When it comes to a low-stress, family-friendly activity that everybody loves, miniature golf has few rivals. Yet finding a mini golf course in New York is about as easy as finding parking on the weekends – and that goes double during the cold months.
Four years ago, friends Chris Schneider and Ryan Powers had a harebrained idea. They would quit their full-time jobs on Broadway – working in props and sound design respectively – and channel their talents into an indoor miniature golf course. There would be a game, naturally, but their vision also included a bona fide plot line, characters, an original musical score, special effects, and other elements harkening their theatrical backgrounds.
More importantly, their own kids would have something to do – year-round.
“Once we had families of our own, we realized how little there is to keep everyone entertained constantly,” Schneider said. “People love mini golf because anyone can play it. You don’t have to be skilled, and it’s something that anyone from the kids to the grandparents can enjoy together.”
This year, Schneider and Powers will realize their fun, oddball dream. In February (if all goes as planned), Brooklyn will have its only indoor mini golf course: Shipwrecked, A Nautical Adventure Mini Golf Experience.
Across from Red Hook Park
Shipwrecked is located on the second floor of 621 Court Street across from the Red Hook Ball Fields. Though it’s still under construction, the complex is decidedly impressive in scope and vision. The 11,000 square-foot loft space is partitioned, with each room serving as an act in a theatrical seafaring journey. Players are greeted by a ship captain hologram who guides them to the first hole. As they walk through the course and as the holes get more difficult, they encounter different characters, set pieces, booby traps, music, mayhem, and ultimately, a conclusion – though Schneider and Powers insisted that we didn’t give it all away.
The complex also features a cafeteria – with locally sourced food and beverages! – a few 80s arcade games like Pacman, rooms for private events, and a large terrace where adults can take a breather. It will accommodate everything from school groups to private parties to company team-building events, as well as free play all week. While the rates aren’t set in stone, Schneider and Powers want the experience to be about as affordable as a trip to the movies.
The non-descript industrial building isn’t exactly where you’d expect to find such a massive mini golf palace. But for Schneider and Powers, landing the location felt nothing short of miraculous. The duo had spent two disheartening years searching for an adequate site from Brooklyn to Queens. But between outbidding counter-offers and sketchy leases, their hopes began to wane.
Then one day, Schneider came across an ad on Craigslist for the Red Hook space. The second-floor loft was huge, new, and just a stone’s throw from their homes in Greenwood Heights.
“We thought it was a scam because it was too good to be true,” Schneider said. “We always loved Red Hook. It’s such a beautiful, breathable neighborhood compared to the rest of New York.”
They signed a 12-year lease and set to work, sourcing many of their materials from Big Initiative (formerly Build It Green), as well as random places across the U.S.; the actual course, for example, hails from an abandoned mini golf spot in Maryland.
As of mid-December, the space was still under construction. The co-owners are working around the clock to install the last lights, scenery, special effects, video, as well as an amplified soundtrack composed by Powers. With the big kick-off tentatively in February (barring issues with city approvals), they are feeling the heat.
“It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time,” Powers said. “It’ll either succeed, and we’ll be okay. Or you’ll find me in a cardboard box on the side of the street.”
Hopefully the universal love of mini golf will prevail, however. During his travels and research, Powers said he found not only mini golf dabblers, but die-hard mini golf enthusiasts. He even discovered a wide world of mini golf leagues. Yes, leagues. With tournaments and everything.
“Yes, that kind of thing exists!” Powers said. “We couldn’t believe it. There are people who are really crazy about mini golf. We are really excited to tap into that.”
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