When it comes to priorities on vacation, mini golf is right up there behind food, shopping and entertainment — well, for some people, that is. But if you are a kid at heart, nothing says vacation like some friendly putting competition. Grab your clubs and neon-colored balls because these mini golf courses are more than windmills and snack stands.
Par-King Skill Golf, Lincolnshire, Ill.
Self-proclaimed as the World’s Most Unusual Golf Course, Par-King’s course is unique. Starting in the 1950s as George Gorgeous Golfing Garden, a second course opened in 1977. There is now 36 holes, 19 moving obstacles and seven water holes — there’s even a roller coaster hole, a rocket launch hole, fake elephants, a replica of Mount Rushmore, a roulette wheel and a giant pink castle.
Kiss by Monster Mini Golf, Las Vegas, Nev.
This indoor, glow-in-the-dark course is modeled entirely after the rock group Kiss’s platinum album, Destroyer. While a live DJ spins Kiss hits, animatronic band members rock out on a stage in the middle of the course. The best part? Hole 18 is a huge Gene Simmons head, and golfers must hit the ball up his tongue. A pencil and paper scorecard won’t do it here, be sure to download the score app onto an iPhone, complete with trivia questions.
Ripley’s Old MacDonald’s Farm Mini Golf, Sevierville, Tenn.
Flying chickens circle a water tower at the center of three courses, amounting to 54 barnyard-themed holes: the Udder Course, cows; the Chicken Egg Spread, hens; and Porkie Putt, pigs. The animals cheer and encourage golfers with, “Nice putt.” Hole 18 offers the chance for every golfer to win a free game.
Molten Mountain, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Molten Mountain has the distinction of having indoor and outdoor courses, as no game should be postponed due to rain. The exterior of the course is a volcano erupting every 30 minutes, shooting three fireballs 50 feet in the air. Visitors playing the holes inside can hear the volcano when it erupts and watch as rocks fall around them. There’s a par 3 hole, challenging players to hit the ball over a lava stream.
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