Played July 9, 2021
Reviewed by Mr. Tee
This course was brought to my attention by fellow Season 1 Holey Moley alum Mick Cullen. When I was initially not going to be able to make the 24th annual M.C. Masters in 2021, I made a plan to make a mid-summer trip to the greater Chicagoland to combo a visit to the opening of the Elmhurst Museum course with a buffet of miniature golf. I allotted one day to play a number of rounds with Mick and his son Xavier. Two courses on our docket, Novelty Golf and Par-King, were all-time faves I was thrilled to get to play with the two of them. Mick had an additional under-the-radar course he was eager to introduce me to. He mentioned there was a lesser-known global-themed course in Skokie that he had not played in a while but thought I’d enjoy. I had not heard of it previously but after looking up photos online, I was excited to explore this adventurous course.
Rating
This course should be a hole-in-one like a similar internationally themed Around the World in Lake George. The scale of the environments and obstacles are immersive and impressive. There is a good variety of gameplay and large greens to maneuver towards the cup. Even the little details like the wheelchair accessibility on hole #1 and signage for each environment are well executed. The adjacent 9-hole course, which I’ll review separately later, is an incredible compliment and has some equally unique features. My biggest gripe with this course is the condition of the greens and pipes. When I played in 2021, it was obvious right away that the turf was near the end of its life, and given the size of the holes, it really made play frustrating for all skill levels. A number of the holes had pipes that you had to use to get from one part of the hole to another that was broken, didn’t work well, or didn’t reward skill shots. Heck, I had a ball enter a pipe and it never came out. Who knows where that ball went. As of the time of the review, I was told by Mick that the course is in even worse shape in a few places that impacted play. I’m excited to play it again as part of the 25th M.C. Mini Masters for all of the many positives mentioned above and hold out hope that the operators of the course manage to fix up the handful of things that take away from the fun environments.
3459 Oakton St. Skokie, IL 60076
Pros
Immersive environments
Well themed across all 18 holes
Variety of gameplay
Scale and quality of the obstacles were great
Cons
Worn-down turf made for some challenging putting
A number of the pipes didn’t work well or were broken
Nerdy Notes
- 18 holes. Par 40.
- House balls are low bounce. Balls are acquired via a token. Black urethane putters. Ball return gives chance for a free game.
- Prices: (Kid’s Quest/Traveler’s Quest/Play Both Courses)
- 10 years and under $6/$7/$9
- 11 years+ $6/$8/$10
- Groups of 15 $6/$6/$8
- As of summer 2022 – Open Daily During Season: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. (reservations required)
- An additional 9-hole course called Kid’s Quest is additional on site as well as a driving range, batting cages, pro shop, and vending machines.
- One of the 4 courses part of the 2022 M.C. Mini Masters
