Safari Mini Golf & Games in Vero Beach is the closest 2-course (36 total holes) miniature golf complex to our home, and because of this, we’ve played it at least 6 times in the past couple of months.  Location, and also because of the lush foliage and water features and the fun challenges of these two courses.  The safari theme is easy to capture in this jungle oasis.

We finally compiled all our photos and comments from a visit on February 28, 2010 and have posted our review of this terrific little gem.

If you are a Disney fan and/or  Disney Vacation Club member and happen to plan a trip to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, this is a few miles drive and the nearest off-site mini golf course in the area… yes, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort does have it’s own very small mini golf course, but that hardly compares…

Check out the satellite photo of Safari Mini Golf.  You can see how the courses wind around the ponds throughout the property.

If you have played miniature golf before, you may recall that the putters offered by most courses are less than ideal for most players.  Typically they are plastic or soft metal and have been banged, scuffed and trashed by the previous golfers.  They are usually a trial and error type experience at best, and require more luck than skill when it comes to getting the ball to go where you want.

Please understand, this is usually fine for having fun; even preferable for the youngsters who use them most, as they might potentially hit them against the concrete walkways, the bricks edging the greens and most other surfaces that will ding up a putter face.

On the other hand, if you are serious about your game, then you might want to bring your own putter, if the course allows it.  Fortunately, most courses do.

Recently I took Joy to the local Sports Authority in Jensen Beach, FL, and we demoed a variety of putters on their putting area, from most of the more common makers – prices ranging from around $20 to $300.  I was convinced my wife would putt better and have more fun if she had her own putter – one that was the right size and feel for her.

First she tried an Odyssey Golf  White Hot 2-Ball putter, which I suggested to her after reading many praises from women golfers online.  She immediately improved, sinking a much higher percentage of putts from near and far.   She then tried several others until she figured out the length she liked and finally settled on a Wilson Harmonized Hope putter.  This is a Mallet head putter with a polymer insert on the face and even though I felt like it had no feedback to feel the putt, she loved it and it was only $39.  I had her continue to try others (really thinking it was not the best putter) but it was what she liked and the results were apparent.  So off to the cash register and home we went.  The next round of golf she immediately improved and even beat me (too bad she forgot to keep score, but she was just having too much fun) which she had never come close to doing before.

I then went on a quest to find a putter I liked also, and ended up with a Nike Method 001 putter that was new to the stores.  It was very similar to a Titleist Scotty Cameron I used to have… before it mysteriously disappeared after a party my children had, a number of years ago.  It is a traditional design and it provided me with the feedback I wanted, and was easy to line up and adjust my stroke for distance.  It was expensive at $249, but it was great.

Our next round at the local miniature golf course was much more fun and rewarding.  We went to Walt Disney World and played the most difficult course I know (the Fairways course at Fantasia Gardens), where in the past my score was the limit of 6 Strokes on most holes.  With my own putter, I actually succeeded in getting a number of 2-stroke birdies and eagles.  If you have ever played this course and are not PGA tour pro caliber, you know that is not too bad.  I still got a few 6s but Joy  was awesome with her new putter, too, and now challenges me every time we play.

I highly recommend you head over to your local golf equipment store and find the putter that you like.  There are far too many options out there to cover them all.  I plan to try more in the future so I can give you some idea of how different the various putters made today can be.  If you find a used sports equipment store like Play it Again Sports, you may find some bargains and save money, allowing you to get more than one and have different options like the Pros do.

By the way, Tiger Woods uses a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 with a Ping grip.  Check out that model on EBay – maybe you’ll find a bargain!

Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is a chain of miniature golf courses all over the USA.  There are 3 locations in the Orlando area, and we chose to visit the course closest to Walt Disney World on a recent February day.

We had a great time at this mini golf course, and imagine that the other locations are on a par with this one.  We may visit other Orlando locations of Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf in the future… there are so many other choices we plan to try first.

Please enjoy our review and check back soon for more.  Upcoming additions will include the Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf course in Orlando, Winter Summerland at Walt Disney World, Safari Mini golf in Vero Beach and Andretti Thrill Park in Melbourne.

And we’ve only just begun!

When I was young, my grandparents moved to Harwich, MA, on Cape Cod.  Being a thriving summer resort area, it had all the usual diversions to part a family from its money: Go-carts, trampolines, arcades, and of course, miniature golf.  In fact, there were three courses within walking or bicycling distance from my grandparent’s home.  They were mostly a variety of what is now called adventure golf, with windmills and other moving obstacles.  Only one course had the 2 x 4 rails around featureless greens – the type that’s now called putt-putt golf.

My grandfather usually required a bit of my grandmother’s prodding for activities like going to the beach or the movies, but he loved miniature golf.  After he took my brother and I to play the first time, it became a regular event; during long summer vacation visits, he would take us to play at least once a week.  He insisted that we needed to be calm and quiet, as it would make us better putters – I think he liked us better that way, too.  At first he would win regularly since we did not understand how to read the greens.  If it was a straight putt, he would usually sink the ball every time.  Eventually I started to understand how to use the rails and hills to direct the ball; eventually, I could occasionally beat him on a good night.

Harbor Glen was the closest, and at the time my favorite, because they awarded prizes for a hole in one on various holes. A free game if you did it on the 1st hole, the free draft root beer on the 11th hole and a mystery hole every day with different prizes to be announced. I got really good on the 1st and 11th holes by the end of the first summer. The Harbor Glen course is still there today, by the river on route 28 in Harwich Port.

Holiday Hill was the next closest course in West Dennis.  It had a large gift shop selling baskets and souvenirs – that was actually the big money maker – but they had a nice 18-hole course.  The course was the first real adventure mini golf course I experienced, with concrete based greens covered in smooth carpet.  Each hole had a unique shape, with banked turns and hills that were rather steep behind the hole or on the sides of the green.  Ramps that funneled the ball toward the hole were the toughest obstacles at the time we first played.  One hole reminded me of the course in the movie Happy Gilmore, because you could not make a hole in one without bouncing the ball across to the other side and being very lucky.  Holiday Hill is also still there today with updated holes; they still have a large gift shop and now they have a Motor Inn, too.

The third course we played was near County Road in Harwich Port.  There was a pitch and putt course that was laid out mostly in a ravine to the east of the mini golf course.  The greens on the miniature golf course were extreme with huge U shaped banked turns and hills that went up or down (sometimes both) over 8 feet.  While there was the requisite windmill, it was not so much about statuary but more about an extreme test of skill.  I loved this course, but most people – including my Grandfather – did not like it.  My brother Gary was the only person who would go with me very often, and he actually liked the pitch and putt better.  He was scary when he played because he would hit the ball a lot further that the 50-60 yards each hole played and it was only a miracle he didn’t hit something like a nearby house.  Sadly this course no longer exists except in my memories.

Isn’t it nice to enjoy a past-time that can be appreciated by young and old alike?  Fresh air, a little competition, and a bit of skill goes a long way.

I hope to go back and play the Cape Cod courses as my brother Doug now lives in the area.  I look forward to giving you a report in the future.

David  º0º

Our favorite mini golf course is Fantasia Gardens at Walt Disney World – specifically the Fairways course.

Have I mentioned that before?

In spite of the cool weather here in Florida this winter, we had a beautifully sunny day on February 26, 2010, and enjoyed playing here, as always.

Originally, we’d planned to play at the other WDW mini golf course, Winter Summerland, which is more themed and full of characters and more traditional miniature golf obstacles and tricks.  Unfortunately, they do not permit use of metal putters on either course at Winter Summerland, and given that we only recently obtained our own clubs and have really enjoyed the improvement in our games as a result, we declined to play there on that particular day.

We will go back and check out Winter Summerland at WDW on another visit, and post a review.

But, for now, please enjoy our Walt Disney World Fantasia Gardens Fairways Course Review.

Also, check back soon for more photos of the Fantasia Gardens area – the Gardens course is heavily themed, and we took lots of photos of that course, as well.  They’ll be added soon.

Here is a great aerial view photo of all of Fantasia Gardens, and clicking will enlarge it, though it may be slow to load:

On Friday, March 5^th, I visited a store in St Lucie West, Florida – Edwin Watts Golf – and was sadly disappointed.

This store was reputed to be the local area’s best option for custom grips and over 5,000 square foot of retail space with a vast array of selection for golfers.  This included video-analysis, clothing and most brands of golf supplies that anyone can think of.

Unfortunately, my appearance must have put them off.  There were more employees in the store than customers, yet my 45 to 55 minutes of browsing yielded no “hello”, no “may I help you”, nor any other acknowledgement of my presence.

Yes, I am a bearded, long-haired, former hippie of 56 years of age, and I am proud to wear jeans and un-tucked shirts.  Yet, my wallet has cash and credit cards just like the next guy in a pro-golf shirt.  Numerous people entered the store with expensive golf-wear, and they were immediately approached and offered help.  At all times during my visit, staff outnumbered customers by at least 2 to 1.

Remember the movie, Pretty Woman?  That’s just how I felt – like a hooker in a high-end dress shop.  I came in to get my $249 Nike Method 001 putter re-gripped. Yet I could not get any help.  I made eye-contact several times, yet the employees involved apparently judged me unworthy.

Too bad for them.

This experience has made me doubly aware of how I am treated as a customer.  My money is as green as anyone else’s, yet prejudice against my appearance cost them a sale, and probably a long-term relationship.

I will continue to seek a local golf shop that will treat me well.  I bought my above mentioned club at Golf USA, in Stuart, FL, and was quite pleased with the service offered.  I hadn’t rented a tuxedo for that visit; mind you, nor Tiger Woods signature golf attire.  My hair was just as long that day, and I think I actually wore the same outfit.  My only challenge in shopping there is that it’s a 30 to 45-minute drive through numerous traffic lights, and I’d love to patronize a local vendor.

Golfsmith, here I come.

We visited Stuart, FL on Sunday February 21, 2010, and played both courses at 76 Golf World.

76 Golf World, Stuart, FL - View from the deck

We had a great time, it was a beautiful day, and we made it there just before the after-church crowds arrived.  If you choose to go on Sunday, try to get there as close to 11 am as possible, or earlier.  At this point they open at 9am on Sundays, but do check hours posted on their website for details.

This was our second visit to 76 Golf World, and we truly enjoy this course.  It is well maintained, laid out nicely and we like the 2-for-1 coupon we used!

Read the full review here: 76 Golf World Review

Sunshine, warm temperatures, palms and flowers… such a perfect setting for miniature golf!

When you are new to the area, or just visiting, how do you find out the best mini golf option to choose?

Well, right here of course!

As recent arrivals to the Sunshine State, our sole mini golf experiences took place at Walt Disney World.  We love Fantasia Gardens, along with most of the rest of the mini-golf world.  But outside of the Orlando area, we were inexperienced and unfamiliar.

Until now.

Our goal is to visit and review every miniature golf course in the state, eventually.  Then, we’ll expand to other states.

We’ve got our work cut out for us!