SAMANTHA BRIX PHOTO | Joe Napoli and his 10-year-old son Ben, who live in Middle Island, compete on the course at Monster Mini Golf in Medford.

When you walk out of the heat of a sunny August day into Monster Mini Golf in Medford, you step into a pitch black, ice cold room.

It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust, and you’ll notice your white clothing (or neon pink nail polish) is glowing.

You’ll think you’re in a haunted house that got lost on its way to October, with giant Jack-O-Lanterns gleaming in the black lights and green witches stirring pots with who-even-knows what’s in them.

Monster Mini Golf, an indoor, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course and arcade, unlike any other miniature golf course in the area, has seen a steady uptick in customers since it opened in February.

A game of miniature golf costs $7 for “little monsters,” or those under 5 feet tall, regardless of whether they’re kids or adults, and $8 for “big monsters,” or people taller than 5 feet.

Founder Christina Vitagliano said she wanted to bring an affordable family entertainment business into the small town of Danielson, Conn. where she lived when she first opened a Monster franchise in 2004. Since she wanted a miniature golf course to be indoors so it could remain open year-round, she knew she had to make it special.

She decided on monsters.

“Monsters are timeless and ageless,” Ms. Vitagliano said. “Whether you’re five or six or 56, for whatever reason, people like monsters.”

But her friends and relatives weren’t so sure she’d hit a jackpot idea.

“Everyone around me thought it was the dumbest thing ever,” she said. “Someone told me, ‘you’ll probably get eight people to come.’”

But everyone was wrong.

There are now 31 Monster Mini Golf locations across the country and in Canada, with more locations set to open soon.

Joe Napoli and his 10-year-old son Ben came to Monster Mini Golf for the first time on Wednesday, Joe’s 57th birthday.

“It’s unique, that’s for sure,” said Joe, standing next to an illuminated glow-in-the-dark skeleton drenched in glowing green ooze.

He said the business will likely be welcomed in the community since it can stay open in the winter months when other miniature golf courses are forced to close.

Ben said his favorite part of the experience is all the monsters, but he was quick to add that he isn’t afraid of them.

For those who are seeking a scare in October, the business capitalizes on its theme and runs a contest for the entire month.

Last year, kids who wore costumes while they golfed were eligible to win a grand prize, which was an autograph session at their school from Paul Teutul Sr., the focus of the Discovery Channel’s television show “American Chopper.”

Monster Mini Golf’s band, The Bones, an 80s rock and roll band dressed like zombies, also performed at the event.

But with months away from Halloween, about a dozen people were playing at Monster Mini Golf on Wednesday, enjoying the spooky props and decorations. Andy Guptar, 13, was counting the tickets he’d won from arcade games, having just finished playing his favorite, a game called Big Bass Wheel Pro.

He said playing miniature golf has been one of his favorite activities of the summer.

“What’s cool about it is there’s a lot of music and it’s a huge course,” he said.

And he said he isn’t scared of the monsters either.

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