Build a DIY Mini Golf Course: Backyard & Indoor Fun for Kids

Editor: Arshita Tiwari on Mar 10,2025

 

Mini golf is an activity that both young and older can enjoy. Create a DIY mini-golf course in your backyard for your precious little ones to enjoy outdoor recreation while being creative and spending time with family. This article will explain how to design and put together your own backyard mini-golf course-how to choose materials, construct your obstacles, and some of the best DIY mini golf course ideas to start with. Create a temporary or permanent outdoor mini-golf course; you'll find all the inspiration you need right here for building a DIY mini golf course for kids in your backyard.

Why Build a DIY Mini Golf Course?

Before starting the construction, here are apt reasons for building a DIY mini golf course for kids in your backyard:

  • Cost-effective: DIY mini golf is affordable in comparison to the official mini-golfs. It would use household items and repurpose to save your pennies. 
  • Customizable: Holes and obstacles can be designed according to the available space and preferences to make it unique and entertaining. 
  • Creative stimulation: Obstacle building and designing holes allow for creative expression and innovation. 
  • Physical activity: Mini golf keeps kids moving, develops motor coordination, and motor skills. 
  • Fun for all ages: Mini golf is a family event enjoyed together from toddler to adult.

Planning Your DIY Backyard Mini Golf Course

If you are planning to build a DIY Backyard mini golf course, check out the diy mini golf course ideas given below:

1. Choosing the Right Location

When building a mini-golf course in the backyard, first consider the available space. The area may be a small corner in the yard or the entire area can be converted into an enjoyment area for golf. Consider a few things: 

  • Surface Type: Grass, artificial turf, or even pavement would do. Any of these surfaces would do the trick: the smoother the surface, the better the game's playability.
  • Flat vs. Sloped Areas: A little bit of slope can make it interesting, provided that it can be negotiated by the youngest players.
  • Space for Multiple Holes: Also, if able, build a multi-hole course to further spice up the game.

2. Materials Needed

Here are some materials you will need for your DIY mini golf course in the backyard:

  • Artificial turf or outdoor carpet: Upholds a smooth playing area. 
  • Wooden planks or PVC pipes: Barriers and walls used to guide the ball. 
  • Golf balls and putters-Armed forces for the game. 
  • Household items such as cardboard, buckets, and pipes: Great for building imaginative obstacles. 
  • Spray paint or markers: Used for marking the boundary and numbering of the course.

DIY Mini Golf Obstacles

little girl wearing cap playing mini golf in backyard

Want to add some DIY mini golf obstacles? Here are some of the ideas with a bit of creativity incorporated into them as DIY obstacles:

1. The Classic Tunnel

Make a tunnel out of PVC pipes or cut cardboard tubes, allowing the ball to pass through. Paint them or decorate them for added appeal.

2. Ramp Challenge

Build a ramp out of wooden planks or thick cardboard that the kids must hit their balls upon to reach the hole, thereby adding difficulty and enjoyment.

3. Loop-de-Loop

With the use of flexible plastic or bent PVC pipe, create a loop-de-loop as seen in a professional mini golf course. What a fun challenge for the kids! 

4. The Windmill

Make a cardboard or wooden windmill with rotating blades. Kids will have to time their shots to get the ball through the moving obstacle.

5. Zig-Zag Path

Make a zig-zag path out of wooden barriers, bricks, or cardboard so the ball ricochets down to the hole. 

6. The Bridge

Raise the course a little somewhere with wooden boards, building a bridge for the ball to roll over. This increases the level of difficulty.

7. The Funnel Hole

Carve a funnel shape in a board so that when the ball rolls in, it will guide it down to the hole, thus making for an interesting way of completing the course.

8. The Maze

Build a mini-maze with cardboard walls through which kids have to navigate the golf ball to get to the hole. This obstacle makes things challenging and fun!

You might also like: Fun Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids to Explore Nature

DIY Indoor Mini Golf

Generally speaking, if you do not have an outside space or an indoor alternative for rainy days, a DIY indoor mini golf course is an outstanding option. 

Indoor Golf Material

  • Cardboard boxes: that can be used to create walls and obstacles.
  • Plastic cups: to serve as the hole for the golf object.
  • Tape or chalk: to draw the golf course.
  • Some mini ramps or books: to create elevation changes to make things more interesting. 

Indoor Course Arrangement Ideas: 

Below given are some DIY indoor mini golf arrangement ideas that you can try:

  • Living Room Course: Use furniture, books, and rugs to create a unique playing field. 
  • Hallway Course: Establish obstacles down a hallway for a linear mini-golf experience. 
  • Tabletop Golf: Create a miniature version on a tabletop, utilizing paper and cardboard for obstacles.

DIY Cardboard Mini Golf

If you prefer a miniature, portable version, simply make a mini golf course out of cardboard. Here is how you can create a DIY cardboard mini golf:

Materials:

  • Large pieces of cardboards - material for the base and walls
  • Paper towel rolls - great for tunnels and ramps
  • Scissors and glue - elements for cutting and assembling the course 
  • Markers and paint - decoration and number for holes 
  • Plastic cups or cut-out holes - mini-golf holes

Steps to Build the Mini Golf Course 

The step by step process to build a DIY cardboard mini golf is given below:

  • Create Base: Place flat large sheets of cardboard to create the whole playing surface. 
  • Cut Holes: Form holes out of circles marked and cut through. 
  • Build Walls: Get small strips from your cardboard and apply it with glue or tape along the edges to keep the ball in course. 
  • Add Obstacles: Cut additional cardboard into ramps, tunnels, and barriers, then shape them. 
  • Decorate: Let kids decorate the course with drawings, stickers, and colors to make it really visually appealing.

Must read: Grab The Best Board Games for Kids to Play and Learn Well.

Why Not We Start?

You will want to gain experience and develop to more complex courses. Start with a standard one-hole course.

  • Make All Tests You Need: Be sure the obstacles are made secure and fair for the course play.
  • Use Recyclables: Anything around the house can be cleverly used as an obstacle.
  • Keep It Safe: Everything must be kid-friendly and does not have sharp points. 

Conclusion

Building a DIY mini golf course for kids in your backyard is an enjoyable and creative project that brings family and friends together.  Whether creating a large backyard setup, a compact DIY indoor mini golf course, or a portable DIY cardboard mini golf course, children will love the fun and challenge of their homemade mini-golf experience. So, grab some putters, set up your DIY mini golf course, and enjoy endless hours of entertainment at home!


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