I tend to forget about mini golf as a fun family activity unless I’m on vacation and my kids notice a mini golf course and beg us to take them. And every time we do, we end up having a blast! If you’re like me, perhaps this list of eight mini golf courses around Greater Boston will come in handy. These spots come recommended by fellow Boston-area mamas with varying tastes but a consistent goal — easy family fun. (And bonus if there’s also ice cream!)
Castle Creek Adventure Land :: Salem
Castle Creek is our family’s “local” mini golf spot, and it really is an adventure land. The mini golf course is great and boasts a beautiful castle and an awesome waterfall. They often change the color of the water, and the kids love wondering what color it’s going to be when we go. In addition to the mini golf, you can also ride go-karts and enjoy delicious Richardson’s ice cream — they carry more than 50 flavors!
Golf Country :: Middleton and Easton
This one is a golf-lover’s destination! Golf Country offers mini golf courses as well as driving ranges, batting cages, and, of course, Richardson’s Ice Cream — in fact, the Middleton location is right next to the farm! You can spend a few hours here if you are an avid golfer and want the whole family to learn to love golf as much as you do. If your kids are more into baseball, they can have their fun at the batting cages.
McGolf :: Dedham
McGolf has been recommended to me by a couple of close friends. The mini golf course here features your usual landscaping and waterfalls, but it also has a koi pond! This place is not just about the mini golf. McGolf also has driving ranges and something called a “short game course” — a 20,000-square-foot short game area. (You do have to become a McGolf member to use it.) At McGolf, you can finish things off with, you guessed it, ice cream! The café at McGolf offers slush, coffee, tea, and food like hot dogs and burgers.
Trombetta’s Farm :: Marlborough
Want to play mini golf year round and still get that warm-weather, outdoor vibe in the cold-weather months? At Trombetta’s, the 18-hole mini golf course is situated inside a fiberglass greenhouse filled with beautiful plants and flowers. The fresh homemade ice cream — 40 flavors — will give you that summer feel no matter the time of year!
Golf on the Village Green :: Natick
For a patriotic theme reminiscent of the Freedom Trail, check out Golf on the Green’s colonial-era motif. With miniature historical buildings, life-size statues, and other replicas, you can pass it off as an educational experience!
Magoo’s Ice Cream :: Rockland
Mini golf and ice cream seem to go hand in hand. This spot is a family-owned ice cream store with a beautiful mini golf course, and its motto really captures what I think we’re all looking for here: “Family, Food, and Fun.” Sign me up! Magoo’s offers a variety of food options in addition to their ice cream.
Kimball Farm :: Westford
Make it a day of family fun at Kimball Farm! Kimball’s is known for its ice cream, but the Westford location also boasts mini golf (two 18-hole adventure courses!), bumper cars and bumper boats, a driving range, a zipline, arcade games, and a full grill and seafood shack. On summer weekends, you can also catch free live concerts!
Garden Golf at Café Sarina :: Georgetown
This place is gorgeous. It offers a farm-to-table café, a garden, a mini golf course, and an ice cream shop. You can show up for a yummy breakfast with the whole family, then follow it with a round of mini golf and even some lunch or ice cream to finish off your day of fun. The café and the ice cream shop were inspired by the owners’ daughters. Their stories are inspiring and worth learning more about!
