Think you’re a minigolf expert? Test your skills at Myrtle Beach’s 7 hardest courses

Every year, miniature golfers come from around the world to Myrtle Beach to compete in the annual ProMiniGolf Association Master’s tournament hosted at Hawaiian Rumble in North Myrtle Beach.

The Hawaiian-themed minigolf course is most known for its centerpiece, a 40-foot volcano that erupts every 20 minutes. To many, especially those who compete in the ProMiniGolf Association Master’s tournament, the Hawaiian Rumble is considered to be one of the hardest minigolf courses in the area.

But according to Bob Detwiler, owner of Hawaiian Rumble and president of the ProMiniGolf Association, it’s not the volcano but the 16th hole that attracts players looking for a challenge.

“The 16th hole is the signature hole,” Detwiler says. “All these players will tell you that it’s the best hole they’ve ever played on any miniature golf course.”

The 16th hole may look simple: A narrow patch of green slightly bends toward a wider stretch of course — and the only thing between the golfer and the hole is a pesky mound. “If you don’t hit it firm, it could come back all the way to you,” Detwiler explains. “You have to know what angle to hit it so that it will go in the hole, so it’s very difficult.”.

What goes into designing a minigolf course?

Behind every minigolf course is a designer tasked with creating obstacles that test a player’s puzzle-solving abilities as well as their coordination.

Changes in elevation, sand traps, water features, strategically placed stones and “doglegs,” a right or left bend toward the hole, are just a few of the obstacles designers mix and match throughout courses.

“You want to have a variety of those kinds of shots overall,” says Jeremy Onyshczak, senior designer of Harris Miniature Golf Courses Inc., a firm that has designed over 800 challenging minigolf courses in the past 50 years.

Onyshczak, who came to the business as a landscape architect 19 years ago, says that when it comes to creating a challenging miniature golf course, balance is key. “You don’t want to have too many boring shots, but you don’t want to have too many hard shots because then it causes a backup.”People will be waiting forever to play a shot if it’s really hard.”

Lines of players waiting to play through a minigolf course are not ideal. That’s why Onyshczak takes a holistic (or, hole-istic) approach to his designs. He says that it’s best to take players on a journey through holes of varying degrees of difficulty and each hole should have multiple ways to play.

“I’m trying to take into account that both adults and kids are playing it,” Onyshczak says. “So I got to make sure I balanced it out so that the adults aren’t saying it’s boring because it’s geared more toward the kids. And then it’s also not so challenging that the kids get frustrated.”

Themes are also important and give these course design pros room to be creative. Tiki heads are not just props, but rather obstacles on a Hawaiian-themed course. Caves, waterfalls and ships add more exciting challenges for a pirate-themed course — and help create ambiance.

Onyshczak likes to incorporate water features such as ponds, spray fountains and waterfalls. He says water adds to the aesthetics, but also running water creates calming sounds. “It just overall adds to this experience,” he says.

There are about 50 miniature golf courses to choose from in the Myrtle Beach area. Below are some of the most challenging courses that will test your minigolf skills.

Hawaiian Rumble

This Hawaiian-themed oasis attracts minigolf enthusiasts from around the world who want to play on a tournament style course. The holes seem straightforward, but the usage of rocks and steep changes in elevation can quickly make gameplay chaotic. Players who have a good grasp on minigolf physics know that some obstacles can actually be used to their advantage. Just watch how YouTuber PuttPuttdownunder uses the mound on Hole 16 to get a hole-in-one.

Website: hawaiianrumbleminigolf.com/

Address: 3210 Hwy. 17 S, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582

Tribal Island Mini Golf

Tribal Island Mini Golf has two courses: Volcano Valley and Tiki Bay. Though both take players on an adventure through caves and past waterfalls, minigolf enthusiasts say the Tiki Bay course is more challenging. The holes are long and require minigolfers to navigate the ball up inclines, past wooden Tiki heads and around tight curves to get to the hole.

Website: harbourviewgolf.com/miniature-golf/

Address: 901 Hwy 17, Little River, SC 29566

Mount Atlanticus, Minotaur Goff

Mount Atlanticus, Minotaur Goff (that’s right, Minotaur Goff, not golf) is an Atlantis-inspired world of whimsy. Adventure golf courses like this one make gameplay feel more like a story as opposed to an average game of minigolf. There are two courses to choose from, the Conch Course and the Minotaur Course, and both are very challenging. But it’s the 19th hole on each course that seems virtually impossible. Players must carefully hit the ball across a narrow patch of green surrounded by water. If you get a hole-in-one on the 19th hole, you win free minigolf for life.

Website: www.mtatlanticusminotaurgoff.com/

Address: 707 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf

Part of the fun of minigolf are the elaborate themes and how designers integrate those themes into the gameplay. The Captain Hook course takes players through caves, past waterfalls and on to a pirates ship. There are a lot of curves and objects between the tee and the hole on this course. Your best bet is to use the walls and other objects to bounce the ball closer to the hole.

Website: myrtlebeachfamilygolf.com/captain-hooks/

Address: 2205 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Spyglass Adventure Golf

Spyglass Adventure Golf is a prime example of how a themed adventure course can use elaborate props to enhance the minigolf experience. The course leverages tunnels, caves, waterfalls and rocks to guide players through a pirate-themed minigolf adventure, but Hole 5 is the most exciting and pushes the limits of minigolf mechanics. Players step up to the deck of a large pirate ship and have to hit their ball through a Plinko-style obstacle down to the hole. The unpredictable nature of this hole can make this round a real game-changer.

Website: www.facebook.com/spyglassadventuregolf/

Address: 3801 N Kings Hwy No. 2714, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Shipwreck Islands Adventure Golf

Shipwreck Islands Adventure Golf starts out pretty tame, but Hole 5 is where things start to get tricky. You have to hit the ball over a ramp to clear a chasm of water that sits between the tee and the hole. It’s not as hard as it looks, but if you hit the ball with too much force it’ll cause the ball to roll uncontrollably on the other side. Hole 15 presents another exciting challenge: You hit the ball down a two-story slide where it gains momentum before careening toward the hole. Anything can happen at these two spots, so if your score is trailing behind other players, here’s where you have a chance to catch up!

Website: www.facebook.com/people/Shipwreck-Island-Adventure-Golf/100064116961479/

Address: 3301 S Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Mutiny Bay

Every hole at Mutiny Bay is a doozy, but what makes this spot really hard are the Pirate Spinners located throughout the course. Spinning the Pirate Spinner wheel adds a layer of chaos to the game. The challenges on the wheel range from trick shots like the “One Handed Pirate,” where you can use only one hand to hit the ball on your first try, to the “Pillage and Sack,” which says if you hit another player’s ball on the first try, you have to switch scores with them. Spin if you dare.

Website: paradiseadventuregolf.com/mutiny-bay-miniature-golf/

Address: 301 Hwy 17, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582

There’s more to Myrtle Beach than just ‘The Beach.’ These 15 spots make up the Grand Strand

Where you can — and can’t — drive a golf cart in the Myrtle Beach area. A guide to local laws