Build Your Mini Golf Course Right, Not Just Fast

When hiring a company for any construction project, eventually the issue of time needed to complete the project will come up. Investors are often enticed by the idea of a speedy build, seeing this as the quickest way to a return on the project. Family fun centers are no exception to this and when one is looking to add a new miniature golf attraction to their lineup, they are often promised a great product in a short time - sometimes as quickly as five weeks.

Although claiming that these shorter times will save clients money, often the opposite is true and they actually increase costs over time. Quick construction can lower profits for the owners of a miniature golf course for a number of reasons including:
• Incomplete communication between designer and client
• Boring design that attracts fewer admission fees
• A course with poor playability
• The need for change orders that increase building costs
• Construction errors or omissions requiring correction and
• Poor building techniques that increase maintenance.

Two Types of Miniature Courses

Some teen and adult miniature golf enthusiasts, such as those who like to participate in tournaments, want a course that minimizes theme but maximizes challenge. They want difficult sand traps, water hazards and other obstacles as well as holes that aren't flat, boring or booby-trapped by poor construction of underlayment.

However, many people -- especially families with young children -- go to miniature golf courses for the fantasy worlds they create. If done right, these settings may include elaborate themes that involve dinosaurs, jungles, mines, pioneers, pirates, ships, tropical islands, tunnels, waterfalls and exploding volcanoes.

So a round of mini golf, putt-putt, crazy golf or whatever you choose to call it, isn't just a game with a ball, a stick and fake turf. Whether you are building for tournament players or fantasy lovers, you can't afford to skimp on design, construction or materials.

Theme Development

Gently putting golf balls through an unrelated series of structures -- such as clown's mouths, Dutch windmills and fairytale cottages -- has gone the way of drive-in movie theaters. Miniature golfers want more complex fictional settings.

Today's digital tools, sensors based on radio wave technology and inexpensive sound systems make it easier to run equipment and create realistic special effects for these fantasy lands. It may be that yo

u already have a clear picture of your market (whether local or tourist), competition and likely theme. We can help you come up with an affordable design based on available budget and suggest plans for updating your course over time.

One of our guiding principles is to encourage you to create a course reflecting quality more than quantity. It gives you a solid foundation for future expansion.

Course Playability & Maintenance

Excellent engineering and construction techniques are necessary to build a course with reliable playability. Getting golf balls to roll in the right direction for each hole takes careful calculation as well as testing.

The concrete underlying imitation turf needs to be evenly smooth, graded correctly and poured over a well-compacted base that prevents heaving and cracking. Instead of brick pavers that loosen and must be replaced, we surround our golf holes with rebar and poured-in-place concrete. Proper grading and drainage of the holes helps keep a

course open. Ponds need to be sloped correctly so they drain correctly during storms. These details avoid flooding and loss of open hours. One more point about our water features: We don't use submersible pumps that can shock golfers. Instead, our pumps are above ground so they can stay dry.

Right Design, Right Construction

At Castle Golf, we know what you need, because we've been building miniature golf courses -- by themselves and as part of fun parks -- for more than 40 years in the U.S. and around the world. You'll find many examples in our Project Gallery. Please contact us for a free consultation or to ask questions. We're ready to help you with the right design, construction, schedule and price.