- October 21, 2026
- Construction,Courses,Mini Golf,
- Tracey
The short answer
Most mini golf courses we have built in Australia have paid for themselves in two to three years, based on a course in a good catchment playing 35,000 to 60,000 rounds a year.
Maroochy River Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast planned for a five-year payback and reached it in just over two. The timeline for your own venue comes down to what the course costs to build and how many rounds it plays each year. Below are the real figures from our completed courses, so you can see how those two things play out on the ground.
2 to 3 years
Typical payback
35,000 to 60,000
Rounds a year in a good catchment
$10 to $30
Ticket price per round
Up to $70,000
Running costs a year
What have our courses actually returned?
These are the published results from four of the courses we have designed and built. Each one is a different size and type of venue, and each one shows a different side of how a course earns.
| Course | Holes | Build cost | Published result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maroochy River Golf Club, QLD | 18 | Around $950,000 | Five-year payback reached in just over two years |
| City Golf Club, Toowoomba QLD | 18 | Approximately $750,000 | 40,000+ rounds every year since year three |
| Rich River Golf Club, VIC | 9 | Not published | About $250,000 a year |
| Wembley Golf Course, Perth WA | 18 | Not published | About $3.7 million in revenue over its first three years |
How many rounds does a mini golf course need to pay for itself?
Rounds played is the biggest single factor in how fast a course pays back. Our courses in good demographic areas play 35,000 to 60,000 rounds a year, and at that level they have typically paid back in two to three years. Maroochy River averages about 43,000 rounds a year, which puts it comfortably inside that range.
Busy school holidays can push a course past 1,000 rounds in a week, so the time of year a course opens and the way it trades through the quieter months both show up in the numbers. We have written about what a course earns over summer and how to keep it profitable through winter.
Demand for golf is growing too. Golf Australia’s latest participation figures count mini golf facilities alongside courses and driving ranges, and off-course play is one of the areas it reports growing.
What happens to rounds after the first year?
Rounds usually ease a little once a course is no longer new. The 18-hole course at City Golf Club in Toowoomba is a good example.
Rounds played at City Golf Club, Toowoomba
Year one
46,000
Year two
43,000
Year three
40,000
Toowoomba has played 40,000+ rounds every year since. Source: Mini Golf Creations project records.
We share those figures because a first-year spike can make a business case look better than it is. Build your numbers on the level a course settles at, and treat the opening year as a bonus.
Planning tip
Use your year three rounds, not your year one rounds, when you work out how long the course will take to pay back.
How much do ticket prices affect the payback?
Ticket prices for mini golf in Australia run from about $10 to $30 a round. Toowoomba’s average sits at $11 per round. Where you set yours depends on hole count and what the market around your venue will pay.
A couple of dollars either way adds up quickly across tens of thousands of rounds a year. Hole count also changes the build cost, which we cover in should you build a 9 hole or an 18 hole course.
Do café and bar sales count towards the payback?
They should, because a course changes how long people stay and what they buy while they are there. These are the published food and beverage increases at three of our venues since their courses opened.
Increase in café or food and beverage sales after opening
Maroochy River Golf Club, QLD
35%
The Vines Golf Resort, WA
25 to 30%
Rich River Golf Club, VIC
20%
Source: Mini Golf Creations project records.
Rich River’s 9-hole course also brings in about $250,000 a year on its own. For pubs, clubs and resorts, the flow-on trade is often where a course earns its keep.
It is also where evening and group bookings come in, which we look at in how venues build a night trade from mini golf and how venues win corporate event bookings.
What running costs come out of the return?
Running costs for a mini golf course are up to about $70,000 a year, and most of that is staffing and course upkeep. The upkeep itself is light.
What daily maintenance looks like
Most courses need about 15 minutes each morning to clear leaves and debris off the turf, plus a brush to fluff the synthetic grass up after heavy traffic.
A course built on a poor base costs more to keep open over time, so build quality affects payback as well. We explain why in how build quality affects mini golf running costs.
What does a mini golf course cost to build?
Build costs depend mostly on size and features. Here is how the published figures line up, from a small 9-hole site through to a large 18-hole build.
| Build | Site size | Approximate cost |
|---|---|---|
| 9-hole course | 1,200 m² | About $650,000 |
| City Golf Club, Toowoomba (18 holes) | 1,500 m² | Approximately $750,000 |
| Maroochy River Golf Club (18 holes) | Not published | Around $950,000 |
| 18-hole course | 4,000 m² | About $1.6 million |
The full breakdown is on our mini golf construction costs page.
How do you work out the payback for your own venue?
It starts with a site visit. From there we put together a concept brief showing where a course could fit and what it could look like, and we walk you through each stage of the project before you commit. You can read how that works on our design and process page, or see completed courses on our projects page.
Thinking about a course for your venue?
We are happy to look at your site and talk through what a course could do for it.
Frequently asked questions about mini golf payback
How long does it take for a mini golf course to pay for itself?
Mini golf courses built by Mini Golf Creations have typically paid for themselves in two to three years, based on 35,000 to 60,000 rounds a year. Maroochy River Golf Club reached a five-year payback target in just over two years.
How many rounds a year does a mini golf course play?
A course in a good demographic area can play 35,000 to 60,000 rounds a year. Maroochy River averages about 43,000, and Toowoomba has played 40,000+ every year since its third year.
How much does it cost to play mini golf in Australia?
Ticket prices for mini golf in Australia run from about $10 to $30 a round, depending on hole count and location.
How much does a mini golf course cost to run each year?
Running costs are up to about $70,000 a year, mainly staffing and course upkeep. Daily maintenance is usually about 15 minutes of clearing leaves each morning.
Does a mini golf course increase café and bar sales?
Yes. Café takings rose 35% at Maroochy River and 20% at Rich River after their courses opened, and food and beverage sales at The Vines Golf Resort rose 25 to 30%.
