putting green

Play golf or a game of pool at Palm Beach Airport

Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport serves ‘just’ six million passengers a year but, amenity-wise, it has everything a passenger might need. And then some.

There’s free WiFi and a good assortment of shops and restaurants. And, right in the center of the main terminal, there’s a putting green. To play, travelers need only stop in at Sam Snead’s Tavern and rent a putter for just a few dollars. A souvenir golf ball is included in the rental.

David Fish took these photos for StuckatTheAirport.com and I noticed that not only is there a putting green at the airport, but it appears that there’s a pool table there too.

Palm Springs International Airport: Pretty as this picture

I was calling around to airports today, trying to track down some information for a column about golf courses and a friend reminded me that there used to be an outdoor putting green at Palm Springs International Airport in California.

Thomas Nowlan, the current executive director of the Palm Springs airport, told me that because the putting green was post-security and because the airport kept a bunch of steel shaft golf clubs on hand as loaners, the TSA asked that the putting green be shut down after 9/11.

I was getting set to be all sad about that, even though I’m not a golfer and even though this fine amenity has been gone now for quite some years.  But then this picture arrived, with an explanation that this what travelers see now when they pass through security.

Somehow I don’t think many people are missing the putting green.

Have you been to Palm Springs International Airport lately? Tell us what you think.