Tis the season to play mini golf! As summer heats up and schools let out, people of all ages will begin to flock to miniature golf courses. Whether it is out of the love of the game or you are simply looking to pass the time, there is a strategy to playing miniature golf. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a number of common obstacles that courses deploy to raise the difficulty of the game.

Pipe hole

The Russian Roulette hole for someone playing a new mini course, the pipe hole is a game of chance. Like the windmill hole, you can hit a perfect shot and end up nowhere near where you had hoped. While this is bad for someone without any local knowledge, someone who has played the course before will have a big leg up and a shot at their easiest hole-in-one of the round.

Windmill

There is nothing worse than hitting the perfect shot and having it not work out, and in no place is that more evident than in the signature hole design of mini golf. The ultimate risk versus reward shot, it brings up the dilemma of whether it is worth going for it. The only shot at success on these holes is to have perfect timing, so to best avoid a Happy Gilmore-like fit of rage, you may want to do the mini golf equivalent of laying up, and simply play it around the structure.

Impossible angle

The miniature equivalent of a dogleg, barriers prevent any attempt at cutting the corner and attacking the hole on a line. Some require some quick calculus for a ricochet or two, but seemingly every course has at least one of these holes.

The jump

Often accompanied by a ravine or some standing water, the jump is a high-risk obstacle since you have to clear a hazard to reach the target. Additionally, on most courses, it is one of the few opportunities to take a penalty stroke.

Tire Hole

While the appearance of a shot going around a tire resembles a toy car on a Hot Wheels track, these shot can be infuriating due to their unpredictability. Often featuring a lip, it takes a hard hit shot to even make it all the way around. Once it makes it around, the golfer has no control over the direction the ball will travel. Thus if you are in it to win it, the savvy move to go around this obstacle.

Whatever your strategy may be, mini golf is a fun game that is meant to be enjoyed. Regardless of anyone’s score, having a good time makes everyone a winner. 

If you are ready for some more fierce competition than what you may find at your local miniature golf courses, check out the real golf tournaments offered by Nextgengolf, open to anyone 18-34 years old.