Mini Golf

How to play Mini Golf

Mini Golf is a relaxed top-down putting game played over nine original, handcrafted holes. On each hole a white ball rests on the tee and a flagged cup waits somewhere across the green. Your job is simple to describe and satisfying to master: knock the ball into the cup using as few strokes as you can. Between you and the hole sit walls to bank off, sand that saps your speed, water that costs you a stroke, booster pads that fling the ball forward, sliding gates you have to time, and teleport tunnels that whisk the ball across the course. You aim by dragging back from the ball as if pulling a slingshot, watch the guide arrow and power meter, and release to send it rolling. Every hole is reachable with clever, well-judged putts, and the whole game runs right in your browser with nothing to install.

The goal

Sink the ball in every hole while spending the fewest strokes possible. Each hole has a par — the number of strokes a good player should need — and your points reward you for matching or beating it. Play all nine holes in a row and your points add up into a single round total that goes on the leaderboard. There is no timer and no way to lose the round outright: even a disastrous hole simply caps out and you move on, so the real challenge is precision and course management from the first tee to the ninth cup.

Controls

To aim, press and drag backward from the ball — the further you pull, the more power you load, exactly like drawing back a slingshot. A dashed arrow shows the direction the ball will travel and the power meter shows how hard you will hit it. Let go to putt. Prefer a keyboard? The Left and Right arrow keys rotate your aim, the Up and Down arrow keys raise and lower power, and Space or Enter takes the shot. You can also drag the on-screen power slider and press the Putt button. Take your time — the ball only moves when you release, so line up each shot as carefully as you like.

The rules

• One stroke is one putt. Aim, set your power and release; the stroke counts the moment the ball starts rolling.
• The ball rolls, banks off walls, slows down from friction and eventually stops. Wait for it to come to rest before taking your next stroke.
• To hole out, the ball must enter the cup slowly enough to drop in. A ball moving too fast simply rolls over the hole and keeps going — ease off the power on your final putt.
• You have a maximum of eight strokes per hole. If you have not holed out by then, the hole is closed at eight strokes and you advance to the next one.
• Play proceeds through all nine holes in order. When the last ball drops, your scorecard is tallied and your round total is submitted.

Obstacles & hazards

• Angled walls: diagonal barriers you can bank shots off. The ball reflects off them just like a cushion, so use them to curve around corners and reach hidden cups.
• Sliding gate: a bar that slides back and forth across a doorway. Time your putt so the ball slips through the gap while the bar is out of the way.
• Sand: soft patches that dramatically slow the ball. Roll through as little sand as possible, and add extra power if you must cross a stretch of it.
• Water: hazards that cost you a penalty stroke and send the ball straight back to where you played your last shot. Always putt around the pond, never through it.
• Booster pad: an arrow tile that accelerates the ball in the direction it points. Roll onto one to gain a burst of speed and cover long lanes for free.
• Teleport tunnels: a matched pair of coloured rings. Roll into one ring and the ball instantly reappears at its partner, letting you skip past walls that block the direct route.

Scoring

Each hole is worth points based on par: you earn 200 points for finishing on par, plus 100 for every stroke under par, and lose 100 for every stroke over. A hole never scores below zero, so a blow-up simply earns nothing rather than hurting your other holes. For example, sinking a par-3 in one stroke is worth 400 points, on par is worth 200, and taking five strokes is worth 0. Your points from all nine holes add into a round total, capped at 99,999, and higher is always better. Sign in and your best round total is saved to the leaderboard.

Strategy tips

• Lag it close, then tap it in. On long holes, use your first putt to get near the cup rather than forcing it, then finish with a gentle, slow putt that will actually drop.
• Respect the lip. A ball hit too hard rides over the hole. When you are close, dial the power right down so the ball arrives at the cup nearly out of speed.
• Use the walls. Banking off an angled wall is often faster and safer than threading a narrow gap — plan the rebound the same way you would on a pool table.
• Read the hazards first. Pick a line that keeps you out of the water and off the sand, and remember boosters and tunnels can turn a two-putt hole into a one-putt hole.

Frequently asked questions