Crazy Golf, Putt Putt, Adventure Golf and Mini Putt: What's the Difference?
Almost none, and that is the honest answer. Crazy golf, adventure golf, putt putt, mini putt, minigolf, miniature golf and mini golf all describe the same activity: a short putting course where obstacles, not distance, provide the difficulty. Which word you use mostly says where you grew up.
There are real distinctions underneath the vocabulary though — in course design, in hole count, and in one rule that genuinely differs between casual and competitive play. Here is what each term actually means.
The Names, by Region
Name
Mainly used in
What it usually implies
Mini golf / miniature golf
United States, Australia
The general term. Anything from a converted car park to a landscaped 18-hole course.
Crazy golf
United Kingdom, Ireland
Seaside and traditional obstacle courses — windmills, tunnels, loops, pirate ships.
Adventure golf
United Kingdom, increasingly the US
Larger modern courses with landscaping, water features and rockwork, usually 18 holes.
Putt putt
US South and Midwest
Originally a chain name. Straighter, obstacle-light holes where angles do the work.
Mini putt
Canada, especially Quebec
The everyday Canadian term. No design implication.
Minigolf
Continental Europe, competitive play
The one-word spelling used by the World Minigolf Sport Federation and on standardised competition courses.
Usage overlaps heavily — many venues advertise two or three of these words on the same sign.
Where the Differences Are Real
Strip away the naming and three genuine variations remain, and they are worth knowing before you play somewhere new:
•
Course design. Traditional crazy golf and putt putt courses are small, flat and obstacle-driven. Adventure golf courses are larger, contoured, and reward reading a slope more than banking off a wall.
•
Competition minigolf. Standardised European minigolf uses fixed lane types on eternit or felt surfaces, identical at every venue, so scores compare across countries. Nothing at a seaside crazy golf course is standardised at all.
•
Stroke limit. Casual courses almost always cap a hole at 6 strokes. WMF competitive rules use 7. That single number is the most common actual rule difference you will run into.
What does not change: every version counts strokes the same way, and in every one of them the lowest total wins.
Scoring Is Identical Everywhere
Whatever the sign says, the card works the same. Count every swing including air shots, add one stroke for an out-of-bounds ball, record the stroke limit for anyone who picks up, and add the column at the end. Lowest score wins — the opposite of most sports, and the thing first-timers get wrong.
Full walkthrough in how to keep score in mini golf, the penalty and etiquette detail in the rules guide, and what the numbers in the par row mean in the par guide.
Prefer paper? The free printable scorecard works for a 9-hole crazy golf course and an 18-hole adventure golf course alike.
Common Questions
Is crazy golf the same as mini golf?
Effectively yes. Crazy golf is the standard British term for what Americans call mini golf or miniature golf — a short putting course with themed obstacles. In the UK the phrase carries a hint of the seaside end of the spectrum, with windmills and pirate ships, but it is the same game with the same scoring.
What is the difference between adventure golf and crazy golf?
Adventure golf usually describes the larger, landscaped modern courses — waterfalls, rockwork, rolling greens, often 18 holes — while crazy golf suggests the older, smaller obstacle courses. The distinction is about the course build, not the rules, and plenty of venues use both words on the same sign.
What is putt putt?
Putt Putt began as a US chain founded in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1954, and the name became a generic term across much of the American South and Midwest. Putt Putt courses are traditionally straight and obstacle-light — the difficulty comes from angles and bank shots rather than windmills.
What is mini putt?
Mini putt is the usual term in Canada, especially in Quebec, where 'minigolf' and 'mini putt' are used interchangeably. Same game, same scoring, different word.
Is it spelled minigolf or mini golf?
Both are correct. 'Minigolf' as one word is standard in Europe and is what the World Minigolf Sport Federation uses; 'mini golf' as two words is more common in the US and Australia. Neither spelling changes the game.
Do the rules change depending on the name?
The scoring rules do not. Count every stroke, add a penalty for out of bounds, stop at the stroke limit, lowest total wins. The genuine differences are in course design and the stroke limit convention — competitive minigolf under WMF rules uses seven, while most casual courses use six.
Read the full rules guide →
Does the scorecard app work for crazy golf and putt putt?
Yes. It is the same scoring system whatever the sign outside says: pick your hole count, add up to six players, and the app keeps the running totals. It works in the browser with no signup and no download.
Open the free scorecard →
One Scorecard for All of Them
Crazy golf, putt putt, mini putt or adventure golf — same scoring, same free app. Up to 6 players, works offline, no signup and nothing to download.
Open the Free Scorecard →