Introduction: Modular Mini Golf Course

About: Currently working on upgrading construction sites everywhere at REEKON Tools. Formlabs/Shaper Tools/MIT Alumni

Looking for a fun game to make for your next big event or party? Something that children and adults can play alike? Looking for something simple to make yet captivating to keep people's attention? Well, look no further. Introducing the Modular Miniature Golf Course!

The Modular Mini Golf Course is a great way to add fun to your next event, party, office or anything really. It is quick and easy to build (we built the entire thing in about 2 days) and can be built entirely from materials found at Home Depot. The great part is, it can be easily and effortlessly broken down and moved to storage or another location.

After coming up with the idea to build a miniature golf course with my friend, Shane, we decided to build it for our company's Hack-a-thon!

Similar to a bouldering wall, we designed this course to have several different routes to follow in order to get more holes than there are physical holes. A map shows golfers which routes to take to include starting points and ending cups. This allows us to have more than 12 routes for only 5 physical holes.

Another fun game to play is HORSE where the first golfer calls out a shot involving hitting the ball by or through certain areas. The next player then must match or beat the number of strokes it takes in order to not get a letter.

There really are countless ways to have fun with this project and the scope, size, and difficulty are only limited by your imagination!

I have organized each step of this Instructable into 5 sections to try and make it as clear and easy to follow as possible:

1) Step Aim: where I discuss what we will accomplish/create in this step.

2) Tools: which tools will be required to perform this step.

3) Materials: what materials from the part list will you need in this step.

4) Directions: step by step directions for this particular component's construction.

5) Tips: where I make note of any problems I ran into and ways to avoid them during your building process.

As some background, my name is Christian Reed and I am a 2014 Mechanical Engineering Graduate from MIT and an Army veteran. I spend most of my days now working on cool projects for Formlabs or my own inventions. Please visit my website which showcases almost everything I have ever made, invented, or worked on.

Step 1: Plan Out Your Course

1) Step Aim

Here, we want to plan out the golf course. This is important because it will effect everything from the way we lay out the carpet to how the framing is made.

2) Tools

Marker, pencils, paper, etc

3) Materials

None

4) Directions

Be creative and sit down with a friend. There is no right way to do it. Its a good spot here to plan out what size your course will be, if there are any features that will require special framing (hill,etc), and to layout obstacles. You can see from our drawing we very crudely laid out things in a general idea/way. This was just to help us get started and we can worry about the specifics later.

5) Tips

Let the creativity flow!

Step 2: Gather the Materials

1) Step Aim

Gather all the materials!

2) Tools

  • Chop saw - if you want to precut some of the lumber
  • Circular Saw - Table saw could work too
  • Jig Saw - to cut out the holes in the wood.
  • Nail guns - Super helpful but not required. We used everything from a framing gun to stapler to finish nailer.
  • Hammer

3) Materials

  • 2" x 6" x 10' Boards
  • 2" x 4" x 10' Boards
  • Green Turf Carpet
  • 3/4" OSB Particle Board
  • Framing Nails
  • Golf Practice Holes (Amazon has a bunch)

4) Directions

Read through the whole Instructable before doing anything. This will help you get a better idea of the function of each tool and material and allow you to decide if you can make, use, or get alternatives.

5) Tips

See above

Step 3: Frame It Out!

1) Step Aim

Here, we will create the frame for the whole golf course using 2x4's (or also 2x6's)

2) Tools

  • Chop Saw
  • Hammer (nail gun)
  • T-Square
  • Speed Square

3) Materials

  • 2" x 6" x 10' Boards
  • 2" x 4" x 10' Boards
  • Framing Nails

4) Directions

As your design may be different, I will be as generic as possible. The overall goal here, as seen in the photos, is to create the frames for your golf course. There really is no magic here. Decide what size you want your course to be, divide it in sections, and frame it out. The hill, the relatively most complicated thing, is again not bad to make. Just a series of lumber, ensuring everything is square to each other. Leave a comment if you need any more specific help and I would be happy to provide input. We used some 2x6's because we had them for the hill but 2x4s would have worked equally as well for the entire thing.

5) Tips

Make sure everything is square! This is very important and will make your life much easier down the line. Make sure there is no framing in the way of planned hole/hazard/obstacle locations.

Step 4: Lay Down Some Wood

1) Step Aim

Lay down all of the OSB base for the carpet to go on.

2) Tools

  • Circular Saw
  • Hammer (Nail gun)
  • Drill
  • Jig Saw

3) Materials

  • 3/4" OSB Particle Board

4) Directions

If the framing was done correctly (square) this should be a fun and easy step. Cut the boards out to the correct sizes for each section. Secure down to the frame using screws. To cutout the holes, lay them out and make sure you like the looks of them. Drill a starter hole then finish the cut with the jog saw. Make the hole slightly oversized for the carpet to fit into around the hole.

5) Tips

Make sure there is no overlap of the plywood over the edges of the frame so that all the sections will line up properly.

Step 5: Make Your Setup Green!

1) Step Aim

Make the course start to look like a real golf course by adding green carpet.

2) Tools

  • Utility Knife
  • Stapler

3) Materials

  • Staples
  • Green Turf Carpet

4) Directions

Lay the carpet down! It is good practice to put it on oversized and then cut it to length once it is already secured to the board. Make slits in the carpet for holes and press in holes. Be neat here as we now begin to put in the final visible materials.

5) Tips

Be neat!

Step 6: Gotta Have Some Side Walls

1) Step Aim

We finish up the major woodworking by adding side walls to the course for balls to bounce off of.

2) Tools

  • Chop Saw
  • Hammer (Nail Gun)

3) Materials

  • 2x6 Wood

4) Directions

For this step, we just want to follow the perimeter of the course with wood for balls to bounce off of and keep them on the course. Again, nothing too hard here, just attaching the wood, at a consistent height, to the side walls. Ensure that they are all separate so that the sections can be broken down!

5) Tips

Use a 2x4 on its side to prop up the 2x6s and ensure they are all at a uniform height.

Step 7: Add Some Obstacles!

Boom! The course is essentially done. Here is where you can let your creativity shine.

Just some general tips and pointers:

  • Use hot glue to attach hard to secure obstacles down (or epoxy for a more rigid fit)
  • Walk around Home Depot or any store to find things that would make cool obstacles.
  • Lay everything out before gluing anything down - this will make sure it all flows and fits nicely
  • Don't put obstacles on the seams
  • Make sure the material can withstand people stepping on it and getting crashed into by a golf ball.

Step 8: Play Ball!

Congratulations! You now have your very own golf course! Enjoy it and have fun using it. Be sure to check out my blog for other fun projects and feel free to comment with other suggestions or ideas!