What Is the Best Mini Golf Course in Arlington?

"Best" is a loaded word. Ask five Arlington families to name the best mini golf course and you will get five answers, because each one is grading on something different: one cares about price, one about how long the kids stay busy, one about whether there is a cold beer at the end. This page lays out the criteria that actually matter, then shows you honestly how Golf Center of Arlington measures up on each one. We are not going to grade anyone else's course. We are going to give you the scorecard and let you fill it in.

What makes a mini golf course "the best"?

After decades of watching families, date nights, church groups and birthday parties come through our gate, we have a pretty clear idea of what people notice. It comes down to eight things.

How many holes should a good mini golf course have?

Eighteen is the minimum you should expect. Thirty-six is where mini golf turns from a 40-minute stop into a real activity. Golf Center of Arlington has 36 holes laid out as two separate 18-hole courses, so you can play one course, take a break at the snack bar, and play the other. Most groups take about 60 to 90 minutes to finish both courses, which is long enough to feel like an event and short enough to fit before dinner. Our guide to how long 36 holes of mini golf takes breaks the timing down by group size.

Two courses also solve a problem you may not think about until you are standing in line: crowding. When a big party takes over one course, the other keeps moving. If your kids are very young, you can play one 18 and call it a day without feeling like you left half the ticket on the table. Our tips for playing mini golf with toddlers cover that in detail.

Does course design and landscaping really matter?

Yes, more than most people expect. A flat course with the same ramp-and-tunnel hole repeated eighteen times is forgettable. A course built into real terrain gives every hole a different look and a different problem to solve.

Golf Center of Arlington's mini golf is a landscaped nature course with bridges, rock formations and seven waterfalls woven through the holes. Right now the course is in the middle of a remodel: every hole is open and playable, but the waterfalls are temporarily switched off while the work is finished. We would rather tell you that up front than have you wonder why the water is quiet.

What should mini golf cost in Arlington?

The fairest way to compare prices is to ask what the ticket includes. A low sticker price that adds tax at the register, charges for a club, and gives you one round only can end up costing more than an all-in ticket.

Prices as published on golfcenterofarlington.com; subject to change.

Free same-day replays are the detail that changes the math. At Golf Center of Arlington, one ticket lets you play as many times as you like the day you visit. A family that plays both courses, grabs a snack, and goes back out for a rematch has paid once. For a full breakdown by household size, see what mini golf costs for a family of four.

Hours, weather and picking the right time

A course that closes at dusk is fine for a Saturday afternoon and useless for a Tuesday after work. Golf Center of Arlington is open seven days a week, year-round: Monday through Saturday 8 AM–11 PM and Sunday 8 AM–10 PM. That covers before-dinner rounds with the kids, late rounds after a Rangers game, and the evening hours when the Texas heat finally lets up.

Weather is the other half of the timing question. Mini golf is an outdoor game, and we will not pretend a thunderstorm is fun on a putting green. What sets a property apart is what else it offers when the sky opens. Here, the 36-hole course shares the grounds with 18 covered and heated Toptracer range bays, so a rained-out round can turn into a game of Angry Birds or Closest to the Pin under cover. For mini golf parties, if the weather turns, we simply offer the next available date.

Food, drink and the rest of the property

The last thing that separates a good course from the best one is what happens when the scorecards are done. Here you have a few options. The snack bar sells light snacks and drinks. The bar carries more than 50 beers with a local craft focus, plus wine, canned cocktails and non-alcoholic choices, so parents get a real reward for eighteen holes of scorekeeping. Outside food is welcome, though coolers and outside beverages are not; our outside food policy spells out the details.

Then there is the rest of the place. Golf Center of Arlington has been a family-owned range since 1986 and is recognized as one of America's Top 50 golf ranges. The Toptracer bays are a natural second act after mini golf: no experience required, instant ball tracking on the screen, and games that a nine-year-old and a grandparent can play together. A medium bucket of 60 balls is $21, or $15 for members.

How Golf Center of Arlington scores on the checklist

Here is the honest tally against the eight criteria above.

• Hole count: 36 holes on two 18-hole courses.
• Course design: landscaped nature course with bridges and rock formations built into the terrain.
• Landscaping: seven waterfalls (temporarily paused during the remodel), trees and stonework throughout.
• Price and inclusions: adults $12, kids $8, toddlers free; tax, club and ball included.
• Replays: free and unlimited the same day.
• Hours: seven days a week, year-round, Monday–Saturday 8 AM–11 PM, Sunday 8 AM–10 PM.
• Food and drink: snack bar, 50+ beers, wine and canned cocktails; outside food allowed.
• Weather backup: 18 covered, heated Toptracer bays on the same property.

Whatever course you end up choosing, take this list with you. If you want to see how ours plays, the Mini Golf at Golf Center of Arlington page has the full course details, and our miniature golf course location guide covers the address and how to find us at 1301 NE Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, TX 76006, about two miles north of the Entertainment District and minutes from Six Flags Over Texas.