Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                                          Return to Connecticut Page

 

154 College St (RT 154)

Old Saybrook, CT
(860) 388-2407

 

New Course

Click HERE for our review of the previous course at this location.

 

Par: 45

Cost: $5

 

Difficulty: 2                                      

Creativity: 4 

Atmosphere: 9

 

The Putting Penguin Team and Autumn Sutherland, owner of Matterhorn Mini Golf (http://www.matterhornminigolf.com), played Saybrook Point Miniature Golf course on a beautiful summer day, and we were even filmed by Amanda Kulkoski and Olivia Schanandore who are working on their “Through the Windmill” documentary!

 

The setting of this course on the mouth of the Connecticut River is quite stunning.  There’s a constant breeze, and there are boats sailing up and down river within sight of the course.  The setting also, unfortunately, is vulnerable to storms, and the previous course at this location was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy.  In fall 2013 a completely rebuilt Saybrook Point Miniature Golf was opened to the public. The course has obstacles that will look very familiar to the locals.  Holes are themed on the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, Old Saybrook fireboat, Town Hall, and the 17th century fort that once stood on the Point.  The course is in excellent condition.  The only wear that was noticed was on the Schoolhouse (hole 8).  Music is played on the course adding to the ambiance.  While we normally like a 19th hole, the 18th hole on this course does offer a chance at a free game and is rather unique.  It looks like a basketball court, with a bucket getting you a free game, in honor of the local high school.

 

The course is well landscaped.  No vegetation was in the way when we tried to make our shots.  Some of the plastic cups are a little shallow, which can cause the ball to bounce out.  We honestly had no major complaints about the course. Though there is no shade on the course, the coastal breeze keeps players comfortable while they’re on the course.  The course is also well laid out.  Even though there were a couple dozen players on the course with us we didn’t feel crowded at all. The course offers discounted play on Mondays for children ($3) and Wednesdays for seniors ($3).  This is a great course for kids and novices.  The course is not difficult at all, and the average player will easily be able to make par.  Overall we highly recommend this course.  It’s a great value at only $5!  The course is in great shape, the staff is friendly, and the local flavor makes for a great experience.

 

Reviewed by Pat, Mandy, Autumn and Putt

Filmed by Amanda & Olivia

Reviewed in 2014

 

 

 

Previous Course

 

Par: 45

Cost: $5 weekend/$4 weekday

 

2002 Ratings                                       2008 Update

Difficulty: 4                                       Difficulty: 3

Creativity: 4                                      Creativity: 3

Atmosphere: 6                                   Atmosphere: 6

 

Don’t let the seemingly low scores fool you; this is really a decent course worth playing if you happen to be on the Connecticut shore.  What you will find here is a classic shoreline boardwalk miniature golf.  When we say shoreline, we mean shoreline.  As in, the only thing that stands between this course and Long Island Sound is about 10 feet of sidewalk, a metal railing and a 15 foot drop to the water.  It provides a very nice atmosphere to the course, with the sea breeze helping to cool a hot day and the boats cruising the water making the whole scene quite active. (Note: you probably don’t want to play this course on a damp, dreary day.  Chances are you’d catch pneumonia somewhere around the 10th hole.)  What really makes this a classic boardwalk mini-golf is not so much the location, but the type of mini-golf.  It is an obstacle course, complete with time-honored classics such as the windmill, lighthouse and covered bridge.  The whole course screams “inexpensive, touristy way to pass an hour.” The obstacles all seemed to be in good condition, but the one thing we did notice is that it was fairly easy to putt around all the obstacles, making them somewhat worthless.  Most depressing was the fact that you could putt around the loop-de-loop on one hole.  The difficulty of the course dropped significantly due to the ease of avoiding the obstacles.

 

The course itself was well maintained for the harsh conditions it must endure during the year.  They pumped in some good tunes to help you pass the time while waiting for the group ahead of you. The grounds were manicured and everything was freshly painted.  Unfortunately, this is another course that insists on using thorn bushes as part of its landscaping and it isn’t cool when these bushes are overgrowing onto the walkway.  Little kids won’t be very happy when they go to putt a ball and end up with a thorn or two in the leg.  Adults probably won’t be that happy either if they caught one in the leg.  That’s why it still amazes us every time we see a course that uses thorn bushes.  The carpets also needed some overhaul.  The seams between pieces stuck out and played a bit of havoc with the path of the ball.  In some areas, there was a discernible dip where the two pieces of carpet came together.  Although not nearly as bad as some courses we’ve seen, these imperfections do interfere with play a bit.  They pale in comparison, though, to one of the biggest design flaws we’ve seen in a mini-golf course.  While we’re not big fans of the starting mat (those ones that have three holes to place your ball in) to begin with, the ones at this course were especially bad.  There were set behind the beginning of the hole, on the walkway leading up to the hole.  Thus you had to putt off the mat and over the metal piece that marked the beginning of the hole before you got to the carpet.  With multiple bumps like that, it’s very hard to hit a hole in one because you never know what direction the ball will take when it drops off the mat and hits the metal piece.  In addition, this course also had the terrible metal cups in the holes, which are conducive to nothing but shots that bounce off the lip or rim around the lip.  Although scoring multiple holes-in-one isn’t essential to having a fun time at the mini-golf, the thrill of sinking one isn’t something you want taken away by bad hole accessories.

 

Overall, the course has good general atmosphere, but lacks when it comes to the details.  Creatively, it was nothing spectacular and there wasn’t anything overly difficult about most the holes.  All told, it was an average course and about what you would expect from a boardwalk mini-golf.

 

(As an interesting side note, according to the scorecard, this course is actually under the management of the Old Saybrook Parks and Rec. Department.  This is the first time we’ve seen a municipality run miniature golf.)

 

2008 Update

Well, it took us 6 years to get back, but we have re-reviewed Saybrook Point Miniature Golf.  Not much has changed since we were last there.  In fact, we feel pretty much the same about it.  The mats are still worn and loose.  The bushes are still in the way at times.  The rubber mats are still there.  Most of the tin cups are still there, and a couple have been replaced with plastic (evidence of some course maintenance).

 

On a positive note the course, in general, looks good.  We’re big fans of locally inspired obstacles.  We like the location along the CT River.  Considering the price is so reasonable we recommend this course to anyone who’s in the area and looking for a way to spend an hour with the kids or to kill time while you’re waiting for a table at the Dock and Dine Restaurant next door.

 

Reviewed by Pat, Mandy and Putt

Reviewed in 2002 & 2008

 

Visitor Review #1

Visitor Review #2

 

REVIEW IT

 

New Course Pictures (click to enlarge)

 

Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf

 

Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf    

 

See our Flickr set for pictures of all 18 holes and more

 

Previous Course Pictures (click to enlarge)

 

Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf

 

Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf

 

Saybrook Point Miniature Golf                    Saybrook Point Miniature Golf

 

 

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Visitor Review #2 (2017)

 

Par: 45

Cost: $5 for adults

 

Difficulty: 6

Creativity: 10

Atmosphere: 10                    

 

Love the theme of this course - mini town of Old Saybrook. Average to slightly above on difficulty. Great setting - love the ocean & I played in mid-July so no weather issues.

 

Reviewed by: Glenda R

Reviewed in 2017

 

 

Visitor Review #1 (Old Course) (2004)

 

Par: 45

Cost: $5 for adults

 

Difficulty: 4

Creativity: 4

Atmosphere: 6                      

 

Living in CT, only minutes from this course, it's hard to believe I've actually played it -- typically doing this only on vacation. While this course already has a review, I thought I'd add my own two-cents. Namely, about the only thing this course has going for it is location, being on the shoreline. That said, the location isn't much to boast about, being a rather congested and busy area. The creativity and ambiance of the course does nothing to distract one from noticing everything happening around them. If you've read the other review, which I agree with to a large extent, you'll find this review reinforces some of the more negative aspects. My children, at ages 4 and 6 (and the reason I played this course in the first place) found this to be a very difficult course. That's because, as the other reviewer pointed out, the ball has many opportunities to bounce prior to ever rolling on the green. In addition, some of the holes were challenging to a child who cannot hit the ball with much force or accuracy. While you could easily put around or through the obstacles, I was struck by how many times my children's golf balls got stuck right in the middle of the obstacle. Despite some of these sentiments, the most negative aspect of the course for me was the copious placement of rules/regulations and what happens when you break them. While I recognize that abuse can take place, I feel that the rules/regs could be handed out in a more ascetically pleasing manner. For example, at hole #1 there is a big sign about what to do and not do. Lost ball, 50 cents, broken club, $5 (reasonable perhaps but very much in-your-face) -- not to mention that a few times my kids managed to hit the ball into the prickly bushes that line the course, making retrieval a less than comfortable effort! At nearly every hole, printed in bold white letters on the red landscaping border was another rule reminding you that you’re under close surveillance and one step away from trouble the entire time. For a carefree activity, this gave the atmosphere a rather uneasy feeling. For your money, you can find many more pleasing miniature golf experiences elsewhere.

 

Reviewed by: Tony

Reviewed in 2004