Two Australian short courses – The Furrows at Kingston Heath in Melbourne and Shanx Mini Golf at Regency Park in Adelaide – have been mentioned in a new ‘Golf for Smaller Spaces’ guide published by the R&A.

The governing body produced the document to encourage the development of golf facilities in smaller areas.

Past R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers said the facilities were part of golf’s need to help people find the game and appeal to a broader audience.

“That’s why it’s so important that we take golf to where people are rather than expecting them to take their first steps in the game at established, and often private, golf clubs,” Slumbers said.

“There are many shorter forms of golf which lend themselves to a wider and more diverse audience, such as Pitch & Putt, mini golf, intermediate courses and three, six or nine-hole layouts, which can be accommodated on smaller areas of land, often in cities or urban areas convenient for many more people.”

There are seven case studies from around the world including the two Australian facilities.

Interestingly, the guide makes the point that short course golf is not new. Many of the first golf courses in Scotland in the 15th century were only a few holes; the home of golf at St Andrews has its own ‘Himalayas’ putting course which was originally a women’s facility; Augusta National has its own short course as well, to name a few.

It lists the main benefits of short course as:

• Appeal to a broader cross-section of society

• Need less land and take less time to play

• Require fewer inputs of water, fertiliser, pesticides etc to maintain them

• Cost less to maintain as there is less reliance on materials and labour

Shanx Regency Park opened in 2021. The management company has expanded its mini-golf offering to six courses around Australia.

Kingston Heath’s The Furrows was built on former market gardens adjoining the world famous main course, one of the hosts for this years’ ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

It was opened in 2023 and consists of a nine-hole par-3 course in similar vein to the main course at Kingston Heath.

R&A Guide to 'Golf For Smaller Spaces'