Mini golf runs on one number: the strokes it takes you to put the ball in the cup. Everything else is a rule about how that number is counted. Here is the version that settles arguments at the fourth hole.
What are the rules of mini golf?
Each player putts their own ball from the tee area and keeps putting until it drops in the cup. Every stroke is counted. You play the ball where it stops, players putt in the same order each hole, and the group moves on once everyone has holed out or reached the stroke limit. The lowest total across the whole course wins.
The course itself is a set of short putting holes with obstacles built into them, usually arranged in a multiple of nine, as the general description of the game sets out. Our garden course runs to 18 holes, so a full round is a full card.
Order of play is the only rule people invent for themselves. Two versions work. Either the winner of the previous hole tees off first, which rewards good putting, or you keep a fixed order all the way round, which is easier with children and drinks in hand.
What counts as a stroke?
A stroke is any forward swing made at the ball with the intention of hitting it. It counts even if you miss the ball completely, so an air shot goes on the card. Practice swings taken beside the ball do not count. Tapping the ball with your foot or the putter head to improve your line counts as a touched ball, which most groups penalise by one stroke.
The touched ball is where most disputes start. If someone repositions the ball because it settled against a rail, the fair fix is the same one competitive play uses for a ball that leaves the surface: put it back where it was and add a penalty stroke. Decide as a group whether you are enforcing that or waving it through, and then be consistent for all 18 holes.
What happens when your ball leaves the course?
A ball that jumps off the playing surface does not carry on from where it lands in the grass. You bring it back to the point where it left the course and play the next stroke from there, with a penalty stroke added to your count for the hole. The tee shot is replayed from the tee if the ball fails to reach the start line.
Published course rules follow the same shape: a ball that bounces out of play costs a one shot penalty and is replayed from the spot where it went out, as one course rulebook puts it. Hitting an obstacle on purpose is fine. Obstacles are part of the hole, and a bank off a rail is a legitimate line.
How do you keep score on a mini golf card?
Write one number per player per hole: the strokes taken, including penalties, on that hole. Do not use plus and minus figures against par unless your group has agreed a par for every hole. Total the columns at the end of the round and the lowest total takes it. Nominate one person to hold the card so the numbers are written down while everyone still remembers them.
Par is optional in mini golf and most casual rounds skip it. If you want it, agree a par for each hole before you tee off, with a lower number on the straightforward holes and a higher one where there is a real obstacle, then score against that. Announcing your number out loud as you lift the ball out keeps the card honest.
How many strokes before you pick the ball up?
Competitive minigolf allows six strokes per hole. A player who has not holed out picks the ball up and records seven on the card. Recreational courses often set their own limit, and some leave it open. Any limit is better than none for a mixed group, because it caps the damage on a hard hole and keeps the round moving for everyone behind you.
The federation standard is six strokes with the ball then removed from play, and casual venues often set their own limit or leave it open, as this rules explainer notes. Ours is a house call, so ask on the day if you want to play it strictly.
With young children, drop the limit lower and let them putt from where the ball sits rather than replaying penalties. That is the single change that keeps a round enjoyable for families playing with smaller kids, and it is the same approach that works for birthday groups with a wide spread of ages. A stroke limit is also the main thing that decides how long a round takes.
What to expect at Mini Golf CNX
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Holes | 18, in a garden setting in Chiang Mai |
| Booking | None needed, walk in |
| Opening hours | Every day, 09:00 to 18:00 |
| Time for a round | About 1 to 2 hours |
| On site | Cold drinks, snacks and ice cream |
| Seating | Shaded garden seating |
| Lawn games | Cornhole, board games, frisbee |
| Groups and birthdays | Welcome, message ahead so space is set aside |
Full details of the course are on the course page.