Located in one of the shophouses along Circular Road, Kulnari Mystery Golf is an 18-hole mini-golf course where players get to make their way through an immersive, interactive 1920s-themed environment for a mystery story-telling experience.
My colleagues and I visited on a Friday night as part of our company-sponsored team bonding session. We picked it because we found the concept of marrying mini-golf with a murder mystery storyline rather fascinating.
- Inclusions:
- 18-Hole Mini-Golf (peak) tickets
- Spent: SGD$228 (for 6 tickets)
At the reception, we were briefed on the storyline, what to look out for and how to record our golf scores (6 is the maximum number of strokes). We also got to choose our preferred colour of golf balls to differentiate which belongs to who. As we had 6 people, we had to split up and move in groups of three because some spaces could only accommodate that many people, but we were still able to see and talk to each other throughout.
All 18 holes were elaborately designed and perfectly in theme. The extent of attention to detail in the selection of props, set-up and music was very impressive, with some rooms really being a sight to behold in and of themselves. They made innovative use of items and mechanics such that every hole was novel and unique.
With that said, here are some aspects to note for those of us who are more easily spooked. There are two rooms that can get quite smoky as they use a smoke machine to simulate a particular atmosphere, and the lighting is generally dim except for a few spaces. Fake skeleton props litter the entire course as well, with increasing frequency at the latter 9 holes. I found the final 18th hole to be the creepiest because of the music and sound effects, plus it was in a darker corner of the room. There were definitely no intentional jump scares (more on this later), just an overall low-light, mysterious atmosphere.
After the first 9 holes, we ascended a flight of stairs that led to a rest stop in the form of an ornately furnished space called the 9th Hole Bar. As I went alone ahead of my group to explore, I was greeted by a skeleton prop seated on a chair as I gingerly peered through the doorway. Suddenly, a moving human stepped out from the side and gave me the shock of my life! Turns out he was the bartender just wanting to invite us in, so he apologized for the unintentional jump scare.
I thought it was a neat idea to have such a space at the halfway mark to give players a short break to refuel or use the toilet. Do note that toilets are only located at the reception and at this bar (as far as I noticed) so be sure to visit the loo before starting the game. The menu here is rather limited though, especially if you don’t drink alcohol (just a few bottled juices, sodas and water). Food options only include bar bites and some desserts.
At the end of it all, the main disappointment for me was the lack of clarity, coherence and direction in the story-telling. I was looking forward to interesting character and plot developments but all we met with were letters comprising paragraph upon paragraph of bombastic but pointless words that led nowhere. The experience involved a ton of reading with no value-added information the further along we got. At one point, we stopped reading altogether and focused more on the golf, which was a 180-degree shift from what I initially came here to do (“who cares about mini-golf, I’m here to solve a mystery”).
After completing the final hole, staff aren’t even allowed to debrief and explain the so-called mystery to us as it is apparently open to interpretation. Frankly, I wasn’t even sure what we were supposed to solve. Maybe we were just too daft and unobservant to get it, or it was simply a great idea that failed to be fleshed out to its full potential.
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. To be fair, the detailed set-up of all 18 holes was highly impressive and I really commend the designers’ ability to create a different experience with each space. Each hole was also a unique challenge where players needed to figure out the best course of action. However, much of our experience was riddled with unpleasant issues. There isn’t a lot of space to begin with so we did feel the need to hurry along when other players were catching up. As a result, we also didn’t have time to pour through every detail in those paragraphs or search every nook and cranny for clues. To top it all off, we couldn’t even get a clear explanation of the supposed mystery or find out what it was that we were trying to solve. I think if you came here to play mini-golf, you’d be blown away for sure. But if you’re here seeking an intelligent mystery-solving experience, you’d probably leave feeling sorely dissatisfied. It is a good training ground for your reading skills though.
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
Dania Experiences 