2 October 2026 · 8 min read
Indoor minigolf or golf simulator: which suits family, kids and rainy days?
A round of minigolf costs a family CHF 44 to 62, an hour at the simulator CHF 35 to 70 for the bay. What the venues say about children and when which format fits.
Anyone looking for something to do with the family in the rain quickly ends up at “indoor minigolf”. A few clicks further a second option appears: the golf simulator. This post puts the two side by side, with the prices the venues themselves state. What does it cost for a family, what do the venues say about children, and when does which format pay off?
Compared briefly
| Indoor minigolf | Golf simulator | |
|---|---|---|
| What you play | 18 holes with the putter | Golf with clubs, on virtual courses or on the range |
| Four people, two adults and two children | CHF 44 to 62 for a round | CHF 35 to 70 for an hour and the whole bay |
| Who plays at the same time | the whole group, hole by hole | up to four to six people per bay, taking turns |
| Children | admission per child, no skill needed | depending on the venue only with an adult |
| Afterwards | practise putting, but no golf lesson | coaching: 81 of the 110 indoor venues offer it |
What indoor minigolf costs
I checked three venues on their own pages. This is not a complete list, but it shows the range.
| Venue | Place | Prices as stated by the venue | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor-Minigolf Rottal | Ruswil LU | 18 holes with black light. Adults CHF 14, young people up to 16 CHF 8, apprentices and students up to 25 CHF 10. Each further round CHF 8, 5 and 6 | Tuesday 5 pm to 10 pm, Wednesday to Friday 2 pm to 10 pm, Saturday 1 pm to 10 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 7 pm, closed Monday. Black light on weekdays from 5 pm, all day at weekends |
| FantasyGolf | Winterthur ZH | 18 holes. Children up to 14 CHF 14, from 15 CHF 17, school classes CHF 10 per person | Sunday to Tuesday 10 am to 10 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 1 am, last entry 45 minutes before closing |
| Erlebniscenter Basel | Basel BS | Black light minigolf, prices depend on the birthday package, see below | on the venue's page |
In Ruswil groups under ten people come without registration, at weekends and on public holidays the venue takes no registrations, and according to its page payment is cash (Golf-Rottal, Luzern Tourismus).
What an hour at the simulator costs
At the simulator you do not pay per person but for the bay. That makes the sum simple for a family. Here are five venues, each with the details from its listing:
| Venue | Place | Price | Who plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUN4YOU Golf Lounge | Baden AG | CHF 53 to 63 per hour | up to 4 people in turn, fun mode with golf and minigolf games, rental clubs for adults and children |
| All Out Golf | Wallisellen ZH | from CHF 48 per hour | the whole venue with its lounge for up to six people |
| Swing Easy | Étoy VD | CHF 50 per hour | up to four companions, two children's sets on site |
| Alpine Golf | Le Châble VS | 2 hours CHF 130, 3 hours CHF 180 | up to 4 players, each further person CHF 10, up to 8 on request |
| Impact Golf | Collombey-Muraz VS | CHF 35 per hour in summer, CHF 70 in winter, without a subscription | one box shared by up to four players, plus mini games such as long drive or bowling golf |
The sum for two adults and two children: a round in Ruswil costs 2 × CHF 14 plus 2 × CHF 8, together CHF 44. A second round there costs 2 × CHF 8 plus 2 × CHF 5, together CHF 26. In Winterthur it is 2 × CHF 17 plus 2 × CHF 14, together CHF 62. A simulator hour at the five venues above lies between CHF 35 and 70 for the bay, which for four people is roughly CHF 9 to 18 each.
So the price is not the difference. The difference is what you do with the time. At minigolf the group plays through 18 holes together. At the simulator one person hits and the others wait. Anyone booking four people for an hour waits longer between shots than with two. FUN4YOU puts it this way: the lounge is designed for up to four people who take turns at the simulator.
Children at the simulator: what the venues say
There is no single rule. Six of the 110 indoor listings mention children in their text; for all the others you ask before booking.
| Venue | What the listing says |
|---|---|
| EZ GolfSim, Schaffhausen | children under 16 only accompanied by an adult |
| Golf Factory, Aarburg | children play only accompanied by an adult |
| Golf Meggen, Meggen | children play accompanied by adults with golf experience |
| Sporthalle Färbi, Davos Platz | children and young people under 16 play accompanied by an adult |
| FUN4YOU Golf Lounge, Baden | rental clubs for adults and children are available |
| Swing Easy, Étoy | two children's sets are on site |
For a first visit with children that means: a child who has never held a club needs an adult who stands at the simulator too. How early children start golf in Switzerland and what the training costs is in Golf for children in Switzerland.
Children's birthday: minigolf or bay
The Erlebniscenter Basel shows how a minigolf birthday can be built. It offers five packages, from the simple one with a round of black light minigolf to three hours with supervision (Erlebniscenter Basel):
| Package | From children | Price per child | Price per adult | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | CHF 24 | CHF 28.50 | a round of black light minigolf, covered table for 45 minutes, soft drink 5 dl, free entry for the birthday child on the next visit |
| 2 | 6 | CHF 35 | CHF 39.50 | as package 1, plus chocolate cake and snacks |
| 3 | 5 | CHF 35 per person | CHF 35 per person | a 30-minute round of virtual reality instead of minigolf, plus table and soft drink |
| 4 | 5 | CHF 44 | CHF 48.50 | minigolf and a 30-minute round of virtual reality, plus table and soft drink |
| 5 | 8 | CHF 84 | CHF 88.50 | three hours with supervision, games, minigolf, two soft drinks, cake, snacks and a goodie bag per child |
At the simulator a birthday is a different format. 18 of the 110 indoor listings mention birthdays. FUN4YOU in Baden offers its fun mode with golf and minigolf games for them, and the aperitif and buffets can be ordered on advance booking, up to three days beforehand. With a bay for four people not all guests play at once, and for larger groups you book several slots. How that adds up is in the post on children, and the group formats are on the golf simulator events page.
Which format when
| Situation | What fits |
|---|---|
| Children who have never played golf | Minigolf. The clubs take children into group training from about six or seven, before that a game is the easier start |
| Children from about six who should try golf | Simulator with an adult, or a taster lesson, see Golf taster course in Switzerland |
| Teenagers and adults with some golf experience | Simulator, alone, as a pair or as four |
| Anyone who wants to learn golf | Simulator with a coach, see Indoor golf training and Golf simulator for beginners |
| A rainy day with the whole family | both one after the other: minigolf first for the little ones, then an hour in the bay for everybody, or the other way round |
Both formats run in any weather. What else works in winter is in Golf in winter in Switzerland and Golf in rain and cold. For a gift voucher for an hour there is Golf gifts with prices.
More on this: Indoor minigolf in Switzerland, Minigolf rules, Disc golf in Switzerland.
The simulator venue near you
The directory lists 126 venues. The golf simulator near me page sorts them by distance, the map shows them by canton, and the list of venues open now tells you where you can still play today. Hourly prices are on golf simulator prices.
Frequently asked questions
What does indoor minigolf cost in Switzerland?
In Ruswil a round of 18 holes costs CHF 14 for adults and CHF 8 for young people up to 16, each further round CHF 8 and 5. In Winterthur children up to 14 pay CHF 14 and from 15 CHF 17. Two adults and two children pay CHF 44 to 62 for a round.
Is there black light minigolf in Switzerland?
Yes. The Indoor-Minigolfanlage Rottal in Ruswil plays its 18 holes with black light, on weekdays from 5 pm and all day at weekends. The Erlebniscenter Basel also offers black light minigolf, for example in its children's birthday packages.
From what age can children use a golf simulator?
There is no single rule. Six of the 110 indoor listings mention children: Schaffhausen, Aarburg, Meggen and Davos Platz require an accompanying adult, Baden and Étoy keep rental clubs for children. For all the others you ask before booking.
What is cheaper for a family, minigolf or golf simulator?
A round of minigolf costs CHF 44 to 62 for two adults and two children. An hour at the simulator costs CHF 35 to 70 for the whole bay at the venues checked, roughly CHF 9 to 18 each for four people. The price is close, the difference is the format.
Can I hold a children's birthday at a golf simulator?
Yes, 18 of the 110 indoor listings mention birthdays. FUN4YOU in Baden offers its fun mode with golf and minigolf games and an aperitif on advance booking. Minigolf packages such as those of the Erlebniscenter Basel start at CHF 24 per child for at least four children.
Sources
- Golf-Rottal: Indoor-Minigolf Ruswil mit Schwarzlicht (18 Bahnen, Öffnungszeiten, Anmeldung, Zahlung)
- Luzern Tourismus: Indoor-Minigolfanlage Ruswil (Eintrittspreise und weitere Runden)
- FantasyGolf Winterthur: Preise (Preise, Öffnungszeiten, letzter Einlass)
- Erlebniscenter Basel: Kindergeburtstage (fünf Pakete mit Preisen und Inhalt)
- Swiss Golf Simulators: eigene Einträge (Preise, Gruppenangaben und Hinweise zu Kindern, Stand Oktober 2026)