6770 Brookpark Road, Cleveland
I don’t know how it came to be that we’ve never taken our 5-year-old daughter to play mini-golf. But this weekend, we decided that we needed to rectify that immediately! She was really excited, and I’m glad we picked such a fun place for her very first time. We went pretty late in the evening, and lucked out with absolutely gorgeous weather and a cool breeze.
Upon arrival, we found close parking in the large lot, although it appeared much more crowded than I anticipated. The cost for 18 holes was $8 per person (I have no idea how this compares to other places — again, first timers) and I noticed that under age 4 is free. They also had three small stationary rides (think little animal shaped merry-go-round type at the mall) which were free.
We picked the “easy” course and found it to be just our speed. We elected not to keep score — thank goodness, because our little one had some serious beginner’s luck, and put both of us adults to shame! As it turned out, while it looked crowded, this didn’t affect us at all. We made our way through from start to finish without any wait time. The larger-than-life sized candy decor throughout makes you feel like you’ve just landed in the middle of a candy land game. It’s really colorful and unique. The course was also filled with color changing lights and blacklights, which created a really fun atmosphere in the dark. There were plenty of benches throughout for seating. Restrooms outdoors as well as inside the building. They offered a prize of free golf at the end for any individuals who get a hole-in-one at the final stop.
After mini-golf, I highly suggest stopping in next door at Sweeties Soda Shop. It’s a new, clean, well lit store with plenty of seating available. They offer a wide variety of ice cream and toppings, along with old-fashioned soda and milk shakes. The menu was so extensive, we all had trouble deciding on our selections. For those eating in, the tables offered real swings hanging from the ceiling to sit on, along with regular chairs – very cool! They also had tablecloths made of white paper with a canister of crayons for the kids to color on.
Last but not least… the candy store — what B.A. Sweetie is most well known for. Since we didn’t get to stop in this visit (they were already closed) we came back the next day. What can I say, we love candy! It’s likely the largest candy store you’ll ever enter — it’s fun just to look around and take it all in. The store offers just about any type of candy you could ever imagine, and they also have a wide assortment of nostalgic candy that will bring you back to your childhood years — I bought some musical suckers on my last trip for just that reason. My daughter loves the tiny shopping carts and the fun decor.
Verdict: Fun little family trip! A definite must-do in Cleveland.
