Safari Mini Golf Vero Beach Review

Review of:  Safari Mini Golf & Games, Vero Beach, FL

Date of visit: Reported from Feb 28, 2010 visit, but we’ve been there multiple times.

Address: 455 Oslo Road, Vero Beach, FL 32962

Description of Location:  Close to Route 1 in south Vero Beach.  2 different 18-hole courses, the Animal course and the Africa course.

Website:  http://nocache.homestead.com/maxovideoatl/Safariminigolf.html

General Overview: This is a 36-hole mini golf complex with batting cages, a video arcade room, Ice Cream Stand and very nice proprietors.


Pros: Challenging holes mostly, with a few that can be mastered after repeated rounds; obvious upgrades and renovations on-going as each visit we see new improvements.  Beautiful tropical foliage in most of the landscaping, nice water features throughout the courses.  A coupon gives you a discount on your second 18 holes on future visits.

Cons: See below.

Nitpicks: Still a few shabby patches – ladies room doors need locks replaced.

Safari Mini Golf and Games Vero Beach Florida from Joy Langtry on Vimeo.

Hole 3 – Elephant

Par 2

2 levels, upper has 3 holes that tunnel down to lower section.  Center is optimal, it seems…

Hole 4 – Python

Par 2

Palm tree on the left side, mulch bed on the right, rock formation in dead center that you can try to ricochet around or go right through.

Hole 5

Par 2

Nice plateau on the left, right dog-leg curve out of sight

Hole 6 – Crocodile

Par 2

Tee at upper level, drops 2 feet to a multi-sloped section.  Photo from opposite aspect.

Hole 7

Par 2

Cross a foot bridge over the jungle river with a crocodile in the water below…and putt on a simple green with brand new carpet, and a few rocks and a gully to the right to avoid.

Hole 8 – Camel

Par 2

Seems like a straight shot from the tee to the cup, but there is a mound to cross and 3 deep water traps surround the path, with a boulder in the middle.

Hole 10 – Jackal

Par 2

A long shot to the hole with recessed traps to the right with rocks and sand.

Hole 11

Par 2

Waterfall runs over the direct route to the cup from the tee, or choose a banked curve around the outside of the pool.

Hole 12 – Rhino

Par 2

With banking on either side of the path, it looks like a straight shop, but it isn’t!

Hole 13 – Antelope

Par 2

3 humps lead up to a high banked back behind the hole.  Take it easy enough and a hole in 1 is possible!

Hole 14 – Giraffe

Par 2

High bank on the left, rocks flank the edges of the downhill path to the cup.  A gentle tap routed the ball in the general downhill direction, but it wanted to bounce off the rocks on the way.

Hole 15 – Gorilla

Par 2

In the cave, between 2 rocks to get into the cup (too dark for a photo)

Hole 16 – Zebra

Par 2

The green loops around and under itself on the way to a lower area with a cow.

Hole 17 – Cheetah

Par 2

Way cool!  Simple ramp, deceptively challenging.  Slight tap with no velocity in the right line can yield a hole in one!

Hole 18 – Hippopatamus

Par 2

Over another footbridge to the end of this course; hippos are in the water and the cup keeps your ball.

~ ~ ~

Africa Course

 

Hole 1 – Tanzania

Par 2

2 mounds on either side of the path of the ball to the cup, good long distance to cup with a left-ward roll.

Hole 2 – Egypt

Par 2

Long baseball bat shaped hole with 2 big humps and a skateboard-ramp-style backboard at the end.  This is a possible hole-in-one!

Hole 3 – Guinea

Par 2

Cross over a footbridge to this sloped straight path and a big side ramp.

Hole 4 – Madagascar

Par 2

Cross another bridge to this green with a water trap on the left, a mound on the right, another mound to the left of the hole and another depression to the right.  The end has a kickback, and this is another fun hole.

Hole 5

Par 2

Long path with a huge depression around the hole, preceeded by 2 right upward banks on the way.

Hole 6 – Mozambique

Par 2

Big Ramps on the right, S-shaped bricks on the left

Hole 7 – Gabon

Par 2

Has a large depression leading to an uphill. (no photo)

Hole 8 – Namibia

Par 2

Bi-level with water traps on either side of the lower section.  Top straight section drops about 18 inches to lower section.  The photo above is taken from the cup end for a reverse perspective.

Hole 9 – Botswana

Par 2

Sort of heart shaped with hole on upper level behind a rock.

Hole 10 – Sudan

Par 2

Odd-shaped sides interfere with an otherwise simple approach.  Seems sloped to the left.

Hole 11

Par 2

Sloping steeply downhill from the tee to the cup, this bottle-shaped green has two big areas of rocks on either side of a 10- to 12-inch green swath.

Hole 12 – Libya

Par 2

A narrow waist in the middle of the path to the recessed cup.

Hole 13 – Algeria

Par 2

8 or 9 feet to a sharp rise, then left to the cup, with a big banked section on the right rear.  Fun!

Hole 14 – Ethiopia

Par 2

Split path: to the right goes uphill, to the left, a sweeping curve to the left.  The hole is below, and if you get the right line up the right ramp, you can hit a hole in a depression and have your ball sent down through a tunnel.

Hole 15 – Morocco

Par 2

Mountain cave with a huge pile of rocks sticking out from the right wall, 4/5 off the way across.  This is often wet from drainage on rainy days.

Hole 16 – Rhodesia

Par 2

Another bi-level, with a rough departure – a stream is running across and below the edge of the top, studded with rocks.  At the lower level, if you miss the water hazard, watch out for the big ramped wall on the right!

Hole 17 – Kampala

Par 2

Long green leads to a steep uphill about 14″ up, with the cup above.

Hole 18 – Chad

Par 2

Last hole is approached across another footbridge, and there is an upper narrow length of green that has a hole on the top, for a difficult hole-in-1.  If you miss that, all other routes lead to a lower hole-in-1, as the green slopes down toward multiple holes, which of course take your ball back for another future guest.