Pixar Putt
Arguably the best animated film studio of all time, Pixar has been releasing hit movies for decades. With no signs of slowing down, its latest release, “Inside Out 2,” has become the highest-grossing Pixar film ever (currently in theaters). Traveling the country, the magic of Pixar is being uniquely brought to life. Pixar Putt offers a twist to mini golf by making the entire course completely Pixar-themed, allowing players to immerse themselves in these incredible animated worlds, each in a competitive, fun-filled environment. Currently, through September, Pixar Putt is located in Washington, D.C. While spending time at my in-laws in Silver Spring, Maryland, my wife, Ahuva, and I experienced the magic of Pixar Putt firsthand, on our new favorite mini golf course, which left us feeling good inside and out. Onward!
Pixar Putt is located right next to a luxurious event venue and hotel complex called The Wharf, with a pier overlooking the Washington Channel. The opportunity to play mini golf by the shimmering water and sailing yachts was truly remarkable. Pixar Putt recommends arriving 15 minutes early before your scheduled time, and for good reason—the place was jam-packed, and we needed to wait a few minutes before we were allowed to enter. This waiting time offered Ahuva and me a good opportunity to walk around and appreciate the different course designs and the entire atmosphere. Each hole at Pixar Putt is dedicated to a different Pixar film. What stood out for me immediately were the vibrancy of each hole’s colors and the attention to detail that helped to intertwine key components, including characters or objects from a particular film. Simultaneously, each hole was turned into a competitive hole by using its key components as potential obstacles, including even the shape of the hole itself.
Once we were allowed to begin playing, we headed over to a wooden booth that looked like it had plopped itself right out of a scene from “Toy Story,” with each of its plank boards appearing plasticky. There, we received our club, ball and scorecard. Admittedly, I was disappointed that the golf ball wasn’t painted to look like the iconic Pixar Ball (yellow with a blue stripe and a red star in the center). However, the scorecard was very cute and featured several Pixar characters. Atop the wooden booth, the colorful Pixar Putt logo stood prominently, featuring “Pixar” in bold font and a putter silhouette against a green background. A flag with the iconic Pixar Ball waved to the right of the logo.
To begin, each hole had a designated marking of the Pixar Ball logo in which to place the golf ball. The first hole was inspired by the relatively new Pixar film “Lightyear” (2022). This hole required the player to hit the golf ball underneath a rocket ship and up a launch ramp. Then, the ball would go through a marble run around the course, orbiting around planets as it rolled. This mimicked how, in “Lightyear,” Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear used his spaceship to travel at hyperspeed in an attempt to get back to earth. There was also a figurine of Sox, the cat from the film.
The second hole’s theme matched the Pixar film “Turning Red” (2022). A large Red Panda sign and clouds of smoke referenced the smoke that was released whenever Mei Lee used her power to turn into a red panda. The next few holes were themed after the all-time great Pixar film “WALL-E” (2008) where the cartoon bodies of WALL-E and EVE served as barriers. The “Monsters, Inc.” (2001) hole required navigating the ball around a series of floating doors, with the hole’s color scheme being blue and purple, like Sully the monster’s fur. There was also a hole based on “Finding Nemo” (2003), which had a dock floor with wooden boards and seagulls serving as obstacles. For this hole, you had to hit the ball inside the pelican Nigel’s mouth—and to my surprise, I actually hit a hole-in-one!
My favorite two holes were themed after “The Incredibles” (2004) and “Ratatouille” (2007). “The Incredibles” hole featured an Omnidroid, a four-legged evil robot that tried to destroy the Incredibles’ family. This hole didn’t have only one target, instead having four alternative holes next to each leg to score. I loved this hole because pretending to battle an Omnidroid was an exhilarating rush, and the option to score in one of four holes added a novel and unique twist to mini golf. The “Ratatouille” hole had many fun references to one of my favorite Pixar films. It featured giant kitchen utensils, with the hole itself being on a large cutting board. After all, “Ratatouille” takes place from the perspective of the rat, Remy, so everything needs to be giant-sized. Having passed all the utensils, I was challenged by a huge chef’s hat with a hole in the middle that served as the final obstacle.
Other holes included scenes from “Toy Story 4” (2019), where the ball had to be hit into the Benson dummy’s mouth; “Inside Out” (2015), which featured a mechanism that carried the memory balls; “Cars” (2006), where you had to hit the ball into Lightning McQueen’s logo number 95 with a lightning bolt and navigate a loop inside the logo; and “A Bug’s Life” (1998), which had giant blades of grass, a bottle cap, and dice as obstacles. The “Onward” (2020) hole involved hitting around the van, Guinevere, while the “Luca” (2021) hole resembled the hilly town of Portorosso in Italy, where the movie is set, requiring players to hit the ball up a large hill.
The final hole was themed after “Up” (2009), by far the saddest Pixar film. For this hole, the challenge was to hit the ball into the doorway of Carl’s house. The other player then had the opportunity to knock their opponent’s ball out of the house, causing them to need to take another shot. A staff member would then use a cranking system to lift the house over a miniaturized version of Paradise Falls. According to the employee, if the ball scored, the player’s score would reset to zero, meaning they would automatically win. Once the house landed, the ball would pop out and roll towards the hole. If not, the player would need to continue playing and hit the ball into the hole. Neither Ahuva nor I was able to score the legendary hole-in-one on this hole.
I absolutely loved Pixar Putt. The staff was extremely friendly and energetic, helping everyone get into the Disney (which owns Pixar) spirit. Throughout our time there, relaxing music from a variety of Pixar movies played in the background, reminding us of being at a Disney theme park. Most of all, the holes were so much fun to play, and Ahuva and I agreed that the detail and thought that went into the creation of each hole was clearly evident. The D.C. location was amazing, enhanced by the beauty of playing mini golf next to the water. The one big downside of going to Pixar Putt in the summer, however, is the heat—it is completely outdoors with not much shade. Ahuva got dehydrated quickly, so I would recommend bringing fans, hats and water if the weather is going to be hot.
Pixar Putt has already traveled to several locations, including New York, Philadelphia, and now Washington, D.C. According to the Pixar Putt media team, they are still working out the logistics for its next location, and they are unsure where it will pop up next. So, readers, keep your eyes peeled for more information at the end of the summer.
Whether you are a Pixar fan or not, I am confident that you will have a memorable time at Pixar Putt. If you do enjoy Pixar, it might just become your favorite mini golf course, as it has for me. If you’re in the D.C. or Maryland area this summer, be sure to put Pixar Putt on your to-do list!
Admission: $30 per adult, $27.50 per child, $25 a person if four people play, plus a $2 service fee
Times: Monday-Thursday, noon-8 p.m.; early opening on weekends at 10 a.m.
Dates: Summer 2024-Labor Day (September 2), 2024
Website: www.pixarputt.com
Zachary Greenberg is a consultant at Semler Brossy and the track coach for TABC. Zack recently ran a race at the Leonia Firecracker 5K run. He watched the new Pixar Film “Inside Out 2” in theaters. To join in on Zack’s fun adventures, make sure you are following @funzacktivities on Instagram! If you have any recommendations of fun places for him to explore, please email [email protected].
