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Monster Mini Golf
658 Long Hill Road
Groton, CT
(860) 446-0006
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Our Review | Visitor Review

Our Review

• Last Reviewed: 7/21/2006
• By: Chris (MiniGolf CT Staff)
• Overall Rating (1-5): 4
• Maintenance: 5
• Creativity: 5
• Price: 4
• Fun: 4
• Difficulty: 4 (Above average)
• Par: Not listed (is supposed to be calculated soon; our rough estimate: 48)

Just two weeks after visiting Monster Mini Golf's founding location in Danielson, I attended Grand Opening Day of the Groton franchise. I was delayed a bit, mixing up my north and south and copying down the wrong set of directions (hint: if you're coming from the Hartford area, you want the "south of Groton" directions), but once there (it's hidden behind the Goodwill store, so when you see the Goodwill sign, just drive behind it, there's plenty of parking back there), I found a course as unique as Danielson's, though with many common elements.

As with the original course, the course is indoors (a plus during Connecticut's colder and wetter seasons), the theme is monsters, and it's glow-in-the-dark (but not too dark), though the artwork and actual monsters (don't worry: the kiddies won't be scared) are different (but just as intricate and well-designed). One even took the opportunity to turn away from its organ and stare at me for a few seconds before moving back into place. Music plays in the background, and a DJ booth is there, staffed part-time by a man in a white lab coat (the standard uniform for the Monster employees) who gave free game passes to those who could correctly identify the bands that played some of the more obscure songs.

The gameplay is very different than Danielson's. Unlike there, where the course and the coin-op games seemed to have equal space, the majority of the building has the challenging mini-golf course. Many holes require a well-banked shot (sometimes with up to three or more banks), and the tee mats sometimes hint at a good path. Some holes seemed impossible to hole in 1, and while par was not listed (I was told that pars will be added to holes soon), a majority of the holes will likely be 3-par. To be successful, you have to analyze the location of the hole and determine how to get there (or at least to get close). Also difficult was that no boundary separates each hole, so shots occasionally drifted onto the next green on some of the more difficult holes. And as the course is dark and the putting surface is dark green, "reading" the green was next to impossible, so it wasn't until the ball went suddenly left-to-right or down into a depression that you realized one existed.

The 18th, as in Danielson, features a clown with a really long tongue, and the object is to putt the ball into its mouth. It's much harder than it seems, as I found waiting several minutes for the foursome in front of me (including one small child and two older children) to get the ball in. Barriers to the left and right of the tongue suggest that if the ball is hit there, it is okay to leave it, though it was unclear enough that players retrieved the ball from there and tried once again to hit it up the tongue. My attempt was better, with a 3-putt (first shot missed left, second shot tapped the ball right in front of the tongue, 3rd shot a success), and I figured out that a sharp but not too-hard stroke did the trick. (Too-forceful shots bounced off the clown's front teeth, once sending a ball onto the 17th green - good thing nobody was at the hole!) An employee handed me a free game card afterwards for my quick work on the hole (or perhaps because of my wait). The Monster folks might want to retool this hole a bit, because this can easily become a bottleneck on popular days.

The price may seem high at first for mini golf ($7 for adults), but considering the impressive and intricate artwork design and the fact that it's indoors, it seems more reasonable. Younger children (and short people) receive lower prices based on height, unique to the Monster Mini Golf franchises.

The coin-op game selection here was not quite as robust as Danielson's, partly due to the lack of a DDR machine (hint hint ;-) ). There are two party rooms, and a sneak peak inside one revealed an impressive elaborately-decorated room with ghouls galore, and cobwebs too. It made me want to have a party here, despite being an hour away from my home. My playing partner noted the cobwebs in this area too, and said that there need to be more on the course itself. Looking at the course and some of the monsters, it was true that they almost looked too new (in the sense that they are), and perhaps a few well-placed cobwebs (not too many, of course) might enhance the look of the course.

Summary: A solid and fun course, very unique and indoors. Challenging, too, and I can't wait for pars to be posted. Just work on 18 before people get too frustrated. Four out of five rating, and Recommended.

Visitor Review

• Reviewed: 8/7/2006
• By: M to the H
• Overall Rating (1-5): 5
• Maintenance: 5
• Creativity: 4
• Price: 4
• Fun: 5
• Difficulty: 5 (Hardest)

This is a one of a time course. Once you go in all you can see is anything you are wearing that is white.Besides that, the course is excellent! This is a difficult but challenging and fun course, one for all ages. The monsters in the booth will sometimes offer prizes from their booth when you are putting. If you make it,you win a tee-shirt. If you miss, you eat a chocolate covered cricket, your choice so make a wise one! I honestly plan on opening my own course in the near future! And I will let all of you know where the best indoor and outdoor course will be. So I will see you then.... Truly Yours M To The H !

Our Review Criteria

• All numerical criteria are on a basis of 1-5. For most items, 1 is worst, and 5 is best.
• Overall: The reviewer's overall opinion of the course. 1 or 2 is not good. 3 is average, but nothing special. 4 is worth a visit, and 5 is an exceptional course.
• Maintenance: How well the course is kept.
• Creativity: Is this a cookie-cutter type of course, or does it have some flair?
• Price: How does the price of the course compare to the quality?
• Fun: Simply put, how fun is the course?
• Difficulty: 1-5, 1 easiest, 5 hardest