First ice mini golf course in Switzerland opened

Published: 13. January 2023

With hockey stick and puck it goes on the ice. Not for a game of hockey, however, but for ice miniature golf directly on Lake Davos. The new facility at the «von Sprecher Haus» is the first of its kind in Switzerland.

Minigolf is considered typically Swiss. A Swiss architect invented the game in which golfers hit the white ball into a small whole despite the obstacles. All the more obvious is the further development of the popular sport in Davos to a winter version. The entrepreneur Diego Moor and the leaseholder of the «von Sprecher Haus», René Kilchenmann, have built such a facility directly on the shore of Lake Davos. The ice minigolf facility with 18 lanes of natural ice is now available throughout the winter season and is an alternative to the ski slope on bad weather days.

The facility is open daily
In Davos, players exchange their sticks and balls for a field hockey stick and a puck. The rules are the same as for mini-golf in summer: hole-in-one is the goal. The player who skilfully overcomes the obstacles, works to the millimeter and gets the puck into the goal, will leave the ice as the winner. A group of four people need about an hour to complete the entire course. The facility is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the winter season. By reservation it is possible to play in the morning or in the evening. Ice minigolf is not only part of our winter guest program, it can also be booked directly in our holiday store.

Switzerland invented it
The Swiss horticultural architect Paul Bongni invented mini golf in its present form. As early as 1950, he standardized a course and submitted it to the patent office. He thus created the basis for offering players the same conditions both nationally and internationally. Four years later, the first standardized minigolf course opened in Ascona in Ticino. Until then, there was no ice minigolf facility in Switzerland. For some, by the way, the sport is more than just a hobby. The reigning minigolf world champion is called Beat Wartenweiler and comes from eastern Switzerland.