Massachusetts Courses


BFM

Submitted by: Mark Murray
 

Price:            4.00
Challenge:        7
Variety:          5
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    8

        The BFM mini-golf course/driving range is located in North Reading, MA.  It is on Rte 28 just south of Rte 125.  Their # is 978-664-9276.
This is a lesser known course on Rt. 28 in North Reading , Massachusetts , but inexpensive and lots of fun.

Carousel Family Fun Center

Submitted by: Chris Rantz
Course Web Site: http://www.carouselskate.com/
 

Price:            5.00
Challenge:        7
Variety:          8
Fun:              9
Overall Value:    8

            This course is one of the better courses in Southeastern Massachusetts. The course's only obstacles are rocks, which are strategically placed and which make for several blind tee-shots. One of the greatest aspects of the course is its creative use of hills. On a few holes, the hills allow the ball to trickle into the hole, even if the shot is not exactly on target. Thus, the frustration factor of the course is relatively low. The only downside of the course is the 18th hole, which has a Skeeball-style setup. However, the course is extremely well-designed and well-maintained. A definiteplace to check out if you'\''re in the area.

Location: The Carousel Family Fun Center is located at 4 David Drown Blvd. in Fairhaven , MA . From I-195, take Exit 18 (Route 240). Proceed past the Route 6 intersection for about 100 yards. At the blinking light, turn right onto David Drown Blvd. The course will be on your right as you come down the hill.

East Sandwich Mini Golf, East Sandwich (6A)

Submitted by: Matt Wall
 

Price:            5.00
Challenge:        7
Variety:          7
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    9

        (Price is a guess, I can't remember.) Simply the best miniature golf course in New England.

    Family built and run on a former wetland that was filled in by the family's forebears, but through which a tidal stream runs. The Cape Cod Railroad runs right along the back. Many of the holes are built over the water, and play completely differently depending on whether the tide is in or out. One hole, for instance, the green is actually on a boat in the middle of the stream -- if the tide is high, getting on the boat makes the all roll one way or the other! If you can't have fun on this course, you're dead or completely immune to Miniature Golf at its most charming, and most original.

Family Golf Center Easton

Price:            5.00
Challenge:        8
Variety:          7
Fun:              8
Overall Value:    8

    The Family Golf Center Easton (fordefinite places Dixie 's Hit and Putt) is located on Route 138 south, just past Route 106 in West Bridgewater , MA . They offer a reasonably challenging golf course that has several holes which require "luck" shots. On more than one hole, you have no line of sight to the hole prior to your first shot. They also feature a driving range, batting cages, a snack bar, and a pro shop. They used to not have starting tees, but now provide a line for hitting from.

Bouncey's Golf City Minature Golf Course

Price:            5.00 Adult 4.00 Child
Challenge:        7
Variety:          7
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    9

    As you can see below, there are a couple of options here. One is their par 3 course, described below. Recently, I saw a posting by the manager of the course relating to the fact they had just revamped their mini-golf course, and I decided to give it a whorl. The course is not a huge challenge if you are good at mini-golf. There is a solid wood border around each stop and the entire course is flat. (Word of note, like most mini-golf courses, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone in a wheelchair.) But while the course isn't that hard, it is fun. There are a lot of bank shots that I found I kept misjudging the speed on. The wood boarders do tend to absorb a lot of energy from your shots. Alone and played it in about 20 minutes. The last shot is the only one that is really hard and if you hit the shot, you get a free game. (It's one of those put the ball through the clown's nose type shots. It's also the 19th hole on the course.) Anyhow, it's well worth stopping at to try out. Also consider their Par 3 course if you want a much greater challenge.

Location: Route 28 at Route 106, South Main Street, West Bridgewater Center

Bouncey's Golf City (Par 3 Course)

Price:            7.00 (front 9) 8.00 (Back 9)
Challenge:        10
Variety:          7
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    8

    This was a bit of a departure for me. I normally play mini-golf exclusively, and the site does have a mini-golf course on the grounds (I forgot to jot down the price when I was there) but the key attraction is the Par 3 course. This is truly a minature version of a regular fairway and green. You get a putting wedge and a putter to play a round. I found the wedge to be too short for me, so it would be best if you got one yourself before playing. You tee up between  35 and 70 yards from the hole and then hit your tee shot with the wedge. If you're any good, you can get it on the green and put it in from there. (Obviously, I had issues getting it on the green in 1.) The course was fun to play and the greens are fairly easy. At least, on the front nine. They split the course into the front nine and back nine. You can play either or you can play both. (I think there was a discount for playing both, but don't remember for sure. The price is steep in your a mini-golfer and used to those prices for 18 holes, but this is much closer to the real thing, and consequentially, is more expensive. Not bad for anyone beginning to think about doing the real sport.

Location: Route 28 at Route 106, South Main Street, West Bridgewater Center

Hadley Miniature Golf

Submitted by: Howard T. Kaplan

Price:            4.00
Challenge:        10
Variety:          7
Fun:              9
Value:            10

                It's definitely the only mini golf course in the western part of Massachusetts5 min from UMass.  Course is really hard, even for a very good player.  There are many water hazards, and actually sand traps and roughs.Miniature ball in the 19th hole, win free game.

Hago Harrington's

Price:             4.50 before 6 pm, 5.00 after 6 pm
Challenge:         6
Variety:           5
Fun:               7
Overall Value:     6

    "Hago" Harrington's Miniature Golf is located on Route 28 in Stoneham , Massachusetts . The course is much older than some others I have been to. There are spots that are very ragged and most of the holes present little challenge to shoot at. The majority of the holes are a straight shot at the hole with something interesting around, but not involved in, the hole. It does have variations of all the "classic" holes. A word of warning, some of the holes themselves are broken and thus the ball will pop out of the hole when hit into it. It is a place I would recommend trying once, but it is a little too expensive for what you get to make a regular habit. Newer and more interesting courses cost less or the same and give more.

Jurassic Mini-Golf

Price:             6 .00
Challenge: miniature4
Variety:           4
Fun:               7
Overall Value:     6

    Jurassic Mini-Golf has an interesting premise. They have statues of various types of dinosaurs around the course with these cute names. ("Hi, my name is Sally. I'm a Stegosorous. Please don't climb on me.") The problem I had was, that was as far is the concept went. The course itself was very ordinary and played very quickly. (A more skilled player than me would not find it much of a challenge.) There were a couple of luck shots, but even these were not very difficult. There is a snack bar and a driving range as well. There was one cute thing they did with getting golf balls, but it seemed like a waste to me. They have vending machines set up to dispense balls with a token you buy at the register. I'm not really sure why.

    Overall, while not a challenge, it was fun playing this course. You won't be challenged much, thus you will get a quick game. Sometimes that is just what your in the mood for.

Location: Jurassic Mini-Golf is located in Taunton on Rte. 140, just off of Rte. 24. When coming off the highway, head in the direction away from the Galleria Mall and you will see the signs for it on the left. It is located in the back of a small industrial park. You can't miss it. They also have two other courses, one in Billerica , the other in Salisbury , but I haven't been to either of them.

Their phone number is: 508-880-9996

Kimball Farm

Submitted by:  Bob Corsaro
Course Web Site: http://www.kimballfarm.com/

Price: 10.00
Challenge: 9
Variety: 7
Fun: 9
Overall Value: 8

Two 18 hole courses, Waterfall Fun and Forbidden Mine. We did Waterfall Fun. The golf course was very fun, challenging and kept in excellent condition. There is lots of other stuff to do there besides mini-golf, but we just played a round, had some homemade ice cream and left. The place seems pretty hoppin', so prepare for waiting. Good day, we will return.

Editor's Note: Check out the website. They have a vast variety of stuff including a pitch and putt, batting cages, bumper boats, and more. Based on that, I would probably have ranked the variety at a 10. I will likely try to get out there shortly, it looks like a place you can make a day of. It is one of four locations they own, but the only one with the mini-golf and vast variety of other options. Thank you, Bob, for letting me know about this.

Location: 400 Littleton Road (Rt. 110), Westford, MA

McGolf

Submitted by: Howard T. Kaplan

Price:            6.00
Challenge:        7
Variety:          8
Fun:              9
Value:            9

        off Rte 1 in Dedham.  Been around for years but is still very up to date.  Win $25 for a hole in one on McGolf mountain- huge downward slope, never seen a hole like it before.  The front 9 is a stiff par 20.  Is somewhat easy if you are used to it, but little mistakes are costly.  Back 9 is par 24.  A few par 3's are manageable birdies, 18 is a very challenging birdie.

Paul Funyan's "Tinytown" Minigolf

Submitted by: William T Russo
Course Web Site: http://www.paulfunyansminigolf.com
 

Price:            4.00
Challenge:        5
Variety:          5
Fun:              5
Overall Value:    5

            This is a classic course designed by Lomma Enterprises.  There are only 9 holes but they are very good ones. The statue of "Paul Funyan" is worth seeing and the manager is dressed like Bobby Jones...complete with wooden putter. They give free balloon animals to the kids.  It's a fun time for all.

Location: This is a seasonal course located inside Dick and Ellie's Flea Market in Dennis , Massachusetts in the middle of Cape Cod .  It's just off the main highway route six at exit 9A.

As is usual, I add my editor's comment that states this was submitted by the individual who owns the business. I would appreciate an objective review from anyone who can stop by, although I think this person did try to be fair. Give them a shot.

Route 1 Miniature Golf

Submitted by: David M. Matayabas

Price:            4.50
Challenge:        8 9
Variety:          6  7
Fun:              6  6
Overall Value:    7  7

         The 'Classic' Miniature Golf Course, located on Route 1 South in Saugus , MA. Immediately recognizable is the giant Orange Dinosaur, ready to leap onto route 1 at a moment's notice.

 Undoubtedly one of the more difficult courses around. Nearly every hole features a hill, obstacle, or a blind turn, or combinations of everything. Among the house rules are a six-stroke maximum on any hole, and there have been more than a few times I've been glad the rule existed.

A few holes of note:
Off the first tee, a gentle upslope to a very active backstop. Hit it too hard, and it will roll right back to you.
'The bowling alley' - a straight shot to the cup, but the way is blocked by four bowling pins stuck in the green. I've seen 6 strokes wasted trying to get through.
'The dinosaur' A unique, bi-level hole. Hit the ball into the big hole up top, descend a flight of stairs to the lower green, and knock it into the cup.
'Triple Trouble' Your tee shot goes up a ramp over some ridges, each leading to a tunnel out onto the green. Hit it just right for an automatic hole-in-one, or you could end up up to 20 feet away from the cup.
'The Carousel' A notoriously difficult hole, with three cement posts stuck in the green in the middle of a dog-leg. Hit it way left, and you can make it in two. Miss, and just take the 6.
'The Wishing Well' A straight shot, but the cup is in an elevated, volcano-shaped structure. Nearly impossible to get.

 There are extra incentives. On the Back nine, there are three out of four consecutive holes where a trick shot is an automatic hole-in-one.
Two other holes are so easy, it's also possible to be a one-stroke wonder.
Finally, on the last hole, there's a nifty little mechanism that sounds a siren if you make a hole-in-one, plus you win a free game!

 This location also features a small arcade with the usual Ninja games, and a few pinball machines, plus batting cages.
There is also an ice cream stand.

    Unlike some of the other courses offered up for review on this page by readers, I was actually able to take a look at this one. I agreed with the majority of what the author said regarding this location. The course is difficult. I disagree that "The dinosaur" is a unique hole. It is simply a bi-level. I have seen that many times before. Otherwise, the review is right on the money.

    A note on the location, it literally is on Route 1 South. If you are coming at it from the south you will need to get off the highway, turn around, and get back on the highway heading south to get to it. When you leave, you have to hop on the highway and move over two lanes or you end up taking an exit ramp onto Route 99, which is just after the golf facility.

Route 44 Mini Golf

Submitted by: Chris Rantz

Price:            4.00
Challenge:        8
Variety:          10
Fun:              10
Overall Value:    10

Every mini golf lover who hasn't played at Route 44 Mini Golf should go at once!  Located on Route 44 in Rehoboth, MA, the 21-hole course offers plenty of intriguing holes.  Holes-in-ones are hard to come by and can be achieved only through skill and precision, not luck.  The vast majority of the holes are unique in design, nothing like the hole types you see on "cookie-cutter type" mini golf courses.  Another factor that sets Route 44 Mini Golf apart from other courses is the fact that most holes have 2 or 3 possible pin placements.  So each time you play, the course plays a little different!  Let me tell you that I have visited over 300 mini golf courses all over New England , New York , and Pennsylvania , and this course is by far the best.  Check this course out, and you will not be disappointed!

Sportscuts

Price:            5.50
Challenge:        10+
Variety:          10
Fun:              5
Overall Value:    5

    Sportscuts is located on Route 44, about 25 minutes east of Route 24 in Massachusetts . Fair warning on this course, more than half the course requires "luck" shots rather than skill. Four or five holes have NO chance at a hole in one and only one of those is listed as a par four. Several spots in the course are potentially dangerous as they are on sharp cutoffs with no railings and a lot of running water. Their major advantages are the huge variety of other activities offered and the fact that they are open until 11:00 p.m. with fairly good outdoor lighting. The list of other activities offered includes; batting cages, bumper boats, go-carts, a virtual thrill ride, a snack shop, and an arcade. There was a driving range next to the facility, but I'm not completely certain that they were part of the same facility. There are apparently half day passes and prices are cheaper during the week, but I didn't get details on those (we only found it a little after 8:30 p.m. and didn't want to take a lot more time).

The Sand Trap

Submitted by: Drew Scotton

Price:            5.00 adult/ 4.00 child
Challenge:        8
Variety:          7
Fun:              8
Overall Value:    8

    Overall, a good course.  Serves food in a restaurant-like style.  Located in Agawam, Massachusetts on the border between Agawam and Suffield, CT.

Wilderness Golf Links

Price:            4.50 *
Challenge:        9
Variety:          5
Fun:              9
Overall Value:    10

    Wilderness Golf Links is located at the Silver City Galleria in Taunton , MA . This is an indoor golf facility. The holes play much slower than you first think and they use natural feeling curves and bumps to make the course tougher. The major problem they have is a lack of space. There is nowhere for people to stand that aren't actively putting. It makes it difficult for two or more people to play when it is busy.

    * A special note on pricing. For $5.00, you can play the course all day, as many times as you like. They also offer specials for parties and your scorecard is good for discounts at various restaurants in the mall. Most offer a 10% discount. They also provide a frequent player card. Play seven individual games, get the eighth free. Sounds like a great deal to me!

 Special Note: Putt-Putt (no longer there)

Price:            2.00 to 4.00
Challenge:        8
Variety:          9
Fun:              9
Overall Value:    10

    Putt-Putt used to be one of my favorite places to play, but they closed up a few years ago (1993?) and moved out all of their material. Putt-Putt was located at the Westgate Mall in Brockton and was unique in one respect, there were three different courses. One was the easiest and three was the hardest. You could buy an all day pass for about three or four dollars that entitled you to play as many times as you wanted in the same day, but you always got at least three games out of them. You could buy such a pass and play one game, but then go back the next week and play two more times. All of the holes had a solid, consistent wood border which made rebounds more predictable than the bricks everyone seems to be using today. That gave you an advantage with "luck" shots because you could gauge what the ball would do off the wall. I contacted Putt-Putt Incorporated through their web site and found out that the owner retired and his family decided not to keep the franchise. They are looking for people interested in opening up in New England. If you are interested, then please contact them at: Putt-Putt Golf and Games
 


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