Mini Golf Nearby

Putt putt, mini golf and adventure golf explained

Updated: October 8, 2026

Ask for “putt putt” almost anywhere in the US and you'll be pointed to the nearest mini golf course. The words are used interchangeably, but they mean slightly different things.

Mini golf

Mini golf, or miniature golf, is the general term: a short course where every shot is a putt, usually 9 or 18 holes, with obstacles like windmills, ramps, loops and tunnels. Courses are typically flat, with felt or carpet on concrete and rails along the sides.

Putt-Putt

Putt-Putt is a brand. Don Clayton founded Putt-Putt Golf in 1954 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Its courses use a standardized design where every hole is par 2, without windmills or moving obstacles, so that skill matters more than luck. The brand grew so widely that “putt putt” became a generic word for any mini golf course, much like Kleenex for tissues. Today there are still dedicated Putt-Putt locations. See all 25 we list.

Adventure golf

Adventure golf is the landscaped, themed kind: artificial rocks, waterfalls, streams, caves and bridges, often with pirates, dinosaurs or jungle explorers as the theme. Holes vary in length and slope and often list a par of 2 to 4. Beach towns and tourist strips are full of them, frequently with two 18-hole courses side by side. Adventure golf courses by city.

A short history

Miniature golf boomed in the US in the late 1920s. Tom Thumb Golf, which started on Lookout Mountain on the Georgia–Tennessee line, was franchised across the country, and thousands of courses opened within a few years, many of them on city rooftops. The Depression ended that first boom. A second wave came after World War II with roadside and resort courses, and from the 1950s onward with Putt-Putt. The landscaped adventure courses followed in the 1970s and 80s, and the latest wave is indoor venues with bars and automatic scoring.

Classic mini golfAdventure golfGlow / indoor
SurfaceCarpet on concrete, railsTurf on landscaped groundCarpet, often under blacklight
ObstaclesWindmills, loops, rampsRocks, water, slopesProps, themed rooms
WeatherOutdoorOutdoorAny weather

Frequently asked questions

Is putt putt the same as mini golf?

In everyday speech, yes. Strictly speaking, Putt-Putt is a brand name for a specific chain of courses founded in 1954, and the name became a generic word for mini golf.

What is the difference between mini golf and adventure golf?

Classic mini golf courses are flat with carpet lanes, rails and obstacles like windmills or loops. Adventure golf courses are landscaped with rocks, water, slopes and a theme, and the holes are longer and less uniform.

Where was the first mini golf course in the US?

Several courses claim early dates, but the craze took off in the late 1920s with Tom Thumb Golf, which started on Lookout Mountain on the Georgia–Tennessee line and was soon franchised across the country.