Played September 15, 2012
Reviewed by Mr. Tee
After playing Big Stone, Adventure Gardens was a big disappointment. A friend had recommended the course to us and we were looking forward to playing it since it is one of the few outdoor courses in the Twin Cities that we have not played. Expectations were set low by an aforementioned friend and I’m sad to report that the course fell below par.
Rating
Sand Trap – I’ll freely admit this review is slightly unfair. The course has a variety of play and types of terrain to make for a decent mini-golf experience. It was a standard course but had two major flaws: hole signs and upkeep. Upkeep of a course can make a big difference. In the case of Adventure Gardens, the poor upkeep of the course affected the play. In the photos below you can see that one of the cups was messed up enough to make it challenging to get in the hole from one of the sides. It was incredibly frustrating and had nothing to do with an intentional layout. There were other parts of the course that needed fixing up that were more cosmetic but the overall environment is part of the experience. Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs. All of the holes had their own signs featuring poorly chosen stock photos highlighting the choices available. Interested in cola splashing out of a glass? You betcha. Pumpkins? Pick one up on your way out. Wish you had a cappuccino while trying to land a hole-in-one? It’s available. You’re outdoors but you really want to update your blog. Guess what? This course has Wi-Fi! If the sarcasm isn’t apparent already, I’ll spare you any more. It was easily the worst signage I’ve seen at a course. They would be better to write a number on a piece of paper.
This course could be a solid par or better if they took care of these two issues but right now, I’m calling it how I see it.
Updated June 2018
Revisited the course in June 2018. New photos are below. The signs have been upgraded but the condition of the course hasn’t improved. Turf is even more worn out and makes putting needlessly frustrating. Word has it that the course will be ongoing upgrades in the near future. We’re eager to see this course overhauled and fixed.
2018 Photos
The course was previously run by the city and purchased by Wheel Sports so we’d like to think they’ll fix up a few of the troublesome elements of the course. Attached to the course is a malt shop, area for children that includes a bouncy bus (like a bouncy castle) and community center.
Pros
Good variety of play
Tasty malts in attached clubhouse
Cons
Broken cups
Course not well maintained
Bland signs for each hole with tacky stock photos
Nerdy Notes
- 18 holes, Par 43
- $7.50 / person. $3.50 for a second round. (Price increased to $8 in 2018)
- 10 holes are accessible to people with mobility impairments.
- Credit Cards accepted
- No flags in the holes. Plastic cups.
- Part of Veteran’s Memorial Park in Richfield. Course was sold to Wheel Fun in 2012
- Veteran’s Memorial Park was formerly Rich Acres Park and Rich Acres Golf Course.
- We listed this as Adventure Gardens (Malt Tees) because it wasn’t clear if the name had changed with the recent sale. Both names were used on different signs.
