Switzerland / “So Swiss!”: How Mini-Golf Became a “True National Sport” in Switzerland

Switzerland is the birthplace of mini-golf: its rules were established here, and a landscape architect from Ticino played a decisive role in standardizing the sport. Today, the Swiss Minigolf Federation has 43 clubs. Here’s the story.

It was at the mini-golf course on Via Circonvallazione in Ascona, in the canton of Ticino—the region where we were spending our vacation—that we would sometimes throw our clubs at one of the 18 obstacles, frustrated that the ball wouldn’t do as we wanted.

Even if we’d known back then that our outbursts of anger were taking place at a site of historical significance, we probably wouldn’t have walked any more calmly from one hole to the next.

A Simple Concept

According to several sources, it was on this course that the world’s first standardized mini-golf courses were created. On March 19, 1954, the Ticino- and Geneva-based landscape architect Paul Bongni inaugurated this course with courses and obstacles that he himself had designed and patented.

Paul Bongni’s courses were weather-resistant and didn’t get shoes or clothes dirty—unlike the old grass courses.

Vintage photos show that people played in skirts and blouses or in suits and ties. Paul Bongni’s courses were weather-resistant and didn’t get shoes or clothes dirty—unlike the old grass courses, which discouraged players in bad weather.

The concept of mini-golf is simple: using a putter or club, you must get a ball into a hole at the end of the course in as few strokes as possible. The ball’s diameter is generally between 3.7 and 4.3 centimeters.

Accessible to Everyone

Paul Bongni wanted to ensure that experienced players could get the ball into the hole in a single stroke on each course. One stroke equals one point. The fewer points you score, the better your result.

If the ball hasn’t gone in after six attempts, you score seven points and move on to the next hole. Often, another family is already waiting behind, eager to play.

Mini-golf is the ultimate outdoor family game: it’s accessible to everyone, and the competition is real but fun. Plus, it often fits right into an outing that includes ice cream, fries, and other treats.

Thanks to its clear and simple rules, Paul Bongni’s system quickly spread throughout the country: by the end of 1954, there were already 18 courses built to his standard, earning Switzerland the title of “the birthplace of mini-golf.”

International Competitions

Paul Bongni had the foresight to patent his invention under the name “minigolf,” thereby facilitating its global spread.

The 17 concrete courses are each 12 meters long and 1.25 meters wide, marked off by iron bars. There is also a long-range shot on a 25-meter lawn with a concrete circle at the end.

Source: www.lenouvelliste.ch/