We all know golf is a big deal in South Florida. But what about big golf’s goofy kid brother — miniature golf? We decided to try the eight courses in Palm Beach and Broward counties to get the hole story.
First, a few local trends in case you haven’t putt-putted in a while. There are no old-time, kitschy, windmill and orange dinosaur-laden greens like you might expect. The courses here are newer and in three categories: 1. more upscale and approaching, dare we say it, tasteful, 2. indoor glow-in-the-dark horror-based monstrosities, and 3. educational (we were surprised by that one, too).
Another innovation is the availability of alcohol at most places, making it possible for adults to have as much or more fun as the kids.
So grab a neon-orange ball, a scorecard and a teeny-weeny pencil and let’s get this putt-y started.
Most nautical
Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf, 617 N. A1A, Jupiter
You know you’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto, when you see what could pass for a 15-foot shark hanging in the entryway of a mini golf course, as if it just got pulled out of the Atlantic. Two courses, Paradise Falls and The Lost Lagoon, offer loads of water hazards on well-maintained artificial greens. A beautiful 18-foot-high replica of the red Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse stands near the center of the course, and plaques educate duffers about Jupiter history. The courses have waterfalls, fountains, tunnels, lush tropical landscaping and a 3,500-gallon saltwater fish tank, which also can be seen from the bar of the adjacent restaurant, The Burger Shack, which is many notches above the expected amusement area snack bar. They have salads, seafood, burgers, desserts, local craft beers, wines and even champagne. There’s also 3 Scoops, a separate ice cream parlor. Butterscotch bomb, anyone?
Holes: Two 18-hole courses.
Food: Full casual restaurant and a separate ice cream parlor.
Alcohol: Craft beer, wine and champagne available at bar; on-course drink delivery service (call them, tell them what hole you’re on, and they’ll bring the booze to you).
Price: 18 holes: $11.99, 36 holes: $13.99.
561-203-7965, lighthousecoveminigolf.com
Froggy went a-coursing
Adventure Mini Golf, 6585 S. Military Trail, Lake Worth
This location has a beautiful active water garden landscape on its two 18-hole courses — the family-friendly North, and the more challenging South — featuring cascading waterfalls, rapids, fountains and a water wheel. Just so you don’t forget this is mini golf, though, whimsical frog statues are sprinkled throughout the grounds. There’s not much shade, but they have a snack bar and air-conditioned game room for cooling off. On our second outing here, we were pleased to see the scruffy, worn-out greens had been replaced with luxurious new turf throughout the course. A big improvement? Toad-ally.
Holes: Two 18-hole courses.
Food: Ice cream, soft drinks and snacks available in the office.
Alcohol: Beer is available at the snack bar and you can bring it on the course if you like.
Price: 18 holes: $9 for adults, $5 for children. You can play the second 18-hole course for only $5 more, and get a third round free.
561-968-1111
Shadiest (in a good way)
Putt’n Around, 350 NE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach
Tucked away between nondescript businesses and railroad tracks in Delray Beach, Putt’n Around is a tree-shaded oasis, with lushly landscaped flora (palms, banana trees, hibiscus) and sculptural fauna (bronze pelicans, turtles and alligators). Water features abound. Play here is tricky and fun but no-nonsense — no “cliché windmills or clowns” as their website states. They’re very alcohol-friendly — they have a bar with craft and bottled beer and wine, and a happy hour. And they will deliver libations and food to you on the course. High marks for the beverage cup-holders at each hole, freeing up your hands to grip your putter and fully concentrate on that next hole-in-one strategy.
Holes: Two 18-hole courses.
Food: Restaurant with burgers, hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches, fries, ice cream.
Alcohol: 49 different beers including local crafts, and three wines, at the bar. On-course drink delivery service (call them, tell them what hole you’re on, and they’ll bring the booze to you). Happy hour 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday: $1 off all bottles and cans.
Price: $11 for 18 holes, $16 for 36 holes. Morning special: 10 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday: play 36 holes for the price of 18 holes
561-459-2715, puttnaround.net
Most deceptive (in a good way)
Boomers! Boca Raton, 3100 Airport Road, Boca Raton
Near the hustle and bustle of Boca Raton Airport and busy Interstate 95 sits Boomers! Boca Raton, an amusement destination with not just mini golf, but go-carts, bumper cars, bumper boats, laser tag, rock-wall climbing and batting cages. Two courses offer lots of water features and a good deal of stair-climbing, providing the highest peaks of all the courses in our two counties. Not a lot of statues here but the greens are well-kept and full of hidden deceptions — an unexpected bump here, a disguised dip there — that provide lots of fun surprises. It’s a little pricey if you want to play all 36 holes, but if you’re into all the other amusements, you can make a pretty awesome day of it and save a lot with an all-day pass. Bumper boats, here we come!
Holes: Two 18-hole courses.
Food: Snack bar with standard fare: cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, pretzels, funnel cakes, hot dogs, soft drinks.
Alcohol: Beer and wine available at the snack bar that you can take with you on the course.
Price: $12 for 18 holes. An all-day attraction pass costs $45.99: you’ll get unlimited miniature golf, Thunder Road Go Karts, Lil’ Thunder Go Karts, Spin Zone Bumper Cars, Bumper Boats, Rock Wall and Lazer Tag. Their best deal is a Season Pass for $44.99: unlimited attractions through Dec. 31. Discounts are also available online: boomersparks.com/boca/pricing
561-347-1888, boomersparks.com/boca
Most serene
AllGolf at C.B. Smith Park, 950 N. Flamingo Rd, Pembroke Pines
You wouldn’t exactly call this course no frills — they have a waterfall (made up of real rocks and vividly teal-colored water), and a tricky hollow-log hazard or two — but it is on the minimalist side. There are no statues, no music — there aren’t even benches here. This is where you come to focus on the putts, the putts and nothing but the putts. What gives this place its charm are the lovely grounds of beautiful C.B. Smith Park surrounding the two courses with their neat and tidy greens, providing a much-needed escape from South Florida’s traffic and hubbub. C.B. Smith is a 299-acre site that also has a water park, an RV campground and a tennis complex, and there are nine batting cages near the golf center. Are 36 holes of laid-back putt-putt fun still not enough? There’s a two-level driving range, where you can get a bucket of balls and take a swing at full-sized grownup golf. Fore!
Holes: Two 18-hole courses.
Food: Packaged ice cream, chips, candy and crackers, water, juice, and soft drinks.
Alcohol: Beer available at the front desk that you can take with you on the course.
Price: $8 for 18 holes, $10 for $36 holes
954-441-1333, allgolf.com
Most educational
Conservation Course, South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach
The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium came up with a clever and beautiful way to educate their patrons about local nature: a conservation-themed mini course in their backyard. It’s both fun and serene, and each hole is dedicated to indigenous flora or fauna with fun facts displayed (quagmire is soft, spongy wet ground that gives way underfoot … who knew?). Jim Fazio and Gary Nicklaus, who know their way around a pro golf course or two, designed the course. And mark your calendars: on May 19, the museum is holding the Conservation Cup Mini Golf Classic, a putting tournament to benefit youth science programs and exhibits of the Science Center.
Holes: One 18-hole course.
Food: Snack bar at the museum.
Alcohol: None.
Price: Non museum-member adult: $6, Non museum-member child: $5; Member adult: $5, Member child: $4. All non-member guests must pay entry into the museum before accessing the Conservation Course. Golf passes are in addition to regular museum admission (Adults: $16.95, Kids 3-12: $12.95, Seniors 60+: $14.95). Members receive a complimentary allotment of golf passes, depending on the membership level.
561-832-1988, sfsciencecenter.org/conservation-course
Scariest (in a good way)
Monster Mini-Golf, 9533 Westview Drive (Magnolia Shoppes plaza), Coral Springs
14435 Miramar Parkway (Publix plaza), Miramar
If you’re tired of all the fresh air, sunshine, and great outdoors the other courses have to offer, check out a pair of horror pits where the faint-of-heart dare not tread. We’re talking about Monster Mini-Golf, a franchise of indoor, funhouse-like putt-putts. Between the shrieks, blasts of fog and peals of diabolical laughter, you’ll find 18 holes laid out in a maze with a black-lit, glow-in-the dark, oozing toxic waste dump motif. And, as if there’s not enough visual overload, there are fun, kitschy murals on all the walls (Jim Gore-ison, Deadly Snipes, Macabre Ross, Skelta Burke). The poison cherry on top of this rancid sundae, though, is the massive 5-foot-tall, hideously evil-in-a-good-way, clown head that acts as the 18th hole. Boo!
Holes: One 18-hole course (at each location).
Food: Popcorn and soft drinks.
Alcohol: None.
Price: Big monsters: $9 for 18 holes, Little monsters: $8, Baby monsters: free. How tall you are determines how big a monster you are. There are seasonal ($25) and annual ($75) passes for extra savings as well as “weekday fun daily deals” featuring free popcorn and discounted golf on different days.
Coral Springs: 954-526-5115, monsterminigolf.com/coralsprings
Miramar: 954-589-1878, monsterminigolf.com/miramar
gujohnson@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4732
