- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Novelty Golf & Game Room
Rating Details »
Categories: Amusement Parks, Mini Golf [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Park3650 W Devon Ave
(between Lawndale Ave & Monticello Ave)
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
(847) 679-9434
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
48 reviews for Novelty Golf & Game Room
Old school miniature golf at its best. Most holes involve a moving apparatus and you have the opportunity to win a free game when returning your ball.
Prices vary, depending on the day of the week and time of day. Good for a group of 4.
They also have a photo booth!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
I haven't played mini golf, or putt putt as I called it as a child, in a long while and once I putted my first putt at Novelty golf, I couldn't believe I had waited so long to play again!
Novelty golf is loads of fun and relatively cheap if you go at the right times. Adults, kids, and anyone in between would enjoy themselves here! My husband and I had a blast and I can't wait to go back with him and maybe a group of friends. Such a cheap fun thing to do on a beautiful day!
Yes, it's a bit hokey and goofy but that's what makes it so great! And the holes are not that easy either so you won't just breeze right through getting hole in ones over and over again. I think that's the way it should be because then you can come back and continue to have a good time- several times.
We also visited the Bunny Hutch and had yummy soft serve ice cream. It completed a truly good time!
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Old school REAL miniature golf course! Absolutely wonderful place to hang out on a summer evening. They have two unique 18-hole courses so you can definitely spend a couple hours there. Good prices, too. Weekdays are the cheapest and sometimes they'll offer half price for your second round.
Super fun!
I hate mini-golf, but I love it when I can play in heels on what looks like the set of a David Lynch film. Enormous fiberglass roosters tower over wooden containers of mini-sunflowers. Dilapidated fairy tale grotesques coax your balls to their holes. Strings of Italian lights provide the perfect haunted amusement park ambience.
Play through.
After you whip me soundly, we're going over to the batting cages and the tables will be turned.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (6)
- Cool (5)
If you want to experience a retro miniature golf setup with each hole being a mini master piece in itself, check it out. If you lost the wonderment of being a child, you can't hear the Santa Bells anymore (Polar Express reference), then move on.
This is a great place to bring your kids or a date. I think it is a little expensive, maybe more than at that crummy Navy Pier course to play a round. Parents and stragglers, whoever is on the course has to pay. Kids are the same price as adults and depending on when you play, it can range from $6.50 to $9.
I never really timed how long it takes to complete a round, it goes fairly fast even with more players. 15, 20, it certainly is under a half hour. Then you return your ball by placing into an simple non electronic pinball machine. If you win, a free round. For those that want to experience the 2nd course or simply another round, they offer a 3rd off. I prefer the first course along Devon.
This place has been around for 60 seasons and has weathered those years fairly well. When the new owners took over this place, I remember the probability of your ball getting stuck in a few of those underground tubes was great. Solution, a pitcher of water to get it out. Well, they have made some advances since then and it seems that all the holes are working well, at least for one of the two courses. You'll notice around the course a little settling of concrete and a decent attempt in greenery. A little fading here and there or that painting numerous times over peeled paint look.
The Game Room is small, haven't checked it out recently. With all the computer game options that kids have today, I guess it is a retro thing. An overwhelmingly amount of people come for the golf and/or batting cages.
You get 15 balls per $1. The batting cages for the youngsters can be iffy. The slow pitch constantly has to be adjusted and when it is not adjusted right, a lot of low balls that nobody can hit. If you try and get your money back, forget about it, the owner needs a lesson on customer relations. We now go to a different place (Skokie Sports Park) that is still close with better machines, 11 pitches for a $1 and an extra token for every $5 you spend.
As for the eating over at the Bunny Hutch, a fun little menu and joint. I don't go anymore ever since having a char grilled burger using a Schmeisser's Butcher patty. The grilled onions weren't cooked and stringy, not fun having multiple strains of onions being dragged out of the bun with every bite. The burger had too much of a charcoal taste, could have been cause of an uncleaned grill or a bad recent attempt in cleaning the grill. So much so it kinda tasted like it was dipped in lighter fluid. The ultimate deal breaker was the hard piece of plastic found eating the damn thing. I confronted the older, confident, clueless, on the creepy side line cook and he kindly offered to cook up a new one. I declined, didn't make a big stink about it and never going to eat here again unless I'm forced to. I hate having a bad experience at this cool, unpretentious place.
My experience with Novelty Golf was 100% positive. For Father's Day, my two sisters and I decided to take Dad here since wanted to golf, but not all of us golf, including his 4 grandchildren. So I called in advance and told them we were coming (all 14 of us). They were so nice on the phone and even offered to put some picnic tables together so we could all sit and eat when we got there. It wasn't a "reservation" per se but the lady on the phone was so nice and accommodating I felt like we had just made a reservation at a schmancy place instead of a mini golf course.
My chronically late family was, of course, a half hour later than what I had told nice lady on the phone. When I went to tell them we were running late the girl at the course was totally nice and cool about it.
The course itself was a lot of fun. We played 18 holes and were tempted to turn around and play the other 18 but decided to go out for dinner instead. It's a cute course filled with mechanical and not so mechanical obstacles. Everyone from my 85 year old grandmother to my 9 year old niece really enjoyed it.
As a testament to how great these folks were, when we neared the end of the course they came up to me and asked if we wanted to eat at the Bunny Hutch, because they were closing but would stay open for us if we wanted them. How considerate!!
Anyway, I would recommend this course to anyone. The people were great, the course was fun, and with plenty of parking it is easy to get to. Yay Novelty Golf!
Are you bored? Do you like to have fun? Are you scared of things that are miniature (Hey! Don't even think about your little jokes!!)?
Well you should try putt-putt or miniature golf, or whatever you call it... as long as you call it fun!! Now celebrating their 60th year and it is easy to see why Novelty is a Chicago landmark.
I know what you're going to say... "It's sooo far away (boo-whoo)", but it's really easy to get to!! With entrances on both Devon and Lincoln, driving is a snap. Also it has a lot with plenty of parking, even on the weekends. Large groups or B-day parties?!?! No worries, call ahead and they will accommodate with plenty of picnic tables. The staff is friendly, mostly kids but they're cool and one older man (who just a tip shouldn't talk to people while holding a pair of gardening sheers, kind of freaky!).
Novelty Golf is actually 4 areas of fun!! It has a batting cage which is not only is fun but a good workout. A mom and pop kind of shop called The Bunny Hutch which serves your classic hot dogs, burgers and ice-cream (I always get a fountain drink). One of my favorite things here... a game room!! It has 25 classic video and pin-ball games like Galaxy, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and first person shooter games. Plus it has an air hockey table, "the claw", and a photo machine. The BEST part is that most of the games cost only a quarter!!! You really can't find that anymore. And last but not least... two 18 hole miniature golf course, both with their own tricks and challenges. Yeah they are old school, kind of run down, and you feel as though you might get a disease fishing your ball out of the water trap but hey that's part of the charm. I've read that people complain that you have to step on a lever (while putting) to make some of the obstacles move but if you think about it, it probably saves them a little on the electric bill.
I recommend getting there in the am, that way you can take your time on the course! I don't know about you but I can easily kill a couple hours here. Have fun!!
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (5)
- Cool (4)
i hadn't played miniature golf in damn near a decade, so when the opportunity presented itself, i jumped. and novelty golf and game room did not disappoint. golfing there was a leap back into my childhood!
the giant figures all over the course were quite a trip. i really liked the multi-level holes that require more luck than skill. (i tend to be much more lucky than skilled, as it turns out.)
i didn't visit the bunny hut (um, weird name) or the batting cages, but next time i will kick some serious ass in those cages, this i promise. my only complaint was the cost. when did it start costing $9 a round to mini golf? damn inflation.
overall, my man and i had a GREAT time. would definitely go again... hopefully before another decade goes by.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Hilarious, kitschy fun! If you like mini-golf, this will make you smile. I've played in the blazing sun and in the light rain. I've seen all kinds of people enjoying the course.
Step back into the 70's in the game room. It is like a time machine. Since I don't like the dark paneling and strangeness of the 70's, I don't spend much time in there.
Had a great time on a sunny afternoon in the batting cages, with my husband as coach.
This place was fantastic! I definitely concur that this is the best minigolf in the chicagoland area. I went on Saturday afternoon and it wasn't too busy, but it was busy enough to be interesting.
The holes are great. It has so much personality and kitch value, which was well worth the $7.50 admission price.
I would totally recommend this as a place to bring a group of friends, kids, or a good date spot.
Great place to take someone as their first mini golf experience...though it might be TOO good because I don't know any mini golf place that lives up to this place. Went today around 2/3 and was able to play without anybody waiting behind. Remember there's two courses so go for the less crowded ones. LOVE the classic courses though apparently I suck at them =/
The arcade looks a bit shady but the games are cheap and tons of fun. The batting cages are also really cheap and lots of fun.
It's like playing miniature golf in the Adams Family or Munster's backyard.
The place is older than dirt. Peeling paint abounds. Ancient "amusements" at each hole - so old it's a bit difficult to discern what they are. Tired, wrinkled astroturf adorns each hole.
Cute kitsch or a retarded waste of money? I'm not sure yet. It's cheap enough, and the kids had fun, so I suppose that's all that matters.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (5)
- Cool (5)
Hell yeah, mini golf! Batting cages don't interest me, but this place has two solid 18-hole courses. They aren't state-of-the-art, but they aren't too run-down either. Many of the holes are challenging without resorting to gimmicks, but of course there are the requisite windmills and giant nursery-rhyme shoes. I admire a mini-golf course designer who can make 18 holes each unique and interesting because, when you think about it, there is a very limited set of materials and principles available.
I came here a couple of times several years ago but don't remember having nearly as much fun as today. Plus I shot even par and beat my friend by 20 strokes! He had to buy me a milkshake! I wish our other two friends had agreed to bet. We played Course #1 and will definitely return for Course #2 sometime this summer.
The place was doing a brisk business but there was not a crush of people waiting to move through. We never ran into the group ahead of us and weren't pressured by the group behind either.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
A wonderful pair of courses. A prime example of what mini golf should be. Lately there have been a lot of new courses built out in the various burbs by their respective park districts, but these amount to nothing more than a series of various putting greens in different shapes. Novelty Golf is how it should be, it has windmills, bridges, ninjas, rockets, dinosaurs, elephants and just about anything else you can think of in a unique and imaginative layout.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I love this place. It took me awhile to realize that it isn't called the Bunny Hutch, but I still call it the Bunny Hutch lovingly.
I used to come here once a week to take photo-booth pictures with my buddies.
Although I have never played the mini-golf (soon, I swear) the course looking incredible, dinosaurs and skulls, oh yeah.
The batting cages are super fun and they have a yoo-hoo vending machine, which both disgusts and excites me.
Air-hockey, love calculator, pin-ball in the arcade.
Fun, fun, fun.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
best putt putt ever, and I've been to Florida, San Diego, and Gatlinburg. Adventure golf has nothing on the awesome Frankenstein with Star Wars toys on the inside of it. The signs are also amazing, everything from the Fonz telling you no shirt, no shoes, no service, to Danzig telling you to not take all day and it's par 6. This place also has an arcade, that is more like a club house.
By the way, if you win, you get a free ice cream, we had to do a tie breaker, but it was good times.
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
Every time I hang out here I feel like I'm playing hooky from school. It's a nice buzz to get in your mid-twenties.
You can still take some swings in the batting cages for only a dollar a coin, and the old school mini-golf courses only seem to get better with age (and some discreet BYOB). If I was a family man, and I'm not, I'd say this is a wonderful place to take the kids. If I was a young hedonist who prefers play to work, which I may be, I would say that the only downfall to this place is that the game room smells like a fourteen year old fat kids gym shorts and the employees are a little air-headed. Hey, who can blame them?
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
This was first rate nostalgic fun. We went on Memorial Day weekend with some friends and had a great time.
Batting cages: $1 per turn with 12-15(guess) balls per turn. People were very considerate about taking turns. Cages are outside and they have 2 softball, one fast, and two medium baseball cages. Lots of helmets (not really clean, but they don't make you wear them) and bats in a variety of sizes in each cage.
Mini Golf: There are two courses and they are definitely in need of a paint job, but hey, who can say no to a giant T-Rex, a massive rooster, or a classic windmill? The course we did was actually kind of challenging, which kept it interesting.
Plus, there's a black and white old school photo booth.
This place was a great way to spend a warm, low key evening.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
Yay, how fun.
Went for some retro mini golf fun. The courses were as awesome as mini golf can be, although everything was very very old. As in cracking crazy :) But everything worked fine, and I think that was part of the charm.
It was really cheap way to spend about 2 hours. Seriously--$18 for 2 on a Sat night. And winner gets free ice cream from the bunny hutch. There wasn't a huge amount of people so we spent most of the time taking pictures.
I did find out that I pretty much suck at putting, but eh.
Oh and the photo booth is fun, although it smells like pee and takes about 5 mins for the photos to develop.
Also, they have a batting cage and a small arcade, if you feel like spending a bunch more time around :))
I was dying to play some mini-golf. Unfortunately it seems that all the good (read: tacky) mini-golf locales are in the suburbs. I recruited a friend with a car and out we went to Lincolnwood.
So the place is really run down. You have to hold down foot pedals to get the whatever object is blocking your way to move/rotate/whatever it's supposed to do. My ball got stuck while traveling down chutes a couple of times.
However, this place wasn't crowded, even on a Saturday, so there was no rush from people waiting behind and no waiting for the people in front.
I had a great time. If you're looking for tacky golf, this is your place.
Five stars soley because there's a Danzig skull on the course for no good reason and I want Danzig's psuedo Wolverine butt! Well, not really. He's a little scary, but haha he's Danzig and he makes me giggle.
This is a fun mini-golf place, though a bit more expensive than Haunted Trails. There are lots of wacky holes (LIKE YOUR MOM WOOP WOOP) and half of the place is dedicated to growing vegetables!??!?!?!?!??!?!? Seriously, anywhere there's some dirt, there's some sort of edible vegetation growing! It's very weird! They have an old photo booth which makes me want to do the nasty with the place... I love real photo booths! Hmm..I'm such a slut I keep wanting to fuck the places I visit.
I remember it taking a really long time to get through the course, so I guess it's worth the money. Like any mini golf place, it's cheaper during the week, but are you so cheap you can't afford 9 bux? Geeze man, get a job! And people call ME cheap.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (4)
- Cool (3)
There are few things that get me angrier than a crappy mini golf course. (Hello Skokie Sports Park, I'm talking to you. A plexiglass penguin resting atop a putting green does not a mini golf course make!) Luckily, Lincolnwood is home to a shining beacon of light, a little slice of heaven known as Novelty Golf.
I'm pretty sure nothing about Novelty Golf has changed since the 1950s, and that's a good thing. They have two different courses to choose from, and there are awesome props and obstacles within each one, so you really can't make a bad choice there. Plus, fun batting cages and bizarre arcade games. And as everyone has already mentioned, the post-golf Bunny Hutch visit is an added delight.
You really need to experience Novelty Golf for yourself, its essence cannot be captured in a simple Yelp review.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (1)
Sometimes I wanna whack Lady Liberty. Sometimes I wanna sink one through a broken, pastel windmill. Sometimes I want a meeting of the minds with Frankenstein. My moods are accommodated at Novelty Golf.
Course is not easy = great fun.
The game room takes me back to even before I was a teen. I love it. I feel like it's right out of Detriot Rock City or something. I want to hear Little Willy as I'm shooting pinball.
Painted stencils of The Fonz reminding you to throw away garbage, stuff like that. I could spend the whole day there.
Has anyone won a free game from the mini-pinball contraption at the end? Damn. Not me. And I'm usually good.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (3)
Can you say CLASSIC Mini golf how it should be?? All those other places have green turf with a few blocks in the middle as an obstacle and call it mini golf! That sucks! Bunny Hutch is the place to be!
I recommend taking the course to the left.......it seems to have better holes. More moving obstacles, longer holes...hitting it up into the barn...the spinning wheel hole!
I have been going here forever.....and have never sank my golf ball in the hole at the ball return in the end, the pinball thing. its always good for a few laughs.......then hit the arcade and batting cages and Bunny Hutch for some food!
Novely Golf, aka the Bunny Hutch.....is a great time! Just like the old Cheesy Commercial "Novely Golf...the place to be"
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
I've been coming here since I was a kid, and not much has changed since then. There are two mini golf courses to choose from. At the end of each course, you can shoot your golf ball into a pinball sort of machine to see if you've won a free game.
Then there's the game room, full of shoot 'em up games, claw games, classic Galaga and Tetris, and air hockey. Loads of fun. Unfortunately, it's not ventilated very well and thus smells like an armpit.
The batting cages are a blast -- the perfect way to warp back to the fun of your little league days (or release some current aggression!). A buck gets you about 14 balls to hit, and speeds range from 30-75 mph.
The Bunny Hutch adjacent to the novelty campus has some decent greasy food and ice cream to top off your day of childhood fun.
Yay yay yay we finally went to the bunny hutch! I've been lusting to go to this place since I cruised past with my hot date on our way to our sleazy motel. And you know what? It was totally worth it...the golf...not the sleazy motel...ok that was worth it too, but anyway. This mini golf was pretty hard. I did terribly. But it was still fun. I can only wish there wasn't a pack of old housewife/wannabe golfers trying to ride our asses though out the course. I've never seen anyone take mini golf so seriously.
Next time, double date, after wards, sleazy motels, oh yeah.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (1)
Old School!
DO NOT REMODEL! Love the vintage!
You may, however, do a little maintenance...
The freshly planted flowers? AWESOME!
A Chicago Institution!
AMAZING!
aka "Bunny Hutch" by Northside natives because of the ice cream business on the premises. Usually go there for the pitching machines. There's 2 slow pitch softball and the rest baseball: slow, medium and fast. Bat's and helmets provided, but it's suggested to wear a baseball cap underneath wearing a public batting helmet.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
So fun! Mostly because I kicked my competition's ass! :) I usually suck at mini-golf too, so that made me like this place even more! Nah, seriously cute place, nothing fancy but a fun course nonetheless! I thought it would be crowded on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon but really not at all! We had fun plotting out the strategy for each hole and still some of them tricked us (what is with that giant spinning contraption with the spiral in the middle that will just drop your ball into whatever hole it feels like?)
The kids working at the concession stand (the Bunny Hutch) were also great- they wore their bunny ears with pride and made me a fantasticly cute sundae (the s'more- yum!).
It was only about a 20 minute drive from downtown (could be a lot more in traffic though!)
All in all, lovely place to spend a summer afternoon
People thought this was:
- Funny (4)
- Cool (2)
Been here once, and had a great time! Something about this mini-golf just seems a bit off, but in a good way. I will be coming back for another round of golfing, more photobooth pictures, and lunch at the Bunny Hutch.
Please don't go away, Novelty Golf! Too many of your kind have left me.
Best place for mini golf in all Chicagoland! Vintage statues of Frankenstein's monster, a T-Rex, the Statue of Liberty, and more! Some of the holes have moving parts, which makes it that much more exciting. You'll pay $9 per person for the 1st 18, and then it's 1/2 price if you want to do the next 18.
They also have a great video game selection, 4 pinball machines, and an air hockey table. The black & white photo booth is great, and there are plenty of batting cages. Good stuff. Best time to play: 8pm in the summer.
**Recently featured in a commercial with Lou Pinella and Ozzie Guillen**
**Great spot for a date**
Great place for some summer fun!
It's a little cheesy but the kitsch is part of the fun. Make sure you check out the photo booth! There are also batting cages and a video arcade.... and of course the bunny hutch across the parking lot.
If you play one course, when you are finished you can play the second course for half price!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
What a great place! After reading the reviews I decided this was a spot the boyfriend and I needed to check out. I loved the cheesy, no-frills decor for the mini-golf and would definitely go back.
Batting cages and some not too exciting games are there too, but we didn't get a chance to check them out.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Devon Novelty Golf was always a favorite of mine throughout high school, and even after college it's worth a trip. Two eighteen hole minigolf courses that are visually interesting to play. (And no matter which course you play, you always kick yourself because you could have played the OTHER course!) Far more interesting to play than that public minigolf place in Skokie.
Lots of batting cages, so usually a slight wait but nothing too bad. Has an arcade that has seen better days, but what arcade hasn't? (Wave hi to the TV cameras as you enter the arcade.)
Has a few hoop shooters as well, if you're into that sort of thing. All in all, a fun place to kill a few hours!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I've driven past this grand dame of mini golf for years but just played there for the first time. Its everything a course should be, complete with huge chickens, nursery characters, and a giant skull. Not to mention holes with spinning, rotating, swinging challenges. (Be sure to check out the Star Wars tableau INSIDE Frankenstein.) 2 courses, batting cages, AND classic video games? Crazy delicious. I'll be swinging here again soon-this Wednesday to be exact.
Be sure and grab some greasy goodness at the Bunny Hutch too. You know you want the Francheezie.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...all at Bunny Hutch. Many a summer have I spent in the batting cages or on their mini-golf course. Wasting away my money in the arcade or shooting basketballs were other available options. I haven't been there in quite sometime now, but reading some of these review has made me nostalgic and I plan on playing a round or two with the girlfriend.
But I digress, as far as reviews go, this place has it all, and it's usually not populated by the riff-raff you'll find at similar establishments. Plenty of parking, plenty to do, the machines, cages, and the course are pretty much always in working condition. A visit to Bunny Hutch is a pretty damn good way to spend a summer afternoon or evening.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
The best mini golf in the chicagoland area. Yeah lots of nostalgia for me so I am biased but much more imaginative than other surrounding courses so unless you want to go to the dells I would recommend this place... in the summer that is....
I've tried to keep this a place secret for all the years i've lived in Chicago. Well, I guess it's time to divulge how absolutely awesome Novelty Golf and Game Room really is.
Let's just face the facts. This place is a classic Chicago institution on many levels and for many different reasons. First, it is really the only place to fulfill your mini golf needs in a 5 mile radius of the city. The mini golf course is a classic set-up. None of this Long John's Pirate cove shit!! We're talking old-school trick shots and a fairly consistent difficulty rating on each hole, sans waterfalls and real grass. Second, they have an old-school arcade that houses more pinball machines in one space than any public facility in the city! Third, it's next door to the Bunny Hutch! I don't know what else you could ask for. The drive there is also excellent, especially if you take North Lincoln Avenue all the way there. You see a lost era of North Chicago, filled with broken down 50's era traveler's Motels and hot dog stands, all the way up to Novelty Golf. Beware, while golfing, you may be overcome with an intense nostalgia of the day's when you told your mom you were going to play mini golf, but spent most of your evening smoking cigarettes behind the arcade and trying to make-out with chicks in the photo booth.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
One of the most fun places to play mini-golf. The two courses are a lot of fun, and a good challenge for any player.
I recommend this place to anyone who wants a fun afternoon playing mini-golf with friends.
The course is uneven, like someone rumpled the astroturf. Therefore you can hit the ball willy-nilly, because who knows where it will go? I like that. I like a challenge.
And I like the signs that feature Fonzie and Robocop. I also like the dill that grows here and there amongst the holes. "Dillholes," I always think to myself, and chuckle.
