- October 21, 2026
- Construction,Courses,Design,Mini Golf,Opportunities,
- Tracey
The short answer
A turnkey mini golf builder should take your project from the first site visit to opening day with one team. That covers the concept, detailed design, construction, grassing and landscaping, plus support once the course is open.
Building a mini golf course involves golf course design, earthworks, drainage, concrete, turf and landscaping. When those trades are hired and managed separately, the venue owner ends up coordinating designers and builders who may never have worked together. A turnkey builder takes that off your plate and is accountable for the whole result. Here is what that should look like in practice, stage by stage, and who should be doing the work.
One team
From concept to opening day
30+ years
Golf course design experience of our lead designer
Two decades+
Golf course experience of our founder
100mm+
32MPa concrete under every hole
What does turnkey mean for a mini golf course?
Turnkey means one company designs the course, builds it and hands it over ready to play. You deal with one team, and that team is responsible for how the course plays and how it holds up over time. At Mini Golf Creations we handle the technical specifications and detailed drainage plans in-house, and we even have our own range of grasses.
The difference shows up when something unexpected happens on site. If the designer and the builder are the same team, a problem found during earthworks gets solved on the spot. If they are separate businesses, it often turns into a phone call and a wait for revised drawings.
What are the stages of a turnkey mini golf build?
Every site is different, but a full turnkey project moves through the same stages. This is how ours run.
Site visit and concept brief
We visit the site and put together a concept brief showing where a course could fit and what it could look like, including its size and features. We also explain the project plan so you know what each step involves before you decide.
Detailed design
Once the contract is signed, we produce the course drawings along with the contouring, earthworks, grassing and drainage plans. Lighting, shade structures, a victory platform and course furniture are planned at this stage too. Construction starts once everything is signed off.
Site preparation and earthworks
The site is cleared and services go in first, ready for earthworks. Each hole is pegged out and labelled, then the holes are bulk shaped in the subgrade, with drainage shaped hole by hole.
Base, contours and concrete
At least 100mm of compacted road base and crusher dust goes down and is sculpted into the contours and bunkers of each hole. The holes are then concreted with 100mm+ of 32MPa concrete and the cups are set.
Turf, rocks and sleepers
Premium synthetic turf suited to mini golf is glued down, and rocks and timber sleepers are installed for a natural finish that lasts.
Landscaping, lighting and final touches
We finish with landscaping, irrigation, planting and mulching, then add paths and lighting for day and night play. The course is handed over with golf balls, putters, flags and markers, ready for opening day.
Support after opening
Our involvement does not stop at handover. Post-build support is part of every turnkey project, so you have a team to call once the course is trading.
You can read more about each stage on our design and process and mini golf course construction pages, and about the surfaces we use on our mini golf turf page.
Why should the designer stay on site during construction?
Drawings can only show so much. Once earthworks start, the ground often has things in it nobody knew about, such as old underground pipework or rock. Our designers stay involved through construction and fine-tune the layout as each hole takes shape, re-aligning a hole slightly when they need to so the course stays strong and the budget stays on track.
Why drainage is fine-tuned on site
Stormwater on a golf course travels the way a golf ball rolls. Our designers adjust the drainage during the build so water runs off the playing surface or towards the cup, away from the edges and the landscaping.
This is where a lot of the long-term running cost of a course is decided, which we cover in how build quality affects mini golf running costs.
Who designs and builds a Mini Golf Creations course?
Our courses look and play like real golf because the people behind them come from real golf.
Geoff Bennell
Founder, construction and turf
A trade-qualified greenkeeper and golf course superintendent with over two decades of golf course experience. Geoff leads construction and turf on our projects.
James Wilcher
Lead designer
A golf course architect with 30+ years of experience, formerly with Greg Norman Golf Course Design and founder of Golf by Design. James has completed 53 commissions in 8 countries.
James joined Mini Golf Creations as lead designer in 2023, as reported by Golf Industry Central. In his words, “Mini golf presents a unique canvas to create memorable and enjoyable courses for all ages.”
What should you ask a mini golf builder before you sign?
Whoever you talk to, these questions will tell you quickly how much of the project they actually handle themselves.
| Question to ask | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Who designs the course? | A named designer with golf course design experience, who stays involved during construction |
| What drawings will I get before construction? | Detailed course drawings with contouring, earthworks, grassing and drainage plans, signed off before work starts |
| What goes under the turf? | A specified base and concrete, such as compacted road base and 100mm+ of 32MPa concrete |
| Who supplies the grass and landscaping? | The builder, as part of the same contract |
| What happens after opening? | Post-build support from the team that built the course |
If you are still at the early planning stage, our guides on how to build a mini golf course in Australia and mini golf construction costs are a good place to start, and how long a course takes to pay for itself covers the returns side. You can also see finished courses on our projects page.
Thinking about a course for your venue?
We are happy to visit your site and talk through what a course could look like there.
Frequently asked questions about turnkey mini golf builders
What is a turnkey mini golf builder?
A turnkey mini golf builder designs and builds the whole course with one team, from the first site visit and concept through to construction, landscaping and support after opening.
What are the stages of building a mini golf course?
A typical build moves from site visit and concept brief to detailed design, then site preparation and earthworks, base and concrete, turf and rockwork, and finally landscaping, lighting and final touches before opening.
Who designs Mini Golf Creations courses?
Lead designer James Wilcher is a golf course architect with 30+ years of experience, formerly with Greg Norman Golf Course Design. Founder Geoff Bennell, a trade-qualified greenkeeper and golf course superintendent, leads construction and turf.
Does the designer stay involved during construction?
Yes. Mini Golf Creations designers stay involved during construction. They fine-tune the drainage and re-align holes if issues such as underground pipework or rock come up.
Where does Mini Golf Creations build mini golf courses?
Mini Golf Creations is based in Capalaba, Queensland, and designs and builds courses across Australia and internationally, including New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
