Crazy Golf

Crazy golf is golf with all the boring bits taken out. There's no driving, no long walks and no sand traps, just putting on short holes packed with ramps, tunnels, bends and obstacles. The aim is to get your ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. It's easy to pick up, very sociable and wonderfully low stakes.

Mini golf, also written minigolf, is the umbrella name for putting games on small, short holes. Crazy golf is the eccentric branch of the family, with windmills, loops, bridges and walls built at suspicious angles. Adventure golf usually means a themed course, with scenery, landscaping and sometimes water to play around. Americans often call the whole thing putt-putt, which is fun to say out loud.

Each hit of the ball is a stroke. Count your strokes on every hole, add them up at the end and the lowest total wins. Many courses set a par for each hole, the number of strokes a decent player should need. Beat it and you're entitled to a small celebration. Sink the ball with your first shot and that's a hole in one, which entitles you to a much bigger celebration.

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your eyes over the ball. Grip the putter with both hands and swing from your shoulders like a pendulum, keeping your wrists quiet. Read the hole before you hit: look for slopes, lips and walls you can use. A bank shot off the side can be the smartest route round a corner. Lots of missed putts come down to pace, so focus on how hard you hit, not just where you aim.

It might be the most beginner-friendly sport going. Nobody needs training, clubs of their own or any idea what a birdie is. A careful tap beats raw power every time, so the quiet one in your group might just take everyone to the cleaners. Keep score if you're feeling competitive, or don't, and simply enjoy knocking a ball through a windmill in the woods.

You might also like Petanque, Board Games and Ultimate Frisbee.

See all Camp Wildfire activities