Played January 13, 2023
Reviewed by Mr. Tee
The Tiger Woods connection to the Popstroke courses initially brought them to our attention a few years back. We were traveling down to visit the Pink Putter’s family in southern Florida and considered taking a day trip to one of the courses back in 2019 but it didn’t work out. In the intervening years, Popstroke has expanded rapidly with locations popping up across Florida, Arizona, and Texas with plans in the works for further expansion in the next few years. The high-stakes tournaments starting in the fall of 2022 brought the Popstroke courses into a new light and a focus of coverage on the mini golf podcast I co-host. Popstroke became an international destination for competitive putting as part of the Popstroke Tour Championship and saw the top players from Sweden near the top of the leader board in every event they attended. In fact, the week after we visited this location, it was home to the first Popstroke tour series of event of 2023. The top spot in stroke play and all of the high roller money winners were taken by the top mini golf players from Sweden including Gunnar Bengtsson, Hans Olofsson, Mattias Hägglöf, and Kevin Sundstrom. When we visited this Orlando Popstroke, it was then the newest location to open in the chain of courses. Later in the trip, we would play the first of the chain in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Ratings
It was obvious right away why the Popstroke locations are popular. The layout of the clubhouse/bar has a clean and modern sports bar feel to it all. The Top Golf for putting or the Chipotle for mini golf. I don’t make those comparisons as negatives either. The single price to play unlimited games of mini golf with a patio overlooking both courses makes for an attractive hangout in the sun. All of these Tiger Woods designed courses have the feel of a miniature “big” golf course with a focus on contours and undulations with a variety of grades of turf. If you’re looking to work on your putting game, there are few places in the US that are better than Popstroke. To top it off, we were both pleasantly surprised by the food options. The nachos, flatbread pizza, and burrata were all vegetarian options with good quality and quantity. As I’ve gone deeper down the rabbit hole in competitive mini golf, I have gained a deeper appreciation for courses that play well, consistently, and provide a test of one skill. The top-putting pros that have played Popstroke have immediately fallen in love with the courses and their high purse tournaments for good reason. The US competitive mini golf world has been looking for better options for a while. With all of these positives, my one complaint is that only a few of the holes feel special or distinct. The final two holes on the red course used for major tournaments provide a dramatic and challenging finish but many of the holes in between can feel somewhat repetitive. If you’re a golf or skill-putting fan, Popstroke is the best option you’re going to find in the states. I hope to play in one of their tournaments someday when either my game improves or the price to enter their major tournaments goes down.
Black course
Red Course
Frank Bisesi’s Guide To Playing The Red Course
321 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828
Pros
Perfect greens for working on your putting game
Variety of hole designs
Challenging
Great amenities including food, beverages, ice cream, TVs to watch sports, and a patio
Cons
Holes can feel indistinguishable from each other at times
Nerdy Notes
- 2 18-hole courses. Both are Par 45
- All Day Play $25 | Seniors (60+): $20 | Children (3-5 & under): $15 | Military: $20 | UCF/Valencia College: $20
- Amenities include Full Service Restaurant plus bar and ice cream, Outdoor Gaming, Playground, LED TVs & Jumbotron
- Players can order drinks to be brought out to the course
- Home of a 2023 Popstroke Tour Series Event
- Officially opened in June 2022
