320 Blomquist St. (Castle)/ 340 Blomquist St. (Grand Prix), Redwood City, CA 94063 [CLOSED]
Good for: Families, Kids Events/Parties
Price: $7-$10 and up
Features: Miniature golf, bumper boats, kart racing, batting cages, arcade
From Highway 101 between Whipple and Holly, you’ll likely see Malibu Redwood City. With it’s colorful miniature golf astroturf, castle fascade, and racing kart track you can’t miss it. If you’ve never gotten to spend a half-day here, you should go at least once.
Miniature Golf aka Mini Golf aka Pee-Wee Golf
- Courses: 3 different courses, 18 holes each. Course No. 1 is right next to the freeway and is pretty plain (better for little ones and game first-timers). Course No. 2 and No. 3 are more interesting but dead, fallen leaves can clog the ball tubes in the autumn. Astroturf is fairly worn, balls often roll over (or in-and-out) of holes, cement walkways are cracked. Everyone will still have fun comparing sad, sad scores 🙂 Lighted walkway and playing areas make it suitable for day or night games.
- Equipment: Clubs come in three heights, two for children and one for adults. Each player gets a differently colored ball. Complimentary score cards and pencils are available by request.
Go-Kart aka Grand Prix
- Turbo: Those 56″ and up can drive on their own. The karts are VERY bumpy and any adult can ‘floor it’ the whole track in full control. Kids under 14 will think they are flying though! We all had a great time but 3-4 laps was all our heads and legs could take.
- Grand Prix: Drivers must have a valid driver’s license and be over 60″ tall. If your child is over 40″ but UNDER 56″, they can ride as a passenger in the Grand Prix karts. No one seems to understand or explain this well as all other signage just say a minimum height, no maximum. The karts are very smooth and pretty fast. We drove this track after dark and could not see many of the turns. Therefore, it was tough to hit them at full speed when you can’t see the entry, turn, or exit with the lights reflecting off the scratched helmet visor. I would have liked to drive several more laps had it been daylight.
You must wear closed-toe shoes. I saw someone on Yelp complaining that they wouldn’t let her on while wearing flip-flops but, uhm, who would? It’s obviously a safety precaution and posted on all the signs and online. Plus, it’s plain common sense… They also ask that those with long hair tie it back. Don’t worry, they have hair ties there if you didn’t bring any. Before putting on your helment, look for the hair covers first. We didn’t see those until after we took our helmets off (yuck).
Other Attractions
- Arcade: Two areas, one in the ‘castle’ and one in the Grand Prix building. There is a typical assortment of games with most old and some new. Also included are ski ball, rhythm games, toy-grabbing claws, etc. and tickets can be redeemed for prizes.
- Bumper Boats: A small pool is located on the outer edge of the property. Riders can ‘bump’ other boats and spray streams of water at them.
- Batting Cages: Pay $2 per 15 pitches or reserve for 30 to 60 minutes. Several speeds, settings, and ball types available. You can bring your own equipment (helmets and bats) or use the ones provided there.
Families will enjoy the variety of attractions and the reasonable price points. Most of the facility is pretty dated but sufficient for a fun time together or even a special event for the kids. Teenagers and young adults might not be impressed but there are ongoing specials that give parents, with children of a variety of ages, reasons to keep coming back.
My family and I were given unlimited access to miniature golf, racing, and bumper boats as part of a promotion with US Family Guide.
2 comments
Looks like such an awesome and fun place to go!!
Look at you two! That looks like a blast! They should light it better at night so they get more business then!
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