If having over 50 different ice cream flavor options isn’t enough of a reason to slow down and check out Park Ave Sports Center, how about one of the best putt putt courses around?
Or next level laser tag?
Like to keep it old-school? Check out the driving range. Or batting cages where you can work on your home run swing? Want a unique party venue designed to entertain all ages of family and friends? Yep, same place!
If you’ve never been to Park Ave Sports, chances are you’ve driven right by it without any idea it was there. Just a couple miles from the playgrounds, disc golf, and green space of Dennison Park, you’ll find a collection of fun outdoor activities just waiting to be discovered (despite being right there, hidden in plain sight for years).
As you head east down Park Ave you pass a building company, a car wash, bays of a mini-storage units, and a place called The Center. By then, you’ve probably tuned out the signs in front of businesses because none of them say, Good Times Had Here!” Too bad, too, because the next sign you come across, the one jam packed with words, is the place you’re looking for.
A diversion from the daily grind. A laugh-out-loud escape from your everyday routine. Right there in front of you. Well, okay, it’s not technically in front of you. It’s actually set back behind The Center.
That sign jam packed with words reveals: Mini Golf, Batting Cages, Driving Range, Ice Cream, Water Wars, Parties . . . You just can’t see it all until you turn into the parking lot and head down a small slope that’s only 20-30 feet away from the main road. It’s that close!
And you should know, this isn’t just some hodgepodge collection of amusements hastily thrown together. This is a complex of fun!
Mini Golf
Top billing goes to the miniature golf course designed by an accredited company which has courses around the world. Commercially built by Harris Mini Golf, a New Jersey firm that has been building top-notch courses for over two decades, specializing in exceptional design.
Some folks call it Putt Putt. Others, Mini Golf.
It doesn’t really matter what you call it. This is not your grandfather’s miniature golf. There’s no clown’s mouth to be found here. No circus shots. Nothing against the nostalgic frivolity of those types of holes. This is a legit course, offering a variety of shots and challenges to newbies and to diehard golf fanatics. With several water features, as well as holes offering over, under, and figure eight designs, Park Ave’s course is landscaped to provide rewards for the bold and accurate, as well as penalties for wayward shot and less than proficient putters
No matter where you are on the grounds, you’ll often hear laughter echoing from the mini golf course as families, friends, even work colleagues embark on an adventure of fun.
Water Wars
Speaking of fun, you may want to bring a change of clothes with you because, well, Water Wars rules!
If you ask the folks at Park Ave Sports Center what Water Wars is exactly, they will probably tell you “it’s a balloon game.” But let’s get something straight. We’re talking water balloons. And a catapult (aka ginormous slingshot) which you maneuver so as to sling, hurl, send flying through the air those big splashy balloons full of wetness. To, you know, find their target which in this case just happens to be someone you know.
Yes. You’re going to get wet. The good news? This is your chance for sweet revenge.
Think of all the times your boss threw in a last minute assignment at the end of the day. Boss . . . wet! Think of all the times your parents might have said, do your homework before watching TV or before hanging out with friends, or before whatever joyful escapades you had planned. Parents . . . wet! Think of all the times your sister or brother were annoying. Okay, that’s probably too many times to count? No worries. Siblings . . . wet!
Hit the bullseye and unleash the water cannons. Yep, watch your loved one (or, perhaps, your arch nemesis) get drenched in water.
This isn’t just some kids game, either. Don’t be surprised if you see more adults lined up for this game than you’d imagine. This is a laugh-inducing good time.
Just a little heads up. You might want to bring a towel. Not a hand towel or a golf towel. But a bonafide, been-to-the-beach-and-got-crushed-by-a-wave sort of towel.
Batting Cages
Even if you don’t play baseball or softball, you can give the batting cages a try and see how you might fair if, say, you were on the team.
Of course, if you’re already a player, this is a chance to showcase your skills. Or maybe you’re just learning. The Park Ave cages offer you an opportunity to practice and hone your swing.
Driving Range
Sure, your friends might call you “Long Ball” because of your prowess off the tee. Rest assured, your grip-it and rip-it launches are still something to be applauded. Golf clap. Golf clap. But it’s about 270 yards to the bottom of the dyke, so you’re not likely to send any drives out beyond the edge of the range despite it looking closer than it really is.
Although, a recent long drive contestant stopped by to stay tuned up and ended up making a donation to replenish the supply of balls after he sent a few into the great beyond.
You can tee-it-up off the mats or off the grass depending upon your preference.
Laser Tag
Hey, you can thank us later. But next time you get told to get off your video games and get outside, you’ve got the perfect place to go.
While Mini Golf gets top billing, this is the most unique offering at Park Ave Sports and unlike any laser tag you’re going to find in the entire area. With sound effects (helicopters, bombs, the whole shebang), various obstacles, a sniper tower and more, consider it your very own live-action high-tech video game.
You might even find some of the games you play at home, available here. Here are just a few you might be familiar with:
- Team Deathmatch
- Capture the flag
- Domination
- Crazy King
- Free for All
- Gun Game
Bring your friends. Create your own character and campaign. The system keeps track of your kills, assists, and other stats so you can come back again and again and pick up where you left off.
There’s a difference between sitting in your computer chair and imagining what it might be like to be hidden behind a crate, working with your team to achieve a goal with a sniper firing down on you and being outside, literally behind a crate, trying to make it to your goal. Talk about exhilarating.
The Center
If you’re looking for just the right venue for your next event, you’ve found it. The first building you can see from the road, The Center is great for business meetings, team-building breakouts, family reunions, anniversaries, bridal or baby showers, even weddings. The two rooms can be divided, but also make for a rather expansive space for your special party. There’s also a tented patio available if you need more room.
How many parties have you been to where your guests can play mini golf or laser tag?
The Center offers from scratch catering and works closely with select DJs and bakers to assure you and your guests the best experience. Did we mention the full bar service? Yep, this is a great place for adulting.
Loyalty Program
Park Ave appreciates their customers and they show it through their loyalty program. Earn points which you can apply towards future purchases.
Park Ave Sports Center is one of those places about an arms-length away that you probably didn’t even know was there. Or, at least, you didn’t until now.
Whether your thing is putt-putt or hand grenades, getting your splash on or enjoying 50+ flavor options of ice cream, perfecting your golf swing or your home run technique, once you discover Park Ave for yourself, you’ll find so many reasons to come back again and again.