If you’ve ever spent a sunny weekend laughing with friends as you fumble through a windmill obstacle or celebrate a surprise hole-in-one, you’ve probably wondered is there a world tour for mini golf at some point. For years, mini golf was written off as a casual date night or family activity, but competitive play has exploded in popularity over the past three years, and 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest year for the sport yet. I’ve been covering regional mini golf events for this blog since 2024, and I’ve gotten dozens of questions from readers asking if there’s a global circuit for serious players and fans. I spent three weeks digging through official World Mini Golf Sport Federation (WMF) announcements, talking to pro players, and checking ticket details for 2026 to put together this complete guide.
Is There a World Tour for Mini Golf in 2026? Official Details You Need to Know
The short answer is yes, there is an officially recognized global circuit for competitive mini golf, run by the WMF. The 2026 edition of the tour features 8 stops across 5 continents, with both professional and amateur divisions available for players. 2026 is the first year the tour is offering a combined $2.1 million prize pool, which is double the total prize money offered in 2024, and it’s drawing top players from 42 different countries this year.
There are also smaller independent invitational tours run by private groups, but the WMF World Tour is the only one recognized as the official global circuit for the sport. Stops this year include returning fan favorites in Gothenburg, Sweden, Las Vegas, USA, and Tokyo, Japan, plus new stops in Cape Town, South Africa, and São Paulo, Brazil, to make the tour more accessible to fans outside of Europe and North America.
Each tour stop runs for three days, with qualifying rounds on Friday and Saturday, and final rounds on Sunday. Moving obstacle courses are being added to 4 of the 8 2026 tour stops, including rotating platforms and timed water hazards that will add an extra layer of challenge for even the most experienced pro players. I got to test a preview of the new Las Vegas course last month, and trust me, the moving windmill obstacle is way trickier than it looks – I missed three putts in a row when it changed speed on me.
2026 World Tour Eligibility: Who Can Compete?
One of the most common questions I get from readers is whether you have to be a full-time pro to join the tour, and the good news is that there are options for players of all skill levels. You don’t need to be a full-time pro to join select tour stops, as most stops have open amateur divisions that don’t require years of competitive experience. For the pro division, which qualifies players for the grand final in Dubai, you do need to meet a few specific eligibility requirements:
If you don’t meet the pro division requirements, you can still enter the fan amateur challenges that run alongside every tour stop. These challenges are open to any player 16 or older, no handicap required, and the winner of each fan challenge gets free entry to a regional qualifying event for the 2027 tour. I tried to qualify for the 2025 Las Vegas pro stop and missed the handicap mark by 0.8, so I’ve been doing weekly practice rounds at my local course all year to try to make the cut for 2026’s event. It’s a lot of work, but even if I don’t make the pro division, I’m still planning to enter the fan challenge for fun.
How to Attend 2026 Mini Golf World Tour Stops as a Fan
You don’t have to be a player to enjoy the 2026 tour – every stop is designed to be a fun day out for casual fans, families, and anyone who loves mini golf. General admission tickets for most stops start at just $15, and include access to the spectator areas for all rounds, entry to the fan zone with food trucks and pop-up mini golf courses, and the option to sign up for the fan amateur challenge if you want to play.
Premium ticket packages are also available for bigger fans, starting at $75. These packages include early entry to the course, a free official tour merch pack, and the chance to play a 9-hole practice round with 2 pro players on the Thursday before the official event starts. If you’re planning to attend one of the more popular stops, like Las Vegas or Stockholm, you should book your tickets at least 3 months in advance – the 2025 Las Vegas stop sold out 10 weeks early, and 2026 ticket sales are already 30% higher than they were at this time last year.
All 2026 stops are family-friendly, with free entry for kids under 12, and special mini golf courses for kids under 8 with no tricky obstacles. There are also autograph sessions with top pro players every Sunday after the final round, so you can meet your favorite players and get photos if you want. I brought my 10-year-old niece to the 2025 Los Angeles regional event last year, and she still talks about getting to meet 2024 world champion Mia Carter, so it’s a great activity for the whole family.
Key Changes to the 2026 Mini Golf World Tour You Should Know
The WMF makes small changes to the tour every year based on feedback from players and fans, and 2026 has some of the biggest updates in the tour’s history. The 2026 tour will feature a new adaptive division for players with physical disabilities, which is the first time a global mini golf tour has offered a dedicated division for adaptive players, with a $150,000 separate prize pool for the division.
Another big change for 2026 is the addition of a team competition format alongside the traditional individual competition. Teams of 3 players can enter to compete for a separate $300,000 prize pool, which makes the tour more accessible for groups of players who don’t want to compete alone. The WMF also announced that all 2026 tour stops will be streamed live for free on their official YouTube channel, so you can watch every round even if you can’t make it to a stop in person.
The grand final stop in Dubai in December 2026 will have a $500,000 grand prize for the individual pro winner, which is the largest single prize in mini golf history. Some fans were worried that the Dubai course would be too easy for pro players, but the WMF released previews of the course last month, and it features 7 moving obstacles, 3 water hazards, and a raised final green that requires a perfect putt to hit. I’m already planning a watch party with my local mini golf league for the final round, and we’re already taking bets on who will take home the grand prize.
If you’ve been asking is there a world tour for mini golf this year, you don’t have to wonder anymore – 2026’s lineup is the biggest, most inclusive, and most exciting the sport has ever seen. Whether you’re a serious player looking to qualify for the pro division, a casual fan who wants to attend a stop with friends, or someone who just wants to stream the rounds from your couch, there’s something for everyone this year.
You don’t need to have years of experience to get involved either – even if you’ve only ever played mini golf at a local fun park, you can enter the fan challenge at any stop, or just come out to watch and enjoy the atmosphere. I’m already counting down to the Las Vegas stop in October, and if you’re planning to be there, stop by the fan zone and say hi – I’ll be the one in the neon pink mini golf hat fumbling through the fan challenge rounds.
