Puttshack Boston Review & Photos | What to Expect
Puttshack Boston at the Seaport is one of the newest game bars in the city. Here you can play indoor mini golf with a high tech twist, where your ball tracks your score automatically and you’ve given different objectives on each hole. This is one of my favorite indoor things to do in my husband’s home down of Boston, especially for a rainy or wintery day, and a go-to date night spot for us. I’m writing this Puttshack Boston review to share our experience!
*I’m not being paid to write this review
Quick Summary : Puttshack Boston Review
Puttshack Boston is a fresh take on mini golf that the whole family can enjoy together, regardless of the season or weather. The space has a fun, vibrant feel and the colorful decor really adds to the upbeat atmosphere. The gameplay was seamless and the ball tracks your score for you which allows for more time having fun. I especially love how unique each hole is compared to a typical mini golf course. Being able to bring a beer or cocktail with you while you putt is novel, and having a full bar and food menu right in the venue is super convenient. Plus, everything we tried tasted great from the cocktails to the food.
While there are some small improvements that could be made in the future like controlling the number of players on any given course at a time, overall Puttshack Boston is one of the most fun and innovative things to do in the city and is totally worth a visit for families, couples, birthday parties and company events.
Full Puttshack Boston Review : What is Puttshack?
Puttshack Boston is a fun tech-infused indoor mini golf experience the whole family can enjoy together, with a diverse menu of cocktails, small plates and entrees for you to enjoy before, after, or even during (drinks only) your game.
- When to Visit
- Who can Play
- Getting There
- Tickets and Pricing
- How Long Do You Need?
- How it Works
- Food & Drinks
When to Visit
Puttshack can get busy, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. They also sometimes close the second floor for events, which is more likely to happen on the weekends. This wasn’t a huge issue when we were there on a Saturday afternoon considering there’s no way we would have had time to do more than two courses since we had to wait some between each hole. But when we go again, we will probably go on a week night where we will be more likely to get all the courses in if we want to with less waiting in between.
My recommendation is to go during the week if you’re able to. If you go Monday through Thursday you’ll also get 50% off your second round, along with less crowds and hassle. Go on a Wednesday for “Way Back Wednesdays” when they play throwback music videos and you can get $10 off dining.
Who can Play at Puttshack Boston?
Important: Puttshack Boston is 21+ after 8:00pm
Puttshack Boston is open to all ages anytime before 7:00pm (last round at 7:00pm, can play until 8:00pm). For this reason, this indoor mini golf barcade is great for families with a bunch of different ages. Kids and adults can both have fun together!
Side note, when we were at Puttshack we saw a birthday party or two of younger kids who seemed to be having a great time. They accommodate birthday parties and events of all kinds, and to learn more about having an event at Puttshack you can visit their events and parties page.
Getting There
Getting into Boston and any city can be tricky, and Seaport is no exception. The closest metro stop is the South Station stop, which is over a 20 min walk, so I recommend either scootering or taking a taxi from the South Station metro, or getting to Puttshack another way. Uber and Lyft will get you there easily, as will parking in one of the nearby garages.
Puttshack Boston Parking
Although there’s no dedicated lot for parking at Puttshack Boston, parking at the Seaport isn’t too tricky and there are multiple paid lots nearby like the ALYX parking garage and the Harbor Way parking garage.
Tickets and Pricing
Puttshack Boston costs $18 per round per player, which is on the pricier side but you get what you pay for and it’s well worth the money! To sign up in advance, visit the Puttshack ticketing page. There are four courses you can try, but unless you’re coming with a big group my recommendation is to sign up for one only, because when you book two+ you have to choose a time for your second round and that can get tricky. The time you move through each course will completely differ depending on the crowds that day. They don’t have an unlimited rounds option unfortunately.
Once you’re done with one round you can almost always sign up for another easily, especially with a group of four or less or on the week days!
Pro tip: Go on a week day for half off your second round!
How Long Does Puttshack Take?
How long you’ll need at Puttshack in Boston will really depend on how many people are in your group. There are four 9-hole courses, but I recommend playing two of the courses because each one takes some time.
If you have a small group, maybe two to four people, two to three hours is more than enough time to enjoy a few courses and get some drinks and food, especially if you aren’t picky about where you sit or what courses you do.
If you have a larger group and you want to order food I would say give yourself around four hours to be safe. These are conservative estimates, and you can of course still go to Puttshack without spending this much time if you’re hoping to get in and out!
Puttshack Boston Review : How it Works
Walking into the Puttshack in Boston you’ll find there are two floors, each with two courses. There’s also a coat check on the first floor which is super nice, especially for the freezing Boston winters.
Checking In
To check in either visit the check in desk, or if the line is too long they have these great kiosks where you can get checked in on your own. You can also sign up for a tee time at these kiosks if you don’t have tickets yet.
Once you’re checked in find your way to your first course. The Sapphire and Amber courses are on the first floor and the Emerald and Ruby courses are on the second floor.
Above the entrance to each course you’ll see a Tee Time board that has everyone’s group names and when the course will be ready for you in minutes. Once it’s your time head to the start of the course and there will be a person there to give you your clubs, balls and to give you instructions (which are actually kinda important!).
Game Play at Puttshack
The game play itself is really fun and tech forward. The best part is you don’t have to keep score yourself because the ball keeps track for you! You’ll see your score is automatically put up onto the score board at each hole. We didn’t have any trouble with the ball recording our scores wrong but I have seen reviews saying there was some issues. My guess is the technology is getting better as time goes on!
When we visited on a Saturday evening we did have to wait for a few holes, which also meant sometimes the group behind us was watching us while we hit. I didn’t love that, but of course this does happen sometimes with mini golf and there could be no way around it! I’ve read similar things in other blogs, so maybe implementing more spread out tee times could improve upon the amount of people on any given course at a time. Regardless it was no biggie.
You’ll find each hole is themed after a traditional game, like pinball or air hockey, and that each hole has screens to tell you what your score is along with the other players in your group.
Puttshack is also unique in that you’re trying to get the highest score as opposed to the lowest. Along with getting points for less strokes, you also get points for doing different things on each hole and it seems like that was actually more important for winning.
This is my favorite part and I think it really added to the game! An example is getting your ball into a short cut or making your ball past the goalie on the air hockey themed hole. My favorite hole is the beer pong cup where you have to try to get your ball in one of the cups, which I surprisingly got! I also love that the fact that there are additional objectives on each hole means that it would be fun to come back and visit to try again.
Food & Drinks
I couldn’t write this Puttshack Boston review without highlighting the fact that you can drink while you golf! This really adds to the experience and makes it more fun, especially for a date night. Alongside your indoor mini golf game you can get high quality drinks and also food. There’s a few bar areas as well as tables and high tops where you can eat and hangout. Prices are what you would expect, not crazy high or low.
The best menu items at Puttshack are their global inspired sharable plates like the Boston Tailpipes and the Korean Bbq Bao Buns. They also have plenty of entree items like flatbreads, salads and burgers. You can view the Puttshack Boston menu on their website ahead of time.
You have to try the Wicked Raspberry Lime Rickey if you like cocktails. I had never heard of a rickey before I tried this one, but it’s a cocktail Boston is known for. It was delicious and I’ll definitely be getting more of these in the future.
Final Verdict
Overall Puttshack Boston is a must-see spot in Boston, especially for anyone who likes to play games. Families should visit during the day for an outing people of all ages can enjoy together, and couples and groups of friends will love Puttshack after 8:00pm when it becomes more of a nightlife experience for 21+. It’s also a great place for birthday parties, events and company outings.
Lauren Kessel
Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.
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