Played June 3, 2013

Reviewed by The Pink Putter

Being mini golf lovers, we’ve naturally done our research on some of the world’s best courses. Almost every article we find (like this, this and this) list Par-King as one of them. We had also seen videos like the feature on the Travel Channel. So of course we made it our top priority to stop there on the drive home from Pennsylvania, and it was without a doubt worth the detour! We had high expectations for Par-King and all of them were beyond exceeded. To date, this is by far the best two courses we have ever played. Each of the two deserve their own review, so I’ll be taking the Black Course and stay tuned for Mr. Tee’s review of the Red Course.

Rating:

Hole-in-One – Based off its immaculate appearance and impeccably maintained greens, the owners of Par-King clearly take pride in their course. The entire property, from the parking lot to inside the gates, was pristine and clean. Everything was fresh and bright, which is no surprise considering that every inch of the course is repainted at the beginning of each season. The staff were friendly, eager to guide us in the right direction and even gave us some tips, tricks and course info. But beyond all this, the real stand out of Par-King is that it is the epitome of classic mini golf kitsch. Every hole is extremely unique, thoughtfully designed, and fun to both look at and play. Don’t just take my word for it, check out the photos and videos below to get a good sense of Par-King’s greatness. Better yet, make a trip out to Lincolnshire and play it for yourself!

Hole 10 – Satellite:

Pros:

Classic kitsch
Extremely clean and well-maintained
Beautiful landscaping
Giant pink castle centerpiece (used as offices)
Unique and fun play
Two courses in one location
Well-designed scorecards with graphics of each hole

Cons:

I suppose if I had to come up with one…no ice cream shop on premise

Par-King website

Nerdy Notes:

• 18 holes, Par 41
• Rubber covered putters
• Weekdays until 6pm, $8; Weekday evenings and weekends until 6pm, $8.50; Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, $9
• Children under 48″ not admitted
• Built in 1955
• Trivia from their website:
  • -The lowest verified score on a Par-King course is 33.
  • -The lowest possible score is 17.
  • -The rollercoaster is made of over 750 wooden pieces.
  • -The carousel horses are each carved out of wood.
  • -The clown turns to the side over 3,400 times a day.
  • -The chances of winning a free game are 1 in 32.