Woman creates league to play all P.E.I.'s mini-golf courses
'We live in a really magical place and I think that people should really take advantage'
Kathleen Brennan loves to golf — especially with friends, and just a putter.
"We came to P.E.I. for vacation when I was small, and miniature golf was always a highlight of my summertime," the 36-year-old P.E.I. civil servant said. "They were just fond memories." She is originally from New Brunswick.
To recapture some of those warm feelings, Brennan decided to gather together like-minded friends and acquaintances — about 60 of them — to play all the Island's mini-golf courses this summer. They did the same thing back in 2015 and had a lot of fun, she said.
"I'm a kid at heart," she said with a laugh.
Her friends also call her "the queen of clubs," she said, because she likes to organize clubs and groups around activities — the mini-putt group is dubbed Brennan's Unofficial Recreational Mini-Putt League.
Last chance?
"It's a community-builder, so I just try to reach out to people I think would have an interest or if they have small children or are looking for ways to get together and be social over the summer," she said.
From five to 25 of the group will show up to play each time, she said, and are divided into teams.
Because summer is busy and can slip away quickly, Brennan says the mini-golfing dates are a great way to stay connected with friends. League members are of all ages and abilities, she said, and when someone has company they often bring them along for an authentic P.E.I. experience.
There are fewer courses than there used to be — about half a dozen, Brennan believes — so the challenge seems timely to her.
"It might be one of those things where it's your last chance to play one of these gorgeous courses," she said.
'Magical place'
Don't let the cute little windmills, huge concrete lobster or the giant Fiberglas potatoes fool you into thinking mini-putting is all just for fun — Brennan readily admits she and others in the group are competitive.
"There's definitely people who will bring their own putters!" she said. The thing to strive for is a hole-in-one, she said.
She's not aware of any other mini-putt leagues, but she encourages people to form their own groups.
"We live in a really magical place and I think that people should really take advantage," she said.
Travel to the attractions also provides a great opportunity to sample P.E.I.'s many ice cream parlours — in fact, the group has made that a part of their games.
"We always designate one hole as the ice cream hole and the loser of that particular hole buys ice cream for the rest of the group," Brennan said.
Inexpensive hobby
Where a round of golf on P.E.I. can cost as much as $100, mini-putt is $5 to $15 per round. Sometimes if the league brings out a larger group, they'll get a discount too.
"It also offers an excellent opportunity to hone in on your putting skills if you're an actual golfer," Brennan laughs. "You can't get more challenging than putting on a mini-putt course!"
Brennan and her partner are both avid players of regular-size golf, but are not embarrassed to be seen on the tiny courses too.
"We're not ashamed — we're proud mini-putters," she said.
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