Although it’s hard to pick a favorite LEGO theme (don’t say Star Wars, that’s too obvious), the Ideas sets—that is, set ideas submitted by builders from the general public—are consistently some of the coolest. Like this new Working Golf Course from expert builder LEGOParadise. The ingenious set not only looks like an exact replica of an idyllic mini-golf course, but it’s also fully playable.
LEGOParadise, a.k.a. Liam, recently posted the Working Golf Course Ideas project to his YouTube channel. He notes in the video’s description that the course includes three unique holes, a variety of landscapes, and even moving obstacles.
Speaking of which, Liam has given the course two motorized components that use various LEGO Technic pieces. The first is a set of moving “elevator stairs” that carry the golf ball—that is, a single, round LEGO plate—from one playing level to another. The second is a full-on moving windmill that can block the “ball” from reaching the last hole.
LEGOParadise
To move through the three holes, players move minifigures via turning studs in the ground. Players control the studs themselves—and hence the minifigures’ swing speed—with small gears around the perimeter of the game.
In all, the whole golf course is only 32 studs wide and long; or approximately 11 inches on each side. Despite its compact size, however, Liam has packed in an enormous amount of detail. Aside from the components that use motors, the course also has a pond, a park bench, flowers, and a water obstacle.
LEGOParadise
Those interested in helping Liam make his Working Golf Course a real set can do so by checking out his Ideas page. There, fans can vote on the set to make it available for retail. (As of this writing, the set has 7,574 supports; just 2,426 short of the 10,000 necessary for LEGO to consider mass producing the set.) Builders looking for more inspiration should also check out Liam’s channel. There, they can find more projects that are above par. In a good way.