How to Play and Win Mini Golf

1. Study the layout of the hole before you hit a shot. Examine the angles, bumps, obstacles, and raised levels on the hole to determine your course of action.
2. Start each hole on the designated spot for your first shot.
3. Hit the ball with a firm but smooth stroke. Lightly tapping the ball will not get you into position to get the ball in the hole anytime soon, and flailing away too hard could cause it to jump off of the course. After you have looked over the layout, judge how hard to hit the ball to get it as close to the hole as possible.
4. After everyone in the group has hit their shots, the player furthest from the hole plays next and go in order of furthest to closest until everyone holes out.
5. Mark your scorecard accordingly. The player with the lowest score for the first hole goes first on hole No. 2. This pattern continues for all holes.
6. At end of the round, add up everyones scores to figure out who won and who's buying ice cream.

With a few tips, it is possible to improve your miniature golf game and perhaps even win some of these friendly contests.

• Hit the golf ball squarely with the middle of your putter. It is amazing how simple that sounds, but so many people fail to do this. When you hit the ball on the heel or the toe of the putter, it doesn't roll as straight as far as it would off the center. Always line the ball up with the putter to hit the "sweet spot" of the club.
• Consider bringing your own putter to the miniature golf course. The putters used at the vast majority of miniature golf courses are lightweight and flimsy, which makes sense because it makes them more affordable for the owner of the establishment. However, they are too short for many players to use comfortably. Use your own club and your score will more than likely improve right away.
• Concentrate on clearing the initial hazards on your tee shots. Do not try to hit the perfect shot to get the ball through the hazard and into the hole as well. Work on just hitting the ball straight and through the hazard, and when others fail to do so, you will have an opportunity to pick up strokes on them.
• Strike the golf ball with authority. Most miniature golf courses have holes that require the ball to go a good distance to reach the hole, with many holes having inclines, ramps, and other obstacles that can send a weakly-hit ball right back to your feet. To win at miniature golf, you need to get the ball close to the hole. In addition, a well-struck ball will go straight for a much longer distance, making it through any hazards. Balls that are lightly tapped often wind up right next to a hazard, meaning the player then has to hit the ball backwards just to get the next shot through the obstacle.
• Make the short putts. Hitting the short putts will spell the difference between being competitive and finishing in last place. The hard-hit ball will go in the hole as long as it is not hit too forcefully.
• Practice as much as you can. Like any endeavor, practicing miniature golf will allow you to improve your skills. Go to your local miniature golf course and play by yourself, learning the nuances of the course and how hard to hit the ball. This will teach you the angles where to hit your tee shots.
• Utilize your sense of timing to make it through moving obstacles. The toughest and most memorable miniature golf holes are normally those with an opening that the ball must pass through to get near the hole. These are usually protected by moving objects that can block the entrance every few seconds, such as a windmill. Study the obstacle, and determine how long you have to hit the ball once the moving parts are clear from the opening. Hit the ball straight and hard once the moving parts have passed.

Be aware of a couple mini golf course rules to help settle any mini disputes.

• Miniature golf courses normally allow players to move a ball that comes to rest against the walls or against an obstacle. Move the ball the length of the putter head away to give yourself a legitimate chance to strike the ball cleanly.
• Most courses also allow a limit of six strokes per hole, so no matter how badly you play a particular hole, the highest score you write down is a six.

Think you've got what it takes to go pro? Perhaps you'd like to take your mini golf skills to the U.S. ProMiniGolf Association. The organization sanctions events all across the U.S. and the competition is fierce.

If you're looking for the latest advancements in mini golf, we recommend trying out Puttshack or the Tiger Woods backed Popstroke. Both incorporate the classic elements of mini golf, but on fun and exciting courses with upgrades in technology.

If you're not having fun on a miniature golf course, you should probably consider a different activity. Mini golf can be an enjoyable experience, whether you're playing solo, on a date, or with your family. That doesn't mean it can't be competitive, though. Have fun putting around.