Swing Into Fun: Ultimate Mini Golf Bash in Minnesota
Sometimes golf is just better with waterfalls, windmills, and holes that don’t take 20 minutes to play. Not to mention, kids love their putt-putt. Here are some of our favorite places to practice your putting—or driving with a putter—in the North Star State.
Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, Brainerd, MN
Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is an awesome chain, with only one Minnesota location. And that’s in Brainerd. Pirate lore, waterfalls, ships, caves, and of course, buried treasure add a certain “chaaaaaarrrrrm” to the hilly—and surprisingly challenging—course.
Wildwedge Golf, Mini Golf, Maze & RV Park Lodge, Pequot Lakes, MN
At least two different authorties have declared Wildwedge Mini Golf the best miniature golf course in the state. It’s certainly one of the most well-maintained and is in a beautiful setting, amidst the North Woods of the Brainerd Lakes Area. The holes are also challenging, designed by the owners after extensive research.
Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden, Minnetrista, MN
Folks in the West Metro will enjoy getting their putting on at Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden. Not only will you get 18 relatively challenging holes of miniature golf, but you’ll also get to enjoy some intriguing art, as well. The sculptures are incorporated both into and around the holes.
The Putting Course at Centennial Lakes Park, Edina, MN
The Putting Course at Centennial Lakes Park is not your standard mini golf course. Rather, it’s designed to feel like a series of putting greens with distances that can challenge even “real” golfers. The course is real grass, pocked with sand traps, and ponds. And it’s par 51, but they don’t take tee times.
Adventure Falls Mini Golf, Taylor’s Falls, MN
Not only does the Drive In Restaurant offer some of the state’s best root beer and milkshakes, it also has its own mini golf course, so you can play a round while you wait for your food. But you don’t even have to order from the Drive In to get in 18 holes of putting fun. Adventure Falls Mini Golf is a standalone enterprise that holds its own against other courses in the state.
LARK Toys Mini Golf, Kellogg, MN
Carved into the Mississippi River bluffs south of Wabasha, this mini golf course is not only beautiful, it’s attached to what publications like USA Today and Travel & Leisure have called one of the world’s best toy stores. Waterfalls, ponds, streams, and a play-through “mountain” make this course both challenging and fun to play.
Lilli Putt, Coon Rapids, MN
Lilli Putt is a rite of passage for families and kids in the North Metro. This granddaddy of Twin Cities mini golf courses has been putting smiles on kids’ faces for years. It’s not the most challenging or prettiest of courses, but it’s still a ton of fun—and you can hit the Go Karts afterward.
Key Insights at a Glance
- Golf with waterfalls, windmills, and challenging holes is more fun.
- Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf in Brainerd offers a pirate-themed course.
- Wildwedge Mini Golf in Pequot Lakes is well-maintained and challenging.
- Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden in Minnetrista combines art with golf.
- The Putting Course at Centennial Lakes Park in Edina is like a series of putting greens.
- Adventure Falls Mini Golf in Taylor’s Falls offers a standalone course.
- LARK Toys Mini Golf in Kellogg is attached to a renowned toy store.
- Lilli Putt in Coon Rapids is a classic family-friendly course.
