Can Sanibel survive 18 holes of tiny golf, or must City Hall save the island from putters and joy?

That is apparently the question now facing local officials as the owners of Island Cow look to rebuild their Periwinkle Way property and add a small, family-friendly miniature golf course.

Yes, mini golf.

Not a casino. Not a nightclub. Not a 40-story glass tower called “The Vibe at Sanibel.” Mini golf.

The Island Cow team says the idea is simple: rebuild the popular local restaurant and add a low-key, landscaped course that fits the island’s character. Families eat, kids putt, grandparents pretend they meant to bank it off the little rock wall. Civilization continues and families visiting the island go home talking about what a great time they had on Sanibel.

But because this is local government, the fun must first pass through the sacred paperwork gods.

How Much Fun Is Too Much Fun?

Sanibel officials are considering whether miniature golf should be allowed as a conditional use in commercial areas. That means it would not be a free-for-all, but it could be allowed under city review.

That seems reasonable.

Nobody wants Periwinkle Way turning into Myrtle Beach. The concern is that once mini golf is allowed, more courses could follow. Fair enough. Sanibel has a brand, and that brand is not “neon pirate volcano next to a T-shirt cannon.”

But let’s be serious. A small course attached to a rebuilt local restaurant is not exactly the fall of Western civilization.

This is the kind of family-friendly attraction that actually makes sense. Sanibel has tourists. Sanibel has families. Sanibel has evenings where people might enjoy doing something besides fighting over dinner reservations and pretending everyone loves biking in humidity.

Let Businesses Rebuild

The bigger issue is that Island Cow has been through the wringer after a fire and Hurricane Ian. A local business wants to come back, invest, create jobs, serve families, and add something fun.

That should not require an archaeological dig through city code.

Smart rules? Absolutely. Keep it tasteful. Keep it quiet. Keep it Sanibel.

But government should not treat every small business idea like it is a public safety threat. Sometimes a putter is just a putter.

Sanibel can protect its charm without wrapping the island in bubble wrap and zoning ordinances.

The Planning Commission seems open to the concept, and city staff still has work to do on the ordinance. Good. Let the process move forward.

Because if Sanibel cannot handle a tasteful little mini golf course next to a restaurant, the island may have bigger problems than a few missed putts.

City Hall should approve common sense, set reasonable limits, and let families have a little fun.