We’ve rounded up the best mini golf in Sydney for some pint-sized club-swinging.
Putt putt golf – or mini golf – is a miniaturised version of golf that scales down 9- or 18-hole courses to something much smaller, placing holes just yards from the tee.
You won’t be playing on real grass either, but rather artificial surfaces, and you’re also less likely to find water or sand hazards. Putt putt golf does, however, introduce other obstacles designed to make gameplay fun, if somewhat challenging. These can include tunnels, ramps, windmills, and even the simple wall that you’re required to navigate.
Sydney knows this, and along with being home to a number of full-sized golf courses you really need to play, also hosts a number of mini golf courses. These putt putt courses in Sydney are both fun and challenging at the same time, and many offer their own unique course structures and we’ve rounded up the very best courses for putt putt in Sydney and surrounding suburbs that you really need to try.
1. Pittwater Golf Centre
1500 Pittwater Road, Warriewood, 2102
Pittwater Golf Centre may be home to a top-notch driving range, but it’s also home to 36 holes of mini golf craziness. Two 18-hole putt putt courses await you and your mates, both of which are pirate-themed (it’s for the kids) and you have the option of playing one or both courses. For a bit of help, Pittwater has videos on its website that show you their mini golf courses, so you can one-up your mates by seeing how the courses will play out.
Pittwater Golf Centre can cater for corporate events too, and it even operates a BYO drinks policy so you can get more and more ‘confident’ as you progress through the holes.
2. Holey Moley Golf Club
82-94 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, 2011
Holey Moley is perhaps one of the better-known mini golf experiences in Sydney (and Australia), with locations dotted around the city. Each venue offers a varying number of holes, owing to space, but all offer a fully-stocked bar, kitchen and cleverly themed holes that will keep you amused for hours.
The Darlinghurst venue has 27 holes on offer, set over three putt putt courses. You won’t find classic mini golf obstacles such as windmills and castles here, but instead, themed holes based on pop-culture shows such as The Simpsons and Game of Thrones. They make for great conversation starters and photo opportunities, so are the perfect place to take that special someone.
3. Putt Planet
1/205-213 Port Hacking Road, Miranda,
Head out of Sydney CBD and down to the Sutherland Shire for a visit to Putt Planet. This completely indoor mini golf venue transports you back to Old Mombasa in Kenya for a uniquely-themed putt putt experience, with each hole requiring you to navigate laneways, passing houses and shops as you go.
Customer service is second-to-none and an on-site cafe with licensed bar will happily refuel you after an intense mini golf session.
4. Thornleigh Golf Centre
Brickpit Park, 142-178 Pennant Hills Road, Thornleigh, 2120
Thornleigh Golf Centre, like Pittwater, has two 18-hole mini golf courses named ‘Palms’ and ‘Billabong’. Each offers a similar experience, passing rivers, going across bridges and even coming up against waterfalls, so those water hazards we said you’d be able to avoid, may well be a factor at this minigolf centre.
If you’re keen to hit balls with some power, but don’t fancy the idea of having your mini golf ball flying off and hitting someone, you can always try your hand at the centre’s driving range instead.
5. Mega Mini Golf
1/8 Rose Street, Campbelltown, 2560
Campbelltown’s Mega Mini Golf is an 18-hole course that transports you through three completely different themed areas, including Under The Sea; Pharaoh’s Tomb and the Wild West. The various themed areas will put a range of abilities to the test, making it a perfect course for the competitive type, and better still, the entire putt putt course is indoors, ideal for when the weather turns sour.
You’re able to hire out the venue for private functions too if you have 50 or more friends or colleagues, which gives you two whole hours of unlimited golfing fun.
6. Dural Putt Putt
Corner of Cranstons & Old Northern Roads, Middle Dural, 2158
A good 45-minute drive Northwest out of Sydney CBD will bring you to Dural Putt Putt. It will be well worth it, however, as it’s rated as one of the very best minigolf centres in the entire Sydney region. Hosting two 18-hole minigolf courses, Dural’s courses wind their way through landscaped gardens, surrounded by trees, bushes and hedges. It’s an outdoor venue for sure, so you’ll want to make sure you take sun lotion during the summer months.
As with the other courses on this list, Dural Putt Putt will happily cater for corporate functions and private events, including weddings, should you and your partner wish to smash a few balls after tieing the knot.
7. Unreal Minigolf
Unit 10/69 York Road, South Penrith, 2750
Way out West in Penrith is where you’ll find Unreal Minigolf, which promises to offer an unreal golfing experience. You’re presented with just the one mini golf course (which is indoors) but each hole is individually themed, taking you from the jungle to a scientist’s lab, to Ancient Egypt.
It’s certainly a modern-day mini golf course too, with paper scorecards a thing of the past. Instead, you can download the Unreal app to keep a log of scores on your phone, which you can save so that you can aim to beat it on your next visit.
Once you’re finished, you should try out the much-raved Dippin’ Dots ice cream, which serves up an entirely different ice cream experience to your run of the meal gelato.
8. City Golf Gordon
817 Pacific Hwy, Gordon, 2072
With 18 mini golf holes set up to a European design, both adults and children alike are able to tackle each and every one of them in a number of different ways. Floodlights mean you can continue playing when the sun goes down and, naturally, you’re able to hire out the course for functions, parties and the like.