Hollywood Drive-In Golf (Invaders from Planet Putt) – Orlando, FL

Played on December 25, 2016

Reviewed by the Pink Putter

For the 2016 holidays, Mr. Tee and I decided to take a break from the frigid Minnesotan air and fly down to the tropical climates of Florida to visit my family and play mini golf. Our first stop was the long awaited Orlando area, which we knew was chock full of top notch courses. We started the trip on Christmas day and as soon as we landed we wasted no time. We got off the plane, checked into Disney’s super fun and kitschy Pop Century Resort and then hopped in our rental and drove over to Universal’s City Walk. After a decadent dinner and dessert at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium, we embarked on two rounds of mini golf at Hollywood Drive-In Golf. The first course we played was Invaders from Planet Putt.

Rating:

Hole-in-One– World class theming, fun and challenging game play, sound effects, over the top lighting, immersive obstacles and trivia games with prizes. These were some of the superbly designed elements that make this course *out-of-this-world (*pun intended). With an overarching theme of an old Hollywood movie and a sub-theme of an old SciFi, Universal really knew how to put on the show. Players enter the course through a giant “Now Playing” gateway and the first hole prominently features a giant movie poster. Lit signs reminiscent of vintage televisions served as hole markers that tell different part of the movie story behind each hole. Aliens, UFOs and blinking lights adorn the course at every nook and cranny. There are holes that open and close, jumps, angle shots, hills, bumps, an Archimedes screw, a spinning floor and an upside-down television. We had a blast playing mini golf as well as trivia on the back of our scorecard, which won us some discounted t-shirts.

When we arrived to City Walk, we had to deal with swarms of people in the parking garage and on the walk over the skyway, but as soon as we made it onto the mini golf course, it felt as if we had the entire place to ourselves. We maybe encountered 2-3 other groups that we let pass by us. So, I would say the only down side to Hollywood Drive-In is the hassle of parking as well as waiting in line to get screened through security. But these are minor efforts in the grand scheme of the incredible experience you will have.

Giant alien robot with amazing red neon Archimedes screw in the foreground

Super cool old-school television hole with optical illusion screen

https://giphy.com/gifs/26BGEqUW0EU08bE0U

Final hole, inside the belly with revolving floor around cup

Hollywood Drive-In Golf website

Pros:
Incredible theming through the use of lights, audio, detailed visual narratives and props
Well designed game play and immersive experiences
Lights are extra cool for night time play
Trivia game and added fun element

Cons:
Parking , security and large crowds make getting to CityWalk a hassle

Nerdy Notes:

18 holes, par 42
no flags in holes
rubber covered putters
trivia questions about random holes on scorecard with chance to win merchandise discounts and free games
Single Feature (18 holes) $15.99, Double Feature (36 holes) add $12.99
Florida resident, AAA and online ticket discounts available
Free Scorecard App available for download, also includes trivia questions
Located at Universal CityWalk in Orlando