Played on October 13, 2019
Reviewed by The Pink Putter
The Barter Boat is a pop-up, interactive art project that travels to different cities around the country and this past October it took me to Cincinnati, OH for the BLINK Festival. I was joined by my collaborators Anna Abhau Elliott, Desiree Moore and our friend and super-assistant Aimee Wise. Since the festival took place at night, we had our days free to explore the city and to no one’s surprise, mini golf was on the top of my list. After researching the area, I was surprised to find very few courses in the region. I settled on General Custer’s on Cincinnati’s West Side.
Rating
Par – What is now General Custer’s was originally opened in 1958 as a Putt Putt. The two 18-hole courses have since been re-decorated and made part of a larger complex that includes ice cream, a bungee jumper and a game room. The gentleman working at the counter was kind enough to show me an old photo and tell me about some of the history. At 61 years old, this course has clearly been re-decorated, re-painted and re-turfed, but definitely still shows signs of its age. The original design of the Putt Putt course has been obstructed with a random assortment of obstacles ranging in quality from pre-fabricated to home-made. What should have been holes with all Par 2 has completely changed into a much more challenging landscape. While there is no overall theme that brings everything together, the vibe of General Custer’s is kitschy and fun. And since we showed up at the end of the season, we got a deep discount of two rounds for $5/person.
Pros
Fun, kitschy obstacles and decor
Good pricing deals late season
Not super crowded
Cons
Random assortment of obstacles disrupts the original game play design of Putt Putt
Obstacles in varying states of decay
Overall course feels very worn
Nerdy Notes
- two 18-hole courses, par 36
- rubber covered putters
- no flags in holes
- Adult: $7.00 (12+ yrs old)… All You Can Play – just $3.00 more, Child: $6.00 (5-11 yrs old)… All You Can Play – just $3.00 more, Toddlers: $3.00 (4 yrs old)…Includes All You Can Play, 3 Yrs old and under Free with other paying person. Otherwise, $2.00
