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The Authoritative Guide to Mini-Putt Golf
February 1, 2005
by Michael Walls

Calling this online flash game "addictive" would be an understatement. 18 holes of pure evil is what it is.

It wouldn’t be so bad if you simply played it for its entertainment value. But if you become competitive with those around you or with friends you may have shared the link with – it can become an all-consuming obsession for perfection! You see, I was pretty happy with my leisurely under par scores in the 40s. But then a friend scored 35, a co-worker scores 31, and next thing I know I’m using physics and trigonometry to calculate stroke speed and bounce angles.

Then someone told me he knew a guy, who knew a guy, that scored a perfect 18. “Impossible!” I declared. But that was all I needed to hear to set my goal.

Since I’m not one for re-inventing the wheel, I assumed that someone out in cyberspace had probably documented a cheat sheet or helpful hints for Online Mini-Putt. But after searching high and low, all I managed to come across were message boards full of frustrated mini-putt golfers like myself. That’s when I realized there was a need.

Two months and hundreds of “start overs” later I’ve done it! I’ve scored a hole-in-one on every hole of Mini-Putt!

Okay, I’ll be honest and tell you that all 18 holes were not in the same game. In fact, as of this writing, my best score is 21. I just haven’t managed to string all of my perfect holes into one game. But I have managed to document the correct technique for scoring a hole-in-one for each hole.

So here’s the cheat sheet for Mini-Putt you’ve been looking for. Please note, each of these techniques has been tested several times to authenticate its accuracy – but slight variations in speed and angle can affect the outcome. So please don’t email me and tell me it doesn’t work. Give it a few tries before you yell at me.

Here's the link to the game: http://nata2.info/humor/flash/miniputt.swf

(Click on images for larger views)

	HOLE 1 – par 3 For this hole, place the ball slightly off center on the tee and bounce it off the right side about 3/4 of the way up.

	HOLE 2 – par 3 For this hole, aim for the furthest hole on the main level. Once it drops in this hole, it will automatically bounce out of the pipe and into the final hole.

	HOLE 3 – par 2 This is the most straightforward hole on the course. Just putt straight down the middle with moderate speed. If it's too fast, it will most likely bounce off the front wall and into the hole.

	HOLE 4 – par 3 This was the most difficult hole to document, as several techiques worked, but nothing consistent. This final documentation is a near perfect spot. Place the ball in the upper right corner of the tee. Line up the last yellow dot of your speed indicator on top of the hash mark in the picture (5 rows from the right, 3 rows up). The ball will bounce around like a pinball, but if it's lined up right, it will always fall in the hole.

	HOLE 5 – par 2 For this one, place the ball in the middle-top of the tee area. Using the yellow dots of your speed indicator for reference points, stretch the line so that the second and third dots straddle the point of the corner. This hole isn't an exact science, as it may take a few tries to get a feel for it.

	HOLE 6 – par 3 For this one, place the ball at the bottom-left of the tee. (Note: for some reason the ball won't sit perfectly on this corner) Using the yellow dots of your speed indicator for reference points, stretch the line so that the first and second dots straddle the point of the corner, barely skimming the point. This hole is also a bit touchy, as it may take some practice.

	HOLE 7 – par 2 This is a gimmie. Fire the ball straight up the ramp, lining up the first yellow dot right over the hole.

	HOLE 8 – par 4 Okay, this is the one hole I figured was impossible to score a hole-in-one. After you place your ball on the lower left side of the tee, if your screen does not allow you to stretch your yellow dotted line far enough to reach the back wall, then you need to re-size your browser down, so that you can pull your club back far enough to hit the ball hard enough. Line up the second dot right off the first corner and let it rip.

	HOLE 9 – par 2 Place the ball on the far left-top corner and aim for slightly left of center of the ramp. Slightly.

	HOLE 10 – par 3 Place the ball in the middle of the right edge of the tee. Aim for the center of the far wall edge, while skimming the corner of closer wall. Line up the fourth yellow dot (from the end) with the corner.

	HOLE 11 – par 3 Place the ball on the upper right corner of the tee. Aim for the corner of the wall, centering the corner between the first and second dots.

	HOLE 12 – par 2 Fire the ball in a straight line just above the center wall. Hit it hard enough to get up the hill (the dark green), but not too hard where it will bounce past the hole.

	HOLE 13 – par 3 Ugh... This hole is my achille's heel. This damn windmill is near impossible to time. But the basic premise is to hit it right up the middle for the hole-in-one. My only advice is to drop the ball on the tee and hit is right away. I've had more success doing this, versus waiting and waiting and trying to time the windmill.

	HOLE 14 – par 2 Drop the ball on the upper left corner of the tee. The strategy here is to hit it at the right angle, with the correct speed to get it up the hill, then down the backside, to bounce off the back wall and up the hill again, into the hole. I've near perfected this by placing the end dot on the 11th hashmark from the right, second row down.

	HOLE 15 – par 3 This one is all about the angle. Place the ball in the front-middle of the tee. Aim your yellow dot line at the corner of the gray patio stone, placing the 3rd dot from the ball on the edge of the wall. Works nearly every time.

	HOLE 16 – par 2 This one is more about the placement on the tee. Drop the ball about 1/4 of way from the left-bottom corner. Stretch your yellow dot line to touch the front horizonal wall, in perfect alignment with the vertical wall above it.

	HOLE 17 – par 4 Place the ball in the lower right corner of the tee. Stretch your yellow dot line so that the 3rd dot from the ball sits right on top of the the 4th patio stone. (The dot will be blocked by the stone, so judge it by equal placement of the 2nd and 4th dots on either side of the stone.) There are a lot of bounces in this one, so if you're off by a fraction it won't work.

	HOLE 18 – par 2 This hole is pretty flexible. First drop the ball on the upper left corner of the tee. Then stretch your line to touch the upper wall, two or three hashmarks below the hole. The idea is to bank it off the wall so it curves back on its way back down the hill and into the hole.