If you're weighing up indoor vs outdoor mini golf, the course is the smaller part of the decision. You're really choosing a business model. We should say upfront that we only design and build indoor venues, so this comparison also explains why, while being fair about what outdoor mini golf does well.
01Season and weather
This is the biggest difference. An indoor mini golf venue can open every day of the year, so you can plan staff and income across all twelve months. Rain can even help, because it sends people looking for something to do under a roof.
Outdoor mini golf depends on the weather. In much of Europe that means a short season, with most of the income arriving in a few busy months and little coming in over winter.
02Costs to build and run
Outdoor courses usually have the lower running costs, especially if you already own the land. There is no monthly rent on a unit and no heating bill. The money goes elsewhere: drainage, landscaping and materials that have to survive sun, frost and rain.
An indoor mini golf course carries rent, heating, ventilation and fire regulations. The fit-out costs more, and the venue has to justify a bill that arrives every month. That makes layout and capacity much more important.
03Revenue per guest
Outdoor mini golf tends to be a daytime activity for families, with income mainly from the ticket and perhaps some snacks. Indoors, you can sell an evening out. Guests play, stay for a drink and order food, and the same room can host birthdays and company events.
You also control the light, the sound and the temperature, which changes what people expect to pay.
04Guests and location
Outdoor courses suit parks, resorts and holiday areas, where visitors are already around and looking for something easy to do. An indoor course lives on a local crowd that can come back all year. It works well in shopping centres, city centres and entertainment complexes, where people are already out and spending.
The short version
If you already own land in a holiday area and want a seasonal extra, outdoor can make sense. If the venue has to pay rent and earn every month, go indoors.
05Why we only build indoor mini golf
We build for operators who need a year-round business, and we run venues like that ourselves. A room gives us control over the season, the atmosphere and the spend. It also lets us use big themed obstacles and detailed finishes that would not last in the open air.
Whichever way you lean, run the numbers for your actual site first. Our guide to planning a venue that makes money shows how.
