Mini Golf – Fun For All The Family

Starting a Mini Golf course involves market analysis and planning, advertising, employee recruitment and training, accounting and bookkeeping, determining target market, analyzing the competition, and much more.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are more than 5,000 miniature golf courses and family entertainment centers. The concept of miniature golf courses has spread from country to country to the extent that they are found worldwide.

In the United States, the cost to build a family entertainment center can range from 1.5 million dollars to 7 million dollars. The cost for building a Mini Golf course can range between $250,000 to 1 million dollars. The average returns in both the industries are around 30% before taxes. The speed by which Mini Golf it is gaining popularity as a form of entertainment and as a pastime is impressive. Demographic estimates show that irrespective of gender and age, almost everybody enjoys playing this game.

Mini Golf courses consist of 18 holes and can feature various obstacles including alleys, bridges, sharp corners, tunnels, elaborate rockeries, waterfalls, manmade ponds and fountains. Apart from outdoor courses a new trend has emerged in developing indoor and back-lit courses that can remain open regardless of weather conditions or the season.

The general rules of Mini Golf consist of playing a ball from the tee area into the hole by using the fewest amount of strokes as possible. The winner is the player with the lowest aggregate number of strokes. The highest possible score at any hole is 7 strokes. If the golf ball comes to rest outside the playing area it will be deemed out of bounds, in this instance the player should retake their shot and a one penalty stroke is incurred.

There are some excellent Mini Golf players like John Moore, Chris Harding, Keith Kellard, Jon Angel, James Trubridge, Bill Bullin, David Corkett, Steve Vellory, Steve Gow, John Melver. These players have won in many tournaments conducted by various associations in Europe, Ireland, UK and the United States.

There are many Mini Golf associations including the US Mini Golf Association, the Miniature
Golf Association, US, British Mini Golf Association, etc. They organize and conduct major tournaments in Europe, Ireland, UK, USA and many other countries.

The game has passed through many transitional periods and stages, both good and bad. Mini Golf however is going continue to be a major attraction to all types of people for many years to come.