How to Play Mini Golf: Rules, Par and Scoring
In mini golf you putt a ball from the tee into the cup in as few strokes as possible. Every hole has a par, the number of strokes a good player needs (usually 2 or 3). Count every putt, add one penalty stroke if the ball goes in the water or off the course, and after all the holes the lowest total wins.
The basic rules
Mini golf (also called miniature golf or crazy golf) is golf with only the putting. Each hole is a short, walled lane with a tee at one end and a cup at the other, plus obstacles in between: ramps, bumpers, tunnels, water and the famous windmill.
- Put your ball down on the tee (the starting mat) and putt it toward the cup.
- Play the ball from where it stops. Every putt counts as one stroke, even a tiny tap.
- Keep putting until the ball drops into the cup. That's the hole finished.
- Write down your strokes for the hole, then everyone moves on to the next one.
- After the last hole (usually 9 or 18), add up the strokes. The lowest total wins.
Real courses add a few house rules, and they differ from place to place. The most common ones: wait until the ball stops before you putt again, the player furthest from the cup goes first, a ball resting against a wall may be moved a club-head's length away from it, and there's a maximum number of strokes per hole (often 6) so a tricky hole doesn't hold everybody up.
What does par mean in mini golf?
Par is the number of strokes a good player is expected to need for a hole. In mini golf it's usually 2 or 3, with the odd par 4 for a long or tricky hole. Add the pars of every hole and you get the par for the whole course.
Your score is often given against par: "even" means you matched it, "+3" means three strokes over, "−2" two under. Golf also has a name for every result on a single hole:
| Name | Strokes on the hole | Example on a par 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Hole in one (ace) | 1 | 1 |
| Eagle | 2 under par | 1 |
| Birdie | 1 under par | 2 |
| Par | Exactly par | 3 |
| Bogey | 1 over par | 4 |
| Double bogey | 2 over par | 5 |
On GameLake every par was set by a solver that plays the hole with the real game physics: par is the fewest strokes using putts that still work when your aim or power is a little off, not a one-in-a-thousand trick shot.
How to keep score
Use a scorecard with one row per player and one column per hole. After each hole, write down how many strokes it took, including any penalty strokes. At the end, add each row. It helps to write the par of each hole along the top so everyone can see how they're doing as they go.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Ana | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
| Ben | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 23 |
In the game the scorecard fills itself in under the course. Each box turns teal for a score under par and gold for a hole in one, and the total against par is shown above the course while you play.
Penalties: water, out of bounds and the stroke limit
If your ball lands in water or bounces off the course, you add one penalty stroke and play again from where you hit it (some courses let you drop it near where it went out instead). So a splash costs two strokes in all: the putt itself and the penalty.
- Water or off the course: +1 stroke, play again from where you putted.
- Stroke limit: most courses stop you at a maximum per hole, often 6. On GameLake the limit is 10: after that the ball is picked up and you score 10 for the hole.
- Moving obstacles: if a windmill blade or a moving log knocks your ball back, there's no penalty. You just play it from wherever it stops.
How a hole in one works
A hole in one (or ace) is getting the ball into the cup with your very first putt. In mini golf they're far more common than in real golf, because the holes are short and the walls can guide the ball in. Speed matters as much as aim: a ball that reaches the cup too fast hops right over it.
Some courses give a prize for an ace on the last hole. On GameLake a hole in one earns the most points of any score, Hop throws fireworks, and it shows as a gold box on your scorecard.
Mini golf on GameLake
GameLake's Mini Golf puts the holes on lily pads, wooden docks and stone paths over a lake. It plays by the same rules: fewest strokes wins, water costs a stroke, and every hole has a par.
- Putting: drag back from anywhere on the course, like a slingshot, and let go. The arrow shows the direction and the power.
- Easy, Medium and Hard are nine-hole courses. Easy is walled in and shows a dotted line for the start of each putt; Medium and Hard add open water, logs, windmills and slopes.
- Daily: a new nine-hole course every day, the same for everyone, with three easy, three medium and three hard holes.
- 2–4 players: pass one phone around. Each player putts out the hole in turn, and the shared scorecard keeps everyone's strokes.
- Race: play the same nine holes as someone online at the same time. Fewest strokes wins; finishing more holes beats finishing fewer.
- Teach me: Hop draws a good line and power for your next putt and explains why it works.
Ready to lower your score? Read our mini golf tips.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic rules of mini golf?
Putt the ball from the tee into the cup in as few strokes as possible, playing it from wherever it stops. Every putt counts as a stroke, water or out of bounds adds one penalty stroke, and after all the holes the lowest total wins.
What is par in mini golf?
Par is the number of strokes a good player should need for a hole, usually 2 or 3 in mini golf. Scoring one under par is a birdie, one over is a bogey.
Is there a maximum number of strokes in mini golf?
Most courses set one, often 6 strokes per hole, so slow holes don't hold up the group. On GameLake the limit is 10, after which the ball is picked up.
What happens if your ball goes in the water in mini golf?
You add one penalty stroke and play again from the spot you putted from, so the splash costs two strokes in total.
What is a good score in mini golf?
Finishing at or near the course par is a very good round. For most casual players a few strokes over par is normal, and a single hole in one makes any round a good one.
How many holes does a mini golf course have?
Most courses have 18 holes, and smaller ones have 9. Every GameLake course, including the Daily, has 9 holes.