The harder of the two courses at Pirate’s Cove, Blackbeard’s Challenge requires a bit of finesse.
The biggest (and really the only) decision when visiting Pirate’s Cove in Ormond Beach is whether to play the easy or hard 18. It’s tempting to assume that the distinctions between the two are minor, but there is a notable gap in difficulty. Blackbeard’s Challenge is, as the name suggests, the more challenging of the two. Though certain aspects can be frustrating, this course requires a bit more skill than Captain Kidd’s to succeed on.
A hole within a hole on the back 9
Blackbeard’s Challenge includes a few features that inherently make it a bigger undertaking. Alongside the standard par 2 and 3 fare that you’ll find in any mini-golf course, Blackbeard’s also peppers in a few par 4s. The 4s are tough, adding length, curvature, and various terrains that you’ll need to navigate. It pays to form a strategy around ball placement, as opposed to just swinging for a hole-in-one. The terrain at play is also a bit more variable than the easier course, meaning you’ll need to make the right reads to do well.
ryan’s review
This 18 was definitely a challenge as advertised. Having par 4s was a nice mixup compared to the other courses we’ve played. Carson and I tend to approach most mini-golf holes working out the beta for a hole-in-one. Being forced to consider multiple-shot strategies was fun and different. The only dull hole in the course was hole 18, which is more or less the same as the Captain Kidd’s 18, but otherwise the course felt fresh.
A par 4 through a lantern-lit cave
If I could give any advice, it would be consider recent weather before playing. We did our playthrough a day after rain, and the wet greens led to slower rolls. Normally, this would be negligible since mini-golf holes are generally short. On this course, however, slow greens made the par 4 holes absolutely brutal. There are also a few uphill obstacles, which were really rough on wet greens. That’s on us though, and I feel very confident that on a normal day this course is a total blast.
Overall Rating: 4/5 golf balls
Carson’s review
I loved how the terrain really changed the style in which you play. It really is what made this course harder than Captain Kidd’s. I also loved how you could go under the waterfall and putt in one of the holes in it. I loved the types of obstacles there were, including a putt through a treasure chest, some holes where you had to hit your ball up a hill and back down to the area with the hole, and much more. The hilly holes were a little harder than usual because of how wet the green was when we played it.
Overall Rating: 4/5 golf balls
An uphill around-the-bend hole