Since its invention in Scotland in the 15th century, golf has crawled its way to popularity, with now over 25 million players and 40,000 stunning golf courses worldwide. No wonder, as the sport provides a distinct sense of fun and an array of benefits to anyone who plays the game.
But did you know that you don’t need to drive to a course or be a member of an expensive club to relish the fun? With a few simple items and some creativity, you can create a miniature golf course at home. So, get everyone involved and exhaust your imagination – you’ll have a fun place to showcase your golfing skills and a fun activity to enjoy with the whole family.
The History of Mini Golf
The first mini golf course in the world was created in Scotland in 1867. Women golfers established The Ladies Putting Club of St. Andrews, seemingly as a subversion to the society’s notion that women should not take the club past their shoulder as it was pretty “unsophisticated.” But, of course, there’s no stopping these ladies from having fun and founded their members-only mini golf course, characterized by short distances putter’s starting point and the golf hole and mainly focusing on the putting skill in golf.
In 1916, the novelty began to arrive in the world of mini golf, with the addition of walkways, fountains, gardens, and other patterns on the course. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, people took their love for the sport into their homes and began making their own miniature golf courses. Ingenuity and resourcefulness fueled the existence of mini golf during this period. People used any material possible, from cardboard boxes, pipes, barrels, to tires to build courses and play. Thus, providing a kooky yet exciting feel to the sport. Today, you can find mini golf courses around, which take it to the extreme, with some featuring flashing lights to windmills, castles, and crossroads.
Benefit of Building a Mini Golf Course at Home
Making a mini golf course at home provides a lot of advantages. First, you can play any time and any day you like. You no longer need to worry about your daily operating hours or the seasonal closing of the golf courses. Second, you are entirely in charge of the design, which means you can be as crazy and creative as you like to make the gameplay more exciting. Lastly, remember that it’s your course, so you are free to make the rules! While there are standard regulations, you can set your own and make it suitable and more fun for the family. The golf course can also be a good training ground for kids that want to practice using their Chic Hoverboard.
How to Make a Mini Golf Course at Home
Now that you have ample background with the history and perks of building a miniature golf course, we can now start creating one for your home.
1. Find a location.
The initial thing you need to consider is the location of your mini golf course. If you have a flat-surfaced backyard covered with short grass, you’re lucky as it’s an ideal one for a permanent mini golf course. However, if you don’t have one, don’t fret as you can use other flat areas in the house and make a temporary course instead. It can be your garage, porch, or driveway, as long as there is ample space to play the golf ball around.
2. Plan the layout and design.
Once you’ve chosen a location, it’s now time to think about the course’s layout and design. Again, you have the complete freedom to make it as basic or as complex as you’d like it to be.
Do you want to build a permanent mini golf course with the addition of rocks, wood ramps, or a water fountain? Go for it as long as it makes you happy. Are you gearing for a makeshift mini golf course instead, which can quickly set up whenever you want to play? There’s no problem, and it’s even practical if you’re short on space.
Afterward, you can now work on the design and be as creative as possible. Sketch where you want to place the holes. If you’re playing with toddlers, you can set it up in a way they can easily score. If you are building a miniature golf course for your guests or colleagues, make it more challenging by incorporating more complicated obstacles, ramps, sand traps, and barriers.
Lastly, make the course cooler and more exciting. For example, you can add plush toys or toys at each hole for a kid’s course and make the overall aesthetics fun and colorful. For an adult’s course, you can focus on adding structures like towers or castles or add plants and lighting to make the course more appealing.
3. Gather materials and build the course.
After finalizing the location, layout, and design, you can now gather materials and build the course. You can use bricks, rocks, PVC pipes, wooden boards, cinder blocks, plywood sheets, or branches for both makeshift and permanent mini golf courses. Still, there’s no exact list of what you can use as a material. You can search around your household and use whatever you think may work as a barrier, tunnel, or trap, for instance.
For the holes, you can use tin cans, cups, containers, or buckets, whichever you see may fit. You can even use boxes and simply cut holes in front of them. Meanwhile, be mindful that golf balls are specifically designed to roll over short grass. If you’re playing on other surfaces, these may not work as intended. As mini golf courses are mainly about being creative, you can use different balls, like tennis balls, rubber balls, plastic balls, or croquet balls, for better gameplay. The same goes with the club, as you can use baseball bats, wooden rods, or canes as alternatives for the game.
Once everything is ready, go ahead and have fun building your miniature golf course. In no time, you’ll see the results of your efforts and creativity. Reward yourself afterward by trying it out with your friends and family. Happy golfing!