The kiosk machines that dispense the arcade cards are very poor in quality, was stuck here waiting for customer support to give me another card but even that took a long time. Only good thing about my experience here is good bathroom, very nice. read more

This place is fun. I have only my experiences of mini golf in southern California where there a bunch of places and they really go out of their way to theme the places out. That being said this is by far the biggest effort I've seen to theme a mini golf track out to meet the expectations of the locals. It's awesome. The only thing that is missing is more video games! One of the cool things about this shop is that you can order food from the several places on Par and eat it there at the tables. read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - In front of the maze. - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

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Maria rules. So helpful and informative. So glad this place found a new home with more amenities than before and twice the size for golf and arcade. Adult and kid friendly! read more

Drove all the way here from San Francisco to play mini-golf since Malibu Grand Prix closed down. There are 18 holes all designed to look like famous buildings around the bay area. Little signs around the store are super cute and "urban" I guess you could say. The workers are super friendly but, I must say this place is basically just for kids. It's a mini-golf course inside a small building. The holes are about 3 feet away from each other, if even that. There's a tiny arcade on the inside and some tables to sit down while you're waiting for the kiddies to finish their rounds. read more

18 holes at an indoor golf course?? I'm in!! I went here with a group of 7 friends last night. It's a great date spot because there are dinner and dessert places within walking distance. Take out the guy running the place and the course itself gets 4 stars. The courses are well crafted for the space it's in and I found them to be no less challenging than a regular mini golf course. We did run into other groups a bit, but that was expected as I had read other Yelp reviews before deciding to come here. Not sure about what people say to the alcohol thing, a group of 40+ yr olds had cups of wine on the course. MINUS one star: I didn't like the personality of the guy running the place when he took our payment to play. There's a $10 minimum to pay with credit card, so my friend and I stood back to decide how we were going to pay because I didn't think I had enough cash (having just paid for dinner). The cashier's response was something along the lines of "Are you guys going to play? It's not that hard of a decision." That comment irked me, and now here is it on Yelp. **The 5th star comes from going above and beyond to make my experience memorable, which this place did not do. read more

This is a really fun way to spend a few hours with friends or family. Every hole is based on a Bay Area landmark, which adds some extra whimsy to your game. The course is a bit challenging for a rookie like me but sucking so bad is all part of the fun, right? It can be a bit chilly in here in the winter so dress in layers or bring a coat you can move around in. *Extra points for air hockey and arcade games to cool down with! read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - Painted Ladies hole - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

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I took my daughter and her boyfriend last night. I put my credit card in the machine to pay for the golf, not food or drinks, and it automatically added a $9.75 tip. Be very aware that they are trying to rip you off. read more

I love this place. Prices are pretty good and a little of everything to do. My son really enjoyed this place it's really for all ages. There's a ton of restaurants all around this place definitely recommend it read more

Cool spot. I think i read this started as an art exhibit and now its a regular mini golf course. In addition to golf they have an electric car track, arcade games, and pool. The whole course is based on things in the bay area like Lumbard street in SF, or the oakland shipyard. Really cool local art while enjoying a game of mini-golf. The other great thing is this is INDOORS! most golf is outdoors so come while its raining out! read more

In theory, this place sounds great. A mini-golf course with holes modeled after notable Bay Area landmarks? The possibilities are endless. In practice, Subpar is a sad, worn-down excuse for an arcade/golf place. The building is that loud, noisy, echo-y kind of space you associate with abandoned warehouses and the like. Everything is chipped, fading and peeling, like the architectural version of Grizabella from "Cats"--a place that's seen better days. The holes themselves? Half of them weren't modeled after anything remotely Bay Area-ish (my favorite was the white blob with a smaller brown blob next to it). The ones that were modeled after things like the GG Bridge and Coit Tower were fun to look at, though the holes themselves were not terribly exciting. However, at $9 per person (on regular days, it's cheaper during certain hours), this isn't a bad way to spend a few hours. There's greasy food and old-school arcade games to round out the experience, and the people who work here are pretty nice. read more

Pretty cool bay area themed mini golf course with some fun holes. You can order beer, wine, and snacks all at a reasonable price. Staff was polite. They also have a decent sized arcade. Takes about an hour to complete the course. Overall I enjoyed it, good for adults and kids. Will be back again read more

Upon arrival we were greeted by the 2 guys and they were both attentive. $7 for adults and $5 for kids to golf (18 holes). They also have a machine to change bills to quarters for parking outside, FYI. The courses all had a little miniature theme of landmarks in the bay. From hole 1 being the windmills to skate park to Golden Gate Bridge to Lombard street to city hall. It was very cute and clever. At the 18th hole was the end and as we returned our equipment the gentlemen asked us how it was and asked my son if he had fun. Took us about 30 minutes to finish the whole course. -1 star because they didn't have AC and it was pretty warm in there. However they did have fans in certain places, an AC would have made the experience more comfortable. read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

I know this place is closing in a week, but I wanted to sing it's final praises. Subpar is one of those home-grown, "only in Alameda" places that has provided me and my family with many memories. I threw my husband's surprise 40th "throwback to the 80s" birthday party here and I've been here multiple other times with my family and friends, most recently today, for one last round. As countless reviews have stated, each hole is designed around an East Bay, Alameda or SF landmark and the entire place feels like someone's diorama passion project. I'm bummed that the new location didn't work out at Southshore and I will not be braving the tourist mecca that is Ghirardelli to seek out the SF location. Hopefully Subpar can make its way back to Alameda eventually. read more

If you're looking for a cheap evening activity, I would definitely recommend this place. We went here on a Thursday night, and surprisingly there were other customers there too. The three of us played only one round (18 holes). The theme is Bay Area attractions. I commend whoever did the art for this place. Though it was quaint and low-budget, there was a great variety of challenge at each hole. The decorations were still very cute, but it looked like a local artist did. Overall it had charm. read more

Very fun and well laid out. Great for couples, families, or groups. Enjoyed it a lot.

Super cute small indoor mini golf. Went for glow golf and they let you pick your favorite color glow necklace and place matching glow stick into the golf ball. The course featuring SF attractions including Lombard Street and Golden Gate Park was lit with changing mood lighting. Some were more challenging than others. Had to wait a while for a large group ahead of us, but overall good fun. They also had some toy car racing track and arcade area, although top arcade level with foosball and pool table was stuffy. Pretty cool place would recommend. Fun for family, friends, or date night. read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

LOVE THE STAFF! Everyone's so nice and friendly here, i can't rave about them enough. I frequent this place with my almost 4 year old daughter who loves video games and my 1 year old son who just likes to roam around. I have never had a bad experience and will continue coming back. read more

$3 rounds every Monday! Attended a recent Yelp event here, and I was honestly surprised by the place. It may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but its the perfect place for a little date. The course is all themed after the bay area. one of the holes is themed after the painted ladies, really amazing artwork. Not only that, but they have some great old school arcade games for cheap. Talk about nostalgia. read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - Chillen on the stoop. Great place for indoor mini golf! - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

For about $8 you get access for as long as you want to stay there. There are 18 holes but the holes are so short that it was so fast to get through the whole thing. I didn't feel much of a challenge with the courses but I guess the theme and the fact that it's indoors is a plus. It's a cute place and I like all the little statues and Bay Area references. The employees were very nice and I had an overall good time! read more

I've been here twice now and it really is subpar. I gave it 3 stars because I do think its a cute concept. The courses could be a bit better though, as I lost interest after awhile. Then again, I'm not huge on mini golf. Worth going to if you have some kids to entertain or as a family night, or maybe a date night. I would skip if you're in a group of people who don't like mini golf because the course aren't enough to keep one entertained. Glow golf was $10 though, very reasonable. read more

Amazing place for fun in the Bay Area! Kids and adults love this spot. The newly opened 1600 Park St location is better than ever. Mini golf and arcade are awesome! The golf holes are beautifully designed and creative representing Alameda County landmarks. Plus there's a laser maze! No better place around for a fun day out with the family, date night, or a birthday party! read more

Follow-up. Mike (the owner) sent a message to follow up the negative review. He was trying to understand why we didn't have a positive experience the first time. He also wanted to know so he could prevent it from happening again in the future. Reaching out is a good thing and appreciate the gesture. read more

A game of pool costs three dollars. You can't pay only three dollars. You have to buy a $5.00 card. So... a game of pool costs FIVE dollars. The old place next to Ole's was charming and you only paid what you needed. This place is a circus with all of the scams. read more

Cuuuuute. I've never visited for my own enjoyment, but Subpar has been an amazing location for field Trips for my After School Program. We've rented the place out for 80-100 kids and they've had a blast every time. It's great because there are a variety of things to do-- most kids mini golfed, but they also had access to pool tables, arcade (with unlimited tokens during our rental!), and slot cars. I am so grateful that Subpar gives us another local, on island option to entertain our kiddos at! read more

This place seems like a good place for an indie summer movie about teenagers falling in love and/or coming of age, complete with very neutral desk staff and signage reminding us to "have a subpar day!" The golfing itself is hit-or-miss, with some inventive holes (the Golden Gate Bridge, Crooked Street) interspersed with some ordinary ones (a truck? a road?). I'm not sure how they would hold up in daylight, but we went at night for glow golfing which made everything seem more fun and charming. The arcade is pretty small and significantly warmer than the rest of the building; we played the Demolition Man pinball, which had a cool setup but was really unforgiving in terms of difficulty. It was my first time playing slot cars as well-- they seemed to only work intermittently, but I'm not sure if that's the way all slot cars work. Overall, we had a great time on our night out, but we probably wouldn't go again. read more

Love how the name provides the exact level of expectation you should have regarding the quality of this place. There's a slot car derby, plenty of arcade games, pool table and mini golf. There's plenty in here that can entertain you for a few hours on a rainy day. The slot car is what greets you first, where its fun for a few minutes when its working right, but the cars too often get stuck. Plus also, the max speed is kinda slow, even after asking them to adjust accordingly. Variety of arcade games, but they are all kinda old and shabby. Our skee ball malfunctioned, our guitar hero was way too expensive, and the air hockey puck got stuck during midgame. The guy did give us a free game on the adjacent table though. Most times I see this place dominated by high school kids too, so probably not a place I'd hang out too much at. read more

It's very cool that this place is indoors but the fans weren't on/working the day I went so it was pretty stuffy. $9 per adult on a Saturday. The Bay Area landmark-inspired holes were unique but some were in declining condition. They also really love building these structures with crazy inclines and banks. If you're not into put put, they have arcades and a RC race track ($5 for a 15 minute race). I'd come again on one of the discounted nights and definitely with out-of-towners. read more

Subpar Miniature Golf - Mini Golf Near Me - Alameda, California

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This place rules. I've been there three times since their grand opening one month ago. An adult can play 18 holes for $9, and a kid can play for $7. There are also discounts for seniors and students, and all kinds of specials (like $3 Mondays). You can play skee ball and arcade games too. The 18 holes are charming and unique, highlighting all kinds of bay-area scenery and landmarks. You get to putt your way through the Golden Gate bridge, freeways, the Winchester Mystery House, and more! Be forewarned that some elements are still under development at this time - not all the holes are working perfectly, and the owners are still ironing out some kinks. For example, it's incredibly easy for your ball to go bouncing out of a given area and into another hole. I accidentally overshot on the second hole and cracked some guy on the ankle with my ball. Later the same day, some kid overshot on the 17th hole and nearly got me in the face where I stood by the 18th hole. The owners are putting up plastic shields to prevent this kind of mayhem, but they aren't quite there yet. Overall, I love this place. It's getting better every time, and I can't wait to go back. read more

Seeing reviews that call this place run-down and dreary really brings into focus how bland some folks' tastes can be. To be absolutely clear: ***It is *NOT* a slick, million-dollar chain amusement park.*** Neither is it a decaying wasteland of roadside days-gone-by (though those are super cool too!). It's a tiny, mom & pop (let's call it "startup" so we don't alienate the tech folks) business focused on novelty and goofy fun. Who brings the fun? YOU DO. This is a place to go have fun with fun friends and your fun self. If you or your friends are fussy or uptight, i.e. not fun, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME. In life (and at any amusement worth visiting, too). The holes are all lovingly hand-crafted out of materials probably from Pagano's Hardware. Some are nearly impossible to actually play. There's a lot of tracking down your ball when it overshoots some barrier. There's a lot of jockeying with other parties. You will have to cheat your ball out of odd corners. It will be loud from the echoing sound of fun people having fun. The walls are half-painted, and the blast-shields on ball-ramps are dinged and scraped.. AND THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE. This is the minigolf course you and your friends would have built in college, if you'd been that cool. Actually, it's even better. It's the minigolf course your college friend's rad older sibling built in their free time, between volunteering for Teach America, learning Japanese, and hand-brazing bike frames for Rwandan kids... and guess what? You're invited to come play. read more

Went to SubPar's Monday discount--only $3 a round! As a continuation of Mother's Day the Rinky family made an outing here. I'm not sure why I love mini-golf so much especially since I am so bad at it. Maybe it's: The nostalgia factor---playing countless games in my SoCal childhood? The swear factor---will I use more swear words than the number of strokes per hole? The competitive factor--can I beat my family at least in one type of game? The Alameda factor---am I just looking for an excuse to do something before eating out on Park Avenue? The statistical factor-----will I continue to get worse the older get? I had been eyeing SubPar for several months and been wanting to go here for awhile. Now most Moms would want to go to some swanky restaurant for M-day but not Lil' Rinky. I am what they call a "cheap date." (Although we did eat at Yoshi's the night before) This is actually an 18 hole course featuring SF landmarks--cleverly done with background murals to enhance the mood. Some are more challenging than others. What usually works for me is to NOT aim. btw.....don't hit the balls too hard or they will go over the top of the netting or walls and hopefully not into the heads of your fellow golfers. There are two snack vending machines, an ATM, picnic tables, air hockey,fooseball, skeeball, and other arcade and video games and a photo booth machine! And two very clean bathrooms! We'll definitely come back on a Monday night! Staff person was very sweet. He didn't even roll his eyes when I told him our scores. Let's just say they were over 25 but under 80. He said his best score was 39 and the course record is 36. I won't be attempting to beat these records anytime soon. I'm content with my golf score and actually my swear word count only came in at 20! read more

I came here for my birthday and had an absolute blast! They give you a free game of golf for your birthday (birthday people, take note!). It took us about 1 hour or so to go through 18 beautifully crafted holes, modeled after various points of interest and monuments in the Bay Area. Besides the indoor mini-golf course, they also have air hockey, a racing game, DDR, skeeball, a shooting game, and a few pinball machines. Some of the previous reviews complained about kids - but we didn't see any. I think the best thing to do if you want to avoid kids is just to go later at night. The BEST thing about this place, though, is that they're OPEN LATE! I think they close at midnight - making this the perfect thing to do after a late dinner or after-work happy hour. I will definitely be coming back, and dragging my friends with me! :) Tips: 1. Free on your birthday (w/ ID) 2. $3 games most Mondays 3. $7 for students ($9 for adults) 4. Open late! Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays! (9pm or 10pm all other days) 5. Childless couples - if you want to avoid kids, go later at night. read more

I would have to say an excellent use of space. I would definitely come back. Both bosses had a great time ( my 6 yr old and wife). The staff was very friendly. I think this is the only indoor 18 hole miniature golf course in the bay. If you have any half pints( kids), this is the place to go. The price is more than reasonable. read more

Fun found in our backyard. It looked small when I walked in but looks were deceiving. There is a second floor with arcade games, car racing track and the mini golf goes to the very back. There was a birthday party being set up in one of the rooms. Staff was friendly and quickly checked us in for a round of golf using a groupon. The round of golf took Hubs and I about 45 minutes. It was fun making our "trip" through the cities and some holes were pretty challenging. The materials and ideas for the course was unique. It is one of a kind. read more

I'm a big supporter of this business. I like the creativity the owners put into each holes. I love the bay and a Bay Area themed golf course is an awesome idea. The details that went into each design didn't go unnoticed. From the taco truck to Lombard street to the Ferry Building, I mean if you are from the bay, you will have no questions as to the work of art that's displayed. Amazing job. The price to play is not bad either. I think it was $9 for adults, $7 for students and you can take $1 off if you do a FB check-in. The only drawback that I have is that it's in a warehouse type of building. It gets loud when it's crowded, especially when others are on the air hockey tables and/or arcades. In addition, there are holes that require more power for the ball to get uphill and it could potentially get dangerous if the ball misses its target and hit a bystander nearby. To prevent this from happening, the owners put up nets, but it still made me a little nervous when I was hitting the ball that I didn't want to hit too hard thus putting me points behind. Luckily I made hole-in-ones soon after and eventually winning the game. Other than that, awesome place to spend with your buddies. And another added bonus, they don't serve alcohol, but you can bring outside drinks. read more

Indoor mini golfing? Cool! Glow in the dark games? Cooler! Glow in the dark indoor mini golfing? Coolest!! I came here with a friend for glow in the dark golf, which is on Friday and Saturday nights after 7:30PM for $10. A shame you can't really see their cool, Bay Area-inspired holes, but I had a lot of fun! Their holes are creative and had a good variety of paths. They generally aren't too difficult either, so it's perfect for both kids and adults. I see this being a great place to hang out on a night in downtown Alameda. Lots of fun! read more

This place is near completion, but it is officially open to the public. Don't let the name fool you--this miniature golf course is anything BUT sub-par. I came here as my boyfriend's plus-one for Subpar's private pre-grand opening where the individuals involved with the business's start up get together to celebrate its completion and just enjoy the night with pizza, alcohol, music, great company, and of course, free rounds of mini-golf! From the minute you set foot in this place, the experience is nothing short of an adventure and tour of the Bay Area's finest! Although the mural is currently still in its rough contour, you can already tell it's going to be one amazing sight to see--even without any coloring, the famous icons of the Bay Area have so much dimension and depth! The entire wall is not just a mural--it is an homage to the rich history and culture of San Francisco, Oakland, and other Bay Area locations. If you look carefully enough, you can also find subtle but clever surprises incorporated into the mural (my favorite was finding an AT-AT from Star Wars!). This surprise is just one of many that showcases the quirky personalities of the artist/muralist, Kelly, and the rest of the design crew! When you see the individual themed holes and the detailed coloring, depth, and painting done on them, especially on the more intricate, textured structures (such as Lombard Street), it is undeniable how talented and inspiring she is as an artist! I can go on and on about her work, but words would not do it justice. I can only say that I can't wait for the wall mural to be completed and see each themed hole against a truly breathtaking backdrop. Each themed hole is doable for any age, but it is nevertheless sometimes a challenge! From jumping bridges to double-looping through the Golden Gate to taking wrong freeway "exits" on the Oakland Tree's "branches"/roads, you're in for a high-flying, edge-slamming, even occasionally off-course ride through the 18-hole journey around the Bay. I don't want to give away the theme for every hole; for a couple of them, I needed to think a bit of what city/sight they are referring to. But the ones I wholeheartedly admired (for masterful artistry and design, level of difficulty, and overall finesse) are Lombard Street (HINT: there's a trick to getting a hole-in-one if you can figure it out!), the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Painted Ladies, and the Winchester Mystery House. Unlike some other places I review on Yelp, photos of these themed holes truly speak for themselves. While this miniature golf course is still in development, keep in mind the owners started from scratch. At the start of this project, the walls were empty, rough, and needed repair; the ground had no holes and needed drilling to remove cylinders of cement; no mounds/structures/shapes for golf balls to traverse on existed and they had to be built, designed by an architect, painted by an artist, assembled, and properly placed in position to the wall mural in its evolving stages. With that in mind, stepping into this place is like a dream--I felt as if I were a tourist pointing out familiar and not-so-familiar locations, sights, and sounds of the Bay Area; as I putt my golf ball through each themed hole, I gained an ever-increasing appreciation of all the minute details I had missed myself of these Bay Area icons (even though I've lived in the Bay Area since birth!). It is undeniable how much of passion, heart, and soul the owners put into this project-turned-successful business. I spoke a bit with one of the owners, Mike Taft, who was incredibly kind, funny, light-hearted, and fun-loving--the best kind of owner for a miniature golf course! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and I HIGHLY recommend this place if you are not looking to drive all the way to Redwood City to play miniature golf, if you are looking to try a new kind of mini-golf, if you're a Bay Area kid at heart, or if you are looking for something fun and inexpensive to do with a group ($9 per adult and $7 for kids). Be sure to check Subpar's website and Facebook page for special prices/deals! read more

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Watch your golf ball climb up an on-ramp and through the maze! Or it fly across the Park Street bridge! Or zip through Lombard! A group of us came here for Monday $3 mini golf night. Yes, four full-grown adults scurrying from landmark to landmark, crying out in delight and giggling in glee as we recognized each one. This place is good for all age groups. We had a blast. Each hole is straight forward yet challenging enough to be fun. There are no bodies of water; so you will avoid the humiliation of losing your ball in some mini golf lake--ahem, not that such things happen to me. I love that it's indoor; you don't have to worry about frozen fingers or weather. Bay Area themed indoor mini golf! Need I saw more! read more

I have always seen this place from the outside and never been inside. One day, I was walking by and decided to go. It's great! It was a little hot inside which made us play the game faster. But aside from that, it was a great experience. read more

I'm frankly shocked by the rave reviews -- there's no way this deserves it's current 4.5 stars. I went with my girlfriend on Friday night around 8 PM as a date night, and it was...the best word I can use is "dreary". I could also use "small" or "depressing". Even though the outside world smelled like fresh fall rain, inside it smelled like mold and an old nursing home. The feel is very institutional; harsh florescent lighting, sharp edges everywhere. It felt like a popup place in a shuttered and emptied big box store, not a real brand new place. The holes are all very good looking, and the theme of "Bay Area" is clever, but they don't have much interesting designs to them -- few different paths through the holes, relatively small holes overall, and no moving parts. There's an upstairs arcade, according to signs, but I didn't explore it because the lights were off up there, and a couple of arcade games and an air hockey table near the front door. I was hoping that they'd spread everything out enough so that there'd be room for couples on dates and little kids to both have a good time together. Instead, we were the only childless pair in the place, and there were also no teenagers, which I had expected, and the children were all running around instead of actually, you know, playing miniature golf. We're not talking 8-16 year olds, who would be suitable for actually playing, but families just kind of standing around while 3-6 year olds just kind of ran around and generally looked unhappy. I was also hoping for music, energy, anything... and left disappointed. Until mid-January, if you're looking for a 1950s style date in the area that's also child-friendly, try the pop-up ice skating rink nearby instead. After that, well, there's a good bowling alley nearby... In short: I arrived excited, and hope this review lets you save your excitement and time for something else. EDIT: I highly recommend that everyone reads the owner's response to my review, below. It's one of the most polite and well-spoken responses to a very negative review I've either seen or received. While I won't, of course, change my review without going back, it at least will make me consider checking it out again at some point, instead of crossing this venue off of my list for good. read more

GO HERE. Places like this are what make Alameda awesome. The people who opened this place have done a great job building a mini Bay Area in mini golf fashion. Play 18 holes. Dump some quarters (tokens) in the arcade. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this place. All ages are welcome. read more