Crazy golf used to be something reserved for a day at the seaside, but with Mulligans arriving in Hemel Hempstead it means that – and much more family fun besides – is right on our doorstep.
The recently-opened venue in Jarmans Park doesn’t just offer 18 challenging, fun and very original holes of crazy golf, there is also electro darts, pool, table tennis, deck shuffle, a vast arcade, and some reasonably-priced food and drink.
Mulligans is a welcome addition to the site at Jarmans Park: a very family-friendly, exciting venue which can easily fill a whole afternoon or evening for a family, or just a group of friends.
My wife and two sons joined me for a round of crazy golf to start with, and although it’s a game that is a great leveller, I was confident 40+ years of golf experience would give me an edge.
However, when you’re putting through oversized Super Mario figures, around a giant Monopoly set, or trying to get your ball past a movable goalkeeper and into a goal, it suddenly becomes a lot more random.
The entire course is very fresh and innovative, and it’s a really good, entertaining test.
You are putting on a quality surface and on many holes there are different ways to approach things: do you try and go through a tunnel to save time, or attempt to work out the angles and bounce off the edges?
Nearly all the holes are unlike anything we’d seen before, and while they are challenging the entire course would suit even the youngest players.
And, as it turned out, age and experience did come out on top although my 19-year-old son felt he had been robbed!
Later in our visit we played electro darts, and that really is very worth trying out.
Almost everyone has played darts at some point in their life, and while this was a standard dart board with normal darts, the technology meant we could play a variety of games other than the standard 501.
Controlled via a tablet adjacent to the board, a giant TV screen above us which meant we were able to play games like football, battleships and killer.
In fact, you can even play a version of crazy golf, but on the dart board! And, for extra humiliation, a camera means you can use your own face on the scoreboard.
We took a pit stop in the café and bar, where the food was tasty and good value.
Large pizzas, hot dogs, nachos and loaded fries were all on offer, and there was an equally good choice of soft and alcoholic drinks.
The area set aside for dining was comfortable and very clean, and provided a great view of all the activities.
Parents of children could easily sit back and relax while watching the youngsters play, and Mulligans is a venue that screams birthday parties and work nights out.
What makes it even more appealing are the additional attractions, like pool tables, deck shuffle and some very hi-tech arcade games.
It’s not expensive either: 18 holes of crazy golf start at £11 for adults and £8.75 for Under-16s, with a family of four being able to play for £33.50.
Electro darts, which really is worth trying out, is charged by the hour, and starts at £25 for six people for 60 minutes.
When the summer is over and seaside venues are less appealing, Mulligans means that those us living in the home counties can still have a good laugh playing crazy golf or trying out some of the many other games on offer in Hemel Hempstead.
For more details, visit https://mrmulligan.com/hemel
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here