Being a Definitive guide to the rules of crazy golf

Equipment

A player may use any club as long as it’s a putter.
The player MUST use a course ball. All balls in the grouping should be a different colour or easily discernible.  The balls must be of the same type.

Group Size and Playing order

Ideally you should have group sizes of 2 or 3. This enables each player to start on the same number of holes. For example, with a group size of two, one player would go first on the odd numbered holes and the other player would go first on the even numbered holes.

General rules

Deliberate play to hit another’s ball utilising your own ball, is allowed. However, deliberate striking of another’s ball with your putter is NOT allowed. Occasionally an accidental hit may occur where the balls are very close together.

The highest possible score at any hole is 7. If after 6 shots the ball has not been holed it is picked up immediately and a 7 is recorded on the scorecard.

Tee off

The first shot at every hole is to be played from the teeing off area. The teeing off area should be defined. For example in the Virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships:
Crazy-Golf, anywhere within the marked tee-off area. 
Mini-Golf, anywhere behind an imaginary line drawn from the end of the bricks in the tee off area.

All players in the group tee off before any of the players play their 2nd shot.  Subsequent to all tee shots having been played, strictly furthest away plays first (this isn’t putting on a golf green!)

Holed ball

A ball is deemed holed when it comes to rest in the hole.  It must be removed before any other shots are played.  If a player's ball is knocked into the hole by another ball the score recorded for that player is the number of shots taken up until that point.

Repositioning

A ball should only be repositioned when it’s that players turn to play.
When a ball comes to rest alongside or near to the perimeter boundary of a run, or to an obstacle, plateau or immovable obstruction, it can be repositioned (only by hand) up to 20 cm or 8 inches from it at no penalty. Repositioning is to allow the player a proper back-swing and/or follow-through. A ball must not be repositioned other than at 90 degrees to the obstruction in order to provide a direct line of sight to the hole if one did not exist from where the ball originally came to rest. Where two or more balls need to be repositioned their relative position to each other must be maintained.

Ditch, bunker and water hazards

When a ball comes to rest in a ditch, bunker or water hazard, it may either be played from where it lies (where the general repositioning rules apply) or, at a penalty of one stroke, it may be replaced on the green (in any direction) within 20 cm (8 inches) of the ditch, bunker or water hazard.

Obstacles

When a ball in play comes to rest within an obstacle construction such that it is unplayable it must be repositioned outside the obstacle in the direction from which it came at no penalty.

Pipes

When a ball in play becomes trapped inside a pipe, it may be repositioned by hand up to 20cm (or 8 inches) and at 90 degrees from the exit of that pipe. No penalty will be incurred.

Border lines

On holes with border lines, an obstacle is deemed to have been passed when a ball touches or has touched the border line with its point of contact.

Ball leaving the playing area

When a ball leaves the playing area and comes to rest 'out of bounds', the ball should be replaced on the playing area at its exit point at no penalty. The ball may then be repositioned when it’s that players turn to play.

If a ball leaves the playing area and then returns of its own accord, the ball is deemed to be still in play and can be played from where it lies, providing this is within the playing area. No penalty. 

Ball rolls back to the tee

When a ball in play rolls back to the teeing off area and comes to rest, it can be played from any point within the teeing off area. The original stroke is counted in the player’s score.

Marking the position of the ball

If, through the influence of the weather, a ball in play is moved having already come to rest, it may be repositioned only if it has been previously marked and only at that point. A ball moved by other outside influence, can be repositioned where it first came to rest.

Assessment of the course

You will have to assess the course yourself. The following is an assessment of the courses on Hastings Seafront, these courses hold the virgin Money World Crazy Golf Championships.

None of the other holes on either course are deemed to have obstacles, hazards or require special rules.