Themed Mini Golf in Orlando: My Favorite Courses
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While vacationing in Orlando, one of my favorite things to do outside of Disney and Universal is playing mini golf. Like most touristy vacation destinations, this city offers no shortage of family friendly mini golf courses. I like taking some time off from the parks to enjoy other fun-in-the-sun activities where I don’t have to walk around for hours on end. I like to combine some time in the pool with local attractions around town on my off days. Golfing is a nice break from the long ride queues and dizzying motion simulator rides and coasters. It’s an affordable and fun way to spend an hour or 2 and still not give up that vacation ambiance.
Fortunately, many of the courses are pretty shady so you can enjoy a round or 2 most of the year (I recommend getting here early during the summer months). Golfing is one of my top picks as anyone of any age can take part in the fun.
Check out out a few of my favorite options located within a quick drive of any of the theme parks. The ones I highlight in this article are all conveniently located on International Drive, which is basically a super busy touristy commercial area. You will find many quirky attractions, malls, gift shops, themed restaurants, and arcades in this part of the city. You can mix and match a bunch of activities in this area to justify the drive or Uber ride over.
Pirate’s Cove
- Where: 8501 International Drive
- Cost: $20 for adults, $16 for children (ages 4-12).
- Tip: For an extra 10 bucks, you can golf 36 holes
- Hours: 9am-11:30pm
- Why it’s great: The course is super shady and tropical with lots of palms and unique decorations
Pirate’s Cove is one of the first courses I played at and the one I still come back to the most often. First off, the course is beautiful with lush landscaping everywhere you look. After a few days out in the hot sun waiting in ride lines, it’s nice to still enjoy some fun outside without dying in the harsh Florida sunlight.
What I love most about this course is all the fun props which includes a giant pirate ship. I love the gorgeous landscaping, tropical vegetation, and waterfalls. I really feel like I am still on vacation despite not being at Disney.
This company operates courses throughout the country, including their first which opened in Traverse City, Michigan in 1983. Not surprisingly, they have won many “best of” awards in various cities over the years. If you are looking for an enjoyable day off from the theme park action, definitely make room for a 18 or 36 hole adventure. It’s a great date destination and a wonderful family attraction. Best of all, the course is pretty challenging so you can always come back again and again and try to top your last score.
Gator Golf
- Where: 6586 International Drive
- Cost: $13 for adults, $10 for children
- Tip: Search Groupon for special promtions
- Hours: 10am-11pm
- Why it’s great: Gators on the course
You will find a lot of wacky attractions all over the city – I love exploring the quirky side of the city when I am not riding coasters and sipping butterbeer. One of these odd attractions is a golf course featuring live gators (only in Florida!).
While the course itself isn’t as nice and landscaped as Pirate’s, I give them points for being the most unique. There is enough shade on the course where we were fine on a hot summer morning. You can also pay extra to feed the gators or tortoises and even take your picture with one.
Another great thing about this 18 hole course is that it is a bit cheaper than most of the others; I’ve also found great Groupon deals on multiple occasions.
As golfing doesn’t typically take up much time, it can be overpriced especially for a larger family so check for deals on Groupon. I would say this is one of the better courses if you are looking to keep your costs down. This attraction is also located on International Drive, one of the go-to destinations for family fun.
Putting Edge
- Where: 5250 International Dr,
- Cost: $17. Reservations recommended due to crowds.
- Hours: Noon – 10pm (midnight on Friday and Saturday)
- Why it’s great: It’s completely indoors, so a great way to beat the heat!
Sometimes, it is just too hot, humid, and sunny to do anything outside during the summer season. I have suffered through a lot of really hot park days, waiting for the next air conditioned queue. As this can be a miserable experience, I now plan for at least 1-2 off days if my visit falls during the summer months. This is when you want to enjoy some of the indoor attractions.
Fortunately, there are a lot of entertaining indoor fun spots around town. There is a really cool course (in terms of both AC and design) called Putting Edge. What makes this one so different is that it is an 18 hole black lit course featuring lots of colorful sea creatures. It’s indoors in the dark and you even get glow-in-the-dark balls. I love the stylish and creative design. A bit overpriced in my opinion, but a few way to kill a few hours away from the sun.
If you’ve never played glow-in-the-dark golf before, you are in for a fun adventure. There is also an arcade on site so you can hide inside from the heat even longer. It’s conveniently located on I-Drive, open late (Midnight on weekends), and located right next to a Cinemark movie theater. Basically, you have a half day of cool AC fun right at your fingertips.
