Mini golf is the miniature version of the golf game. It is popularly called as miniature golf, minigolf, midget, etc. It is very popular as it is a great alternative to bowling or going for a movie for recreation. The international sports organization world minigolf sports federation uses the name mini golf.
It was a common feature in the American and British hotels to offer their guests miniature golf courses. This is done by using the same designs as that of a real sized golf course which is one tenth the scale. This game was played with mini putters, short drivers and was popular as garden golf. Now days, geometrically shaped minigolf courses are seen which have fake materials. This is also called as gofstacle.
Minigolf course with felt as surface are good in rainy season as water gets absorbed through it into the ground. Other commonly used surfaces for minigolf like beton and eternite are not good during rainy season. This is because rain water gets collected into large pools on them and stops the ball from rolling.
Mini golf course may have spectacular designs with running water and bridges.
Some of the grasses are considered to be great for the cooler climates. These include:
- Bent grass: It is considered as the highest quality of turf grass. There are many different species and creeping bent grass is the most commonly used species for golf course. It is perennial and forms a dense mat which is perfect for smooth putting. It is the gold standard for fast, smooth putting surfaces.
- Fescue grass: this grass is sturdy and turns golden. It is used as fairway grass and can grow up to 3 feet in height. The newer varieties are are more disease resistant and have the ability to be cut at modern fairway heights.
- Kentucky Blue grass: It is good for tees that can be mowed higher. It requires less maintenance and cannot tolerate heat.
- Rye Grass: This grass has a upright growth habit. It has tolerance to close mowing and has aesthetic appeal of stripping the reel mowers create on perennial rye grass turf. It cannot tolerate high temperatures and is susceptible to diseases when stressed.
- Poa Annua: It is considered as a major weed on putting greens and fairways. They can provide a good putting surface and can be mixed with bent grass and rye grass.
- Poa Trivialis: This grass provides high quality putting surface. It is a substitute for bent grass during winters.
Warm season grasses require sustaining harsh climates. This includes warm summers, cold winters, heat waves, drought situations, excessive rains and very high humidity. The golf grasses for this type of climates are:
- Bermuda grass: it is best grass for golf course. It grows well under extended periods of harsh climate. It is well known for its hardiness on the golf course.
- Zoysia grass: It is drought tolerant and is very popular as a fairway grass and tee box. It is tolerant to turf wear.
- Seashore Paspalum: It is the newest golf turf grass. It is hardy and can tolerate harsh climates. It can thrive well on brackish water and hence is ideal for places with water problems.
In case of minigolf, since the size of the course is small you will have to consider the budget, facilities and golf course maintenance. The location of the golf course greatly affects the type of grass that best suits your golf course. So, keep in consideration the above mentioned points to get the best of golf grass on your minigolf area.
