Should you build a 9 hole or an 18 hole mini golf course?

• July 15, 2026
• Construction,Courses,
• Tracey

Last updated: July 2026

For most commercial venues, an 18 hole mini golf course is the stronger long-term investment. It supports a higher ticket price, longer visits and event bookings, and it positions the course as a destination in its own right. A 9 hole course is the right call when space is limited, the budget is staged, or mini golf is an add-on to an existing attraction rather than the main draw. Many operators start with 9 holes and expand to 18 once demand is proven.

Hole count is one of the first decisions in any mini golf project, and it shapes everything that follows: the land you need, the budget, the ticket price and the kind of visitor the course attracts. Here is how the two formats compare for Australian venues.

How much space does each option need?

A commercial 18 hole course typically needs somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 square metres depending on the design, the terrain and how much landscaping surrounds the holes. Compact, well-planned 9 hole layouts can work in as little as 500 to 800 square metres.

Those numbers are a guide, not a rule. Clever routing, multi-level holes and shared sightlines can fit a full course into sites that look too small on paper, which is why a proper site assessment comes before any decision on hole count. Our design and process page explains how that assessment works.

What does each format cost to build?

A high-quality commercial 18 hole course typically starts around $500,000, with the final figure driven by theming, site conditions, earthworks and finish level. A 9 hole course sits at a meaningfully lower investment level because everything scales down: less earthwork, less turf, fewer obstacles and a shorter build.

The per-hole cost is usually better on an 18 hole build, since the fixed costs of design, approvals and site establishment are spread across twice the holes. The variables that move the budget in either direction are set out on our mini golf construction costs page.

Which format earns better revenue?

An 18 hole course earns in ways a 9 hole course finds harder to match. The round takes roughly twice as long, which justifies a full-price ticket. Australian courses generally charge between $12 and $22 for an adult round, and visitors accept the top end of that range far more readily for a full 18 hole experience. Longer rounds also mean longer dwell time, which flows directly into food and beverage spend.

The event market leans the same way. Corporate groups, birthday parties and functions want an activity that fills a decent block of time, and an 18 hole course fills it. That said, a well-designed 9 hole course still trades strongly in the right setting, particularly where the round is one part of a bigger visit. You can model both formats against your expected visitation with our revenue calculator.

When is a 9 hole course the right choice?

A 9 hole course makes sense when mini golf supports an existing business rather than carrying the venue on its own. Holiday parks adding an activity for guests, cafes and breweries adding a reason to linger, and hotels giving families something on site all fit this model. The course extends the visit and lifts spend without needing to be the reason people came.

It also suits constrained sites, urban locations and staged budgets. A shorter round works in favour of high-turnover settings, because groups move through quickly and the course rarely backs up. And for operators who want to test demand before committing to a permanent build at all, pop-up mini golf is a lower-commitment starting point again.

When is an 18 hole course the right choice?

Build 18 holes when the course needs to be a destination. Standalone mini golf venues, golf clubs adding a serious off-course offering, councils investing in tourism infrastructure and family entertainment centres all need the full format, because their visitors are coming specifically to play and expect a complete experience for the ticket price.

An 18 hole course also gives the designer room to work with. Hole variety, difficulty progression, feature holes with water or elevation, and theming that builds across the round are all easier across 18 holes, and that design depth is what drives the repeat visitation covered in mini golf course design in Australia. The World Minigolf Sport Federation uses 18 hole layouts as the competition standard, which is a reasonable signal of what experienced players consider a full course.

Can you start with 9 holes and expand to 18 later?

Yes, and it is a proven path, with one condition: the expansion has to be planned from day one. That means masterplanning the full 18 hole layout at the design stage, building the first 9 in the right position on the site, and running services and drainage with the second stage in mind. A 9 hole course designed in isolation often blocks its own expansion.

Done properly, staging lets a venue prove demand, generate revenue from the first stage and fund the second stage from trading. It suits operators who believe in the opportunity but want the numbers before committing the full budget.

How do you make the final call?

The decision usually answers itself once three questions are settled. Is mini golf the destination or the add-on? What does the site genuinely allow once it has been assessed properly? And does the budget favour one full-scale build or a staged approach? Mini Golf Creations works through exactly these questions with golf clubs, holiday parks, councils and private operators across Australia, from feasibility through to opening day. If you have a site in mind, the team can tell you quickly what it will support.

+61 7 3823 2009 | minigolfcreations.com/contact-us

Frequently asked questions

Is a 9 hole mini golf course profitable?

Yes, in the right setting. A 9 hole course performs best as part of a broader venue such as a holiday park, hotel or hospitality precinct, where it extends visits and lifts overall spend rather than carrying the business alone.

How much land do I need for a mini golf course?

A compact 9 hole course can work in around 500 to 800 square metres. A commercial 18 hole course typically needs between 1,500 and 2,500 square metres depending on the design and landscaping.

Can I add 9 more holes to an existing course?

Often, yes. Expansion is far simpler when the full layout was masterplanned from the start, so if you are building 9 holes now with 18 in mind, plan the complete course before construction begins.

Do visitors pay less for a 9 hole round?

Usually. A shorter round supports a lower ticket price, which is why 9 hole courses suit venues where the round is one part of a bigger visit and the venue earns across food, drink and other attractions.