Mini golf is a great game that just about anyone can enjoy playing. Even if you’ve never picked up a golf club before, mini golf is a fun and entertaining game that can be fun for the whole family. But how long does mini golf take?
In this article, we’ll find out how long does it take for a round of mini golf and have a look at a few factors which affect the speed of play.
How Long Does Mini Golf Take?
How Long Does It Take To Play Mini Golf?
Mini golf takes about 20 minutes for 2 golfers playing a 9-hole mini golf course. The average time for playing an 18-hole mini golf course will of course take longer and about 50 minutes for a 2-ball.
A round of mini golf can very much vary in time frame based on a few different factors which influence how long a game will take to play.
Here’s a few of the important factors that can affect the length of time it takes.
Players
How Many People Are Playing?
The number of people playing mini golf will obviously determine how long the round will take.
As mentioned, 2 players will usually take about 25 minutes to play 9-hole mini golf courses, which is just under 3 minutes per hole.
For a group of 4 players, you can expect each hole to take between 5 and 10 minutes. This translates to a 9-hole course taking 45 to 90 minutes to play.
So the size of your group will play a key part in the time taken.
How Skilled Are The Players?
The level of skill of the people taking part can of course affect how long the round will take.
Fortunately, mini golf is a pretty simple game to play and doesn’t require too much skill to still have fun.
However, it is still about getting the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes with the flat stick (putter).
More skilled golfers, such as a single-figure handicap, will be able to do it quite easily and will fly around the course.
Some actual golfers might even turn up with their own putter to give them the best chance of success.
Taking fewer shots to get the ball into the hole, and having less trouble with some of the course hazards will help speed up the round of mini golf.
For complete beginners to golf, a crazy golf course can provide plenty of challenging elements which means it takes a long time to get around.
Even more experienced golfers are unlikely to ever practice the sort of putts you’ll have at miniature golf, so if you’re a total newbie then it can be a bit of a struggle.
If you’re new to the game of golf, here’s a quick video on the basics of putting, to give you the best chance of success at miniature golf.
Type Of Miniature Golf Course
Miniature golf courses are all built differently. With lots of different styles, designs, hazards and entertainment. They can also vary greatly in length and difficulty.
This means that the type of mini golf course can massively affect how long a round takes to play.
Some courses might also have a stroke limit set, to help with the speed of play. If a player has exceeded the limit they must pick up their golf ball.
How Difficult Is The Course?
The harder and more challenging the course holes are, the more shots are going to be taken by the players. And more shots, mean more time.
The level of difficulty of a mini golf course can vary and each course has its own difficulty level. Most courses will try to keep it fun with a good mixture of holes.
With a few easy holes and a few with some entertaining obstacles thrown in (think sloped holes and windmills).
The important thing is that the course is a good mix.
If it’s too difficult for most players, it’s no longer an enjoyable experience and might put people off from playing mini golf.
If the course is too easy, the better-level players won’t be challenged at all and will most likely lose interest in playing.
Some putt-putt venues do actually have a range of different 9 holes which vary from beginner, intermediate, and expert level.
This allows players to pick which course they want to play based on their skill level.
What Other Entertainment Does It Have?
Mini golf is a great social activity to do with your friends and family. Mini golf courses, therefore, have a few extra things to help you have an enjoyable time whilst playing.
Modern venues will most likely have a bar serving different types of drinks and cocktails to enjoy whilst you’re playing.
Staff can come around to get drink orders and serve you drinks during your round.
This tends to waste time while playing miniature golf as they’re chatting, drinking and having a great time.
Time Of Playing
Choosing the time when you go and play mini golf is important if you’re worried about how long the round will take.
A Friday evening or other peak times is likely to be full of people out with their mates, enjoying a few drinks and having a good time.
Compared to weekday mornings, which will be a much quieter time to play.
These busy times are going to mean that getting started takes you longer and playing the round will also take a while because there’s so many people on the course.
Therefore the time you choose to play will heavily affect the time it takes to play mini golf.
Group In Front
Just like a traditional golf course, the group in front of you can really affect how long a mini golf course takes to play.
Depending on who is in front of you when you’re playing, can help you play faster or slower.
A group of four total beginners is going to struggle more than a pair of golfers who have played before.
Your playing time is heavily reliant on how the group in front is taking to get around.
If you’re constantly waiting for the group in front to finish putting out the hole, then you cannot do anything other than wait for them to finish.
This is where choosing the best time to play is important. Playing in peak hours as mentioned is only going to mean large groups and slow rounds.
Your group in front might be a work-do full of people enjoying a relaxing couple of drinks (and who could blame them).
They’re not overly worried about their score and how long it takes them to play, they just want a fun night out with their colleagues.
Obviously being stuck behind this group, you’re not going to be playing very quickly.
So the type, size and skill level of the group in front can be a big impact on the time it takes for your miniature golf round.
Final Thoughts
There’s no definitive answer for the amount of time it takes to play miniature golf.
It will greatly vary depending on the factors I’ve mentioned in this article such as group size and course difficulty.
One thing is for sure, it’s much quicker than a round of traditional golf.
If you can get your golf ball in the hole in the fewest amount of shots possible, this is going to give you the best chance of winning and also help you get around more quickly.
Mini golf is a great way to play golf for newbies to get into the game of golf. Even if you’ve never played golf before, it provides an opportunity for beginners to compete.
Don’t be disheartened if you feel like a putt-putt course is too difficult or a round is taking too long to play.
Simply get out there and start playing with your mates, enjoying the brilliant game of golf in its most basic form.
Mini Golf FAQs
How long does mini golf take for 5 players?
For a group of five or six people, it will take about an hour to play a 9-hole putt-putt course. The size of your group means that it will take much longer, waiting for each player to finish the hole.
Founder, Editor
Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.