Sandwich Mini Golf

Sandwich Mini Golf    159 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA 02563

Not many mini-golf courses can say they have a history as deep and profound as Sandwich Mini Golf. The property is the brainchild of Maurice “Mo” Burke, now 88 years young, who still actively operates the business with his family. The property has been in Mo’s family since the early 1900s, when his grandfather ran a cranberry bog farm. In 1930, the government put in what is now Route 6A and split the cranberry bog, effectively cutting the value of the farm entirely. So Mo started what would become his life-long passion; at the young age of 15, Mo began to work on a mini golf course single-handedly.

There is so much more to Mo and his story that make this course what it is, and it truly seems like a labor of love to both himself and his family. Dotting the course are different psalms and quotes (some of which are a bit heavy-handed, but alas), reflecting on Mo and his wife Sylvia’s long career as missionaries. And yes, every sign on the course has been hand carved and painted by Mo himself.

If we are being perfectly honest, no, the course isn’t in perfect condition. There are some rain spots, some of the turf was mismatched, and it also featured metal cups. We’ve also realized we are not a fan of Belgian block given how unpredictable the bounces are. However, there is a difference here between a handmade, quirky, family owned and operated course that may not be as perfectly carpeted or have all the intricate obstacles, versus a course like Paramus Mini Golf, which was built by a corporation and has now just fallen into disrepair. We can’t put the atmosphere or quality on the same scale as Lake Hopatcong Golf Club, but maybe another comparison would be a more rustic Waltz Golf Farm.

The property currently houses 36 holes, and you can tell that they were built in stages just in terms of your actual walking experience. You have the option to play either 18 holes or 36 holes, but this is not your standard course A or course B. The 36 hole experience is what they call the “Maxi-Course”: you play holes 1-13, then skip to 19-36, then back to 14-19. We admittedly did get lost a few times, and it did seem a bit weird to split them up like that. Sometimes, our players need a break after the first 18!

Par for the entire Maxi course was 89, and our winner came in just under that at 86. This course was definitely challenging, and had some of the most interestingly designed holes we had ever seen. We did manage to get six aces, but there are certainly no gimmie shots here! The price is $10/adult for 18 holes, or $15/adult for all 36. A tad bit over what we thought would be the cost for the family run course, but it is still on the low end of Cape Cod.

Overall, we would definitely return to Sandwich, if just for this course and to hopefully get that score down. The property is now valued at over $1 million, but it doesn’t seem like Mo and Sylvia will slow down anytime soon. We encourage you to read up on Mo and his family before your visit. It is not only a wonderful story, but it will enrich your experience on what is truly a historical course.