Office mini golf: build a 9-hole course from office supplies

9 office mini golf hole ideas

One hole per build team. Played in this order, the course is par 23.

1. Book alley (par 2). A straight 12-foot warm-up lane walled with hardcover books, ending at a mug on its side.You need: about 20 hardcover books and a mug.
2. Desk-corner dogleg (par 3). The lane bends 90 degrees around the corner of a desk; bank off a whiteboard standing on its long edge.You need: a small whiteboard or foam board and a few books to brace it.
3. Copy-box tunnel (par 2). Putt through an empty copy paper box with both short ends cut away, toward a cup just past the exit.You need: one empty copy paper box and scissors.
4. Chair zigzag (par 3). Three chairs set in a zigzag; the ball has to pass each one on the side marked with a sticky note.You need: three chairs with the wheels pointed in, and three sticky notes.
5. Binder hill (par 3). Roll up a closed binder leaned against a ream of paper; the cup sits on top, walled in on three sides by books.You need: a 2-inch binder, one ream of paper, six books and tape.
6. Three-arch wall (par 2). A cardboard wall across the lane with three arches cut at floor level; only the narrow middle one lines up with the cup.You need: one large flattened box, a box cutter and tape.
7. Sticky-note pond (par 3). A pond of blue sticky notes across the middle of the lane; a ball that stops on it costs one stroke.You need: two pads of blue sticky notes or a few sheets of blue paper.
8. Stapler pinball (par 3). Six staplers set at angles across a wide lane, so the ball ricochets its way toward the cup.You need: six heavy staplers and a strip of tape under each one.
9. Triple-mug finish (par 2). Three mugs on their sides at the end of the longest lane; sink it in the middle mug to take a stroke off your round.You need: three mugs and books for the lane walls.

What you need for office putt putt

Besides what each hole lists:

• Putters. One per group of four. Ask the golfers on the team to bring theirs from home.
• Balls. Regular golf balls roll truest on carpet. Use foam or plastic practice balls near glass.
• Cups. A mug or paper cup on its side, taped down so it can't roll away.
• Painter's tape. For lane edges, tee lines and hole numbers, and it usually peels off without marks.
• Sticky notes and a marker. A hole number and par at every tee.
• Scorecards and pencils. Print the scorecard below, one per group.

Office mini golf rules

• Tee off from the tape line. Players take turns, and each one putts out before the next starts.
• Six strokes, then move on. Not in after six? Write down 6 and pick up the ball.
• Out of bounds costs one. Put the ball back where it left the course and add a stroke.
• Stuck against a wall? Move it one putter head away from the wall, with no penalty.
• Putts only. No chipping, no scooping and no lifting the ball off the floor.
• Lowest total wins. Ties go to the most holes-in-one, then a sudden-death putt on hole 9.

Run it as a team tournament

Building the course is half the fun. This format puts people from different teams in every group.

1. 1Split into build teams. Teams of 3 to 5, mixed across departments, each with one hole from the list and 30 minutes to build it.
2. 2Mix the players. Form playing groups of four from four different build teams, so everyone plays with people they don't sit with.
3. 3Start every group at once. Send each group to a different hole and have everyone tee off together, golf's shotgun start: nine groups means 36 people play at the same time.
4. 4Score teams fairly. Average each build team's player totals, so a team of five and a team of three compete on equal terms.
5. 5Play a final. The two best teams play hole 9 as a scramble: every player putts, the team picks the best ball and everyone plays from there.
6. 6Hand out four awards. Lowest team average, lowest single round, most holes-in-one and best-built hole, voted by everyone.

Need names for the build teams? Try our team name generator. Remote teammates can join: each one builds a single hole at home with a mug and a few books, then putts it on camera while the office cheers.

How long office mini golf takes

Rough estimates: a bigger group or a more ambitious build takes longer.

• Build with teams: 30 to 45 minutes for all nine holes, plus 10 for a walk-through.
• Build it alone: about 90 minutes, so start before lunch for an afternoon round.
• Play: a group of four plays nine holes in about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Tear down: 15 minutes when everyone carries back what they brought.
• The whole event: about 2 hours for 20 to 40 people, build to awards.

Keep office mini golf safe

• Keep the putter head below knee height: a full swing indoors is how monitors break.
• Leave exits, fire doors and extinguishers clear, and keep every hole off the stairs.
• Tape down cords and outline every wall of books so nobody trips over one.
• Players waiting their turn stand behind the tee line, never in the lane.
• No open drinks on the course floor; a spill makes the carpet slick.
• Check with facilities before taking over a hallway that other teams walk through.
• Build at least one hole that can be played from a chair, and leave room beside every lane for a wheelchair.

Printable mini golf scorecard

Pick how many players share a card and which holes you built. Each page prints two cards to cut apart.

Want someone else to run the competition?

A live host brings the energy and the scoring. Feud Night and team trivia come to your office in 17 US cities, and the hosted Office Olympics puts remote and office teams through three challenges on one video call.

More to play at work: our office games, office competition ideas, minute to win it games and desk games. Taking the team outside? See sports team building ideas for every fitness level. Planning a bigger day? Get a free quote.