# Minigolf courses; outdoor and indoor A thematic map of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. The map is drawn in the browser; this file describes it and lists its variants and links, but not the data values shown on the map. - Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/minigolf-courses-outdoor-and-indoor/ - Short title: Minigolf courses - Map id: 310 - Categories: Tourism and Leisure time › Leisure facilities › Fitness parks - Keywords: Leisure time, Precision sports - Published: 2016-05-27 - Last revised: 2026-07-03 - Content language: English - Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/minigolf-anlagen-outdoor-und-indoor.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/minigolfs-dexterieur-et-dinterieur.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/minigolf-outdoor-e-indoor.md) ## Description The aim of the precision game of minigolf is to use the club to hit the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible. Minigolf is played either on courses made from concrete (Bongni system), Eternit, T5000 (combination of concrete and Eternit), or felt. There are also open-system courses; all non-standard courses fall into this category. Standardized minigolf courses consist of 18 lanes of defined dimensions (typically around 12 m long), whose difficulty varies through different obstacles. Open-standard and adventure-golf courses may differ substantially in design. Minigolf is played both indoors and outdoors and can be enjoyed as an individual or team sport. ### History of origins Minigolf (miniature golf, putt putt golf) originated from the sport of golf. The large space requirements and the high costs involved in building a golf course were the reasons for the development of a smaller version of golf. The first so-called training holes appeared in the US at the beginning of the 20th century. Over time, obstructions such as doors, figures or undulations were integrated into the game. The surface of the courses consisted of a great variety of materials. This led to lots of different course styles. Back then, one popular version of the game was so-called Clock Golf, which involved digging a hole in the centre of a circle and twelve people putting from their own sectors. Modern-day standardized minigolf emerged in 1951 when Swiss landscape architect Paul Bongni came up with the idea of creating a standardised miniature golf course with 18 holes. In contrast to the former variations on miniature golf, it was possible, in principle, to complete each hole in just one stroke. He obtained patent protection for his course design and gave it the name minigolf. In 1954, the first minigolf course based on Bongni’s standardised system went into operation in Ascona (Ticino). Minigolf became very popular and quickly spread to surrounding countries. By the end of 1962, there were already 120 minigolf courses across Europe. ### Minigolf in Switzerland There are more than 200 minigolf courses in Switzerland today. Most of these courses are played as a leisure activity. As both a recreational sport and a competitive sport, minigolf is organised and promoted by the association Swiss Minigolf. ## Sources - Swiss Minigolf Association (2026): [Swiss Minigolf](https://www.swissminigolf.ch/) - Wikipedia contributors (2026): [Paul Bogni](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bongni). In: Wikipedia - Raaflaub (2025): [How Switzerland became the ‘motherland of minigolf’](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-oddities/switzerland-the-motherland-of-minigolf/89929116). swissinfo.ch ## Data sources - Atlas of Switzerland (2026): [Freizeit- und Sportanlagen](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/) - Swiss Minigolf Association (2026): [Swiss Minigolf](https://www.swissminigolf.ch/) - World Minigolf Sport Federation (2026): [WMF Approved Courses](https://gov.minigolfsport.com/) ## Data owners - Swiss Minigolf - [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/) ## Citation The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as: > Atlas of Switzerland (2026): Minigolf courses; outdoor and indoor. ETH Zürich. Map data © Swiss Minigolf, AoS. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/minigolf-courses-outdoor-and-indoor/ ## Links The map opens at its full extent; a link cannot set the map position. - Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/minigolf-courses-outdoor-and-indoor/ - Short link, stays valid when the title changes: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/t/310/ - Side by side with another map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/comparison/?lt=310&rt={id of the other map}&ru={u of the other map, or leave out} Embed in another website (allowed by the terms of use, as long as the source references stay visible): ```html ``` In the embed URL, `dm` sets what is shown: `e` the map with its title bar (default), `p` also the values of an object clicked on the map, `m` only the map with a button that opens it in the atlas. `ig=1` (default) lets the map react to scrolling and dragging only after a click into it, `ig=0` right away. The size can be changed in `style`. ## Maps to compare with - [Golf courses, driving ranges and indoor golf](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/golf-courses-driving-ranges-and-indoor-golf.md) (id 308) For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).