Golf N Stuff Mini Golf – Ventura, CA

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Played on April 6, 2019

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

After playing the legendary Orange County Golf N Stuff location in Norwalk, I added the Ventura location north of Los Angeles to my shortlist of courses to play. The opportunity to take in the Ventura location arose during April of 2019 while the two of us were out filming in nearby Santa Clarita for Holey Moley Season 1. In conversation with one of my fellow competitors (and lovely human being) Joni Parrent, I mentioned my desire to get to Golf N Stuff. She mentioned that she lives close to the Ventura location and added it was a beautiful drive from Santa Clarita. Sold!

After my first night of competing (and winning!!) on that larger than life stage in front of the bright lights and wild audience, I was on cloud nine. Winning a match on Holey Moley was like nothing else. I got back from the set as the sun rose and after a brief 3-hour nap, I woke and rented a car for the two of us to head to this castle filled putting paradise. Who needs sleep when more epic mini golf is out there?

Rating

Hole-in-One – The two southern California Golf N Stuff locations are magical mini golf spaces. These two 18 hole mini golf courses inside the Ventura fun park are the quintessential west coast style influenced by mid-century US theme parks. The pair of courses closely resemble and in many cases mimic the look and feel of the Norwalk location. No surprise given this location was the 3rd facility built by Golf N Stuff organization. Golf N Stuff landed on a great style and replicated it well. This course opened in 1974 and has been well-maintained and only slightly modified over the past 40+ years. We’ve included side by side archive photos of Golf N Stuff by John Margolies, the legendary 1970s photographer, with our documentation of the course nearly 50 years after it opened. Love this place and can’t wait to play it again in the future.

Entrance sign is easily seen from the nearby highway
Flowers and a map to the facility in the style of larger theme parks
We may not have slept much before playing but thrill to be in the sun and putting amongst palm trees
Overview of some of the 36 holes
Perfection!
Home!
One of the longer and more challenging holes. Hard to get it to stay in the building and cup is about 30′ from the putt off area.
Iconic Golf N Stuff castle. Same design as the Norwalk one.
Felt at home putting next to a massive windmill less than 24 hours after playing Dutch Courage
Shoot through the fort
Got it!
Big clock tower energy
Palm trees, clover-shaped hole, and blue skies. A paradise for The Pink Putter
Mid-course cave dwelling is also a nice respite from the California sun
Bright yellow Taj Mahal
How’s your game going? After little sleep in preparation to play Holey Moley, it’s good enough.
This boisterous character is identical to one at the Norwalk location and delightful

John Margolies Archival Photos vs. 2019 Photos We Took

Golf N Stuff Ventura Website

Pros

Classic west coast style kitsch
Larger than life environments & shoot thrus
Mix of long challenging holes & potential hole-in-one
Beautiful landscaping highlighted by palm trees and flowers
Overall magical atmosphere

Cons

Low bounce house balls don’t play well on some of the longer holes

Nerdy Notes

  • Two 18 hole courses. Par 52 each.
  • $12/round. Package deals available. Printable coupons on the website.
  • If you scroll down their website, on the left-hand side you’ll find links to printable coloring pages of features from the course.
  • Rubber covered putters.
  • Low bounce balls that make that cracking sound when you bounce on the pavement
  • Sales close approximately 1 hour before closing
  • See website for hours as they vary depending on the time of year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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