Island Cove Return to Massachusetts Page

(508) 693-2611

Cost: $6

Par: 44

Difficulty: 7

Creativity: 2

Atmosphere: 6

If you’re going to Martha’s Vineyard you have to play this course, if for no other reason than the fact that it’s the only miniature golf on Martha’s Vineyard. That’s not to say that this is a bad course, it’s just that it can be so much better given its location and the endless themes it presents.

The course itself is well maintained, but has some layout problems. The first seven or so holes are incredibly squished together, while the rest of the course tends to have more room around it. Because of this we saw large amounts of congestion at the beginning that slowly spread out later in the course. The flowers and plants are in good places as they still add to the beauty of the course without encroaching on the holes. One of the ponds on the course also features a couple dozen goldfish that are fun to watch while you’re waiting your turn. The course is also primarily designed for right-handers as the left-handed person in our group found it was hard to hit a lot of shots, even teeing off, because of the way the holes and the land around them were designed. The 11^th hole (a split level hole) also lacks a good stairway to get between the levels. One either has to go down the rocks between the levels or walk down the slope of mulch, which isn’t much safer. The course does have some difficult sections, forcing you to place your first putt accurately or face a challenge to get par. However, the holes don’t have too many new or interesting ideas in them.

The course is definitely worth playing if you’re going to be on the Island for any period of time, but definitely don’t make a special trip on the ferry for it. Also, try to play the course in early in the morning as well to avoid the bunches of people during that first squished part of the course.

2003 Update

We played this course again on the opening day of their 2003 season. Most of the water wasn’t yet working and the landscaping still had to be finished, but the course itself remained in good condition. Everything seemed the same from our first trip here, except for the free game chance. Depending on what hole you got a hole-in-one on the course, you had to pick a numbered ball out of a bucket and if the ball match the hole you aced, you won a free game. It was similar to the one of the wheels we saw at a Pirate’s Cove, but different enough to be add some flavor to the course.

User Review #1

User Review #2

REVIEW IT

Course Pictures (click to enlarge)