The inaugural Mini Golf Championship of WA in October-November is shaping up to be Golf WA's most fun, most accessible and most inclusive tournament to date.

The championship will start with qualifying competitions at five venues – Collier Park, The Vines, Goanna Golf Point Walter, Wanneroo Botanic Gardens and Yallingup Maze – throughout October.

The top two pairings in six categories from each venue will progress to the State Final at Collier Park on Saturday, November 11.

There, players will compete for winner-takes-all cash and golf goods prizes, courtesy of championship sponsor Drummond Golf Osborne Park.

How to get involved

Young or old, expert or novice, this is a golf tournament for everyone – and it’s easy to get involved. Simply find a partner, register for the host venue of your choice and show up in October for the competition’s qualifying rounds.

Throughout the qualifying rounds and final, teams of two will compete in a best-ball format, with the best score per hole counting toward the team total. There are six categories in total, both for players with Golf Australia handicaps and for those without, to ensure as level a playing field as possible.

Teams will compete in the following categories: –

• Adult with a GA Handicap (18 holes)

• Adult without a GA Handicap (18 holes)

• Junior with GA Handicap (18 holes)

• Junior without a GA Handicap (18 holes)

• All Abilities with a GA Handicap (18 holes – Collier Park and Wanneroo only)

• All Abilities without a GA Handicap (9 holes – Collier Park and Wanneroo only)

To make the event as family-friendly as possible, juniors are able to partner with adults but must compete in the adult category to do so.

A golf championship with a difference

The event marks the first time GolfWA will stage a state championship in an alternative golfing format – something that GolfWA Chief Executive Gary Thomas sees as a progressive step for the game.

“Our opinion is that all golf is golf and all of us can be golfers, whether that’s on a traditional course, a driving range, a simulator, or playing mini golf,” he said.

“The vast majority of people have played mini golf at some stage because it’s easy to play, easy to understand and – most importantly – a lot of fun. That’s why we’re very excited to be staging a state mini golf championship for the first time.”

More than just being a fun diversion, though, Thomas also believes mini golf has a role to play in creating a sustainable pipeline of participants in all forms of golf.

“Providing opportunities for more people from all walks of life to play more golf is central to our remit at GolfWA,” he added.

“Mini golf is a great entry point into the game and the state championship represents a chance for golfers of all levels to take part in competitive golf in a format that promotes fun and inclusivity.”

The championship will be preceded by a major marketing campaign, featuring athletes from GolfWA’s High Performance and Talent Development programs.

Full details on the event, including registration links, locations, dates of qualifying rounds, pricing and rules, can be accessed here.