360Golf, the mini golf brand developed by experience design firm Holovis, is being positioned as a connected gaming platform rather than a themed course, combining automated scoring, gamified play and venue analytics. The company will showcase the product at IAAPA Expo in Orlando from 16 to 20 November at the Holovis booth, #S448, and will offer a playable demonstration at its 360Golf Orlando office nearby. It also appears at the Land Leisure & Tourism Show at NEC Birmingham on 4 and 5 November at booth LLT360.
According to global director of business development Stuart Edgington, the platform's advantage lies in familiarity: mini golf is already widely understood, so the technology is built on top of an existing appeal rather than replacing it. He said the result is a more competitive and interactive version of the game with more measurable commercial value.
Automated scoring and a gamified layer
Players of any age register, collect an assigned smart ball and begin immediately, which the company says keeps explanation and staffing time low. Smart balls, tees and cups work with the HoloTrac scoring system to eliminate paper scorecards and to settle disputes when play gets tight.
On top of that sits a set of gamified features: SuperShots that offer alternative ways to score, Triumphs that grant awards and unlock challenges, plus bonus points, on-course games, player accounts, achievements, leaderboards and video celebrations. Business development director Matt Dobbs said the aim is to give players added incentives to compete, to celebrate and to compare results, and therefore to come back.
Analytics for operators
The DeepSmarts AI engine supplies analytics on player interaction, uptime and seasonality, and can support promotions aimed at quieter periods or under-served audiences. Project manager Maaz Ussen said the system also lets engineers review course activity remotely to diagnose faults reported by venues. The design targets longer dwell time and higher secondary spend, with capacity of up to 80 players per hour per course. Dobbs argued that a self-service kiosk flow frees staff to look after guests and their food and drink, which he tied directly to revenue.
Retrofits, catalogue holes and custom builds
Installation options range from technology-only packages retrofitted into existing courses, which the company says take about six to eight weeks, to catalogue holes ready in eight to 12 weeks, and fully bespoke courses that can take upwards of six months.
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Inclusion, multi-site consistency and new markets
At Butlin's PLAYXPERIENCE centre in Bognor Regis, a £15m project that opened in 2024, three nine-hole courses include a neon-lit layout, a Las Vegas-themed course and a wheelchair-accessible music-themed course. Dobbs said the venue handles around 5,000 players and roughly £40,000 in revenue in a busy week. Ussen said inclusive design work covers left- and right-handed play, putter sizing, drop-down top caps so wheelchair users can reach the course, and spacing between holes for safety.
Multi-site operators such as Saudi Entertainment Ventures can hold a consistent technological core while varying theming, layout or branding, with locations networked together. Holovis is also working with Roxy Leisure to add stroke counting to crazy pool tables, and Ussen said the ambition is to apply the technology to other sports.
Edgington said competitive socialising will eventually reach peak saturation, and the company is investigating adjacent markets. Dobbs described the offer as turnkey: conversations begin with a venue's physical restrictions, target audience and commercial model rather than with a course purchase.