Shipwreck Mini Golf & Bar – Panama City Beach, FL

Played on June 11, 2021

Reviewed by the Mr. Tee

After a dose of the top mini golf destination in Panama City Beach in Goofy Golf, we headed out into town with a few hours to spare to see what other options were available for putting. We had noted a few options that looked particularly interesting and Shipwreck was on our list due to the photos of oversized sea creatures that looked like roadside attractions from the last century. We could see signage from Goofy Golf and only had to drive around the corner to land at yet another classic miniature golf complex with multiple courses from the previous century.

Rating

This course reminded me of a few of the remaining older courses in the similar tourist-focused oceanside city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The 70s style oversized sea fairing characters and tropical scenery are in the same vein as Rainbow Falls and Cap N Cain but the comparisons end quickly when we get to discussing the state of Shipwreck Mini Golf.

I know all too well how expensive it is to maintain and repair mini golf courses. I empathize with owners who struggle to keep up with the wear and tear that comes from a mix of the weather and patrons. I’ll give some grace for a few blemishes here and there but when the turf is littered with debris, threadbare, and torn up, it not only looks bad but impacts how the game is played. All of the larger-than-life characters had a lot of wear and in many cases, significant damage.

My hope with this mostly negative review is to encourage the owners of this course to take notice of the feedback from this and other critical reviews online. You need only look around the corner at Goofy Golf to see how a little maintenance and paint can help preserve a classic gem. It’s clear at one point in time this place was a special place to play mini golf and hope they decide to put in the time and effort to make these courses great.

Love the big shark with water steaming out of the mouth

Immediately clear that the turf is thin and not well maintained

Parts of a large old sea creature and a view of a massive hotel right on the beach

Blue skies and mini golf are what the two of us are always hoping for

Got in some trouble with this croc. Or is it an alligator?

One of the many holes with numerous rips and tears in the turf

Yikes! This guy needs a trip to the dentist.

Hard to resist a photo opp with this big-eyed character

But when you take a closer look at the hole next to the skull, you can see the turf is beat up

Cute little cat near the back of the course that shows the scale of the 2nd course octopus

Finishing up on the lower level of Hole #18

Went back in to grab a few shots of the equally diminished Course #2

The highlight of the 2nd course is a massive octopus that you play through and around

Maybe the demolition pros in the background were going to help fix things up?

Confusing on whether the water park was connected to the mini golf course. I don’t believe there was any connection other than very similar names.

Definitely shows they have fixed up some of the characters during the history of the course

Shipwreck’s Facebook Page

850 Alf Coleman Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407

Pros

Classic oversized sea creatures and characters
Hints of what was likely a fantastic course at one point

Cons

Numerous holes had turf and bricking in a dire state of repair
Most of the large characters had seen better days
Stairs and large octopus definitely need a new layer of paint
Landscaping needs a lot of work and TLC

Nerdy Notes