Puttshack, one of the newest additions of the Oakbrook Center mall, opened its doors on Nov. 3, offering indoor mini golf, dining, and a bar. It gives off a modern vibe and stylish appeal at the same time. The inside is surprisingly large, with four mini golf courses, a large sports bar, and a plethora of tables for dining. 

Prior to arriving, we made a reservation online for 11:40 a.m.. Since Puttshack is a popular attraction, this time was the last available for that Saturday. For adults, it costs $12 per person. For kids 12 and under, it costs $8.  

Upon entering, there were employees who checked us in and offered us a free coat check. They directed us to our randomly assigned “Amber” course. Despite our reservation being 20 minutes after we arrived, we were able to start golfing right away. 

By far, we were most impressed with the extremely high tech golf course. The most unique feature were the golf balls; they were individually assigned to each player and tracked your score for you. There were also screens above each hole, which guided you through the games; they told you the score of each player and when to hit the ball. Normally in mini golf, the player with the least amount of points wins, but for this game, you got more points for the least amount of times you hit the ball. Supertubes and hazards were incorporated into the game to either help or hinder your ability in getting points. In our opinion, this made the game a lot more competitive and enjoyable.

It did get a little crowded on the course, most likely a fault of them allowing later reservations to begin golfing right away as opposed to their reserved time slot. The course was small, and took us under 30 minutes to get through. Although, Puttshack may attribute the short tee-time to mini golf being only one-third of the experience. They also offer dining and drinking.      

In order to get the full experience, we decided to sit down and eat after golfing. We ordered an appetizer, the “Puttshack Poutine,” which is essentially fries loaded with cheese, garlic, gravy and bacon, or as we call it: “heart attack in a box.” It was our first time trying Poutine, and we both were not the biggest fans. It was extremely garlicky and salty, and there were a lot of flavors going on at once. Yes, this is what Poutine is, but it was not our thing and cost us a whopping $15.

Overall, our main complaint is the courses are shorter than we expected, but very high-tech and creative. We recommend going in groups larger than four because it would be the perfect amount for the game to be competitive and enjoyable. It is very family friendly and would be a great choice for a weekend outing. 

Puttshack is located at 1828 Oakbrook Center, Oakbrook. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday they are open 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Reservations can easily be made right on their website. (https://www.puttshack.com/find-a-location/oakbrook)

⅘ paws