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In New York City, mini golf doesn’t have the gloriously kitschy aesthetic of the windmill-speckled courses that line the Jersey Shore. And several of what used to be Gotham’s better tracks (Goofy Garden Golf in Tribeca, Go-Kart City in Coney Island) recently laid their putters to rest. Putt-putt enthusiasts big and small must now do some serious exploring to find B&T-style small-scale links, but the joys of Easter-egg-colored golf balls and cunningly placed obstacles is worth the trip.
Randall’s Island Golf Center
Oftentimes, it takes more than 18 holes to decide a golf match—just look at Tiger Woods’s sudden-death victory over Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open this year (which ended up going an amazing 19 extra holes). The same principle holds true for mini golf; it is very possible to finish the full round in a deadlock. Fortunately, Randall’s Island Golf Center has not one but two 18-hole tracks, allowing kids and adults twice as much space to duke it out. Both courses are well maintained with basic layouts, which helps cater to the less-advanced mini-Mickelson. Watch out, though, for the second hole on the first course: Infuriatingly, its hole-that-funnels-the-ball-down-to-the-real-hole gambit always seems to benefit the less skilled.
Mon 9:30am–11pm; Tue–Sun 7am–11pm. 1 Randalls Island (212-427-5689, randallsislandgolfcenter.com). Travel: 4, 5, 6 to 125th St, then take the M35 bus to Randalls Island. Adults $6, children $4.
Flushing Meadows Pitch and Putt
Situated just outside the soon-to-be-obsolete Shea Stadium, the understated Flushing Meadows Pitch and Putt mini-golf course is easy to overlook. If you’ve got younger kids (or happen to be putt-putt challenged yourself), you’ll appreciate the nets that line each hole like bowling bumpers—helpful for retrieving errant shots that inevitably go in the drink. The links have a reputation for being kid-friendly, so older players are typically understanding when youngsters cause a backlog at the hole. Also good to know: The concession stand stocks plenty of cheap beer for golf-weary adults.
Open daily 8am–midnight. 100 Flushing Meadows–Corona Park at Meridian Rd, Queens (718-271-8182, golfnyc.com). Subway: 7 to Willets Point–Shea Stadium. Adults $7, children $5.50.
