Ever since I was a kid, we would drive by the Par-King where I believed it to be a fairytale kingdom, seeing its castle-like design. As I grew older and visited from a land far far away, my fiancé and I took to our inner child and decided it was finally time to see what Par-King was all about. Be sure to bring cash! The course itself was very entertaining! One of the best mini golf experiences I've had that kept me guessing what the next move would be. Despite the rainy weather, we made the best of the moment. I'm so glad we played after all those years of my curiosity of Par King. read more

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I have been going to Par-King Skill Golf since I was a kid. I'm so grateful that it's still around - one of the few places left from my childhood. I now go there with my nephews every year during my annual visits. We started when they were kids. They are now in their 20's! This is my favorite mini-golf place. So many mini golf places just have a plain green course. They may be shaped in unique designs, but that's usually about it. This place has a roller coaster where the ball goes up this elevator and then down a mini roller coaster. There's a tiki course where the ball comes out of the tiki person's mouth. There are moving contraptions where you have to be lucky to hit it through when a door is open. Every hole is unique. There's also this huge pink castle behind the course. It's retro and fun! You would think that a place that's been around for decades would have pealing paint and things that are falling apart. However, everything is kept in such great condition! If you're lucky you can get a free game on the last hole. It looks like a big roulette wheel. I have only done this once and have saved my lucky token. It's a cash only business. Please keep this business open for decades to come! It's a must-visit when I'm back in Illinois. read more

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This is a fun place to get your mini-golf game on. Their theme and setting are cool. It's a family-friendly establishment and on a nice weather day, it's a great place to hang out and have fun while playing mini-golf. I have been here a few times and in those visits, I have had a good experience. This place gets packed, especially on weekends, when the weather is nice, so it would be good to plan your visit, accordingly. There are two courses. Black numbered course for a party of one - three and Red numbered course for a large party. The courses are fun. The staff is friendly and helpful. My only negative for this establishment is that it is 'Cash Only,' with the cost of $12.95 per person. In this day and age, with an establishment like this, not having an option to pay with a credit card, does not makes sense to me. But otherwise, I do not have any Cons to comment about. Par-King is a good place to visit with family, friends, and date, and have a good time. read more

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We flew to the mid-west just for a mini golf vacation and Par-King was our favorite. Innovative courses with themes that we'll remember (roller coaster, yes please!), well maintained greens, and a friendly atmosphere. read more

My husband saw this place advertised on the news, so we decided to come here today and LOVED it for the engaging courses, fun music, and friendly workers. It was a beautiful day with amazing weather, which added to the atmosphere, as well. When we were here, some were mad that they brought children who were under 48" (apparently, there is a rule that everyone needs to be at least that tall). I felt bad for them because I know I would have been angry if I had a young child, but for someone like me who doesn't have kids, it was so nice not to have a bunch of little kids running around all over the place. The place is large and engaging. The holes all have different fun moving obstacles, and all seemed well-maintained. When you arrive, you wait in line to pay. Make sure you have cash because it is cash only, but they do have an ATM inside. It's $12.50 per player, which isn't bad at all! Once you pay, your scorecard has a number and black or red stated after. This number tells you where you are in line from when you can begin your course and the color tells you which course you are on. The nice thing is that they call the numbers in order as people complete the first hole. This helps alleviate multiple groups waiting at the same hole the entire time you play, but of course, it sometimes gets backed up due to larger groups being in front of couples and smaller groups. Just be sure to be patient because it's worth the wait! We were on the black course today, so we had the cool rollercoaster course on our run. Altogether, this place has 2 different courses, 18 different holes each; therefore, we will have to come back to try the red-numbered holes! The black course included: A guitar, roller coaster, elephants, Mount Rushmore, Buddha, and more! Overall, we both enjoyed ourselves, and we can't wait to return! read more

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5 stars for Par-King Skill Golf! I went opening day for 2024 this year - it was a rainy day and only us and one other family were there playing mini golf. It was a great time despite the rain, I enjoyed the low crowd levels. The price is reasonable and the course is massive, and there is so much detail put into each hole and the pink castle itself. The employees were all very friendly and helpful - I'd for sure recommend a visit to Par-King. read more

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First of all, if you are planning on have a party here, don't. They are very strict about the height requirement, like are you a mini golf place or a PGA event? You're better off at SkyZone where it's actually more of risks than here. It's called a MINI golf place but don't get it twisted. You can ride more rides at 6 flags or Disneyland. Then they say, well we tried to call you, I emailed you for a reason, you're telling me you can't put all the information in an email? Not only I was dealing with a lot in my professional life but the whole reason I was booking here was because my two daughters were having a birthday one of them are dead so have some respect maybe. Never again and I told everyone I worked with not to either. Mind you, all the kids were supervised by adults and 5 of those adults work in an emergency department. Addendum: also I want to add that whoever was in charge is unnecessarily condescending. Just read the reply below. Especially when my review was not the only one complaining of the issues we had read more

Excellent courses with tons of fun. It can get busy but that's ok. It's so cool to see all of the novelties. read more

What a fun experience! It's easy to see why this course is so popular with not one, but two amazing experiences that are varied in design and in look! Without lots of stairs and hills to climb, this experience is also considerably more accessible for players. The only draw back is really the popularity, as the wait here to start and then between holes can be considerable - so it's great to come with a good size group so that you can chat inbetween and admire the great course. Be warned though that there are more traps on this course than most other courses nearby, but there's also more fun mechanics on some holes to assist with a hole-in-one. Overall, worth a special trip to experience the course for its uniqueness both in look and course design. It's definitely an amazing way to get fun pictures for social media and vacations. read more

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I have been driving past Par-King Skill Golf for the last twenty years. Every time I would drive past it I was going somewhere else, but I would think to myself that I should stop by sometime and play a round. So when a group of friends decided to go, I was excited to finally get a chance to go. When I arrived I noticed a lack of signage directing people where to go or how much a game of mini golf cost (there was a very small sign right in front of the cashier). Once our party arrived we got in line. The game cost $12.00 per person and Par-King Skill Golf only accepts cash payment. After you pay, you have to wait in their waiting area until they have room for your party (in groups no larger than four). It took over twenty minutes to get started on our game of golf. Once we started playing we had a lot of fun. There is a lot to look at. The holes are challenging and interactive. Each hole has its own special obstacle to navigate. I really enjoyed playing the course. There is a lot for Par-King Skill Golf to improve upon in its wait time, but once you start playing, you will have a fun time. There are two courses to try and we will definitely be back to play the other course. read more

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Best mini golf ever! Seriously, if you're looking for that fun, nostalgic, Americana vibe, check out Par-King. This spot has been on my list forever, but I just went for the first time a couple of days ago. The course is massive, intricate, and well maintained. It's around $12 for 18 holes of golf, which is great. There are also two entirely different courses to play Red and Black, so you're not playing the same course every time you go. I'm not sure if you can request a certain course, but I definitely want to play the red course next time since we've already played through the black one. The holes are fun and challenging enough to keep things interesting without being super frustrating. Also, we loved the music they played the whole time- millennial flashback, for sure. While you wait to go out they have some air hockey tables, basic concessions, and vending machines. At the end of the night around 9 pm, there wasn't much of a wait time. However, it was also a bit chilly, so the weather may have played into that as well. The kids that work there were polite and professional and everyone on the course was friendly and seemed to be having a great time. The only reason this place seems to have less than a 5-star rating on Yelp is because they enforce a height requirement and do have moving obstacles on the course. Follow the rules and enjoy, definitely worth checking out. Great place to hangout with friends, family, or to have a fun date night! read more

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I've been to Par-King many times over the years. Sadly, I was incredibly frustrated with our experience on 6/6/25. A friend and I met to miniature golf with our four children ages 10, 10, 7, 7. We were approached by staff to pick up the pace because there was one hole open in front of us and people behind were waiting. The disrespectful teenager working even said: 'So, if you could just follow our rules that would be great'. I responded confused, 'What rules are we not following? We are not trying to break rules.' I would assume it typically takes a child 1-2 extra putts to finish a hole in comparison to an adult. And we have children very familiar with golf. Essentially, our group was asked to continually hit the golf ball. Never stopping for a fellow player. And always move on to the next hole while our group finishes the last hole. Miniature golf is meant to be FUN! Not rushed. We were not messing around..simply wanted a chance to play each hole. Our children are big rule follows and were very stressed when pressured to rush through each hole without having any fun at all. Again, I've been to Par-King many, many times over the years. The holes are unique, take time, and we've never had an issue. But this place is ALWAYS very busy. And honestly... that's ok! We don't go miniature golfing to rush through each hole. We want to support others in our group. We felt forced to skip holes so the family (of adults and old children) behind us wasn't waiting. And wouldn't you know.. then we were waiting for others. What a joke! I definitely would not consider this place family friendly. And maybe they should employ more tactful teenagers as well. read more

I took my granddaughter here for her birthday and she had a really fun time! You need to be there early when they first opened, otherwise it can get really busy! All the holes were really cute and fun, some of the holes were very difficult! The cost is $10 per person (cash only), they do have an ATM! Kids need to be 48 inches and above! They have two courses, one red and one black! Both are really cute and fun! read more

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Pros: good parking Nice and fun layout Price isn't bad, but value of what you're paying for isn't the best. Cons: all greens could use an upgrade Everything is very old and outdated Bathrooms seemed like they had never been cleaned Cash only- but they do have an atm that charges extra Bushes definitely need to be trimmed near some of the holes. I'd recommend paying a little extra and making the drive to the Congo River Mini Golf in Hoffman Estates. The prices are almost the same if not cheaper and definitely updated!! read more

This is such a unique place to play minigolf, and I enjoy it even as an adult. It's a great date spot, and my fiancé and I love this place. We're also pretty patient, and you definitely need patience if you're going to come here! Reason being - there is almost always a 30-60 minute wait, depending on what season and what time you go. They call out your number and course color when you're up next, and there isn't any option for them to text or call you. There are tables you can wait at, which is nice. If the wait is long my fiancé and I will usually go across the street to grab a snack or drink and come back before the estimated wait time is up. There are two different courses - the black course and red course. The black course is typically reserved for parties of 2, and the red course is typically reserved for parties of 4 or more. But you can always request a specific one to play. They try to give each party ample time to play the first hole before calling the next party, but you may need to wait throughout the course for the party in front of you. Aside from the waiting, the course is very enjoyable! Everything is well kept, painted nicely, and unique. Each hole has a different piece of interactable art, and some of my favorites are the rollercoaster and sears tower w/elevator! Overall it's a great experience, and I would recommend it for all ages! read more

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Fun mini golf with challenging but enjoyable holes. Only takes cash which was a surprise.

Great place for a casual fun date night. Cash only. The only thing is that it gets busy and can feel like you're being rushed.

Each of the 36 holes is engaging and fun. Friendly staff Clean place Nicely landscaped Plenty of free parking read more

I love mini golf yet I've never been to this course. I've randomly driven past it and thought nothing of it. Recently went with a group of friends. Mind you the course is cash only ($10) they do have an ATM there. Also it is four to a group so be mindful of that when planning your outing. It was packed on a Saturday afternoon but they have two courses so the wait time isn't as long as it could be. They have a waiting area until your card number is called and you can play the course. Some groups take longer on holes so be prepared to wait or chat with who you are golfing with. Love the decorations and variety of holes. It's a fun little outing. read more

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Height requirement is complete garbage, the staff was way too excited to tell my 47" tall 6 year-old daughter that she was too short to play. Save yourself the trip, plenty of more family friendly places. It's amazing that they are the only mini-golf course around that has a height requirement, my daughter was tall enough to ride Space Mountain at Disney World and all but a few of the rides at 6 Flags. I've been here before and there is absolutely nothing that would require their height requirement. The absolute glee with which the 14 year-old girl told my daughter she was too short was horrible, seriously as if it made her morning. read more

Great place with lots of variety! The moving aspects of some holes were really cool. However, when I went, both the men's and women's bathrooms were out of order. They had porta potties outside instead but they were almost entirely full and unable to use... it looked like they have never been emptied out. Personally have no issue using a porta potty but those were an exception... What's unfortunate is that you're probably going to be there for a long time too. read more

This really breaks my heart to write this review. I grew up with this place and I truly think it's an amazing mini golf experience. But wow. The custom service - the rules and the lack of family friendliness is astonishing. Please explain to me....why is there a height requirement?! You need to be taller to play mini golf here than to ride space mountain at Disney World!!! Went with my whole family- and the youngest- who is six- was not allowed to enter the course. Keep in mind- this group has four adults. The eight year old was barely tall enough. And no where is this posted. So as the six year old is crying, the guy running the place just laughs and walks away. It's 1:30pm on a Thursday. In the summer. Do. Better. read more

Par-King Skill Golf - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

PURE NOSTALGIA Timeless, whimsical, and expertly maintained, this perennial contender for "Best Mini Golf in the USA" has dazzled guests in northern Illinois since 1977. _______________________ ****REVIEW 1,100**** _______________________ Somewhere between the go-karts and roller coasters, miniature golf has always held a special place in my heart. Maybe it's the unexpected satisfaction of sinking a hole-in-one, the casual competitiveness that bubbles up whenever I grab a tiny pencil and scorecard, or simply because mini golf = nice weather. In any case, it's one of my favorite outdoor rec activities. This Holy Grail of putt putts can be found on Milwaukee Ave, a few miles north of Lake Cook Rd. Par King--as in "the king of (shooting) par"--is open from Memorial Day through September and select weekends in October. This magical place has been featured on the Travel Channel and Golf Digest as one of America's best. Par King began in Morton Grove as a single 18-hole course called 'George's Gorgeous Golfing Garden', way back in 1955. It was a highlight of my childhood until it closed in 2009; as of this writing, it's still a vacant lot on Dempster St. This Lincolnshire location opened two decades after the original and has received critical acclaim ever since. In recent years, the larger of the two Par Kings has done more than survive--they have absolutely flourished. All 36 holes (2, 18-hole courses) are repainted yearly and the staff performs regular maintenance on the various moving obstacles to keep them running smoothly. Here's a few of the things you'll encounter while playing...... on the red course: + a scale model of the Sears Tower with elevator + a merry-go-round featuring hand painted wood horses + a grandfather clock with working gears on the black course: + a tiki head that swallows your ball + a pumpkin smoking a pipe + a GOLF BALL ROLLER COASTER The 18th hole on each course is a roulette wheel that awards a random stroke from 0 to 6. If you manage to land on the green '0' or '00' (the odds of which are 1-in-32), that'll net you a shiny gold doubloon which is redeemable for a free game! In fact, my first time here, lucky me won such a prize and came back 1-1/2 years later to cash it in. Talk about coming full circle! Of important note is that these guys are cash only. It's a quirk that might throw off some folks as many businesses have transitioned to being fully cashless in 2021. Par King loves paper currency, however, with rates dependent on when you visit: $9/person before 6pm and $10/person after sunset. There's an ATM on site. There's also a height restriction (it's a liability thing), so some parents might be shocked to find out children must be over 48" to play. This ensures, to some extent, that the meticulously cared-for course won't get trashed by an angry kid throwing a temper tantrum with a putter. It also implies that players are mature enough/know better than to stick their heads inside the giant rotating pumpkin. * TL;DR * Myrtle Beach and the Wisconsin Dells are known destinations for mini golf, but Chicagoans don't have to venture that far to experience one of the nation's most unique courses. Tons of effort is put into getting things ready for the operating season (which as previously stated, is only 4-5 months). The love that goes into the immaculate landscaping, keeping the greens in pristine condition and all the mechanical objects in fine working order is really something else. I'm happy to see Par King hasn't fallen into a state of disrepair like those sad putt putts you find at 'entertainment centers'. I hope in the future I'm able to bring my kids here so they too can be awestruck by the innovative golf ball roller coaster......and maybe win a free game on hole #18, just like their old man. read more

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Definitely the mini golf I've been to. Each hole has an interesting element, our favorite probably being the roller coaster. In the final hole you hit your ball onto a giant roulette wheel that can make or break your game! read more

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BEST MINI GOLF PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO!! Great service as soon as you're going in. They offer a vending machine with beverages and snacks at the window. The course has two different courses which allows a cool interweaving path and great time management. Each hole has an awesome attraction/statue. A few have super cool and interesting elevator elements which is so fun to play with. An overall amazing experience! read more

My friend broke the course record shooting a 35 and was promised 2$ if he did. This is scamming

We were so excited to try this place, but had a very disappointing experience. It is not family friendly/accommodating of children. Unless you live nearby, save yourself the drive and go to your local mini golf course - you'll have just as much fun. read more

Best mini golf in the country. I've been going to Par King since I was but a wee lad. The courses are really fun and they hire high school and college students for the summer so there's always a decent amount of staff. Some of these one star reviews are absurd. Bellyaching about their height requirements and cash only policy, these have been in place for as long as I've been alive, which is now 40 plus years.. there's this great thing called the internet where you can go to get information about all kinds of stuff. The cash policy and height limitation (which is for insurance purposes, presumably) are noted on their website and on signage all over the place when you're walking in. Please, just stop with the entitlement of your three year old who is now despondent because you promised them mini golf without doing any homework at all, only to find out it's not Burger King and no, you can't always have it your way. I've never had a single bad experience here, and that includes when my high school buddies and I would go here and play at night, be loud, goof around, etc. Really, everyone is super nice and wants you to have a good time. read more

First time at Par-King tonight with my family. We had a great time. This place is a well-oiled machine. The course is clean and well kept. The holes have various levels of difficulty. The greens are a little fast : ) For $10 a person (18 holes), this is a fun way to spend an hour or so. read more

Great time for the whole family! A classic destination. They are often busy but very well organized.

According the the Russian Roulette, I'm "I got game!" Date night, family night, what ever it might be, this is fun for all age groups. The courses are challenging and silly. Great vibes tonight. read more

Par-King Skill Golf - Russian Roulette. Get the green and you be a lucky one! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

I needed a fun activity to do with my 8 year old and his friend to make up for his sister spending a day at Six Flags. And so we decided to check out Par-King since he finally meets the 48" min height requirements. They didn't check their heights when we got there, but I have heard from others they are strict about their height rule. I was told lunchtime was the best time to go, although it was still crowded when we were there on Labor Day. We had to wait for about 25-30 min so the boys enjoyed a snack of skittles. And then it was time to golf! I haven't been to too many mini golf courses in the past decade, but this is by far the best one I"ve been to. The kids were so excited about all the different themes and even I seemed to be enjoying myself. And the 8 year olds were impressed with my mini golf skills. :) It took us about an hour to get thru the entire course, which was the perfect amount of time. My son declared it even more fun than Six Flags and has been asking to go back! read more

I'm very sad to write this review. I've been coming to this mini golf course ever since they opened in 1977. Now that I have children of my own, I wanted to take them to one of my old haunts and have them experience the fun I enjoyed countless times as a child. But a 48" height limit? Whaat?! Like many of the negative reviews here, I know I'm going to get the "Our courses have a large number of moving obstacles, changes in grade and waterholes.... hence for both safety and insurance reasons the company doesn't feel the course is geared for younger children and a height requirement of 48 inches in place" blah blah blah blah legal-speak standard response. So your insurance company decided that a six year old who is 46 inches tall cannot properly walk on the holes that have "changes in grade"? We aren't talking a 45 degree incline. The insurance company has decided that a 46 inch tall 6 year old might fall into the waterhole that has literally 3 inches of water and drown? That a 46 inch kid might get hit by one of the moving obstacles? What about a clumsy adult? My 46 inch child can go to big amusement and water park down the road in Gurnee and experience much more thrills when he's not on his own two feet. Yet he isn't allowed to walk and participate in a miniature golf course?! I have never been to a golf course that didn't allow KIDS to play. You have lost a fan, and I hope you will reconsider this inane policy that speaks of unnecessary defensive cover your rear insurance speak. If you're worried that a 46 inch kid is going to trip on your slightly graded holes, get hit by a moving windmill, or drown in your 3 inch deep moat, then have it a standard waiver that every guest needs to sign that says Par-King doesn't accept any reponsibility for any injuries (I'm sure that's already part of standard admission already.) DO BETTER. read more

My mom is a mini-golf freak, and we've been needing to get up to Par-King for a bit. Headed up there today. Very nice course, cool music, fun holes! There is a black and a red course. We did the black course. Our only problem is that each ends with a roulette wheel hole that randomly gives you between a zero and a seven. I don't want my score to be affected by a random wheel. I say skip the last hole when scoring, or play a random hole twice, and add the score to the 18th hole. I will be heading back for the red course! read more

Par-King Skill Golf - Par-King as you enter. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Lincolnshire, Illinois

We Love Par-King!! I took my son here just before his first day of 8th grade this year. We had a great time together!! Love the challenge and the atmosphere of the park. He won the first game and I won the 2nd but he won overall! Thanks to the staff for being above par!! read more

This place is absolutely awesome and affordable. It's run by teenagers and several 20 somethings who do an incredible job keeping customers on track, engaged, and things running smoothly. Nice to see enthusiastic employees doing a great job and taking pride in their establishment. Last but not least, this really is a skill golf and not mini golf. The holes are super engaging and challenging offering something for everyone. Each hole is impeccably maintained and operating in top condition. Such a nice thing to see. read more

Drove 30 mins to enjoy mini golf with my kids but my son is 45" not 48" so we were turned away. Terrible biz.

The best mini golf around with the coolest courses. Exactly what mini golf should be

Coolest mini golf course ever! The course was in amazing condition, really well kept and all of the fun obstacles worked without a glitch. The employees were really nice and managed the crowds to adhere to guidelines for COVID. They have two courses: red and black. The red course is for groups of 4-6 and black is for groups less than 3. This was a nice way to split the groups so that the flow of golfers was constant. They're very experienced to managing a surprisingly large crowd for a Tuesday afternoon. We had a lot of fun and will definitely come back for another afternoon of putt putt. Just remember to bring cash! read more

Took the family here and it was really fun with unique holes. Fair price to pay for 18 holes. The place is well kept and we will return for more. On a sidenote, I will say that some of the reviews here claiming discrimination by the company are absolutely abhorrent and those people should be ashamed of themselves for suggesting such a thing is happening. There were many different people here of all ethnicities and every one of them had a smile on their face. read more