Minigolf is a sport that particularly emphasizes concentration, precision, and strategic creativity. The goal is to get the ball into the hole with as few strokes as possible in a targeted manner. On the courses, players encounter challenging obstacles such as ramps, tunnels, or curves, which require precision and technique.

Minigolf is easily accessible, quick to learn, and suitable for both recreational players and ambitious professionals who want to specifically improve their game.

Mini golf as a leisure activity stands for entertainment, shared experiences, and relaxed time with friends or family. It's played without strict rules, and obstacles are overcome playfully. Fun is clearly the priority.

In competitive sports, however, fixed rules and qualified courses apply. Here, technique, precision, and utmost concentration are key. Players specifically train their stroke techniques, know the characteristics of a wide variety of balls, and analyze each course in detail. Preparation is crucial: courses are carefully "read" to choose the optimal mini golf ball from a large selection and ideally hole out consistently with just one shot.

While recreational mini golf is easily accessible to everyone, mini golf as a competitive sport requires concentration, precision, discipline, and continuous training, without losing the enjoyment of the game.

Minigolf originated in the early 20th century, evolving from golf with the aim of making the game more compact and accessible to everyone. The first precursors emerged in Great Britain and Scandinavia but were not yet uniformly regulated.

Switzerland is considered the birthplace of modern minigolf: in 1954, the first standardized concrete minigolf course opened in Ascona. With established course standards and clear rules, the "System Minigolf" was created here, which still forms the basis of the sport today.

From there, minigolf quickly spread throughout Europe and subsequently developed into a popular leisure activity and sport worldwide. Today, minigolf is played on all continents, from classic courses in Europe to creative adventure golf courses in North America, Asia, and Australia. At the same time, an international competitive scene with associations, tournaments, and world championships has been established.

Especially in German-speaking countries and Sweden, the sport developed into both a popular recreational pastime and a serious competitive sport with clubs and international tournaments. Today, minigolf combines both: relaxed fun and high-level athletic precision.

There isn't a single "inventor of mini-golf." The sport gradually evolved from classical golf as people began to adapt the game to smaller, artificially constructed courses.

A crucial milestone was set by Paul Bongni: he developed the standardized "Minigolf System" and opened the first standardized course in Ascona, Switzerland, in 1954. With this, he laid the foundation for modern mini-golf with fixed rules and uniform courses.

Mini-golf is therefore not the invention of a single person, but the result of an evolution – with Paul Bongni as a formative figure for the game as we know it today.

The terms surrounding mini golf often cause confusion, yet they describe different types of courses, which differ primarily in material, construction, and playing feel.

Officially, the World Minigolf Sport Federation distinguishes between 5 types of courses:
1) Minigolf (classic concrete courses)
2) Miniature Golf (Eternit courses, which are shorter than concrete courses)
3) Felt Golf (courses with felt surfaces, which are longer than concrete courses)
4) Adventure Golf (individually designed courses made of artificial turf)
5) Minigolf Open Standards (this includes other types of mini golf that cannot be assigned to the standardized course types) These include, for example,

• Cobigolf (mostly Eternit courses, where you always have to play through a small gate before overcoming the obstacle)
• Star Golf (a type of concrete course where hole 18 always has a star as the end circle)
• Blacklight Minigolf and anything else that

For mini golf, all you really need is a club and a ball. At most courses, you can easily rent this basic equipment and start playing right away.

However, if you play regularly and want to improve your game specifically, it's worth investing in your own equipment. A professional club with a rubber plate on the clubface will help you control the ball better and execute cut shots cleanly.

Additionally, a small selection of balls is useful. Different balls behave differently depending on their hardness, bounce, and speed, making them suitable for various obstacles and playing situations. Professional players often own multiple to hundreds of different balls to be optimally prepared for every hole. For beginners, however, a manageable selection is perfectly sufficient to significantly improve your game.

Which ball is suitable for which course depends primarily on the characteristics of the course and the obstacle. The basic rule is: The ball must match the task of the course.

Crucial here is the combination of hardness, speed, weight, size, and surface quality. Certain balls are better suited for certain types of courses. To play over several banks, for example, faster balls are needed, which are measured by a higher bounce height.

Ultimately, however, it is always about trying out different balls and stroke variations and analyzing what works best and can be consistently reproduced. Another important factor is the temperature and condition of the ball: both significantly influence the rolling and banking behavior and can be decisive for whether a shot succeeds or not.