Played on June 3, 2013

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

The Pink Putter summed up why we made a special effort to play Par King. This is one review where even the pictures and videos don’t tell the full story of how special it is. This Midwestern mini golf mecca is the epitome of what we like in mini golf. Our east coast road trip was book ended Par-King and Vitense. Between the two you have the five best courses we have played to date.

Rating: 

Hole-in-one – It doesn’t get much better than this. It’s the Magic Kingdom of mini golf hidden in the burbs of Chicago. No repeat holes, paths to the cup that include motorized elevators, massive fiberglass characters and challenging play. The only criticism I had with the experience was the music. A playlist of tepid jammy late pop rock that included Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies, Black Eyed Peas, and Ben Harper attempted to throw me off my game . While this musical combination is a perfect recipe for me wanting to jam a scoring pencil through my ear drums, it couldn’t get in the way of the most spectacular mini golf we’ve played to date. If you’re looking at building a mini golf course, Par-King is a perfect starting point of reference.

Pros:

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

Cons:

Playlist of music playing on public address system

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 (a zero is possible on hole 18)
  • -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 on hole 18 are 1 in 32.