I want the blue one
By Lindsay Sauvageau Journal Correspondent

When I think of summer, I think of hot days, long nights, flip flops and miniature golf.

Now, there have been summers growing up where I haven't worn flips flops and summers that haven't exactly been hot, but just as there has never been any drastic change to the earth's rotation which would have hindered my firefly-catching mojo, so there has never been a summer I have not played miniature golf.

It goes by many names, depending on where you are and who you ask, but whether you call it miniature golf, minigolf, midget golf, goofy golf, extreme golf, crazy golf, adventure golf or that kid's game, to those of us that enjoy the challenge of booting a colorful little ball around a windmill or into a clown's mouth, the game is simply "excellent."

It's a great for everyone: families, couples, retirees, reporters, muppets, friends, sports enthusiasts, etc. Playing the game is an amazing way to have fun and relieve stress, and, as it were, show everyone around you that despite being 24-years-old, you can still throw a tantrum when things don't go your way.

I said I always play minigolf, not that I always win at minigolf.

There are several miniature golf courses in the area, including an amazing course at the Lancaster Golf Center. Their "famous" mini golf course contains replicas of par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes from courses like Doral, Sawgrass and Pebble Beach. Beautifully kept, each hole is almost as challenging as its real life counterpart. I like that because I can blame my lack of "expertise" when I find myself weed-whacking rather than golfing.

Mulligan's Miniature Golf Center in Sterling not only has an extremely fun course for minigolf enthusiasts, but they are offering Moonlight Madness Golf every Wednesday from 9 to 11 p.m. in July and August and every Saturday from nightfall until 9 p.m. in October. A special for all ages, Moonlight Madness utilizes glow-inthe dark balls, tees, and cups for an unforgettable game.

Mason's Recreation Center on North Main Street in Leominster is a great course to top off a night of bowling, especially if you've lost once already and have made a $20 bet that you'd "destroy" your friends with the power of your little blue ball- if you're like me, the color of your individual golf ball is mystically connected to the performance of your game. I prefer the periwinkle or dark blue golf balls. We click.

There are also minigolf courses at the Lakeview Driving Range on Whalom Road in Lunenburg and at Tweedo's Variety, 3 Dunn Road in Ashburnham, which are also a fun courses for those of us that get a hankering to play but are afraid of hitting a huge crowd. From personal experience, don't let the simple layout of these courses fool you, a hole-in-one can come just as quickly as a hole-in-the-waterfall. At Lakeview, players can attempt to hit a special hole-in-one at the end of their 18- hole game. If players get one chance to hit a hole-in-one, which, if successful, sets off a siren and that player is rewarded with a free game. I still haven't succeeded, but my younger brother has ... more than once.

This summer check out the miniature golf courses near you. An evening of competition and fun could be just a stroke (or five) away!