Miniature golf is popular all over the world. It’s a big reason why Sea Isle City’s very own Pirate Island, an 18-hole crazy golf course on Landis Ave is both sought-after by tourists and a regular haunt for residents. Famously opened in 1994 by Pat Croce, the former NFL president, and reality TV star, alongside his business partner Mark Benevento, this swashbuckling course has been ranked by EntertainmentDesigner.com as one of the 10 craziest miniature golf venues in the world.
Players must navigate an imaginative course made up of pirates, suspension bridges, waterfalls, and a richly detailed, replica pirate ship across 18 holes. It’s a unique adventure that’s fittingly located on the Jersey shore. Ranked as the number one thing to do in Sea Isle City on TripAdvisor in the “Fun and Games” category, and boasting over 150 favorable reviews on Google, Pirate Island approaches its 30th anniversary remaining as popular as ever.
Transcending the Fairways – How Golf Has Re-imagined Itself in Pop Culture
Golf has successfully re-imagined itself in other forms of leisure and pop culture. Footgolf combines football and golf into a game that ditches the clubs for kicking power, for example. And the Swiss invented Hornussen, which can best be described as golf meets baseball. However, “crazy” or “mini” golf is one of the most well-known ways the game has been reconstructed to enable anyone, of any ability, to play and enjoy it.
So big is mini golf that it even has its own World Championships. Its evolution over the last decade has been driven by technology with indoor venues incorporating audio, visual, and other digital elements to gamify the experience in new ways and with innovative technical automation.
The success of mini golf mimics the sport’s appearance in other forms of leisure. Footgolf continues to rise in popularity with millennials especially keen to take it up. According to Roberto Balestrini, founder of the American FootGolf League, 80% of players in America are between the ages of 18 and 35.
There have been fun alternative interpretations in iGaming too such as the social casino slots game Gopher the Win. For example, take a look at this for free bonus spins at High 5 Games where you can play this 3x5-reel slots game in which destructive gophers are running amok on the course.
In addition, board games like APBA Golf, Pocket Pro Golf, and Slade Games’ Off Course offer old-school variations while virtual reality platforms like Golf+ by Meta provide an immersive, contemporary experience.
Pirate Island Continues to Entertain
Pirate Island will be 30 years old in 2024 and it remains just as popular as ever. As Pat Croce said when he first created the course, he wanted to create a place where people could make fun memories. It was always important to him that the creativity afforded by the miniature version came together successfully with the traditional golf experience. Ultimately, Croce and business partner Benevento, have established a dynamic and entertaining pirate-themed course that challenges players to bring out their best putting skills.
