Aloha Golf

What Aloha Golf Is

Aloha Golf is mini golf with kind of an Aloha flair to it. It's down off of I-70 in the southwest part of the county, and it's a little bit of a hike. It's like 20 to 25 minutes from our house.

There are two courses. They have an upper, newer renovated course that's the Aloha version, and then a lower, older course. This is old-school putt-putt, no mechanical contraptions.

The fun part of the top level is the moat, where it feels like you're on an island. That's the most Hawaii bit of it, standing out there with your shaved ice.

I brought my sons today, two six-year-olds and a ten-year-old, on a Saturday morning. At 85 degrees and sunny the place was packed, where a month earlier on a colder, rainier visit we were the only ones there. Funny enough, both times we still got stuck behind a group in front of us going slower.

Pricing and Value

The big thing is it's 10 bucks, so the four of us today came to 40 and the math stays simple. Bring ten people and you're looking at around $7 a person.

And the $10 is unlimited. That's very important.

My son and I went to a fancier place a couple weeks ago, maybe a month or so. That ran us about $50 for the two of us, me and a six-year-old, and that was for unlimited play in the afternoon.

That spot is fancier, with all the gizmos and gadgets and scoring mechanisms. But in my opinion that stuff really isn't worth it. It's way more expensive, and it's meant as a night out for young professionals to get drinks, not a six-year-old and a 40-year-old mini golfing in the afternoon.

What the Courses Play Like

We did the top one today, and it took us almost exactly an hour with me and three kids. There were three or four holes where we got stuck waiting on the group in front of us going slower. Solo you're looking at a half hour to 40 minutes for the whole thing.

The lower, older course has seen better days. It's not in great repair, but it's still totally functional. Mini golf is really just putting the ball in the hole and having fun getting there.

There are no moving windmills or spiders here, and I'd say maybe a third of the holes are kind of boring, just straight shots. The rest have some unique aspect to them, with natural obstacles. There's one where you hit it across a bridge for a hole in one, and another that runs down a slope over a path, plus fun ones that go up and down hills.

My old guys aren't going to be professional golfers. They just smack the ball trying to get a hole in one, then it's like, oh, I got it in, move on to the next one. I've seen families take it more seriously, and that takes a little longer.

The Shaved Ice and Secret-Hole Vouchers

The other draw at Aloha Golf is the shaved ice. They sell it out of a kind of trailer, like a renovated train trailer or mobile home, usually with two high school or college kids in there.

It starts at $4 for a small, $5 a medium, $6 a large, $7 a jumbo, and they have a whole bunch of flavors. A ten-year-old can put away a medium and a six-year-old a small. A jumbo splits three ways no problem because it's giant.

The shaved ice does take a while. There were like five people ahead of us, so we waited 10 to 15 minutes.

They have secret holes every day. If you get a hole in one on one of those holes, you get a voucher to come back and get a round for free. You can also win a shaved ice on one of the secret holes.

We've used that. Last time we earned a voucher. This time we used it and the same thing happened again, so we walked away with another one. It's a fun little chain reaction, where if you keep coming you'll usually get at least one person in free.

Logistics: Shade, Parking, and Nearby Food

It does get hot, and shade is the thing to plan around. The upper level barely has any, just a few manufactured spots to sit down. The lower level has a little more, and the shaved ice station has some too.

The service is fine, and you can pay with a credit card, so you don't need cash.

There's also a rundown, beat-up batting cage nearby, and the parking lot is kind of seeing better days, but it gets the job done.

It's also really close to a couple of restaurants. El Jericho for Mexican food, and there's a good barbecue place right next to it that I've been to and still have to write about.

All in, it was about $50 for the four of us for like two hours of entertainment. I think it was worth it, and on a cooler, less crowded day you can play both courses and stretch it another half hour to an hour.

Aloha Golf Receipt