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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| South Carolina Mini Golf (page 1) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Myrtle Beach is considered the mini golf capital of the world with over 40 courses along a 25-mile strip. However, there are hardly any old courses left. Either they were demolished or redeveloped into contemporary rocks-and-water courses. |
| Cap'n Cain Golf Myrtle Beach, SC | |
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Cap'n Cain Golf is one of the oldest courses left in town. It was built in 1975 or possibly earlier. It closed in 2004 soon after these photos were taken. Cap'n Cain obviously tried to keep up with its neighbors by adding streams, boulders, landscaping, and new greens. This place is surrounded by newer and much more elaborate courses.
Surely, there must have been classic loop-de-loops and other nautical-theme obstacles on this course originally. The whale, the lighthouse, the ship which doubles as the office, and the Captain statue were the only traces left of earlier days. In 2007, it was announced that the Captain and the ship would be demolished. However, the course was fixed up in 2013 and reopened. The ship and the Captain were repainted. The whale wound up at Clear Water Mini Golf in White Lake, NC. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Rainbow Falls Golf Myrtle Beach, SC | |
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| Rainbow Falls Golf appears to be the oldest mini golf left in Myrtle Beach. It has 1960s-era James Sidwell figures similar to those at Adventure Golf in Pigeon Forge, TN. [map] |
| Hawaiian Rumble North Myrtle Beach, SC |
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Hawaiian Rumble claims to be the most famous mini golf course in the world. It was rated #1 in America by Golf Magazine and is the home of two national tournaments. It has been the Hawaiian Rumble since at least the early 1990s. The same owners run the Hawaiian Caverns in Myrtle Beach and the Hawaiian Village (see below) in North Myrtle Beach.
Golfers are given leis when they arrive at the Rumble. Hawaiian music (of the Elvis variety) and Jimmy Buffett songs play throughout the course. The volcano (made of concrete NOT foam) was a prop from the movie "Chasers". It emits flames and steam. The greens are immaculate, the landscaping is lush and there are Hawaiian names for each hole. [map] Also on site was the Training Center for the USPMGA (U.S. Professional Mini Golf Association) which hopes to raise the status of mini golf to the Olympic level. This uncarpeted, 18-hole course was not open to the public. By 2012, the course seemed abandoned. By 2017, it had been replaced with batting cages. For another example of this style course, see the Team USA Training Center in Jackson, WI. |
| Hawaiian Village North Myrtle Beach, SC |
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| The Hawaiian Village was undergoing conversion from a Wild West theme to a Hawaiian one when these photos were taken in 2005. There were still storefronts, tombstones, and a caboose. Although I'm sure they'll do better business, it is definitely a cultural loss. The Village is also going to be used for national mini golf competitions. [map] |
| Jungle Safari Myrtle Beach, SC |
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Jungle Safari has its share of rocks and water but it also has lots of fun animals: elephants, zebras and giraffes. My gut feeling is that this was once an old-style, obstacle-rich place. Jungle Safari has lots of huge greens that you can really take a whack at with your putter. There was also a Jungle Caverns in Myrtle Beach (now gone) and there is a Jungle Lagoon Mini Golf in Myrtle Beach but I don't think these places are/were related. [map] |
| Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Goff Myrtle Beach, SC |
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| Mount Atlanticus Minotaur Goff (yes, that's how they spell it) opened in 1988 at a cost of $3 million. It is situated in the heart of Myrtle Beach, just next door to the Pavilion Amusement Park. Atlanticus offers two huge courses (the Minotaur and the Conch) in a truly unique setting: it occupies the former Art Deco department store, Chapin's. The courses twist through the building's three floors, up some stairs on the side of it, and up to the roof with views of the beach and roller coasters. The holes themselves are challenging and creative. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map] |
| SC (page 2) | Mini Golf Main Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |