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Knolls & Holes
Odetah Campground
38 Bozrah Street Extension
Bozrah, CT
(860) 889-4144
Toll-free: (800) 448-1193
Map | Directions | Website

Our Review | Visitor Review

Our Review

• Last Reviewed: 8/7/2004
• By: Chris (MiniGolf CT Staff)
• Overall Rating (1-5): 5
• Maintenance: 4
• Creativity: 5
• Price: 5
• Fun: 5
• Difficulty: Average/Hard

Harris! I recognized the course-builder’s name on the front window of Knolls & Holes, and knew instantly that I wouldn’t be too disappointed by the next half-hour of miniature golfing that was to come. Even still, it was an enjoyable experience that made me remember why I loved (and “hated”) miniature golf.

The surroundings are both utopian and urban – Route 2, a major Connecticut limited-access highway, bordered the course. But the foliage blocked the highway such that if my playing partner hadn’t pointed out the cars going over a bridge through a break in the trees, I never would have realized. The campground itself looks almost like a resort, and definitely like your typical park bordering a pond – just lovely.

The course resembles an easier version of Simsbury’s Blue Fox Walk, and doesn’t disappoint. The ridges and dips in the holes are meticulously planned so you cannot get an easy hole-in-one without thinking your tee shot through. No tee mats here – just a “tee zone” where you can move the ball around without being inhibited. And no rims – the cups here are ones you’d find at a real golf course. (I’m not sure whether it’s the ball or the cup, but for the first time ever, I had a shot truly bounce out of the hole after it was clearly in. It was most likely because there was another ball in the hole at the time.)

There is a rock-laden shallow stream that runs from a waterfall at one end of the course to a pool with fountain at the other end. The water wasn’t turned on when I was there – which was just as well, because otherwise I would have had one wet ball. You see, several of the holes have outputs into the stream, and if you’re not a careful putter (or on one hole, if you choose the long way and you’re not a putting pro), you too could end up with a one-stroke water hazard penalty.

Let’s see – family fun? Check. Large group accommodation? Check (5 players per group allowed here). Excellent atmosphere in which to enjoy an excellent course? Check (even the small, incidental debris from some holes being in a semi-wooded area didn’t affect the putting surfaces much). If you haven’t checked out Knolls & Holes yet, you’ve been missing out.

Visitor Review

• Reviewed: 10/01/2005
• By: Jim Sweeters
• Overall Rating (1-5): 5
• Maintenance: 4
• Creativity: 5
• Price: 4
• Fun: 4
• Difficulty: 5/5

Home of the annual USPMGA Odetah Fall Classic and in my opinion, one of the most challenging putting courses in CT. Knolls & Holes uses mostly contours instead of obstacles and that makes it far harder to beat par than on most other courses...and a lot more fun for most players. From the first deceptively 'easy' hole to the 18th, this course will make you think about every stroke and will challenge as well as reward you. As an average player, I usually get at least one hole-in-one when I play this course and the USPMGA pros usually shoot in the high 30's during tournament play. It's rated a as a par 42 which is probably a bit optimistic except for the very skilled player.

Knolls and Holes is easy to get to via Route 2 but can be hard to find as it's nestled in tiny Bozrah as part of a campground. However, it's worth finding. Lots of trees and the smell of burning wood from the fireplace in the main dining hall makes a very pleasant ambiance, especially in autumn as the leaves begin to turn. Some of those leaves will end up on the course but management tries to keep it clean and generally suceeds. As part of the campground, the putting course features a store where you can find many types of refreshments (and souvenirs) at reasonable prices. Parking is plentiful and the restroom facilities are well mantained.

Knolls and Holes minigolf course in Bozrah could be one of the most challenging putting courses in Connecticut but it's certainly worth playing for both it's atmosphere and layout as well as the promise of a putters reward for a game that is well played.

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
• A number of older reviews have a "Playability" rating. This indicates how able is one to play the course. Things like bent cup rims, twigs, clogged pipes, and too-difficult holes were included here. (These considerations are now part of Maintenance; Creativity was added in place of Playability in 2005.)