Since the 15th century, the invention period of the game of golf, thousands of changes have taken place in the rules and regulations, including the course design. The incredible thing about the changes in course design is the mini or miniature golf course. As the requirement of common space for building this tiny golf course, most Americans like to own it in their backyard. Besides, this small space of mini-course can provide every facility like a natural course. However, the putting greens build on artificial turf with different moving obstacles can give an honest golf green feeling. So for presenting all related information about the mini-golf course, including its construction procedure, we write this article for those who want to own it.
- Mini-golf course with its types.
- What is the benefit of having a miniature course for playing golf?
- How to make the plan for building in your backyard?
- The mini-golf course building process.
- How much does it cost to build a mini-golf course?
Table of Contents
Mini-golf Course
Miniature golf is nothing but the tiny version of its parent game. The critical difference in the mini-course design is the distance from the tee to the cup. Usually, In designing the holes on the mini-golf course, hole distances are 10 yards. Besides, the number of holes also varies for the available area. Anyone can choose the hole orientation from 28 diverse categories of holes for establishing them. Perhaps nine holes are standard, and a 20-25 meters space is enough for building this miniature course. However, the documentation articulates that 1912 was the year to construct the first mini-golf course. But we are Introducing the geometric form for building mini-courses in the early 20th century. Generally, a remote course system uses carpets, turfs, or concrete for its putting green. Besides, course obstacles include tube tunnels, ramps, windmills, concrete walls, metal things, and fiberglass. According to golf history, the first miniature golf course was built up in The Ladies Putting Club in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1867. It has become so popular that many private companies are registered their patented miniature course designs.
Types of the mini-golf course
The World Minigolf Sport Federation approved four types of golf course design. These are –
1. Beton or Bongni Course
In 1950, Paul Bongni first constructed this type of mini-course in Switzerland as he was a citizen of Switzerland, mainly found around Austria, South Germany, and Switzerland. However, now you will find this mini-golf course all over Europe. Beton is also known as concrete because the artificial turf is constructed in the concrete ground. Every playing golf course uses steel materials to build the cutting mat’s borders and 18 different obstacles set throughout the course area. The average length of the Bongni course track is around 10 to 12 meters. The most attractive feature is that players can practice putting while standing on the lanes. The building cost of this mini-golf course is comparatively high and needs more space than other types. Still, many clubs have this kind of mini-course. And, the recreational golfers love to practice on it because the course scenario looks too charming to them.
2. Eternite Course
Miniature golf courses are the most familiar all over the world. This artificial golf turf builds on a fiber cement base and requires more or less 600-800 square meters of area. There have 18 different categories of holes for setting on this specialized course. For the tournament miniature course, 18 spots include in the design, and the size of the mini-golf hole is pretty tiny than any other course used for playing golf. After that, golfers like to play on these courses because they get the holes more challenging than other mini-courses. The only drawback of this course is that it requires additional maintenance for starting play in the early spring. Besides, players can’t stand on it when they swing their clubs on the putting mats.
3. Felt Course
The felt courses are famous in Sweden and Finland. Because the surface feels like the natural grass of the playground, this mini-course is named regarded or felt. Yet, it was built first in Sweden, now felt become famous in all cities in Europe. This mini-golf course requires around 1000 to 1500 square meters to set up all necessary equipment for playing. The construction material, wood, is used to build its borders. Some holes are much longer comparing the miniature holes. That’s why beginners get difficulties while playing on it. But pro golfers enjoy the challenges while trying to send the ball into the longer holes. The 40 various types of spots can choose for the felt course, but all of them can’t use for tournament play. The course owner must inform the participants about the approved mini-golf hole for the competitions. Every year, many international tournaments arrange in the felt courses. The participants can stand on the lanes while striking the balls, but they can’t walk over the tracks. Besides, as the area is vast, there have more opportunities to make the landscape gorgeous for the golfers.
4. MOS or Minigolf Open Standard Course
Minigolf Open Standard (MOS) Courses are the most customary courses in North America and Great Britain. Generally, artificial grasses use for mini-courses. The MOS course has also been named The Adventure Golf and the Crazy Golf. In 2007, The WMF approved this mini-golf course to firm the federation status. This approval also helps to spread out the movement of the mini-golf all over the world. It also allows the WMF members to generate basic rules and regulations for their mini-courses with non-standardized golf tracks or lanes. The materials used to construct and construct the MOS courses, including the surface areas, frames, and obstacles approved by WMF. The construction materials and lane’s sizes and shapes are completely different from the other approved three types, concrete, miniature, and felt mini-golf courses.
The above four types of mini-golf courses belong to the permanent categories. With the modernization of the technologies, we get various innovative or angled pieces of equipment in the golf industry. You can quickly build a temporary mini-course in your backyard or office premises with that elements.
Related: Famous Gols Courses in the USA
Benefits of having a miniature course for playing golf
In this advanced age of the world, the stress of hard work deteriorates our mental health every day. We all know it but can’t find out some free time from the daily routine for relaxation. Still, many people, excluding the pro, like to play golf as a recreation game and keep their minds fresh and energetic for doing any challenging task. In this tough situation, if you love to play golf and have a backyard where you can establish a tiny course for swinging your golf clubs, you are one of the most blessed people in the world. Because if you have a miniature golf course near you where you can easily spend some leisure time, keep you refreshed for the next few days — the advantages of having a mini-golf course state below.
- You will not compensate your working time for playing.
- It helps you to spend some quality time and refresh your mind.
- You can also take an opportunity to give quality time to your family, friends, and children.
- The mini-course allows your teens to make a habit of playing.
- You don’t need to follow golf etiquette while playing with friends or colleagues.
- Your children also help make the mini-course design and make it joyful for them.
- You can use any of your loving statues or dolls as obstacles.
- It is also an elegant place for entertaining the guests in your sweet home.
How To Build A Mini-Golf Course In your Backyard?
If you want to establish a tiny backyard course for playing golf, you don’t need to hire an architect. You can quickly make it following only three steps.
- Step-1: Planning
- Step-2: Designing
- Step-3: Implementation
Step-1: Miniature course plans
The perfect mini-course design entirely depends on the available space in your backyard. However, your budget is also a vital factor. So, at first, you have to make a detailed plan for building your miniature backyard golf ground like a business model. You can choose any building materials, cheap or expensive, for your tiny playground and give an ordinary or professional look. Everything ultimately depends on your choice. And, if you want to shift any obstacle or temporary things from the course area, you can do it at any time. Another essential aspect that should consider for the design is the type of mini-course. Because if you want to build it temporarily, your plan will be different from designing a permanent mini-course. Besides, the course type you decide to implement must suit your backyard pattern. So it would be best if you made your mini-golf course planning more carefully.
Step-2: Preparing A rough Sketch design for the backyard course
After deciding where you want to build your miniature course, it’s time to draw the rough design. When you apply your creative design of the mini-course, you may change a lot on it. So you don’t need to worry about the rough sketch. It is your backyard course. So, you can go with your own choice without any hesitation. Depending on the available space, you have to decide how many holes you want to dig for playing. The number of hole miniature significantly affects choosing the fun obstacles you want to keep on your “Ready To Play” course.
If you do not have enough space in your backyard, you can make a simple course plan. For this, you will not need more sophisticated materials. And, you can efficiently execute your course design without the help of a professional architect. But if you want to give a professional look to your mini-course, you have to add classy things like plants, the excellent spotlight, landscaping, sand trap, etc. You can also keep your children’s favorite cartoon characters as obstacles on the course design. For this advanced course design, you have to draw an elaborated sketch of it. To give a pro-level look to it, you can design for placing a windmill or mini castle on your course area.
Because you have to care about the quality of the construction materials you want to use for your art projects, you can show some of your creativity in designing to look like amusement parks. Besides, you have to decide where to collect all the necessary materials from the target market for executing the course plan. You can easily pick a one-holiday park theme like castle golf that suits your home ground and your emotional feeling for the game. There are also many themes for playground design like island theme, hunted castle theme, hilly landscape theme.
Step-3: Implement the final mini-course design
It is time to give a permanent look or structure to your expected miniature backyard course. For this, you have to collect all the required materials from the shop or traditional market near you. And gather other elements that already you have in your home. The materials needed for building your backyard course are –
- Saw
- Miter Box
- Bricks and buckets
- Piece of plywood or wooden boards
- Rocks and tree branches
- Adhesive material or glue
- Tools for cutting the holes
If you plan to make a temporary course, you can use a small tin or container or composite baluster as holes. These small things help you to put your softball simply and very quickly. Besides, when you play in your temporary mini-course, you don’t need to use actual balls like professional playing. You can use any croquet or tennis balls as an alternative to golf balls. On the other hand, if you want to build a permanent mini-course for playing, you will require sophisticated building materials. You will also have to place them very carefully and artistically.
In this case, the felt-covered board or plywood is the best alternative to the natural grass of the fairway. Besides, if you want to give a sloppy figure of the holes, you can use woods and posts. Using powerful glue, you need to make a hole on the wooden board and attach PVC pipe fittings underneath the cutting area. You can also use circular piece artificial yoga mats or turfs for the course surface. However, it will be comparatively expensive than other surface materials, but you can set it if it is affordable to you. You will also have to maintain it very carefully. You can keep all your tiny equipment in the center of the store after completing the practice session. This initiative also helps you protect your sensitive accessories like putters’ balls. Finally, you can make a simple structure at the corners of your backyard for use as a storage space.
How much does it cost to build a mini-golf course?
We see four types of mini-golf courses available to play in the above discussion. If you want to go to these 18 holes miniature golf courses, you need to pay only around $5 for completing an 18 holes course.
But if you want to build a mini-golf course for business purposes, you require more or less $150 – $ 200 thousand for developing an 18-hole mini-course. However, you should follow the below ten mandatory steps to make your mini-golf venture a legal form to start the perfect golf business. These steps are –
- Make a design plan for your miniature golf course.
- Fill up the required form to get a legal entity of your business idea.
- Register for paying the taxes.
- Create a business bank account and collect credit cards.
- Make an accounting system to maintain the miniature-golf course business.
- Acquire necessary permits and licenses for running the business.
- Create an insurance plan for it.
- Give a brand name of your golf business.
- Create a website for the new brand name.
- Set up all necessary communication systems for your target customers.
After completing the legal processes to start the mini-golf course business, it’s time to figure out the expenditure to build up your mini-course. First, you have to decide about the area you will use to construct the new golf course.
Generally, the total expanse depends on the land area, landscaping, topography, and exterior and interior course design decorations. The opening cost varies depending on the owner plan, but usually, it may be around $500,000. When we surveyed the professional group’s estimation, we found that you need about $15 to $30 thousand to get the land lease. After that, you have to spend more or less $100 to $140 thousand for preparing the land for giving the scenario of the golf course. To decorate the entire mini-course, you will require $200 thousand. Besides, you have to deposit $2,000-$4,000 for insurance, and $7,500 to $15,000 for architectural design format.
Moreover, to build perfect office etiquette, you will pay between $8 to $10 thousand with an additional budget to develop a sale system costing $7,500. You also have to pay around $4000 for legal and accounting fees and %15,000 for stocking necessary golf gear. At last, for the grand opening, you will require at least $9000 for excellent signage and about $12,000 for advertising the opening ceremony.
You think it is too expensive where your target customers are the golf-loving family members around the surroundings. And you can’t fix the customer fees more than $5 to $7 for playing the 18 holes. But the more surprising thing is that you can easily earn more than $100,000 in a year if you can make steady streaming of the golfers, and within a few years, as an owner, you can achieve a large amount of profit from your mini-golf course business.
Turn Your Backyard Into A Mini-Golf Course
Final Thoughts
We think information about the mini-golf course we put together in this article is enough for you to build it in your backyard. So it’s your time to execute your mini-course plan and make unlimited fun with your family, friends, and children. If you have more queries about golfing, you can willingly visit our website. You will get many amazing facts on our website that organize only for your assistance.