Dreamland Mini Golf – Dripping Springs, TX

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Played on January 4th and 6th, 2021

Reviewed by Mr. Tee and the Pink Putter

Just after the holidays and through the first week of 2021, the two of us took a safe and socially distant road trip down to Texas for a change of scenery and for a short break from the Minnesota winter. Earlier in 2020, we had received a note from Dreamland, inviting us to come check it out if we were ever in the Austin area. We really only knew that Dreamland was a new and challenging course that was being built, but had no idea what it was all about. So we drove about 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin to find out

Rating

 

On our drive to Dreamland, part of the directions we were given were to “look for the giant American flag” and surely we couldn’t miss it. The saying “everything is bigger in Texas” definitely applies to this Willy Wonka-esque wonderland. Upon pulling into the property, the first thing we saw was a series of giant water tanks covered in murals, which immediately prompted us to ask each other, what is this place? From the moment we stepped out of our car, we were greeted with such warmth and hospitality. And then we got a full tour of this one-of-a-kind family entertainment complex.

Dreamland is the brainchild of Steve Kuhn, someone we can only describe as a perhaps a kindred spirit, a big kid or a kid at heart. This state of the art facility was built around two of Steve’s favorite things – pickleball and mini golf with a philosophy of radical inclusiveness embodied by a phrase on their shirts, United by Mini Golf. The complex includes four world-class pickle ball courts, a bar with 90 self pour taps, a kids’ playground, lawn games, a mural and sculpture garden, multiple stages and most importantly, two unique and distinctive miniature golf courses, the Challenge course and the Dream course.

During our visit in early January, things were still under construction, so we only got to play the Challenge course. The name of this course is quite accurate, as it was surely one of the hardest courses we’ve ever played. It consists of 18 massive holes (think 50′-200′ long putting greens), each with three different pin/cup locations. Red is the easiest, green is intermediate and black is categorized as “experts only” with pars ranging from 3-5 for each hole. So, that’s 54 different holes on one course. The design of the course really utilizes the topography of the land as well as existing structures around the site. The greens bring you on a journey up a giant slope, around a chicken coop, past oversized sculptures, through an old gas station and literally jumping up a hill. Hazards include rocks, pipes, roughs and many a hill and volcano cup.

The inclusive logo matches well with their motto of “Pursue Happiness”
Fitting Texas-sized putting green before hitting the challenge course
Our guides were two of the head honchos behind the course, Steve & Brooks
What a sight from tee off on hole one. As you’ll see in the view tour, the black flag hole placement is around and up the 2nd bend
Pink Putter putts next to the prickly hole marker
Mr. Tee headed uphill on #4 next to an outdoor music venue. A little slice of heaven in Texas!
Steve showing us the distinct differences between the black & green flagged holes. Notice the historical immigration photos in the backdrop, further enhancing the theme of Dreamland.
Hole #8 bends around the office with the black flagged hole at the very end
Take hole 9 back down to the pavilion near the start and grab a drink before hitting the back half.
Hole 10 has to take a jump to 20 feet above the tee off
The precarious and smart positioning of the cup on the greens near downhill slopes make the difference between a Par 3 & Par 5
The uplighting in the trees look spectacular at night especially near sunset
Where’s the hole? Brooks: “Way over there”.
Tons of little Texas touches to tie together the whole place
Hole 18 for the Challenge course to the left & Dream course to the right
Brooks humoring me with a round of pickleball. He and everyone at Dreamland are serious about that game and loved the opportunity to get to play for the first time in a long time.
Artistic direct Gareth shows us the Tank Town murals
Seriously beautiful murals

And while we didn’t get to play the Dream course, we got to see it literally getting built. We also had the chance to meet the course designer, Mike Stone, who also happens to be the owner and designer of Whistling Wolf and Dark Moon Mega Golf, a mini golf complex in northern Minnesota that we played in July 2021 (review coming soon!) The team over at Dreamland has been sending us some progress photos of this smaller, more kid-friendly course which we include below. We’re hoping to get back soon to fully play and review the Dream course. Here are some photos of that course in progress.

Mike gave us a tour when he was in the pouring and sculpting cement phase
Mike’s concrete work is incredible!
Can’t wait to play this whale themed hole
Brooks sent us some additional near completion progress photos
Can’t wait to play the whole Dream course
And what a treat talking mini golf shop with a fellow creator and designer of the two courses, Mike Stone. Guess you gotta go to Texas to cross paths with other Minnesota based miniature golf minds.

Dreamland website

Pros
One of a kind mini golf experience
Great value at $12 for a round on the challenge course
Challenge and variety of play on both courses that make for a high level of replayability
Overall fun and inviting atmosphere
Tons of entertainment options for kids and adults
Inclusive and welcoming environment

Cons
The 3 holes on each course and wild range in difficulty can be confusing or challenging for the inexperienced putter

Nerdy Notes

  • Challenge Course: each of the 18 holes has 3 different pin positions, so there are 54 unique holes on this course. Par 54 (Red Flag), 58 (Green Flag), 68 (Black Flag)
  • Dream Course: 18 holes, Par TBD.
  • Flags in cups
  • Plans to expand the facility to provide more entertainment options are in the works.
  • Easy to find off Highway 290 after driving through downtown Dripping Springs at 2770 W Hwy 290
    Dripping Springs, TX 78620. You’ll see the massive American flag flying from the road.

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