Arnold’s Adventure Mini Golf

Arnold’s Adventure Mini Golf   3580 Route 6,Eastham, MA 02642

Simply say Arnold’s to anyone on Cape Cod, and they know that you mean Arnolds Lobster & Clam Bar in Eastham. Located just a mile from our usual hotel spot, Arnold’s has always been a family favorite for lobster, but also mini golf.

If you do stop at Arnold’s, we highly recommend it for the lobster, clams, and ice cream. The mini golf is not as high on our list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great course. We are pretty sure it is another Harris design, and if not, someone did a great job of copying it! The near-trademark Harris bricks provide good bounce, but the carpet is a little thin, and is experiencing some wear and small tears in parts, along with some sloppy seams. Tin and metal cups again cause us a bunch of aggravation!

Although this is themed as a pirates adventure course, there is actually very little pirate or adventure in the course. It’s pretty simple and standard, with the only real pirate involvement coming on Hole 14 with a treasure chest and a large pirate ship which faces the road. The main decoration for the course is actually several historical scale replicas of landmarks around Cape Cod and Eastham, including the Outside House, Three Sisters Lighthouse and the Eastham windmill. Based on the signs outside, there also has to be some connection to the old Cedar Links Golf Course, which used to be sprawled over Eastham before the establishment of the Cape Cod National Seashore, but we haven’t been able to iron that out yet.

Par for the course is 46, and we finally managed to crack that on our last visit. There are two par 4s, the first being utterly and completely random (Hole 2) , and the second one (Hole 14) being a definite choke hole. The price is right for this course at just $9/person and $2/person for a replay, although it is cash only. Another benefit is that (at least at the time of print), Arnolds will accept competitors coupons, some of which are as high as $2 or $3 off.

The real problem with this course, and with Arnold’s itself, is that it will get so very crowded and there is not a ton of space between holes. If you are going to come, the best time is between when the course opens (10am) and the restaurant opens (11:30am). At most other times, you are likely to wait at some point behind a family of five and a bunch of people who really don’t want to be there (or are having too much fun being there).

Overall, if you are already there with the kids, golf is probably an easy add-on. But if you are looking for a more challenging course with a more unique theme, or a place that will have less crowds, you might want to search elsewhere.