Mini Golf at Spirit Mountain Adventure Park – Duluth, MN

December 23, 2020 No Comments

Visited August 29, 2020

Words by Mr. Tee

The summer of 2020 took us deep in an exploration of mini golf courses across our home state of Minnesota. We had managed to play a number of non-Twin Cities metro courses through the natural course of visiting family and friends as well on in-state vacation getaways but with the challenges of traveling due to the pandemic, we intentionally sought to take on distinct miniature golf spots we had not yet paid a visit. One of the cities near the top of the list was Duluth. This northern Minnesota city is a charming getaway from the Twin Cities by about 3 hours on I-35 by car.

In my younger years, I was fond of downhill skiing so I always thought of Spirit Mountain when I traveled to and through Duluth. It sits just above the city overlooking the Great Lake Superior. As we began our adventures in the world of mini golf, we caught wind of a unique course having been designed by Dave Salmela & built on the resort premises in their Adventure Park in 2011 to create a non-snow season entertainment option. Our travels finally took us to the park in 2020 during the warmer months but the park was not operational due to COVID. Fortunately, a hiking trail offered a path inside the premises.

The single direction maze layout of the 9-hole course was indeed unique. Not sure if I’ve seen anything like it, for better or worse. A few nods to the winter were engraved on the walls to add some flair to what was otherwise a relatively no-frills course. The narrow pathways coupled with short wood “obstacles” and transitions between holes aren’t visually pleasing and offer little in the way of gameplay. While I wouldn’t go as far as calling it the “worst miniature golf ever“, I don’t feel compelled to go back to play this course anytime soon. The surrounding area is beautiful so if you find yourself in the area, this worth considering.