Flamingo Golf – Ship Bottom LBI, NJ

Played August 18, 2021

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

We knew we’d play everything on LBI when we planned out a trip to visit the Jersey Shore in 2021 since we would be staying in the center of the 18-mile-in-length Long Beach Island. As I did my research in advance, Flamingo Golf stood out for its pastel colors and old-school vibes. It only made sense that we would not only play the course to document it but that it would be part of a local newspaper column by our O-Street pal Biggy. During the summer months, he takes on all challengers to a round of mini golf and features his guests in his column. We were eager and excited to check out this course in advance.

Rating

There are some reviews that feel like they take forever and those are usually due to the course being so fun and special that you want to share every last little detail. Flamingo is especially close to my heart because in all the time I’ve tracked my mini golf scores, this was the first time I scored under 30 in a round of 18 holes. I tend to step up and play better when it comes to courses with fun gameplay, colorful theming, and unique experiences for the ball to reach the cup. Numerous holes had shoot-through pathways that if you had the right timing and/or landed in the right channel, your ball would have a high chance of hitting the bottom of the cup for an ace. All of the cups were surrounded by a silver-painted cement border that served as a funnel into the cup. This increased the likelihood of an ace with the right putting speed. The variety of gameplay matched with the old-school charm made this an instant favorite. We ended up coming back to this course for a 2nd round with family to play in their weekly Thursday morning tournament. Long Beach Island is chocked full of so many fun mini golf courses but Flamingo Golf is my absolute favorite of all of them. It’s a must-play if you’re headed to the Shore!

Blue skies and colorful mini golf make for a wonderful summer day

Good selection of putters along with pandemic safety from the clubhouse

Played with fellow Holey Moley alum Biggy for his weekly “Can You Beat Biggy?” feature

Those drop pockets around the hole make the course look easier than it actually is when you step up to take your putt. Pace matters!

Keep the ball straight and you’ll be great on #2

Lining up my shot to hit the correct channel

Everything had a nice coat of paint when we visited really making it all pop

Sister of the Pink Putter feeling at peace putting

Pink Putter’s pop trying to hit the 2nd channel for an ace opportunity

Little bit of shade in the middle of the course

The ball lost momentum in the shoot-through and robbed The Pink Putter of a hole-in-one

Narrow line to the cup through the pastel bowling pins

All eyes on Biggy and how he is approaching this hole

Timing is everything on #11. Ball exits a into a channel with a plinko device with a high ace chance

The owner is checking out how the holes are playing for us

Biggy trying to hit the middle channel for the ace on #16

The Pink Putter winning the obvious prize of best dressed in our group (see below for close up of the certificates they gave our group)

Biggy is tallying up the score and despite the 4 on this pinko hole, I shot a 29!

Got a whole lotta aces and Beat Biggy on my first attempt

No website or actively run Facebook page

Long Beach Blvd & W 5th St, 418 Drexel Ave, Ship Bottom, NJ 08008

Pros

Loads of fun pastel colors on signs, walls, and obstacles
Dish/Drop pocket around cups to make for many hole-in-one opportunities
Shoot-throughs work well
Solid variety of play
Smart and efficient use of space
Personality and charm
Old school wooden walls

Cons

A few of the shoot-throughs could be a little frustrating / fussy

Nerdy Notes

18 holes. Par 46. 5 stroke limit
Cash only. $6/round. $5 for the weekly tournament.
Playing groups are no larger than 4
Seasonal business that closes for the summer in September and opens in the spring based on the weather
The course was founded and opened in 1960. For the 60th anniversary in 2020, they had special t-shirts, sweatshirts and watches made to mark the occasion.
The founder, Bill Burr, passed in 2000. The course has been under the stewardship of Kirk V since 2000.
During the summer months, the course hosts weekly Thursday morning tournaments