Mini Golf

[Shanks A Million]

Anyone play? I regularly play Disney's Fantasia Fairways, the longest, and according to Golf Digest, the hardest mini golf course in the world. It's 1445 feet long, and has a par of 61. I missed a putt by 6" for even par on this course last time I was there (shot 62, would have had to have eagled the last for even par, but birdied for +1). I usually try to beat the daily record score.

It's not anything like a regular mini golf course, but rather a small version of a golf course. The greens are extremely undulating, and almost everything runs away from the hole. There are bunkers and water hazards. The greens run around 13-14 on the stimpmeter. Going OB (which is easy) is a 1 stroke penalty. Several holes are over 100 feet long. This bad boy is a menace , and they even warn you just like at Bethpage black! You miss the cup and you're 10' by.



On your average local mini golf course, I will shoot from -5 to even or so on a given day. Anyone else love their putter as much as I do?

[nuck81]

Do you take your own putter?

Putt Putt is the only kind of golf my GF will play. She's a shark too.

[Shanks A Million]

  nuck81 said:

Do you take your own putter?

Yes, always. I use their ball though, but it's possible to use your own and change it before you hole the last putt. What's a shark anyway?

[nuck81]

Like a pool shark? Basically a hustler. She acts like she's all sweet and innocent and no good, but then you hit your first shot and she's out for blood. We usually play for dumb things like loser does dishes and stuff...

[Sandplay]

Wow that looks like an awesome mini golf course. I might even need a wedge lol.

[Shanks A Million]

  Sandplay said:

Wow that looks like an awesome mini golf course. I might even need a wedge lol.

It's not uncommon that you might need one. It's a rough test, the speed of those greens makes me really appreciate Augusta and what it takes to win the Masters.

[GaijinGolfer]

I enjoy playing mini golf from time to time. Here in Madison we have a place called, "Vitense Golfland" where they have 2 outdoor 18-hole mini golf courses (one is a Wisconsin-themed one) and an 18-hole indoor mini golf course (with each hole has a different Madison, WI theme).
I also spend a lot of time in NE Wisconsin during the summer months and theres mini golf courses all over the place up there too.
Its fun and its a great way to keep your putting in shape, especially during the winter months.
My girlfriend and I play mini golf a lot (she grew up in Maryland and spent a lot of her summers in Ocean City playing lots of mini golf). She is very competitive and cutthroat. We usually play for loser buys ice cream after the round and dinner that night. Good times.

[Shanks A Million]

My biggest issue with most places is they're too easy. I like it when the course really forces you to read the green and play strategically. At the Fairways course, you simply cannot go for every green. You have to lay up (yes, that's right, lay up on a mini golf course). What's worse, the laying up is hard because you have to stop the ball right on the right spot.

There are a few local places that are decent, but not great. I'd love to either see someone, or if I had the money, open one myself just like Fantasia. A mini golf course that requires incredible skill. 1,500 feet long, intense slope, greased lightning greens, and hazards with stiff penalties. That's what makes it so brilliant, the whole design is just phenomenal. If you get to play Fantasia Fairways, do it.

[GaijinGolfer]

Shanks, if you ever find yourself in the upper midwest you should really take a detour to Madison and play Vitense because you pretty much just described their mini golf courses.

[Shanks A Million]

  TitleistWI said:

Shanks, if you ever find yourself in the upper midwest you should really take a detour to Madison and play Vitense because you pretty much just described their mini golf courses.

I'll have to check it out. Any other places like that around? I guess I'm a little Jaded, because the Fantasia Fairways is the longest and hardest course on the planet, so that's a hard jumping off point.

[sean_miller]

  Shanks A Million said:

Anyone else love their putter as much as I do?

No, you probably love my putter more than I do.

[bwdial]

I played Fantasia several years ago, and it will definitely humble you.

There's a mini-golf course up near Duluth, outside of Atlanta that is kind of similar, though nowhere near as difficult. It's gotten a little run down over the years, but it's got the undulations and hazards. It is part of the Peachtree (imagine that in Atlanta) Golf Center, which also has a lit Par 3 course and driving range.

[Shripe]

I was at Vitense the other weekend for a Play Golf America event (spent the night in Madison between here and a trip to the farmer's market, plus up north to near the Dells), and didn't check out the minigolf, but it does seem like it would be a lot of fun. Sadly, I usually only make it to places like Pirate's Cove up in the Dells, as there's not many good places around here.

[darkhunter139]

I play a lot at a place in Lancaster, PA called Village Greens. Its pretty nice and has some far holes.

[Joeyvee]

I played one at the four seasons in Lana'i for a round of drinks (OVER $100) it was intense. Water, sand forced carrys etc. Yeah. we swung away with the putter one some holes but its way smaller than the ones you guys are talking about. Fun as all hell though.

[Shanks A Million]

I played last night in almost pitch black, around 10 pm, the lighting sucked. Shot a +4. Really cool course, in Cape Coral, Fl, fairly difficult, big and really cool layout. More of a hilly style, not windmills and junk. +4 isn't bad considering the conditions, it had also rained, and the course was covered in debris. One hole I actually hit it into the right place to get a hole in 1, but the tube was full of mud, and the ball jammed. That sucked. Aced just one hole all day, the last one.

[Tugglife2]

Is that the same place that has a 'regular' mini golf course as well? My wife and I played the easy course when we went there.

[Shanks A Million]

  Tugglife2 said:

Is that the same place that has a 'regular' mini golf course as well? My wife and I played the easy course when we went there.

Yes, there's a regular one (Fantasia Gardens) and the brutal one (Fantasia Fairways). I never play gardens, I tried it once, but it was boring. The Fairways course is my favorite mini golf course by a long shot.