According to a survey by a well-known TV magazine, Bahnengolf is one of the top 10 most popular leisure activities in Germany. But hardly any of the estimated 15 million Germans who enter a "miniature golf course" every year knows the genesis of this versatile sport or knows the differences and similarities of the six different systems mini golf, felt golf, miniature golf, adventure golf, small golf, Cobigolf and star golf to call.

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The origins of the Rasengolfs go back to the 15th and 16th centuries. In fact, there are still some parallels between the big gulf and the "little brother" Bahnengolf, both of which have 18 fairways and the aim of the game is to get a ball into a hole with as few strokes as possible.

The large space requirement (about 18 acres required for about 50 hectares) and the enormous costs associated with building and maintaining a golf course were arguably the main reasons behind the development of a "small-scale" at the beginning of the 20th century Golf game ", which can be operated for everyone at affordable prices.

In the 1920s, for example, additional holes were drilled in the greens for the first time in England and the USA to create further "putt training facilities." Soon after, obstacles such as gates, tunnels, ramps, bumps and other figures were supplemented and added These railways and obstacles were then still lacking any standardization, so that the design found its limits only in the imagination of the builders First small golf courses appeared in Germany and Scandinavia in 1926 on. Until the early 1950s, so many different fantasy paths were created, some of which still exist today, but for competitive sports these systems are not permitted due to the lack of standardization.

The end of this phase is ushered in by the 1951 initiative of Swiss garden architect Paul Bongni. His idea was to build a standardized golf course for everyone. As early as 1953, he put his plan into action in a small wooded area called Bosso Isolino near the Ticino town of Locarno on the shores of Lake Maggiore, where he set up the first standard 18-hole minigolf course. Due to the patent protection of the railways developed by him, it was now possible to build similar minigolf facilities with regard to obstacles and dimensions at other locations. In contrast to the previously prevalent fantasy paths, the new system for experienced players should theoretically be able to handle each lane with a single hit (ie an ace).

From here, the minigolf developed very quickly, although the organized in a federation site owners reached that in a certain radius to an existing miniature golf course after Bongni model no further were allowed to be built. Within about a year, 17 more facilities were built and soon after, the miniature golf courses were also prepared to travel beyond the Swiss borders to Italy, Germany and Austria. Almost ten years later - in 1962 - there were already around 120 miniature golf courses in Europe and today there are significantly more than 250.

Due to the great interest in railway golf courses and the restriction that in the vicinity of a Bongni mini golf course no other facilities of the same design may arise, developed further track golfing systems. As early as 1958, Hamburg's inventor and businessman Albert Rolf Pless commissioned the first miniature golf course in the amusement park "Planten und Blomen" in Hamburg. In this system, the dimensions of the tracks were again significantly reduced and used as a basis transportable in Eisenwinkelrahmen laid Eternit plates. This course golfing system is also protected, the obstacles have been developed by the College of Fine Arts in Hamburg.

In the following years, other variants have been added, but all based on the basic principle of the legally protected systems mini golf and miniature golf. In 1960, the first Cobigolfanlagen, whose essential difference to the previous systems is that first goals (similar to cricket) must be played through before the ball can be sunk in the target hole. Differences are here after big Cobigolf and small Cobigolf. In Großcobi the dimensions of the tracks essentially correspond to the dimensions of the minigolf courses, while the Kleincobi is played on Eternit tracks as in miniature golf.

In 1963, the first star golf courses were built whose dimensions are between the two systems mini golf and miniature golf. The name of this track golfing sport results from the last track with its star-shaped "end circle" shape.

In the 90s, only the last form of the Bahnengolf was introduced in Germany. The origins of felt golf come from Sweden. The felt golf courses are characterized in particular by their structure of wood, the felt made of weatherproof felt and the octagonal shape of the "end circles." This relatively new system in Germany has already become an integral part of national and international tournament operation in the short time become.

Based on:

Mathias Kaiser, The Great Railway Golf Book

Michael Seiz, Mini Golf - From fun to competitive sports