The Great Mini Golf Adventure

I'm not sure what possessed me to set out upon a mini golf expedition.  The idea sprang forth on a rather dismal day, which is rare in southwest Florida.  My daughter Miranda was visiting, and while she slept in, I plotted and planned what I thought would be a memorable daddy/daughter outing.  I decided we'd play five different mini golf courses in one day.  I did a search on the iPad for available courses and hours and then mapped out a circuit we could follow that would let us play them in order.  The plan was in place, time to get the teenager out of bed!

Congo River Golf

We started the morning in Bonita Springs at Congo River  Golf.  This is one of the newest courses in the Lee County area and is located on US 41. 

The first thing that caught our eye was the layout.  It's big and mountainous with a huge waterfall and lots of tropical plants.  You start at the bottom of the Congo River and you work your way up to the headwaters.  The holes are difficult!  On a 1-10 scale, it earns a solid 9.  We didn't score a single hole-in-one and I've got a feeling we aren't the only ones.  As a matter of fact, a great many of the holes are blind shots that end up on on different levels from the tees.

The holes are all in great shape and despite the rainy day, there was very little standing water to slow the balls down.  Rates were $12 per person for adults and $11 for children under 10.  They also offered second round discounts and there was a scavenger hunt for additional discounts on the back of the scorecard.

Golf Safari

Our second stop was Golf Safari also in Bonita Springs.  Located on Bonita Beach Road this was the oldest of the five courses we played.

It shows it's age but we loved the fact that it gave up quite a few holes-in-one if you made good shots.  You could at least see WHERE the pin was located!  This is also a great course for small children because the openings on the pins are larger than a standard golf hole.  On the difficulty scale, we gave it a 4.

It plays mostly on a single level with some climbing near the end.  Nothing too difficult, but fun.  The putting surfaces are a bit worn and held some water but that added to the challenge.

The rates are $10.50 for adults and $9.50 for children 12 and under.  They also offer mystery hole-in-one specials and you can play free additional rounds.  Just show your initial receipt at the check-in counter.

Jungle Golf

Our third stop was Jungle Golf located on San Carlos Blvd. near Fort Myers Beach.  This is a good old fashion putt-putt course with challenging holes but doable hole-in-ones, if you're good. 

The most unusual feature is the small to large boulders located in the middle of most of the holes.  If you are a pool player you can use them to bank your shots.  This one rates a 6 on the difficulty meter.

I liked the scenery.  It was open and the climbs to the top weren't that challenging.  It did offer quite a few blind shots but nothing too out of the ordinary.

The rates are $10.50 for adults and $8.50 for children 12 and under.  They also offered special all-day rates and little golfers under 4 are free.

Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf

Course number 4, Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf, is located right next door to Jungle Golf.  If it weren't for the difficult terrain, you could walk to it. 

The pirate motif is a winner and we both loved the waterfalls and mysterious caves.  There's lots of climbing so be prepared.  There are also plenty of blind holes that require walking ahead just to see what you are shooting for.  They even have bells to ring once you've played the hole to let the folks behind you know it's OK to putt!  Smugglers Cove earns a 7 on the difficulty scale.

The rates are $12 for adults and $11 for children 12 and under.  You can play additional rounds for $1.99.  Want to feed alligators?  You can at this venue.  They have a gator pit chock full of them!  And get this... you don't just toss the food to them, you put it on a small bamboo fishing pole and lure them to you from an elevated dock.  Pretty wild!

Castle Golf

The last mini golf course on our list was Castle Golf located on Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers.  This one is tougher than it looks.  We gave it a difficulty rating of 8.

The putting surface was good but held a lot of water due to the recent rains.  It was also quite colorful.  The putting "greens" ran the gamut from bright pinks and orange to pastel blues and purple.

There is a lot of moving water on this course and it was the only location that charges for lost balls.  There are ball vending machines strategically located and it will cost you 50 cents a pop if you get sloppy.

Bring bug spray if you are playing during the rainy season.  Castle Golf not only backs up to a mangrove swamp area, several of the holes are on boardwalks just above the water.  We got attacked and played "speed" golf for a couple of holes!

The rates are $11 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.  They also over specials and you can play additional rounds for $1.95.

All in all the adventure was fun.  We enjoyed a great many laughs and some amazing golf shots.  The final overall score after 90 holes of mini golf was Dad, 3 rounds to Miranda, 2 rounds.  Would we do it again?  You bet!