PRACTICE LAB

practice lab imageCompetitive & Mini Golf Focused

American Mini Golf Alliance

The American Mini Golf Alliance is a group of mini golf enthusiasts organizing to bring together people passionate about the game.

wmf logo bigWorld Mini Golf Alliance

https://gov.minigolfsport.com

Putt18: this is the best place for official drills and mat-specific tips.

O-Street Mini Golf: Excellent coverage of tournaments and high-level competitive play.

Brooks Holt: The “explorer” of the group.

O-Street Mini Golf: Great for the competitive side of the sport.

A Couple of Putts: The go-to for design and “vibe” checks.

The Putting Penguin: The OG reviewers of the community.

Web Design

Technique & Training Drills

  • PuttOUT Golf
    • Description: Specialized in short-game training. Their videos feature quick, repetitive drills designed to improve your “pressure putting” and consistency from close range.
  • Putt18
    • Description: They have tournaments and a cool mat for home play and virtual play.
  • Dave Pelz Golf
    • Description: Known as the “Putting Doctor,” Pelz focuses on the physics of the game. Great for players who want to understand the science of why a ball rolls the way it does.
  • Me And My Golf
    • Description: Easy-to-follow, fun drills that you can set up in minutes. They focus on making practice feel like a game, which is perfect for building a daily routine.

Graphic Design

The Mental Game

Golf Sidekick

Description: Focuses on “course management” and the mental side of the game. His advice will help you stay calm during tournaments and focus on one shot at a time.

Cognitive psychology

Bäckman, L., & Molander, B. (1991). Cognitive processes among skilled miniature golf players: Effects of instructions on motor performance, concentration time, and perceived difficulty. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 32(4), 344–351. ​​

Historical development

Yeotikar, S. K. (2021). An insight into the history of mini golf – A comprehensive review. Bhartiya Shodh Patrika, 2(3), 1–8. [ISSN 2582-6824]. Access here. ​

Types of minigolf courses

Yeotikar, S. K. (2020). An account of various types of minigolf courses: A significant facet of the sport. AIIR Journal (Asian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research), 7(4), 206–208.

Direct PDF link

Adapted miniature golf and disability

Banks, R., & colleagues. (1986). Adapted miniature golf: A community leisure program for students with severe physical disabilities. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 11(3), 25–32. (Citation reconstructed from secondary references; check page numbers when you access the PDF.)journals.sagepub+4

Direct PDF link (SAGE):

Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • “Cognitive processes among skilled miniature golf players: effects of instructions on motor performance, concentration time, and perceived difficulty” by L. Bäckman and B. Molander (Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 1991). This study tested skilled players under varying instructions, finding that focusing on technical details impaired precision due to increased cognitive interference.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih​
  • “Attention and Performance in Miniature Golf Across the Life Span” (The Journals of Gerontology, 1994). Researchers compared skilled players from adolescents to older adults (58-73 years), revealing age-related declines in attention allocation affecting putting accuracy.
  • “Adapted Miniature Golf: A Community Leisure Program for Students Who Are Mentally Retarded and Severely Physically Disabled” (Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 1986). This explored community-based training, showing how adapted mini golf builds leisure skills for individuals with disabilities through structured instruction.journals.sagepub​

Note: Exhaustive academic searches (e.g., via PubMed, Google Scholar equivalents) yield few additional peer-reviewed hits beyond these core psychology-focused papers; miniature golf serves more as an experimental tool than a primary research subject.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih+1

Published Books

Miniature golf books blend history, photography, novelty formats, and instructional content, often celebrating its cultural quirky appeal rather than deep analysis.

TitleAuthor/EditorPublisher/YearDescription/Link
Miniature GolfJohn Margolies, Maria ReidelbachAbbeville Press, 1987Photographic history of U.S. courses from 1920s-1980s with vintage images and text; features astroturf-covered boards.abebooks+1 (https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=john+margolies&tn=miniature+golf)
The Minibook of MinigolfTim HollisSeaside Publishing/University Press of Florida, 2015Compact visual tour of American courses with 172 color photos; praised for entertaining nostalgia.floridapress​ (https://floridapress.org/9780942084948/the-minibook-of-minigolf/)
Desktop Mini Golf: Master Your Short Game!Donald LemkeRunning Press, 2022Novelty kit with mini course, putters, book on history/rules; portable fun for desks.hachettebookgroup+1 (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donald-lemke/desktop-mini-golf/9780762479931/)
The Miniature Book of Miniature GolfMike VagoUnknown, ~2009Tiny format book; humorous collectible mentioned in enthusiast communities.reddit+1 (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6596019-the-miniature-book-of-miniature-golf)
Mini Golf Fun!Tasha Hilderman (illus. Kaly Quarles)Penguin Random House, 2026Children’s Step into Reading book for ages 4-6 on playing mini golf.penguinrandomhouse​ (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/767151/mini-golf-fun-by-tasha-hilderman-illustrated-by-kaly-quarles/)

These represent key published works; broader searches confirm a niche market beyond kits and kids’ guides.alibris​

Blogs, Substacks, and Podcasts

Dedicated content thrives in enthusiast spaces, covering reviews, competitive play, history, and business trends. Links provided where available.

Blogs

Substacks

Podcasts

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