Miniature Golf Explained: The Classic System with Eternit Courses

If you're playing a round of mini golf in Germany, you're most likely playing miniature golf. The typical short, grey-white Eternit courses characterize most public facilities. But what exactly is behind this system?

In this article, you'll get a clear overview: from the historical background to the 30 standardized course types, and finally, what equipment you need.

 

This article was written by One Putt Minigolf.
- The mini golf outfitter for pros and beginners -

 

 

Table of Contents

• What exactly is miniature golf?
• How is a miniature golf course structured?
• How to recognize a miniature golf course at a glance
• The most famous courses in portrait
• All 30 courses at a glance
• Special features of the courses
• Why is miniature golf so popular?
• What equipment do you need?
• Miniature golf in competition
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Read more

 

1. What exactly is miniature golf?

In everyday language, "mini golf" and "miniature golf" are often used synonymously. Technically, however, this is not entirely correct: Mini golf is the umbrella term for all course systems (from concrete to felt golf to adventure golf), while Miniature golf refers to one of these systems. You can find out what other variations exist in our overview "What types of mini golf are there?".

Miniature golf has a clear inventor and a clear birth year: in 1956, Hamburg businessman Albert-Rolf Pless developed the system with standardized Eternit courses. The first miniature golf course opened that same year in Hamburg's "Planten un Blomen" amusement park.

Pless took up an idea that the Swiss landscape architect Paul Bongni had already established in 1953 with the concrete-based "Mini golf" system. While Bongni's courses were 12 m long and cast in concrete, Pless opted for significantly shorter and more portable Eternit courses. These were easier to set up and required less space, which contributed to their rapid spread. By 1960, over 150,000 people per season were playing on the miniature golf courses in Hamburg alone.

Today, miniature golf is one of the most widespread competitive systems in mini golf. Those who "go play a round of mini golf" in the park often end up on a miniature golf course.

A typical miniature golf course: short Eternit courses with classic obstacles like the double wave

 

2. How is a miniature golf course structured?

An official miniature golf course follows strict specifications. The most important key data:

Property	Standard measurement
Length per course	6.25 m
Width	0.90 m
Target circle diameter	1.40 m
Courses per facility	18, selected from 30 standardized course types
Material	typically Eternit (fiber cement)
Measurement tolerance	+/- 2 %

Important to understand: Every facility is different, but every course is recognizable. A "Salto" in Hamburg is exactly the same obstacle as a "Salto" in Munich. The facility builder selects 18 out of the 30 possible courses and arranges them in an order of their choice. Mirrored versions are allowed for courses 1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, and 29. Furthermore, a maximum of two alternatives of the same course are allowed per facility.

Precisely this mixture of standardization and variation makes it appealing: experienced players know the courses but never know exactly the order or variant they will encounter on a new course.

 

3. How to recognize a miniature golf course at a glance

If you are on a public course and are not sure what system you are dealing with, the following visual clues will help:

Typical Eternit course with round target circle and steel barriers

🔵 Narrow course: Miniature golf courses are only 0.90 m wide. Concrete courses appear significantly wider at 1.25 m, and Adventure golf courses even wider.

🔵 Round target circle: The end circle is classically round with a diameter of 1.40 m. Felt golf courses, however, have an octagonal end circle, concrete courses also a round, but larger one.

🔵 Light grey fiber cement surface: The typical speckled, light grey Eternit surface clearly differs from cast concrete (solid, often darker) and felt (textile covering).

🔵 Course on frame: Eternit courses are usually visibly laid on an angle frame above the ground. Concrete courses, on the other hand, are cast directly into the ground and lie flat.

🔵 Rectangular tee-off area: The tee-off area in miniature golf is a rectangle of 40 × 50 cm. On concrete courses, however, it is a circle with a diameter of 30 cm, which immediately identifies the system.

A simple rule of thumb: short, narrow, round end circle = miniature golf. A detailed comparison of all systems can be found in our article "What types of mini golf are there?".

 

4. The most famous courses in portrait

Six courses are particularly well-known among mini golfers, often also particularly feared:

🔵 Salto: One of the most distinctive courses. The ball must be shot through a curved tunnel obstacle, where it performs a salto. It looks spectacular but is tricky to hit. The course is considered overcome if the ball finds its way through the entrance and exit, even if it bypasses the tunnel itself. Even in competitive sports, the Salto is one of the most challenging miniature golf courses, as it often requires a high degree of playing technique to "ace" the course (to complete it in one shot).

🔵 Labyrinth: Four entrances, but only one leads to the target: the second from the right. If you choose the wrong entrance, you are usually beyond saving. One of the psychologically most difficult courses because it demands pure precision. Here, the right ball choice can also significantly improve hit tolerance by opting for hard, solid balls that move better towards the target in the labyrinth.

🔵 Ski jump with net: Here, the ball is not rolled, but flown. Over a ramp, the ball must be shot into a 50 cm net, which hangs 70 to 80 cm above the course level. A pure flight path without touching the sideboards. Here, too, you can significantly improve hit tolerance with the right ball choice by opting for hard, solid balls that bounce better off the ramp.

🔵 Volcano: A conical elevation with the hole at the top. If you don't hit the ball exactly, you'll see it roll back down. The course does not forgive imprecise shot strength. Here you can improve hit tolerance by taking a ball that barely bounces and is relatively hard, so it can be played upwards easily, but at the same time stays well in the hole and rarely shoots over it or comes back.

🔵 Tube: A tube with a diameter of only 4.5 to 6.5 cm. The ball must pass exactly through it to overcome the obstacle. On this course, millimeters and the choice of the right ball are crucial. For this obstacle, there are specially suitable balls, so-called tube balls, whose properties can be described as relatively fast (bounce height: 35-60 cm) and hard (hardness: 40-60 sh). With these typical tube balls, there is a very high chance that the ball will roll through the tube obstacle, hit the course, jump over the hole, and bank into the hole from the back barrier. However, other tube obstacles are also played directly with dead balls (bounce height: 0 cm) on the run-up.

🔵 Lying Loop: The ball must pass through a spiral-shaped loop without jumping over the side ridges. One of the most elegant courses if it succeeds, and one of the most frustrating if it doesn't. Here too, ball choice is crucial. Harder, slow to medium-fast rolling balls with a smooth surface make it easier to play through the loop. You can also make playing through easier by banking shortly before the loop to achieve a more tolerant entry angle and aim at a shorter distance.

 

5. All 30 standardized courses at a glance

Here are all 30 courses from which facility builders select their 18:

No.	Course	No.	Course
1	Pyramids	16	Volcano
2	Salto	17	"V"-Obstacle
3	Slanted Circle with Kidney	18	Angle
4	Double Waves	19	Lightning
5	Lying Loop	20	Straight Course without Obstacles
6	Bridge	21	Slanted Circle without Obstacles
7	Ski Jump with Net	22	Plateau
8	Straight Course with Target Circle Window	23	Run-up Wedge
9	Tube	24	Steep Slope without Obstacles
10	Rods	25	Slanted Circle with "V"-Obstacle
11	Labyrinth	26	Straight Course with Ramp
12	Blunt Cones	27	Rhombus
13	Double Wedges	28	Straight Course with Target Hill
14	Passages	29	Half Angle
15	Middle Hill	30	Celle Rods

Each of these courses requires its own playing strategy. Those who really want to learn miniature golf not only learn hitting technique but also how each of these 30 courses should ideally be played.

The "Passages" (Course 14): four red tunnels with a hill, through which the ball must be played into the target area

 

6. Special features of miniature golf courses

A few rules apply specifically to the miniature golf system and are good to know before you next stand on a course.

🔵 Do not step on the courses: Unlike concrete or felt golf courses, you are not allowed to step on the Eternit courses. The fiber cement panels are laid on angle frames and are not designed for weight. It is only permitted to step on the barriers to make a shot. More about the rules for stepping on the course can be found in "Are you allowed to step on the courses in mini golf?".

🔵 Special targets: Not every course has a classic hole as a target. On the Plateau, the target is the plateau at the top, on the Double Wedge, it's a bowl filled with sand or gravel, and on the V-Obstacle, it's the area between the two tips. If you don't know this, you might sometimes search for the hole in vain.

🔵 Special materials: On the Double Wedge course, it is expressly permitted to move the filling material (sand, gravel) in the target bowl. However, you are not allowed to add or remove it.

 

7. Why is miniature golf so popular?

Miniature golf holds a special position in mini golf, and for several reasons.

Prevalence: In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, most public leisure facilities are miniature golf courses. Those who "just go play mini golf" almost always play miniature golf, whether consciously or not.

Standardization: International competitions only work because a Salto course is identical everywhere in the world. This makes miniature golf the ideal discipline for World and European Championships.

Learning curve: Miniature golf is easy to learn, but hard to master. Beginners can have fun immediately, while ambitious players spend years perfecting individual courses and even achieving scores between 18 and 22 strokes. However, for beginners, it is quite normal to initially need between 40 and 65 strokes for a round.

Club structure: Most German mini golf clubs have a miniature golf course as their home base. Anyone who wants to join a club almost always starts with this system. You can find out how this works in "From Hobby to Club".

 

8. What equipment do you need for miniature golf?

For miniature golf, you essentially need two things: a club and several balls.

The club should match your height. Unlike regular golf, you only need one club to play all 18 holes. You can find a selection in our club assortment, and for most models, you can order your individual desired length without extra charge, in addition to standard lengths. 

The balls are the true core. Each of the 30 miniature golf courses has its own requirements: you need a different ball on the ski jump than on the volcano, and a different one on the loop-the-loop than on the horizontal loop. Club players therefore usually carry 10 to 30 different balls in their bag, tailored to hardness, bounce height, size, and weight.

In our ball assortment, you can specifically filter by these properties to find exactly the balls that suit your home course. All balls are WMF-licensed and thus approved for tournaments. You can find more about licensed balls in "Which Minigolf Balls are Allowed in Tournaments?" and an overview of the most important manufacturers in the Brand Overview.

 

9. Miniature Golf in Competition

Miniature golf is played competitively at all levels: from club tournaments and state championships to the Bundesliga, European Championships, and World Championships. German national teams have been among the most successful in the world for decades.

A special feature: In professional miniature golf, significantly lower scores are achieved than on concrete or felt. Top players often achieve scores between 18 and 22 strokes per round (18 holes). A theoretically perfect round would be 18 strokes, meaning a hole-in-one on every hole. If the ball does not reach the target after 6 strokes, the hole is scored with 7 points. You can find more about the rules in "The Most Important Miniature Golf Rules Explained".

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Miniature Golf

What is the difference between minigolf and miniature golf?
Minigolf is the umbrella term for all course systems. Miniature golf specifically refers to the system with 6.25 m long Eternit courses and 30 standardized course types. In everyday language, the terms are often used synonymously.

How do I recognize a miniature golf course?
Four clues help: narrow course (0.90 m), round end circle with a diameter of 1.40 m, light gray Eternit surface, and rectangular teeing area (40 × 50 cm). If all four features match, you are dealing with miniature golf.

How many holes does a miniature golf course have?
Every official course consists of 18 holes, selected from 30 possible course types. The order is freely selectable for course operators.

When was miniature golf invented?
In 1956 by Hamburg businessman Albert-Rolf Pless. The first course was opened in the same year in Hamburg's "Planten un Blomen" park.

Why are you not allowed to walk on miniature golf courses?
The Eternit plates rest on angle frames and are not designed to bear weight. Walking on them could break the plates. However, you may briefly step on the borders to take a shot.

Which is the most difficult miniature golf course?
That's a matter of taste. Frequently mentioned are Labyrinth (only one entrance leads to the goal), Ski Jump with Net (pure flight path), and Pipe (very narrow passage). Which one suits you also depends on your skill level and daily form.

Can I play miniature golf all year round?
Most courses are open seasonally from spring to autumn. However, there are also a few indoor facilities and heated club facilities that can be used all year round.

Which balls do I need for miniature golf?
For beginners, three to five balls of different hardness and bounce height are sufficient. Over time, club players expand their collection to 10 to 30 different models, tailored to individual holes. 

 

Read more on One Putt Minigolf

• What are the different types of minigolf?
• From Hobby to Club: How to Become a Minigolf Club Player in Germany
• Which Minigolf Balls Are Allowed in Tournaments?
• The Most Important Minigolf Rules Explained
• What Does the Red Line in Minigolf Mean?

 

This article was written by One Putt Minigolf.
- The Minigolf Supplier for Professionals and Beginners -