Played on February 23, 2019
Reviewed by the Pink Putter
During the snowiest February ever recorded in the history of Minnesota, I had to privilege to escape to sunny Florida for a long weekend to visit family. While Mr. Tee and I have played most of the mini golf options in Southern Florida, I knew I’d need to make a visit to the newly built Golden Cub Mini Golf in Abacoa. This course opened in July 2018 and is owned by the same folks who own Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf in nearby Jupiter Beach. The course was designed by Nicklaus Design — a company founded and run by retired professional golfer Jack Nicklaus. They brought in a real golf course architect to create a shrunken version of a typical golf course, complete with bunkers, sand traps and sloped grounds.
Rating:
Birdie – Mr. Tee and I have never hidden our preference for kitsch and classic mini golf tropes when it comes to the game. Golden Cub was clearly designed as a scaled-down version of the game of golf rather than a course inspired by the realm of adventure or crazy golf. The fun cartoon bear sculptures throughout the greens add an element of play, but I would say that the overall design of this course is better suited for adults who want to practice their golf putts rather than kids haphazardly swinging putters.
From their website:
“Unlike many miniature courses, Golden Cub relies on slope and undulation to create interest and strategy. The design emphasizes touch, with control of pace being a critical element on many holes.
Additionally, many holes try to tempt players with high risk and reward design elements that bring excitement to the play of the course. The result is a miniature golf course that will equally interest and challenge seasoned golfers and casual players.”
Since I’m in full putting practice mode, this course did offer a good challenge for reading undulating greens and trying to stay out of the sand trap. However, turfed bunkers minimized the ability to play any angle shots. This course is less than a year old, so it is in pristine condition and appears to be well maintained. If you’re in the Jupiter area, I would personally recommend Lighthouse Cove over Golden Cub if you want a more traditional adventure golf style experience.
Pros
Brand new course means that it’s super clean and currently very well maintained
Great putting practice for real golfers
Shady areas and fun bear sculptures throughout the course
Signage with graphics and facts about different types of bears around the world can be seen throughout the course
Cons
Not much variety in terms of obstacles – this is a real “golf” style putting course
Nerdy Notes
- 18 holes, Par 38
- Rubber covered putters
- No flags in holes
- Front 9 holes are ADA accessible
- Golden Cub proudly donates a dollar from every full price round to the Children’s Healthcare foundation that Jack and Barbara Nicklaus founded in 2004
- Playground on premise
- Ice Cream and Beverages available for purchase – clubhouse will deliver drinks to holes
