Played on August 20, 2020
Guest Review by Aaron “El Presidente” Kaminski of O-Street Mini Golf. Moira Wilson makes a guest appearance in the review photos and matched up against Aaron in the video below.
Hey, this is Aaron Kaminski from O-Street Mini Golf. I found this course searching for new mini golf courses online and stumbled upon Prodigy Mini Golf on Instagram. I was intrigued by its low, colorful lighting on its mini golf course and the vast collection of retro video games. So when Moira and I planned our road trip to the Northeast in the summer of 2020, it was definitely a must visit. We reached out to Jeff and were able to come by before they opened.
Prodigy Mini Golf is located in Eastworks Mill in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The West Boylston Manufacturing Company built the first three floors of Eastworks in 1908 for its textile business. After the 1925, other owners filed through including General Electric. During World War II, the War Department commandeered the building as an alternate construction site for bomb development. Ownership changed hands in the 1950s to Stanley Home Products, a cleaning supplies and cosmetics manufacturer. The company was a major employer in Easthampton before shutting down operations in 1996. Since then, Eastworks has transformed into a vibrant mixed-use space for retail businesses, artist lofts, apartments, and now mini golf!
We entered behind the building and walked down a hallway to the entrance of Prodigy Mini Golf. When you walk inside, you are immediately immersed into a retro video game paradise. Before we get into the mini golf, I need to talk about the GAMES! Behind the main desk when you walk in, is a wall of about 130 board, card, and tabletop games. At the desk, there is a massive book containng their inventory of 2,200 video games from which to select. Along one side of the room, there are 33 different fully functioning home video game consoles from the 1970s to today. There are also a handful of analog TV’s with comfy leather chairs and couches that make you feel like you’re in your own living room. Around the room are eight large gaming tables as well as a pool table, bumper pool, air hockey, foosball, shuffleboard, skee-ball, pop-a-shot, and a variety ring n’ hooks.
Rating
Now on to the mini golf! This wasn’t a course designed by a huge company like Harris Mini Golf but instead built by the owner Jeff Bujak. Concert-style lighting illuminates the holes and each hole is more challenging and unique than the next. You definitely need patience while playing because the course is extremely difficult. Every hole feels like a mini golf maze and there are multiple paths to get to the hole. There are shortcuts to the hole but they come with a lot of risk. Be prepared to have some high scores as the par for the course is an appropriate 69. There are small “Free Putt” arches similar to the metal ones you would find in a game of croquet, that will deduct a stroke / give you a free putt. The “Free Putt” arches are conveniently located in the opposite direction of the holes. The last hole is literally “Chance Time” from Mario Party because your game could completely flip upside down. You could get a -3 or -5, which could help your game or hurt it if your competitor makes the shot.
What’s great about Prodigy is that you don’t have to pay for multiple rounds of mini golf or video game rentals. Prodigy has a general admission charge of $10 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and $12 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s an extremely affordable price for everything that is included. Prodigy Mini Golf isn’t just a great mini course but is the ultimate game room.
Pros
One of a kind obstacles
More than just mini golf with a variety of games to play
Super low price for everything that you get
Indoors which is perfect for hot and cold months
Cons
Extremely challenging and almost no hole-in-one opportunities
