What is the difference between Putt-Putt and mini golf?
Mini golf is the general name for the game. Putt-Putt is a brand: a chain started in 1954 by Don Clayton of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Its courses have 18 par-2 holes with outdoor carpet and aluminum bump boards, and leave out the windmills and other novelty obstacles of other courses so that the score depends on putting skill. Many people use "putt-putt" for any mini golf. Range and Putt lists 4 Putt-Putt venues.
By the Range and Putt editorial team. Published November 12, 2026, updated November 12, 2026. Figures are recalculated from our listings whenever they change.
Side by side
| Putt-Putt | Mini golf in general | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A brand and franchise | The game, at any course |
| Started | 1954, by Don Clayton of Fayetteville, North Carolina | Earlier; Putt-Putt was a reaction to the courses of its day |
| Holes | 18 holes, each a par 2, to copyrighted designs | Usually 18, sometimes 9; par varies by hole |
| Obstacles | Carpet and aluminum bump boards; no novelty obstacles | Anything: windmills, water, caves, themed scenery |
| The idea | A test of putting skill, with bank shots off the boards | Varies by course, from plain putting to themed adventure golf |
Putt-Putt history from Carolina Country, the magazine of North Carolina's electric cooperatives, September 2023.
Where Putt-Putt came from
According to Carolina Country, Don Clayton was 28 and selling insurance when his doctor ordered him to take a month off. He built the first course with his father for $5,200, charged 25 cents a game, and the course paid for itself in less than a month. He left out the rotating windmills and clown mouths of other courses to put the weight on putting, and the format spread through franchising.
Putt-Putt venues we list
| Venue | Where | Holes | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putt-Putt of Amelia Island | Fernandina Beach, FL | 36 | Not published |
| Putt-Putt Fun Center Arlington | Arlington, TX | 18 | $12 a round |
| Putt-Putt Fun Center Erlanger | Erlanger, KY | 18 | $7 a round |
| Putt-Putt Fun Center Hurst | Hurst, TX | 18 | $12 a round |
Figures come from the 228 mini golf venues listed on Range and Putt, each checked against the venue's own website or operator, most recently in November 2026.
Other names for the game
Miniature golf, mini golf, minigolf, adventure golf, crazy golf and putt-putt are all used for the same game. "Adventure golf" usually means an outdoor course with landscaping and water, and "crazy golf" is the British term, which some putting bars in the US use too. The basic rules and scoring are the same whatever the course is called.
Find a course
All mini golf by city: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Myrtle Beach, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington.
Related questions
Is putt-putt the same as mini golf?
In everyday speech, yes: many people say putt-putt for any mini golf. Strictly, Putt-Putt is a brand of mini golf with plain par-2 holes and no novelty obstacles, founded in 1954.
Who invented Putt-Putt?
Don Clayton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who developed it in 1954 and built the first course with his father, according to Carolina Country magazine.
Sources
- Putt-Putt’s NC History: It’s All About the Short Game (Lori Grossman) Carolina Country (North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives), published September 1, 2023, read November 12, 2026
- Range and Putt listings: 228 mini golf venues, each checked against the venue's own website or operator, most recently November 12, 2026. Each listing links to its own sources.
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