Guide

Simple Guide to the Rules of Mini Golf

How many times have you played mini golf as a kid and never really knew the rules of mini golf? Mini golf is a favored pasttime and designed so almost anyone can play. Patterned after regular golf, it is fun as well as challenging.

Many miniature golf courses are so extravagantly designed that you may find yourself playing in a jungle or on a pirate ship, or similar type of setting. They are designed to delight the eye and spark the imagination. The rules of mini golf are fairly simple and may vary a bit from course to course.

Most miniature golf course have 18 holes, just like in regular golf. The goal is the same as regular golf in that the players are trying to get the lowest number of hits to get the ball into the hole. Lowest score wins.Mini golf is different as it has obstacles like hills, ramps, tunnels and tubes, shutting doors and waterfalls that you have to shoot your ball around.

There are some basic rules to mini golf that you need to know.

1) The player to complete the course in the fewest amount of strokes wins the game.

2) There is a limit of 5 strokes for each hole.

3) You are allowed to move the ball 6 inches away from the rail or hazard without incurring a penalty.

4) If the ball jumps the fairway it is to be played from the spot where it left the fairway. This incurs a one stroke penalty. If the balls is trapped by an obstacle you may obtain a free ball but you must play from that spot.

5)The order of play once the players get to the putting green is that the player who's ball is nearest the hole putts first. That player continues to putt until his ball goes into the cup, without anyone else taking a turn.

Besides the rules of play some of the other understood rules of mini golf are these:

1) The players are supposed to keep moving and not delay.

2) Handicaps are not allowed.

3)There are no practice hits allowed.

4) All penalty strokes count toward a players points in the game.

Since many individuals and families play the game strictly for fun, rules sometimes fall by the wayside. However, some people want to play by the book and this guide with the rules of mini golf should give them all the information they need.