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Saybrook Point Miniature Golf
Saybrook Point
Old Saybrook, CT
(860) 388-2407
Map (approx. location) | Website

Our Review

• First MiniGolf CT Review: 7/25/2002
• Last Reviewed: 7/3/2006
• By: Chris (MiniGolf CT Staff)
• Overall Rating (1-5): 4
• Maintenance: 4
• Creativity: 3
• Price: 4
• Fun: 4
• Difficulty: 2 (Easy)
• Par: 45

Update 7/3/06: The Stonehenge 18 (renamed this year to "Maynard House") is impossible no longer! On my visit, I managed to snake the ball between the two rocks and into the hole for the promised free game. It's still a very difficult hole, but it is possible.

Saybrook Point is always a favorite of mine, and I've accumulated more scorecards from there alone than several courses combined. The course is located right on the Connecticut River near its mouth, and the scenic view is amazing. This sets the mood for a wonderful round of miniature golf. (The course is also located right next to a restaurant.)

The course doesn't get the same kudos as Blue Fox Walk or similar, where the course is very unique and all. However, there are enough neat touches that make it worth playing. For instance, the 18th hole ("Maynard House", formerly "Stonehenge") gives golfers an interesting dilemma - do you go for the hole-in-1 by attempting to hit it through the very narrow space between two rocks, or do you putt around the rocks to salvage a 2 or 3? A hole-in-1 on this hole gets you a free game.

The course is maintained by the Old Saybrook Parks & Rec department, only one of two town-owned courses in the state (the other is in Stratford). And they do a good job with maintenance. I've noticed that the greens mats on all the holes have been replaced in the past year or two. There are some negative aspects about maintenance, however. Their first hole, formerly an easy straight-in shot, was recently made more difficult with the addition of three blocks covered in green fabric similar to the putting surface. However, they look old and worn out, and it makes the first hole look bad. And some of the wooden railings enclosing holes don't allow the ball to bounce back, so if your shot hits one of them, you might get stuck right up against the rail, which makes for a harder shot (and forget about planning to bank a shot off of some of these!). These should be replaced with ones that allow physics free reign.

One other quibble I have is with their "Double Trouble" hole. Ordinarily, such holes are supposed to reward those who get the ball in the preferred hole, and disadvantage those that take the easy way to the lower tier. But with this course, the lower tier is very small, and the pipes are positioned such that the easy way is more rewarding (I've gotten hole-in-1's twice using the easy way).

The price is $4/person on weekdays, $5/person on Friday nights and weekends, and $2/person on Monday (for kids under 16) and on Wednesday (for seniors). The price is very reasonable for a course like this, hence the 4/5 rating. (The course manager had taken issue with an earlier review that rated price at 3/5, rated solely on the weekend price, as I was unaware of the weekday pricing scheme. I still don't believe it merits a 5/5, as I reserve that for exceptional courses with low prices.

Summary: This is a great course in a great shoreline town. If you're in the Old Saybrook area, or if you're looking to take a trip down Rte 9 to the shore, add this to your list of stops. Four out of five stars and Recommended.

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