Mini Golf Rules: The Complete Guide
Mini golf — also called miniature golf, putt-putt, or crazy golf — is one of the world's most accessible outdoor games. Unlike regular golf, there are no green fees for lessons, no caddies to tip, and no dress codes. But there are rules, and knowing them turns a casual outing into a fair, fun competition for everyone in your group.
This guide covers the standard rules you'll find at most mini golf courses worldwide, plus the informal variations common in family play. Whether you're settling a dispute at the windmill hole or introducing mini golf to someone for the first time, you'll find the answer here.
Keeping score on paper? The free scorecard app tallies running totals automatically, or print a blank scorecard if you would rather have paper on the table.
How to agree mini golf house rules before the first tee
Use the course’s posted rules first, then settle these details with your group.
1. Read the course rules
Check the posted stroke limit, out-of-bounds instructions and any special obstacle rules. Ask the attendant if a sign is unclear; do not assume every course uses the same penalty.
2. Choose the order and a scorer
Pick a starting order and nominate one scorer. Wait until the lane is clear, and keep the same order if that is easiest for your group.
3. Agree how to record a pickup
For example, if the posted maximum is 6, a player who reaches that maximum records 6 and picks up. A pickup is never a blank cell or a zero.
4. Agree how ties will end
Choose a shared win or ask the course whether a playoff is possible. MiniGolfZone awards a win to every player tied for the lowest completed-round total.
Ready to play? Start a free mini golf scorecard — no signup or get a free printable mini golf scorecard.
The Objective
The goal is simple: get your ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible. Each hole is a short course — usually 20 to 60 feet long — with obstacles like ramps, loops, windmills, tunnels, and sharp corners designed to test your aim and patience.
After playing all holes (typically 9 or 18), players add up their total strokes. The player with the lowest score wins. This is the same scoring convention used in regular golf.
The Basic Rules of Mini Golf
1. Stroke Play (How Each Shot Is Counted)
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Every time you swing at and contact the ball, it counts as one stroke — even if you miss.
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Penalty strokes (for out-of-bounds, lost balls, etc.) are added to your hole score.
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The number of strokes for a hole is recorded on the scorecard when the ball drops into the cup.
2. Starting a Hole
Each hole has a designated teeing area (usually a mat or marked rectangle). Your first stroke must start with the ball placed anywhere within this area. In casual play, players tee off in any order; in competitive play, the player who scored lowest on the previous hole tees off first.
3. Out of Bounds
If your ball leaves the course boundary (falls off a ramp, into a water feature, or over the edge), it is considered out of bounds. The standard rule:
1.
Add one penalty stroke to your score.
2.
Place the ball where it went out of bounds (or the nearest in-bounds point).
3.
Continue play from there.
Some courses use a "drop zone" rule instead — placing the ball at a marked spot near where it went out. Check the course's posted rules.
4. Maximum Strokes Per Hole (Stroke Limit)
Most courses set a maximum stroke limit — usually 6 or 7 strokes per hole, sometimes called a "pick-up rule" or "maximum score." If you reach the limit without holing the ball, you record the maximum score and move on.
The WMF (World Minigolf Sport Federation) sets the official hole limit at 7 strokes for competitive play. In casual family games, 6 is most common.
5. Lost Ball
If your ball is lost (e.g., vanished into an obstacle or carried away by a watercourse), place a new ball at the last known point of play, add one penalty stroke, and continue. Most courses provide replacement balls at the booth.
6. Ball in Motion
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You must not touch or stop a ball that is rolling — that counts as a penalty stroke.
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If another player's ball hits yours while in motion, place your ball back to its original position and let the other player replay from where their ball stopped.
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If balls come to rest touching each other, the player who shot last moves their ball a putter-head's length away.
7. Order of Play
Casual rule: Players take turns; the first to finish a hole steps aside while others complete it.
Competitive rule (ready golf): Whoever is farthest from the hole plays next. On the next hole, the player with the lowest score on the previous hole goes first ("honors").
Penalty Strokes at a Glance
Nearly every mid-round argument is about one of these six situations. Settle them from the table rather than from memory:
Situation
Penalty
Where you play from
Ball leaves the course boundary
+1 stroke
The point where it went out, or the marked drop zone
Ball lost in an obstacle or water feature
+1 stroke
Last position the ball was in play
You stop or touch your own moving ball
+1 stroke
Where the ball came to rest
Your ball strikes another player's ball at rest
No penalty
Your ball stays; the struck ball goes back to its spot
Two balls come to rest touching
No penalty
Last player to putt moves one putter-head length aside
Ball against an immovable obstruction
No penalty
Nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole
Local rules override this table — most courses post theirs at the first tee.
A Worked Example: Scoring One Messy Hole
Rules make more sense with numbers attached. Here is a par-3 hole with a ramp and a water channel, played badly by one player, with a stroke limit of 6:
Shot
What happened
Running count
1
Tee shot up the ramp, rolls back down
1
2
Second attempt clears the ramp
2
3
Putt slides into the water channel
3
—
Out-of-bounds penalty, ball replaced at the water's edge
4
4
Putt to two feet
5
5
Tapped in
6
Six on a par 3 — three over par, and exactly at the stroke limit.
Note what counts: five actual swings plus one penalty stroke makes 6. Had the player needed another swing, they would have picked up and recorded 6 anyway, because that was the agreed limit. For the full method across a whole round, including ties and totals, see how to keep score in mini golf.
Mini Golf Etiquette
Written rules only go so far. Etiquette keeps the game enjoyable for everyone on the course:
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Let faster groups play through if you fall behind.
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Don't putt while another player is mid-swing — wait for them to finish.
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Keep pace with the group in front. Mini golf shouldn't take more than 60 minutes for 18 holes.
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Retrieve your ball promptly after holing out so the next player can putt.
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Don't climb obstacles or sit on features — they're designed for the ball, not you.
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Record scores at the next tee, not on the green, to keep the line moving.
Common Rule Variations
Mini golf is a game of local rules. Here are variations you'll often see:
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"Gimme" rule: If your ball is within a putter-head of the hole, you can count it as holed without putting — common in friendly games to speed up play.
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Mulligan: A free re-do on a particularly awful shot. Usually limited to one per round in casual play.
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Bonus ball: Some courses offer a free stroke on hole-in-one holes, where a special target rewards aces.
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No max score: Some groups prefer to keep playing until the ball goes in, regardless of stroke count — great for competitive pride, tough on scoring.
Scoring Summary
Here's a quick reference for the most common scoring terms in mini golf:
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Hole in one (ace): 1 stroke — ball goes in on the very first putt.
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Under par: Fewer strokes than the hole's par rating — excellent play.
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Par: The expected number of strokes for the hole, usually 2 or 3.
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Bogey: One stroke over par.
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Double bogey: Two strokes over par.
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Max score: The stroke limit for the hole (usually 6 or 7).
Not sure what par means in mini golf? The par in mini golf guide explains how courses set par values and how they affect scoring.
Official Competitive Rules
For those interested in competitive mini golf, the World Minigolf Sport Federation (WMF) governs the sport internationally. Key differences from casual play include:
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The playing surfaces must meet specific material and dimension standards.
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Maximum 7 strokes per hole — the ball is then picked up and the maximum score recorded.
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Balls must meet WMF specification (diameter, weight, hardness).
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Cadence of play is strictly timed to keep competition moving.
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Players may not touch the course or obstacles during play.
Casual recreational mini golf courses almost never enforce WMF regulations, but it's useful background if you ever want to compete. The WMF spells the name of the sport "minigolf", one word — one of several regional variations covered in crazy golf vs mini golf vs putt putt.
Mini Golf Rules FAQ
What is the maximum number of strokes per hole in mini golf?
Most recreational courses cap a hole at 6 strokes. Competitive play under World Minigolf Sport Federation rules uses 7. Whichever number your group picks, agree it out loud before the first tee shot and record the maximum on the card for anyone who picks up.
Does a missed swing count as a stroke in mini golf?
Yes. Any intentional swing at the ball counts, even if the putter never touches it. Practice swings taken deliberately away from the ball do not count.
What happens if your ball goes out of bounds?
Add one penalty stroke, place the ball at the point where it left the course — or in the marked drop zone if the course has one — and play on from there.
Who goes first in mini golf?
In casual play, any order works. In competitive play the player with the lowest score on the previous hole tees off first, which is called having the honours, and within a hole the player farthest from the cup plays next.
What happens if two balls touch on the green?
The player who played last moves their ball one putter-head length away from the other ball, in any direction, with no penalty.
Do you have to finish every hole in mini golf?
No. Once you reach the agreed stroke limit you pick the ball up and record the maximum score. Never leave a hole blank on the scorecard — a blank is the single most common cause of a disputed total.
See how to record it on the card →
Are crazy golf and putt putt rules different from mini golf?
The scoring rules are identical. The differences are in course design and, at competition level, the stroke limit — 7 under WMF minigolf rules against the 6 most casual courses use.
Crazy golf vs mini golf vs putt putt →
Playing with a big group? The mini golf party guide covers formats that keep everyone in the game, and courses by city will find you somewhere to play.
Track Every Stroke Automatically
Stop squinting at scribbled scorecards. The free Mini Golf Scorecard app tallies running totals in real time — for up to 8 players, 9 or 18 holes.
Open the Scorecard App →