Mini Golf Madness

June 18, 2007

ctnow.com

If seeing the pros at the Travelers Championship didn't get you swinging, how about five local places for miniature golf? Start practicing your putt...

Sports Center of Connecticut
784 River Road (Route 110), Shelton
203-929-6500, www.sportscenterct.com
Cost: $17 for two adults, including a $2 deposit for clubs

Three thoughts ran through my head pulling into the Sports Center of Connecticut in Shelton.

One, I don't drive a SUV. Two, my kids don't wear L.L. Bean. Three, I don't have kids.

Luckily, those are not required for membership (but it will certainly help you fit in). Even unwashed, unmarried childless heathens like me are welcome at Sports Center of Connecticut. The place has everything. Mini-golf? Check. Ice arena? Check. Golf range? Check. Batting cage? Check. Laser tag? Check. Bowling? Check.

Cryogenically frozen bodies of three-fingered aliens who crash-landed in Ansonia in 1955? Not sure, but probably.

My girlfriend Autumn and I went there Saturday, approximately 8 p.m. A vicious thunderstorm had just torn through the area, leaving the Naugatuck Valley soaked and steamy. Yet the Sports Center was packed with young families and teeny boppers.

The outdoor mini-golf range looks generic at first glance. No windmills, no Japanese fighting fish -- certainly no freakin' dinosaurs. Heck, the website brags about the course's "lush landscape."

I'm gonna beat this course silly, I thought, and I did more than OK on the first few holes, even snagging a hole-in-one.

Then, I started to take note of the hills. The green starts out flat, but by the sixth hole you're putting the ball over a series of small but frustrating mounds. Suddenly I was writing down "6" on my scorecard.

By hole 9, I was Charlie Sheen about to taste combat for this first time in "Platoon." Remember the ants crawling on his ears, and then spotting the Viet Cong in the misty woods?

I was dumbfounded by hole 13 – unable to get anything in less than five attempts. The further I played, the more the annoying mounds appeared on the green. Talk about difficult. The place wore me out.

I stopped keeping score after awhile. I know I lost, but I refuse to credit my girlfriend's skills. It was the darn course that beat me. Wait until we sign up for laser tag . . .

-- EUGENE DRISCOLL

Prehistoric Mini Golf
680 Portland Cobalt Road, Portland
860-342-3517, www.prehistoricgolf.com
Cost: $5 for one round, including a free jump in the moon bounce for ages 12 and younger

Set into the hillside on Route 66 in Portland, Prehistoric Mini Golf is a family-friendly 18-hole course that offers several additional amenities including ice cream, toys and a moon bounce.

The course is adorned with a number of large and colorful dinosaurs statues, including a ferocious-looking velociraptor who crouches menacingly over the practice green.

Though well-used, the course is a fun one, with cleverly designed, sloped greens and interesting metal, wood shaped barriers that stand in the way of each hole.

Several points along the course offer enough challenges to add strokes to a golfer's score card. Hole Two, for example, included a long green and brown faux log obstacle, which the golfer can avoid completely or try to putt the ball through several different openings. The seven hilly undulations on Hole Four often sends the golf ball right back to the starting point, while hole 13 includes a thick volcano-shaped barrier that is nearly impossible to putt through.

Along the way, there are plenty of benches and resting spots and music (country and soft rock tunes) are piped in overhead. Bring bug spray, as the foliage behind the course is a haven for mosquitoes.

My two young golfers who recently played the course gave the place an 8 out of 10 rating in terms of fun, citing holes 15 and 17 as the most creative. Hole 15 features two holes. Golfers who can get the ball into the first hole, will hear it roll satisfyingly down a pipe onto the green below where another hole awaits. If putted correctly at the first hole, a hole-in-one can be accomplished into the second.

At Hole 17, golfers are expected to hit the ball over a running stream. An overzealous golfer can easily send their ball flying into water or lose it amongst the clusters of azalea and rhododendron bushes nearby. At the final hole, golfers can win a free game if the ball hits the hole at the first shot. This is no easy feat, since the 18th hole is ensconced in a tall plastic barrier.

After the game, golfers can relax inside the air-conditioned office and feast on 16 different flavors of ice cream with various toppings and sauces, followed by a jump in the moon bounce for ages 12 and younger.

-- MELISSA PIONZIO

Hidden Valley Miniature Golf Course
2060 West St., Southington
860-621-1630
Cost: $6 Adults, $4 Children/Seniors

A game of mini golf is always a fun way to start your summer. Putting around on the course seems to be a good excuse to enjoy the weather and play one of those timeless childhood games after you've already become an adult.

Feeling a bit nostalgic, I headed to my favorite mini golf place, Hidden Valley in Southington. It's been years since I've been to this course, but I still remembered the leafy scenery and mood-setting waterfalls. After paying the $6 fee ($4 for children), I picked out a bright red golf ball and was on my merry way. It may have been a weeknight, but the place was busy, forcing my friend and me to wait behind other players at each hole.

The ambiance of the course adds to game. With multiple waterfalls, luscious trees, and old wooden walkways, Hidden Valley surprisingly manages to create a naturesque look on a busy road in Southington. There's even an old wooden train for children to play on when they've finished their game.

Although there are 18 holes, Hidden Valley isn't known for its challenging course. The first six holes were easy as pie, only needing two tries to get the ball in the hole (or if you are a mini golf pro like my friend, you can get a couple holes-in one). On the seventh hole, however, the course seems to have upped the ante.

Each hole offered an obstacle more challenging than the previous one, whether it was rocks, numerous dips on the green, or narrower pathways. Seeing as I have never been known for my golf skills, I found myself hitting the ball far more than most people would need on the last few holes.

And don't forget your bug spray, or you'll spend more time swatting mosquitoes then concentrating on the game.

Hidden Valley isn't just a great place for mini golf. With batting cages, an arcade, a snack stand, and a picnic area, this place has enough excitement for a night of good, clean fun. So although I would rate the course difficulty a 5, the amenities are still over the top and its scenery is a definite attraction, making this course rate an 8.

-- RENEE TRAYNOR

Farmington Miniature Golf
1048 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
(860) 677-0118, www.farmingtonminiaturegolf.com
Cost: Earlybird round $5.50 before 6 p.m. $6 after 6 p.m. Repeat game $2.50 weekdays before 6 p.m.

I've never been much of a golfer. I don't have the time, patience or discipline to be the least bit good at it. I have no idea what constitutes a Birdie or a Bogey (or the difference between the two), and I can't seem to get past those funny pants that some players like to wear.

But miniature golf... now miniature golf's always been cool in my book.

There's hardly any skill required, you don't have to take it that seriously. I mean, come on, when you're putting into a clown's mouth, I think it's pretty hard to maintain your focus. And the total walking distance of your average mini golf course is about half a city block.

Farmington Miniature Golf & Ice Cream Parlor is a fun, affordable place to mini golf. It's an 18-hole course with a bonus 19th hole tacked on for a little extra fun.

The course has been family-owned and operated since 1962. It's open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday (seasonally), and a round of golf will run you $5.50 before 6 p.m. and $6 afterwards.

The waterfall on the 11th hole and the waves on 17 are two particularly tricky traps to watch out for, but both seemed to trip me up more than anybody else…including the group of 8-year olds playing behind me.

Another cool feature is that after you've finished up your strenuous, grueling round of mini golf (and being trounced by 8-year- olds), you can head on over to the "Old Time" ice cream parlor located right next door and choose from more than 35 flavors of locally made hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, soft serve cones, shakes, smoothies, slushes, or one of their specialty sundaes. Also on the menu are hot dogs, homemade chili and nachos.

-- DAVE MORAN

Only Game in Town
275 Valley Service Road, North Haven
203-239-4653, 203-239-GOLF
Cost: 9 holes - $4.50 for children/seniors, $5.50 for adults; 18 holes - $5.50 for children/seniors; $7.70 for adults

The Only Game in Town has a lot more to offer its customers than just miniature golf. "The Ultimate Sports Complex," as it's described, has arcade games, batting cages, go-karts, food, bankshot basketball, a driving range, and your choice of a 9 or 18-hole miniature golf game.

I played the cheaper, 9-hole game, with large plastic dinosaurs as the only decorations on course. The green was coming off the ground on several holes. I have never been a successful mini golf player, but this course was rather challenging. Trying to get a hole-in-one by angling your ball around a giant plastic reptile is not that easy. Needless to say, I came in last place.

The 18-hole course seemed to have a more appealing landscape (minus the dinosaurs).

If you plan on playing some arcades, riding the go-karts, and then maybe playing a game of golf, this is the place to go. They even offer a variety of group discount packages, including "The Ultimate" package: one game of 9 or 18-hole mini golf; one game of bankshot basketball; two batting cage tokens; one small bucket of golf balls; and two go-kart rides, for only $22.50 per person.

The Only Game in Town is cheap and has plenty of things to keep anyone entertained; but, if you are looking for a place that means business when it comes to their mini golf, it can be appreciated that this place isn't actually the "only game in town."

-- MICHELLE COLLINS

Subscribe to the Hartford Courant today and receive up to 50% off!

SPONSORED LINKS