STONEHAM, MA

(UPDATE: CLOSED IN 2024)

Terrible greens aren’t nearly enough to overshadow a creative 18-hole old-school throwback odyssey brimming with the enduring spirit of a 1950’s handyman work ethic.

DEDHAM, MA

McGolf does a decent job of giving you a bit of fun, whether you’re a tired parent with kids that need entertaining or a childless 30-something year old man who hypothetically punched out of work early on a Monday afternoon to come here.

NORWOOD, MA

Beware of glow-in-the-dark monsters, neon camels, and existential crises. This is a deeply problematic course in ways we are still searching to fully understand.

SAUGUS, MA

There are few positives about this vaguely galactic course located inside the Square One Mall universe. Consider visiting Planet X only if Earth has been destroyed and taken every existing miniature golf course with it.

MALDEN, MA

An entertaining 12-hole course with some creative twists on traditional putting. Your enjoyment mileage may vary, but it's indoor location holds some appeal as a winter putting destination.

BOSTON, MA (SEAPORT)

Somewhere in the Carribean onboard a yacht there is a venture capitalist working on his fourth mojito of the evening and regaling his friends with the story of how he built a successful business selling tech-infused mini golf to millennials. At $18 for 9 holes, we hope that yacht is big.

MARLBOROUGH, MA

Intricate wall murals and the most dramatic background music we've ever heard played on a mini golf course aren't enough to save this indoor Halo video game-themed (we think?) course from a lackluster putting experience. Flat putting with illuminated miniature jersey barrier borders and haphazardly scattered obstructions makes for a bit of a snooze. Then again maybe we're just old, and clearly we represent 0.0001% of the typical putting public.

NATICK, MA

This mostly colonial-era United States themed classic style course excels at highly-detailed, photo-worthy props that are well-suited for sending videos to grandparents of their favorite (or not) grandchildren launching terminal velocity putts and then whacking each other in the shins with putters. The golf itself is middle-of-the-road with more than a few cookie-cutter holes that are essentially the same but with different buildings. Still, it’s entertaining enough and the course size is ample which allows for longer holes that makes the putting feel not too claustrophobic.

ASHLAND, MA

Inexplicably, we really like this place. It's a little rough around the edges, but there's something intoxicating about its quaint location tucked behind a chain-link fence in the back of an ice cream shack. It's a compact footprint, and hole lengths skew short, but there are some challenging putts and tidy hole designs. This is just one of those places that is imbued with a can-do spirit that we appreciate.

HOLLISTON, MA

Featuring what may be the longest mini golf hole in the state, this course offers generally acceptable putting that adults should find engaging. And while it's nothing remarkable, and is a bit unloved in places and showing some wear, this is still a solid workhorse, middle-of-the-road type of course that gets the job done. We left feeling entertained (albeit one of us crying from losing), but not like we needed to go back.

MARLBOROUGH, MA

Situated inside a combination plant-antiques-ice cream shop, this pleasant and somewhat eclectic, indoor course makes for unique putting as if you’re wandering through the garden in your peculiar Great Aunt’s backyard. One can’t downplay the terrific benefit of being able to comfortably play mini golf when it’s pouring rain outside, and with a welcoming ambiance, water fountains, neat greens, and plenty of plants, Trombetta’s Farm should leave you in a calmer and more oxygenated condition than when you arrived.

ROCKLAND, MA

An enjoyable enough, relatively compact Harris course that is straightforward and pleasant. You won’t find any flashy props or wild terrain here, just solid putting on decently-maintained greens.

HULL, MA

(UPDATE: CLOSED IN 2024)

This course is rough around the edges...and middles...and cups. Whether this course ever actually had a heyday is unknown, but with a central water feature that has run dry and dilapidated props haphazardly situated on holes, we'd stick to getting sunburned on Nantasket Beach.

HANOVER, MA

A challenging course with ample opportunity to shoot yourself in the foot with a bad tee shot. Features some fun longer holes and tricky dips and undulations. Bonus points for including the only ball washer we have seen on a mini golf course in the state.

ATTLEBORO, MA

(UPDATE: CLOSED IN 2024)

A delightful mini golf course that checks all the boxes with a water feature, cavern, long sweeping holes, and plenty of challenging elevation changes. This sprawling course is generally well-maintained and delivers the fun.

DARTMOUTH, MA

Nothing earth-shattering here, but it's a reasonably well-maintained course with a few good hole designs that will test your critical thinking skills and putting aim. The natural-esque barriers make bankshots difficult and if you come in the fall bring a leafblower.

EASTON, MA

(UPDATE: CLOSED IN 2023)

The mini golf framework is here, but the execution is lacking, and so is the maintenance and general upkeep. The large central waterfall feature could use a scrubbing, and the pirate ship feels like a squandered opportunity, We much prefer the sister Golf Country course in Middleton.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MA

This awesome indoor course is tucked into a very nondescript shopping plaza and attached to a kid’s play area. Don't be fooled this is adult mini golf that is challenging and delightful with exceedingly well-made props tessellated into a compact course footprint. Definitely worth a visit.

SEEKONK, MA

We should go easy on this place. Admittedly flat, bankshot-heavy, indoor golf is not our favorite style of mini golf. And while we torched the Norwood location of this franchise in our review that approximately no one besides us read (that's for the best), there are positives here that we have learned to appreciate: like the colorful and well-made props, and the generally decent upkeep. For whatever reason, this Seekonk location feels more pleasant to play than its sister course. So there. This place isn't all that terrible, especially considering it's one of the few courses you could play in February.

SOUTH BRIDGEWATER, MA

A thoughtfully designed and well-executed Harris-built course ensconced in a clearing next to batting cages and a sandwich shop. This course adds a local spin to some typical hole designs, with nods to candlepin bowling and Red Sox baseball, and includes some nice signage for each hole. The course is terrifically landscaped and maintained, and has a few challenging holes that should inspire the competitor within you. Worth a visit.

SEEKONK, MA

This course is really not that great, and yet for some reason it warmed our cold hearts. Perhaps it was the pair of giant prop screwdrivers on one hole, or the largest 3/4" wrench we have ever seen on another. Loose brick perimeters and wrinkled carpets aside, it's kind of fun playing on a course that looks like a garage next door exploded scattering motorcycle helmets, car engines, and assorted tools high into the sky before landing haphazardly on this course.

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MA

This place feels like it’s destined to be razed and replaced with condos in the not too distant future (new term for this: “condo course”). Until this covered land play pays off this course will continue to look ragged and not be too much fun to play. Much better are options are located nearby, unless you’re hardcore like us in which case give it whirl so 10 years from now you can drive by and tell your kids “there used to be a mini golf course there.”

PEABODY, MA

Pinball meets mini golf in this dark, constrained, bankshot-heavy indoor course located within the Northshore Mall. Admittedly not our preferred style of mini golf, but probably acceptable for entertaining your kids for an hour. There are a couple redeeming holes, but for the most part your time here will be spent dodging 8-year olds and trying not to get clocked in the head by errant tee shots or putters. That said, if a flying putter does happen to break your glasses you can always traipse a few stores down to LensCrafters.

NORTH READING, MA

Quaint little course attached to a driving range that manages to exude charm despite its lack of bells and whistles, or robust landscaping. This feels like playing a backyard course, albeit more well constructed. From a putting standpoint, the short hole length makes every tee shot feel like a hole-in-one opportunity which ought to get your competitive juices flowing.

GEORGETOWN, MA

An exquisite mini golf course that is magnificently executed in both design and construction. Don’t be deceived by the tranquil garden setting: bring your A-game because this can be a challenging and unforgiving course. The prospect of playing a couple rounds here on a crisp autumn afternoon followed by a beer in their lovely garden cafe has us getting emotional.

SALEM, MA

This course draws you in with promising curb appeal and proceeds to somewhat halfheartedly check most of the boxes of adventure-style mini golf with a castle, cannons, dyed-blue waterfalls and a cave hole. Situated atop a hill with very little shade, the sun pummels you into submission here and the greens are fast and unforgiving.

HAVERHILL, MA

The two 18-hole courses here feel a bit dated and forgotten with a 1990's Storyland vibe. The back course is neglected and needs some reviving, so stick to playing the 18 holes along the road closest to the entrance if you really have to come here; otherwise there is better putting to be found 15 minutes away at Cafe Sarina or Jay Gee’s.

MIDDLETON, MA

This expansive course has two 18-hole courses and delights with long hole lengths and some nice undulations and elevation changes. There are no props or gimmicky themes here, which is good because it will allow you to focus all your energy on beating your nephew by 37 strokes because goddamnit he needs to learn that he can't win all the time.

METHUEN, MA

This course delivers the fun promised in their name with this safari-animal themed mini golf course. This well-maintained 18-hole Harris-built course serves up a terrific blend of challenging mini golf and photo-worthy props. There are a few faults on some holes, but nothing that isn’t overshadowed by, say, a large volcano that emits a plume of mist in the background while you try to sink a 3-foot putt. This course handily beats out the nearby Merrimack Valley Pavilion and Cedarland Family Fun Center.

WESTFORD, MA

With two 18-hole courses featuring nicely designed holes meandering among skillfully crafted waterfalls, caves, and other terrain, this western-ish themed course entertains both casual players and diehard putting enthusiasts. Kimball Farm sets the bar high with well-maintained greens of decent size, pleasing props and adornments, and a magnificently constructed mini golf entrance building that has zero in common with traditional mini golf entrance shacks and is instead a structure that we would happily live in year round and may very well have to once we get fired for leaving work early to play here.

TYNGSBORO, MA

This is a creatively refreshing, sprawling, super-sized course that affords one the rare opportunity to putt in front of an audience of live goats. Putt through a barn, cave, and up, over, and around a massive central water feature. Worth a visit alone to experience what is indisputably the largest and bluest practice putting green we have ever seen.

TEWKSBURY, MA

Underwhelming, undermaintained, overpriced. This place should be out of business soon, most likely turned into condos ("condo course"). Tough to find much positive to say about this “Tiki Island Golf” course, except that the weather was nice while we were here. Let us know if they still have a traffic cone stuck in the funnel on the 15th hole.

MIDDLETON, MA

A well-executed adventure-ish-style course nestled among driving ranges and chipping greens. Nicely laid-out and maintained with a gentle adherence to an island-paradise theme that is refreshingly pirate-free (with perhaps the exception of a trash-talking parrot on the last hole). The course gets the fundamentals right, and offers up a few holes that stand out above the rest. Worth a visit for some competitive fun with your wife, kids, friends, or mortal enemies

IPSWICH, MA

Low-key, compact Harris-built  course in the back lot of an ice cream stand. Typical hole designs on display here, with an amusing but extremely battered cow prop on the 19th bonus hole. Expect leaf-filled greens in the the fall, and a fairly middle of the road experience overall. Play if located very close by or desperate, otherwise consider exploring elsewhere.

EASTHAM, MA

Arnold’s is a bustling hot spot of activity, featuring mini golf, ice cream, seafood, beer, and about 12,000 people on vacation. In other words, it is a microcosm of Cape Cod. This course suffers from a lack of vision and is unable to stand out in this mini golf dense stretch of Massachusetts. There are some decent holes on the course, and it checks the box on the use of pirate props (legally-required for mini golf on the Cape) with a pirate ship, pirate, and parrot dressed as a pirate, yet despite the course name, Arnold’s comes up short on adventure.

HARWICH PORT, MA

Bud's is a great course. It's in terrific condition, nicely landscaped, and features some fun and challenging putting. The solid concrete borders make for predictable bank shots, and most of the holes require some critical thinking and an accurate aim. In our humble opinion this is one of the best courses on Cape Cod. If we're looking for faults our only very minor criticism is that there isn't a lot of shade (though this applies to more than a few Cape courses), so be prepared for that and enjoy the terrific putting!

ORLEANS, MA

This high quality course has an almost AI-inspired aesthetic to it, featuring vividly colored nautical props, an impossibly clean central water feature, and almost cartoon-ish looking rocks dotting the course. The putting is pleasant with excellent condition turf bordered by natural rocks, along with the somewhat unusual but welcome use of dots to indicate tee areas. This course handily beats out their "Adventure" rival "Arnold's Adventure" located just down the road, and we would happily return here to play another round. Bonus points for the real live fish, and (separately) a finger eating shark.

WAREHAM, MA

Cartland beats out their neighbor down the street, Sand 'n' Surf, which is really not saying much. Still, this little course chiseled into a postage stamp sized lot alongside a very busy and very loud Route 6 has some positives. The turf is in generally decent condition and mostly free from rips and runs. And there is a quaint little waterfall, and a whale, and also a hole shaped like a heart. And let us not forget the above pictured seal balancing a ball. Cartland is working with what they've got here, and considering "mini golf" is not even in the title of the business, they cannot be accused of under-delivering. While we may not drive out of our way to go here, we wouldn't drive past this place either.

CATAUMET, MA

A massive, eye-catching water wheel looms high above this course, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. This course seemingly throws everything but the kitchen sink at holes, with decor and props including little houses, bridges, road signs, loop de loops, lobster traps, and more...there may actually even be a kitchen sink somewhere here. The putting itself skews underwhelming, with greens that have ripples and lackluster hole designs that tend to funnel shots to a given area. One thing this place does have going for it is the location: there's no other mini golf within a 7-mile radius, and no better mini golf within a 12-mile radius. Point being if you're in this area (Upper Cape or the armpit, depending on your map) and looking to do some putting, this place is one of your better bets.

BREWSTER, MA

A refreshing change of pace from the flashy and somewhat tiring pirate-lighthouse heavy themes of main drag Cape Cod putting. This slightly off the beaten path course is worth a visit in part because of its intimate and wild feel: the landscaping has (intentionally) gone rogue, and it's situated in a residential-type area on a fairly compact lot. The putting is good and challenging, the setting tranquil, and the ownership is friendly, all of which make this course worth a visit.

DENNIS, MA

Among the courses of the Cape, this is a fairly curious specimen. With its use of heavy railroad-tie-esque borders, it's imbued with what to these reviewers feels like western flair. And yet in places that vague feeling is paired with the nautical imagery of the Cape (e.g. lighthouse). Regardless, the putting tends to be funneled down maze-like narrow chutes which can sometimes but not always make for simplistic whack-it-and-hope-for-the-best putting. Still, the greens and grounds here are generally clean and pleasant, if not downright stately and formal. Ultimately, one comes away feeling like Holiday Hill is an enigma not to be understood.

VINEYARD HAVEN, MA

COMING SOON!

WEST YARMOUTH, MA

Admittedly there is not much reason to come to this course. It's attached to a motel rebranded as a resort, and is pretty unremarkable. The water feature wasn't working, the greens were a little lumpy, and the cups filled up with rainwater. Guests play for free, so of course we chose to stay here on one of our Cape Cod mini golf odysseys. Non-guests could probably also just drop in and play and no,one would care; though if you do go inside the front desk person's brain will probably explode when you tell them you're here to play mini golf.

MASHPEE, MA

COMING SOON!

SOUTH YARMOUTH, MA

Pirate's Cove is Pirate's Cove. It's big, flashy, and packed as soon as it opens. If being elbow to elbow with your fellow patron isn't your favorite style of golf you may have to make an effort to find non-peak times and more advantageous weather conditions (generally the better the beach conditions, the emptier the courses). While the mini golf isn't bad, it's hard to get too fired up about this place. Some holes are a fun challenge, some are just hit it and hope for the best. If you've been to a Pirate's Cove anywhere then you've basically been to this place. Your kids will probably love this place, so there's that.

EASTHAM, MA

The awesome collection of old-school pinball machines located here in the very retro-feeling entrance area steals the show. Apparently they all work and are lovingly maintained by a (groan for the song reference) pinball wizard of a mechanic. The mini golf is less enthralling, though it does deliver on the course name with multiple lighthouses dotting the course. Greens are in decent condition, with holes bordered by natural rock, and crushed rock constitutes the landscaping between the holes. In all there is nothing to get too fired up about here, but if you are really into lighthouses and pinball then this is a dream course for you.

MASHPEE, MA

This course is nestled among an outdoor marketplace mall area close to the beach in a resort type area. Which is a preamble to the point that this place is hard to pin down. It feels more aimed at people who may be staying nearby than it is at luring people away from more flashy, traffic-filled parts of the cape. Here in the relative quietude you must putt your way along holes of a decent length, occasionally through obstacles if you so desire, but that's only if you feel like it because those obstacles are more decorations than impediments in many cases. There is the world's most adorably useless loop-de-loop to assist in navigating around a tree on one hole, but beyond that this course seems worth playing only if you're already at this market anyway, or if you've rented a place nearby for the week and want to destroy every other extended family member in heated competition by no fewer than 35 strokes.

WEST YARMOUTH, MA

It seems a tad ambitious to call this place a paradise. This may well have been a paradise at some point, but that seems to be well in the past. Granted, everyone's idea of paradise is different, but what we can say is the greens are worn and bare in spots, the cups look downtrodden, and the landscaping is sparse. Thematically things feel a bit cluttered and disheveled, but then again they do have a large whale blasting water from its blowhole out front, and it's hard to deny that's a cool thing. This course needs a bit of a facelift, but in the meantime it's fairly middle of the road mini golf.

EASTHAM, MA

This is no big budget, grandiose course, and yet it still manages to delight. Perhaps it's the slightly zany animal props that dot the course (we do love a good cartoon-y looking cow that you have to putt through). Construction grade lumber perimeters and budget turf do slightly reduce the quality of the golf, but it's nothing detrimental and manages to strike a pleasant backyard DIY note that makes you feel at home. And at $5 a round, you'll still have some money leftover to eat some delicious pizza from the attached restaurant.

WAREHAM, MA

We're unclear why this place exists. It's in rough shape, the water feature is nonexistent, the turf and cups are lousy, and the slighty-off cape location is less than ideal. Presumably you send your kids here to play mini golf while you and your spouse argue over buying wicker furniture from the attached store; "You said last year we'd buy a set, and my parents are coming in two weeks...what are we supposed to sit on in the backyard?" etc. This place has clearly thrown in the towel. Bring on the condos.

SANDWICH, MA

Playing this 36-hole course located in what was once marshland and a cranberry bog feels a bit like exploring the dusty rooms of an historic mansion. Each hole seems to present new artifacts, dusty corners, and hidden passageways to be explored. Along the way you'll launch putts over water, across bridges, and have to walk a small gangplank yourself to get to the next hole. While the putting itself may not be the most pristine or rewarding, this course offers up enough variation and creativity to make it worth a visit to play one of the two 18-hole courses.

SOUTH YARMOUTH, MA

Let us pause to consider the absolute and undeniable death-metal imagery of a massive frowning skull perched atop a rocky outcropping, from which waters rush forth carrying the blood of our enemies, possibly, but mostly neon pink and green golf balls from errant tee shots. This course looms large on the main drag in Yarmouth, and in our view bests the nearby Pirate's Cove in overall playability and course quality.

HYANNIS, MA

This course adheres to the established Cape adventure mini golf template with water, a cavern, and nautical props. "Props" seems too small of a word as Steve and Sue's has gone and placed an entire boat on one hole, and good luck to you should you have a putt that lands wedged up against the keel. While the water feature is large and pleasing (and potentially may gobble up your dollars given this course has a lost ball fee which may be the only one we have seen in the state), and the landscaping nice, the turf is often full of runs, ripples, and sags, and many holes act as funnels steering you to one area regardless of your shot. Thus it is that we're not in a big hurry to get back here.

DENNIS PORT, MA

This is a quaint little course, pleasant in appearance and unassumingly tucked in a mostly residential area near the ocean. Indeed this feels like playing something constructed in someone's back garden, with wood borders and a plasticky turf you might buy at Ocean State Job Lot. The putting is acceptable enough, albeit generally hemmed in by Tetris block-shaped borders. If we were renting a place nearby we'd probably come here once or twice during the evening to do some low-key, leisurely putting that lies at the opposite end of the mini golf spectrum from Pirate's Cove.

WEST HARWICH, MA

While the putting here is nothing to write home about, there is something charming about the pairing of an unpretentious, unintentionally retro family restaurant with an outdoor mini golf course. One could imagine a scene a couple decades ago where parents sat in a booth ashing post-meal cigarettes, having just sent their kids out to play mini golf. During the break they talk about needing to get the kids to Kmart next week for back to school shopping, that is if the family station wagon doesn't break down before then...but hey at least we don't have to go home for a couple more days. And so in the dying evening hours of a thousand late-August Cape vacations, dads drunk on Budweisers reach under the table to caress their wives' legs while their kids outside whack each other in the shins with putters and for half an hour all is right in the world.

WELLFLEET, MA

It would be easy to pick on this place. The greens are cheap and rumpled, cups less than ideal, landscaping lackluster, and drainage problematic. By today's standards things look underwhelming. But let's look at the historical aspect here. This course dates back to 1961 and still features the original obstacles from that era. Just consider how many times that loop-de-loop has sent a ball careening towards the hole. If on average 100 people per day play this course, at 70 playable days per year, and 62-ish years...that's almost a half million shots taken through the windmill on the second hole. Don't come here looking for good mini golf, come here to play a piece of history.

WEST YARMOUTH, MA

It's hard to go wrong with a bunch of large animals, a massive water feature, and a crashed airplane fuselage. This course is in terrific condition and features enormous greens that should both challenge putters and accommodate younger kids launching terminal velocity putts. The terrific blend of props and signage, along with the use of various turf types and colors coupled with plenty of terrain changes, makes this a course worth playing.

AUBURN, MA

A well-maintained gem of a course, with neat greens and some challenging putts. Concrete-bordered holes make use of plenty of dips, undulations, and water to throw off your game. It's hard to find too much to fault here, though if we're nitpicking the dreaded black tee mats are used, and the water can be a little brackish in parts of the course. Still, if we lived near here or were passing through again we would play here.

LUNENBURG, MA

A surprisingly delightful course offering a refreshing take on mini golf that connoisseurs of the game should find engaging. Each hole presents the tantalizing possibility of a hole-in-one, though achieving it will require some skill. With numerous water hazards, sand traps, and precarious elevation changes in play, this is the opposite of wack-it-and-hope-for-the-best putting. While the course's length and size are smaller than many courses (offering an almost mini-mini golf), the design, quality, and overall attention to detail on display here more than make up for it.

MENDON, MA

This course harkens back to a presumably simpler, pre-iPad era, when the prospect of putting underneath a giant animal (polar bear, giraffe, gorilla, etc.) was more than enough to get a child's dopamine levels soaring. By today's standards, this historic course feels underwhelming, dated, and repetitive. But we're mini golf nuts and there is something to be appreciated here. Sure it's a little rough, and this may be a "condo course", but it's still worth playing if you get the opportunity to because courses like this won't be around forever.

LEICESTER, MA

This ample-sized 18-hole course feels less like a mini golf course and more like a practice putting facility for regular golfers. You won't find any pirates, animals, windmills, or water features here, just long brick-bordered holes with plenty of elevation changes. We enjoyed our time here and it made for a great test of putting skills, but it's hard to see how a child would find this course too enthralling.

WHITINSVILLE, MA

This course should get our blood pumping and yet it does not. It's scenic enough, carved slightly into the hillside overlooking a small farm expanse, and with a pleasant water feature running throughout. Perhaps it’s because we've seen and played enough Harris-built courses at this point that they feel a bit tired. Or perhaps it was us who was tired after playing 3 other courses before this one. Still, it's in good shape and was recently re-turfed, so perhaps you should play this course and see for yourself what you think.

STERLING, MA

A pleasant Harris-built course in forested grove that provides an enjoyable outdoor experience. Most will find this course satisfactory, though the putting is often whack-it-and-hope-for-the-best mini golf. And while there are some novel hole designs, the play can be frustrating and nonsensical, with balls getting funneled to one corner of the green and entire green sections that won't factor into play for 99% of players. Still, the course’s size and good condition, the presence of lush foliage, and the use of metal putters for house putters (instead of the plastic ones usually seen, which surely must increase their annual liability insurance premium), make it worth a visit if you're in the area.