Looking to practice your short game? The solution is just a few minutes away! Outside the Teaneck area are two awesome New Jersey mini golf courses: Paramus Mini Golf, located in Paramus; and Willowbrook Golf Center, which can be found in Wayne. Both offer scenic and challenging courses on which to play, making either of them a must-do summer destination for anyone looking for a fun outdoor activity.

While searching on Google for open-air date activities during the 2020 summer of COVID, I stumbled upon Paramus Mini Golf. I went with my wife Ahuva, who was my girlfriend at the time; best friend Jared; and brother, Gabe. We arrived at a small red booth reminding me of a little farmhouse, where we checked in and received our putters. We were also handed a scorecard and pencil to keep score.

Paramus Mini Golf course’s theme is based on various locations and historical people in the New York Metropolitan area. One of the holes has a miniaturized George Washington Bridge spanning over a little stream and requiring the golfer to putt the ball over (and later under) the bridge to get to the hole. There is a replica of the Fritz Behnke Historical Museum in Paramus, a Red Mill that reminds me of Cooper’s Pond in Bergenfield, a decorated sign that says “Welcomes to the Jersey Shore,” and a nearby figurine of a bird in a bathing suit, eating a hot dog. Additionally, there are statues of Yogi Berra in a car, an early 20th-century swing dancer in a blue suit driving a blue car, and a punk rocker holding an American flag-striped guitar while driving a red car.

The most iconic part of the 18-hole course is its small-scale model of the Statue of Liberty standing proudly in its own little pond. Many interesting traps can be found throughout many of the holes, with some of the holes requiring putting through the Red Mill, around rocks, on a narrow path over a stream, and even more tricky shots.

A diverting aspect of the course is that it is situated right next to a full golf course, which is separated by a giant net to catch loose balls. Whenever I saw some of the golfers swinging their irons, I felt like a minor leaguer in comparison as I struggled to sink some easy putts. Of the four of us, I was the loser, but I still had a delightful time, returning a few more times that summer.

Last summer after visiting Dave & Buster’s in Wayne with Ahuva, we noticed a breathtaking glamorous waterfall in the distance. I was immediately intrigued and as we got closer, to my delight, I realized that it was part of the decor of a mini golf course! I looked up “mini golf course in Wayne” online and found a matching picture and discovered that it was, indeed, Willowbrook Golf Center. A few days later, I convinced Ahuva to go with me to check out the location.

Once we arrived, we went inside a white pavilion to purchase tickets. The cashier asked us if we wanted to play one or two games. I was confused. Why would anyone want to play the same mini golf course twice? She explained that there wasn’t merely one 18-hole course, but there were TWO complete courses totaling 36 holes of golf play. We decided to play both courses, picked out our putters, and headed towards the greenery.

Throughout the courses, there are beautiful red rock formations, with red stones along the green putting area blending in well with the surrounding formations. At the center of each course are the two dazzling waterfalls bursting forth from the largest red precipices. Some of the holes require the putter to go through a grotto underneath the waterfall and putt the ball across the cavern. There are bridges spanning across lagoons, serving as an obstacle since if you hit the ball too hard over the bridge, it would fall into the water.

The surrounding decor of grottos, cascades, lagoons and fountain sprinklers at Willowbrook made me feel like I was playing mini golf underwater, which I found to be fun and unique. The two 18-hole courses do not have many complex traps, but each hole does offer its own distinct challenges, such as windy greenery, obstacle rocks and many inclines for which you need to hit the ball upwards. I must admit, however, that having played a full game-and-a-half of mini golf, by the last few holes, we were exhausted! Still, we enjoyed ourselves, returning several times.

Overall: I would rate each mini golf course a 6 out of 10. I love the fact that Paramus Mini Golf had worked hard to fully decorate the course with different buildings and characters. The course, however, is not the most aesthetically pleasing due to its run-down appearance and missing bricks on certain holes, used greenery and monotonous background. I prefer the tranquil and charming Willowbrook Mini Golf, which offers many alluring views for the player. That said, Paramus does offer a more formidable course with much tougher and more creative traps, which I enjoy more.

For me, the bar will always be Pirate’s Cove by Lake George, which has both arduous holes and the best display of pirate ships, mysterious caves and stunning waterfalls. Alas, that course is nearly a three-hour drive away and I only visited once in 2013. Although I have never played there and only walked through, Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course is also an incredible course with each hole decorated to match a specific segment from the classic film “Fantasia” (1940). If you are ever by Lake George, New York, or Orlando, Florida, I highly recommend you check out these courses. Locally, Paramus and Willowbrook are my two favorite outdoor courses, each having my recommendation.

Paramus:

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (except Mondays and Tuesdays 4 p.m.-9 p.m.)

Address: 314 Paramus Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652

Admission: $6 children, $10 adults

Website: www.paramusminigolf.com

Willowbrook:

Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m every day.

Admission: 18 holes—$8 children/seniors, $10 adults; 36 holes—$12 children/seniors, $15 adults

Website: https://www.willowbrookgolfcenter.com/

Address: 366 US 46 Service Road E, Wayne, NJ 07470

By Zachary Greenberg