(Topic ID: 288638)

Anyone Still Have A Putt-Putt or Family Amusement Park In Town?

By SantaEatsCheese

3 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Topic poll

“Is there a Putt-Putt or Family Amusement Park With Mini-Golf and and Arcade in Your town?”

  • Yes 19 votes
    68%
  • No 9 votes
    32%

(28 votes)

#1 3 years ago

I grew up in Greenville South Carolina in the 90s with my parents running Tropical Island Golf and Games funpark. It had an arcade (with pinball) and 2 mini golf courses, and expanded over time to include bumper boats, batting cages, go-karts, laser tag, and mini carnival rides. It seemed like every surrounding city had a family amusement park that had mini golf and a small arcade. Here I am as an adult and there is no local equivelant to this. Outside of beach towns, there is no local mini-golf unless it is attached to a driving range, and no arcade attached to mini golf. The only arcades we have are Chuck-E-Cheese and Dave N Busters. There are no family amusement parks anymore outside of beachtowns catering to tourists. Tropical Island used to do dozens of birthday parties for young kids every weekend, and I think the other small parks like Putt Putt did the same.

Does anyone still have a Putt-Putt, or mini-golf course attached to an arcade left?

#2 3 years ago
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:

I grew up in Greenville South Carolina in the 90s with my parents running Tropical Island Golf and Games funpark. It had an arcade (with pinball) and 2 mini golf courses, and expanded over time to include bumper boats, batting cages, go-karts, laser tag, and mini carnival rides. It seemed like every surrounding city had a family amusement park that had mini golf and a small arcade. Here I am as an adult and there is no local equivelant to this. Outside of beach towns, there is no local mini-golf unless it is attached to a driving range, and no arcade attached to mini golf. The only arcades we have are Chuck-E-Cheese and Dave N Busters. There are no family amusement parks anymore outside of beachtowns catering to tourists. Tropical Island used to do dozens of birthday parties for young kids every weekend, and I think the other small parks like Putt Putt did the same.
Does anyone still have a Putt-Putt, or mini-golf course attached to an arcade left?

There’s quite a few left in the Midwest .We have 5 places still all within a 30 min drive .I have no idea how they’ve been doing since last year I’m going to check on that now as spring is upon us finally

#3 3 years ago

Got one down the street that just did a massive expansion. Mini-golf, go-karts, batting cages, indoor arcade with bowling, and a few small kiddie rides.

#4 3 years ago
Quoted from Kkoss24:

There’s quite a few left in the Midwest .We have 5 places still all within a 30 min drive .I have no idea how they’ve been doing since last year I’m going to check on that now as spring is upon us finally

Quoted from HHaase:

Got one down the street that just did a massive expansion. Mini-golf, go-karts, batting cages, indoor arcade with bowling, and a few small kiddie rides.

Hmmm,

I have seen no equivalents anywhere near me in Maryland or Virginia. Glad to see they are doing well somewhere.

#5 3 years ago

I read Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine regularly, and I gather that places like these continue to be prevalent, though they may add on laser tag more often than an arcade nowadays. A google search like
"Miniature golf" Virginia
can turn up some leads.
.................David Marston

#6 3 years ago

Yup we got a Putterz here

EDIT: I mean I assume it's still there

#7 3 years ago

Here's the site for our local place. There's a couple others that are semi-related in a few other places nearby too

https://thunderroadsiouxfalls.com/

#8 3 years ago

There is a Frankie's Fun Park in Columbia, SC

#9 3 years ago

I would love to see data on trends like this. Mini-golf seems like it has declined a lot since i was a kid. I imagine that between insurance, rising rents, and changes in generational preferences, many of these places died out? Will be interesting to see if the shift to "Experiences" instead of "Things" will continue after covid.

#10 3 years ago
Quoted from pinmaniac:

There is a Frankie's Fun Park in Columbia, SC

Pardon my french but fudge them. They opened up the park that put my parents out of business in Greenville South Carolina. All turned out allright though.

#11 3 years ago
Quoted from Hypercoaster:

I would love to see data on trends like this. Mini-golf seems like it has declined a lot since i was a kid. I imagine that between insurance, rising rents, and changes in generational preferences, many of these places died out? Will be interesting to see if the shift to "Experiences" instead of "Things" will continue after covid.

The business model has changed from outdoor to indoor. I don't see any new parks with fake animals near me. I do see indoor blacklit places with minigolf popping up in malls through.

The one exception and large place near me with minigolf operates on an unlimited concept. Instead of paying 8$ for a game of golf, you paye $50 for a bracelet and get unlimited rides and a timed stay in the arcade.

#12 3 years ago

Mels Funway Park in Litchfield NH has a mini golf. NH is a tourist state so they are around in non beach areas.

#13 3 years ago

We have this, but no pinball sadly. https://boondocks.com/

#14 3 years ago

Not in my Home Town, but 40 minutes west of me in Irondequoit, N.Y. (a suburb of Rochester),
is Seabreeze Amusement Park. The 5th oldest in the U.S. (1879) which has a historic Mini Golf
and Arcade. It has the oldest Roller Coaster in the U.S. (1920) that's still in operation.
Seabreeze was reluctant in selling any of their vintage Arcade machines that they had in storage.
In 1994, a huge fire broke out and they lost their historic Carousel and the building with their
stored Arcade machines. (I got in the hobby in the early 90s, so I remember well)..
Off subject, but 40 minutes east of me in Auburn, N.Y. is the oldest continually running Drive In
Theater (Finger Lakes Drive IN "1947") in New York State. Their Community super supports their
Drive In. The line of cars on weekends are very long..

#15 3 years ago

B.a. sweeties

#16 3 years ago

We used to have some decent ones on the beach in Biloxi. Then politicians let casinos in and destroyed everything family-oriented in a 60 mile radius.

#17 3 years ago

Last time I ever saw a Putt-Putt was in the back parking lot at the Tallahassee mall in the late 80’s. There was another, in the early 80’s, that I would frequently go to to play Ms. Pac-Man. That one was in Fern Park, Fl.

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