in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

A look at a miniature golf postcard from our collection.

Here's a postcard showing a mini golf grass putting course at Burgh Hall Country Club Chalet & Caravan Park in the 1970s.

The card was posted to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne from Lowestoft, Suffolk on the 24th May 1977.

BURGH HALL COUNTRY CLUB postcard. Posted 24 May 1977

We'll be heading back to Great Yarmouth this summer for the Big Mini Golf Tour taking place across miniature golf courses in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby and Gorleston-on-Sea.

Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker Scorecard and a minigolf sign from Littlehampton

A couple of items from the Crazy Golf Museum's collection.

Here's a scorecard from the Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker course Littlehampton, West Sussex.

Pit-Pat Crazy Snooker Scorecard from Littlehampton

We played the course in 2014, two years after first visiting it. It was superb fun.

Unfortunately the course at Western Putting on Banjo Road in Littlehampton is long gone, along with the Crazy Golf and Putting layouts that were there too.

Mini Golf and Putting Leaderboard from Littlehampton

Many thanks to Anthony Pope for donating the items to the Crazy Golf Museum.

Grass Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley

We visited the grass Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire last week.

The Mini Golf Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley

It became the 975th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.

 

Putting Course in Northcliffe Park, Shipley

A visit to the Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

We swung by Northcliffe Park in Shipley, West Yorkshire on our recent journey back from Leeds as we'd seen the park was home to a Putting Course.

The entrance to the course

The course looked like a nice layout and in good condition.

A fine looking green

You get a lovely view of the area from the course

The course is played on a sloping layout

One of the long miniature golf holes

A view from the green of the last hole

Unfortunately the Ticket Office was closed (and looked long since abandoned!) and there was nowhere else to hire clubs and balls from.

The Putting Course at Northcliffe Park in Shipley became the 975th course visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour since September 2006.