Sandy Falls Mini Putt Golf is right next to Sandy Pond Links in Riverhead. (Photo credit: Chris Francescani/Sunset Beach Films)

Were you in earshot of the Sandy Pond Golf Links on Saturday, Sept. 8, you might have thought Scottie Scheffler or Tiger Woods were putting their stuff on the greens, if the sounds of the crowd’s enthusiasm and applause were your only clue.

But the cheers that rang out were for Earl Truland and his hole-in-one at the new Sandy Falls Mini Putt Golf course (1521 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead) — and, perhaps, also for the exciting debut of the North Fork’s new, ambitious, family-friendly putt-putt incarnation.

“We saw a need for families to have a clean, safe, fun and affordable place to play,” says Truland, one of the four owners of the Sandy Pond Links golf course. “That’s why we opened the mini golf course.” 

Situated right next to Sandy Pond Golf Links, the ambitious 18-hole course is terraced and hilly with lively fountains, a babbling brook and a waterfall gushing out of a cave that co-owner Brian Stark says “is the one kids will love.” Construction began in June, just two months after the project’s permits were issued by the Town of Riverhead.

“I grew up in the neighborhood and learned how to golf at Sandy Pond. I also had a job here cutting the grass when I was 15,” adds Stark. It was less than a year ago that he bought the 18-acre site from the Bucholz family. “We decided to get more cash flow out of the property and this was a natural extension of the main course.”

The mini golf course was a passion project for the Sandy Pond owners and will help bolster the ongoing improvements to the main course.

“The revenue from this [project] will subsidize the improvements we’re making in the par three,” says partner John Rachel. That includes building a new clubhouse and pro shop, which is currently housed in a former horse stable the team hopes to convert into a space for private parties. 

All the holes are separated by neatly landscaped rocks. Some of the astro-turfed holes have a rough, copying their par three counterpart. “This is just like a traditional course. It’s just shrunken down and the rough makes it more challenging,” says Sharon Truland.

And the mini golf isn’t just for kids — Sandy Pond has its own IPA, made by Long Ireland Beer Company, and players of legal drinking age can sip on the brew while they’re trying to beat par. There are even four cup holders in the stand at each hole.

A miniature Big Duck — a facsimile of the giant one in Flanders — greets guests who might have to wait to queue up. Picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, as well as games like corn hole, bean toss and tic tac toe add to the fun for players (or non-players) to pass the time in case there are crowds already on the course. 

“People were asking me, is there a theme?” says Stark. “And I said it’s waterfalls. I really didn’t want to do something that would go out of style. I wanted something more refined and timeless. The centerpiece is the cave, the eighth hole with the waterfall. You can hear a lot of water running throughout the course. It’s tranquil; it’s soothing.”

Stark also pointed out that to enhance the atmosphere, they built a buffer of the babbling brook and evergreens at the north edge of their property, which borders on a sand pit.  

One round for adults is $16.00, $12 for kids under 12 and $10 for replays. Stark hopes to open to the public around September 13. For more information, click here.