With a putter in my hand on a miniature golf course, I feel like the biggest clown around, with apologies to that guy on No. 18 with the big red nose and the wide-open mouth to aim at!
You see, putting for me is a circus. Not only am I bad at reading greens, I’m bad at hitting my chosen line to the hole. Thus, I figured a tour of courses where only putting is needed would be a cure-all. And the shorter the hole, the better.
Call it what you want — Miniature Golf, Putt-Putt. Mini-Putt, or Mini-Golf. this game isn’t necessarily easy no matter how adept you are with the short stick. After all, a TV show, Holy Moley, has proven to be a hole-in-one on ABC TV! And with nearly 3.5 million Americans partaking each year in this game, and about 350,000 Canadians, it is popular.
So, I took it upon myself to take on a variety of these little courses around the province. Following is a list of those courses and how they stacked up in my mind. And remember, I am anything but a good putter, so maybe that clown on No. 18 is laughing at me, not with me!
West Edmonton Mall – Professor WEM’s Adventure Golf
Rating: Fun Factor: 8.5/10; Variety of holes: 7/10; Risk/Reward: 9.5/10; Memorable: 8/10; Cost/ROI: 7/10
SCORE: 40.0 out of 50
Originally called Pebble Beach Golf Links Mini Golf, this18-hole layout didn’t have the spectacular ocean views of its namesake track because a view of a mall food court just doesn’t cut the mustard! Then again, this layout also doesn’t have the staggering green fees!
Priced at $18 for an adult and $14 for youngsters, this is still a hefty price to pay for mini-putt. But, with hundreds, if not thousands of people passing by it each day and the amount of people undertaking this layout that toll seems to be acceptable. Rebranded in the mid-1990s it retains much, if not all, of its original concept and offers fun, challenge, and best of all, spectators from the passing shoppers! There are real water hazards but the bunkers are molded so don’t really act as a deterrent as if you hit your tee shot hard enough, you can rocket right through most of those.
One downside is the poorly designed 18th hole, an uphill whack where your ball disappears forever, or until you pay $18 again. On this hole you’re told your score is ‘2’ regardless of how many times the ball comes back to you. Another negative is the needless bling that came with the name change. But again, this is designed for family fun, not some old guy who can’t putt worth a plate full of tacos (there’s that food court influence again!)
Professor Wem’s Adventure Golf
Seba Beach Mini Golf & Ice Cream
Rating: Fun Factor: 7.5/10; Variety of holes: 8/10; Risk/Reward: 7/10; Memorable: 6/10; Cost/ROI: 5/10
SCORE: 33.5 out of 50
Okay. They had me at the ice cream part of their name. After all, there’s nothing better to soothe your bruised ego after 5-putting (twice!) a mini golf hole than a lick of tasty, ice cream.
This layout, located about 45 minutes west of Edmonton, is a sort of retro design that needs some care. It’s based on bump shots, which for kids may be tricky and can even pose the odd problem for older players. The big issue here was the fact the bump boards, which should send your ball toward the hole, often were so worn down that shots bounced erratically off, if not over them altogether and off the course. And for a price tag of $15, for adults, $10 for ages 8 to 17, and $7 for kids aged 5 to 8, it can get pricey for a family.
That seems a bit high for a course that could use some refinement on the carpeting and bumpers.
There is a big plus here though as it pays homage to the history of Alberta including nods to coal mining, the Winter Olympics, a jail, and the area it sits in. One historical ‘hazard’ it could use though is a windmill, given the number of those in southern Alberta.
Seba Beach Mini Golf & Ice Cream
Lakeside Go-Karts & MiniGolf
Rating: Fun Factor: 9.5/10; Variety of holes: 9/10; Risk/Reward: 9.5/10; Memorable: 10/10; Cost/ROI: 9/10
SCORE: 47.0 out of 50
As the second oldest business in Sylvan Lake, this place is booming! The 18-hole layout is under relatively new ownership and they’re going all out to make this a must play in the mini-golf world. So far, they’ve installed new carpet on the fairways letting your ball roll true and their plans go far beyond that with a planned nod to the history of the course’s home in Sylvan Lake.
This layout is what miniature golf should be all about. Sure, a light hand is needed on some of the holes but at the same time you come to those tests where a good ol’ whack with the short stick comes into play. Lakeside is a fun play from the get-go and is in immaculate condition, especially considering how busy this summer holiday retreat is.
This little course is challenging to say the least what with the uphill par-3 fourth hole that takes a dramatic 90-degree turn left down to the hole, or the challenge to get the ball through the opening at the bottom of the Lighthouse Hole. Like this sport wasn’t exacting enough already!
Lakeside is a true gem in this form of golf. The one area of improvement that could be made, and hopefully will be, is to redo the final hole. Yes, this was the only spot where a hole-in-one on 18 got you a free round, but I think that nasty clown’s face with the open mouth as the target would be a fitting end to what is a fun course!
For kids under six the game is free. From ages 5 to 12 it’s $8.95 and above that is $13.95. All day passes are also available.
WinSport Mini Golf
Rating: Fun Factor: 9/10; Variety of holes: 8.5/10; Risk/Reward: 9/10; Memorable:9/10; Cost/ROI: 8/10
SCORE: 45.5 out of 50
If mini-golf was to become an Olympic Games sport this locale in Calgary is the perfect home. After all, it sits on the 1988 Olympic Games site and truth be told, this layout is world-class, not only for its challenge but also for the scenic landscape it sits on.
A good idea here, if you have the time, is to take a quick walk from teeing area to the holes to get a feel for the slope found hiding on the fairways. What’s quite unique here is that given the angles on most holes, there are two cups at the end of each fairway!
The one thing about being located on the hills overlooking Calgary is each and every hole here is either uphill or downhill. With hazards strategically placed to cut off the straight-to-the-holes route one must calculate the best angle to take a run at things – and hope your aim, and geometric calculations are spot on!
There is a practice green prior to No. 1 which is a good idea to use as it informs you of the up and down and sideways slopes, you’re about to encounter.
There weren’t many downsides to this track but one thing that did come up was Mother Nature’s litter on the carpeted fairways. Odds and ends from the overhanging trees – which are nice – tend to clog things up a bit. A second issue here is the walk to the course is uphill and across what can be a busy road, so care must be taken especially if you are with kids who likely can’t wait to get playing.
But, the one thing that stuck in my mind was if mini-golf is to become an Olympic Games sport, I certainly won’t be in the running for a spot on Team Canada given my score at the end of the day!
Prices are set at Preschool (Ages 3–5): $8.75, Youth (Ages 6–17): $13.00; Adult (Ages 18–64): $15.00; Senior (Ages 65+): $13.00.
Rocky Mountain Mini Golf
Rating: Fun Factor: 9/10; Variety of holes: 9/10; Risk/Reward: 9.5/10; Memorable: 9/10; Cost/ROI: 9/10
SCORE: 45.5 out of 50
Located outside Airdrie at the Apple Creek Golf Course, this brand-new alpine inspired design is worth the driving time because, this is a well-designed 18-hole journey.
Off the hop you get a warm-up putting area. This lets you get a feel for how the ball rolls on the carpet and gives you a chance to get used to those 2-faced putters found at every course I played.
Then, surprise, surprise! There are actual bunkers on the course! They are sand filled but they serve a more aesthetic value than a playing issue as you’re asked not to chip your ball out of them which of course would be hard to do with a putter!
This is one of those layouts that offers shortcuts to some of the holes – but you must look carefully before teeing off to see them. For instance, early in your round there is a dogleg left over a water hazard which requires a bump shot off the fairway border. But, there is also a pipe leading across the pond that takes your ball directly toward the cup. While this should make this test easier, that’s negated by the fact you have to hit that teeny-sized opening. Nonetheless, it is a challenge to be taken on!
The one major downside to this venue, and about the only one I could pick out, was the teeing areas. There is a rubber mat with three small holes in which to place your ball but for some reason that mat doesn’t sit flush with the fairway carpet. As such, your ball bounces when struck, taking speed, and direction (at least that’s my excuse!) off the shot. To offset this predicament, it’s wise to start from the carpet beside the mat to begin with
Overall, this layout is well done. It includes ponds, hazards in the middle of the fairways you must putt around, shortcuts to holes with secondary escape routes, and wildlife – although they are only replicas of geese and the welcoming coyote!
This is a wonderful spot a short 15-minute drive outside of Airdrie but with the time it takes to get there, there is one flat admission fee here of $15 per player.
My Overall Assessment
To tell you the truth, the fun factor of this assignment caught me totally by surprise. I knew that this brand of golf is becoming more popular, but never did I think I would become a convert!
This is a game of a lifetime, a fun challenge, and one that takes only an hour, or slightly more, to navigate your way around. For the most part the fees are reasonable and the entertainment value and the memories are priceless.
The only thing I really hoped for, but never found on any of these courses, was a windmill hole. To me, that’s the epitome of a miniature golf hole and one that in my opinion should be included on every layout. But then again that’s me, and since I already have enough trouble getting the ball to go where I want with a putter, that’s maybe a challenge I can gladly do without!
Overall, this golf game is a blast! l, I am now a mini-golf guy and look forward to playing more courses in my travels because really, this is a family-friendly part of golf that’s maybe been overlooked by too many for far too long.