Parkland Village Campground Mini Golf – Black River Falls, WI

Played July 11, 2021

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

During a work holiday in July 2021, I headed solo to Chicago to play mini golf and see friends. The 6-8 hour drive from Minneapolis takes you south and east through Wisconsin on Interstate 94. Many times throughout my life I have stopped at the Black River Falls exit for gas, cheese curds, Taco Johns, and to take photos with the bright orange moose. As I was driving by this time around, I noticed a sign for an adjacent campground that referenced mini golf. How had I never noticed? I took a note for a future trip. As I was heading back home a week later, I thought it might be worth breaking up the monotonous drive and to find out whether this campground still had a miniature golf course. I pulled up to the clubhouse and the manager could tell I was serious about playing mini golf based on the fact that I had my own club and ball. After hearing about the course from the manager, I entered the fenced course and had the whole place to myself on a beautiful summer day.

Ratings

The immediate thing that stands out about this course is that it is homemade. The walls look like something you’d use for landscaping a nice yard and many of the obstacles look like items you could buy from a garden center or home improvement store. Handpainted signs, tchotchkes, a few clever obstacles, and long-putting greens stand out as the major positives of this course. Par 68 is well-earned. I barely got under par my first time playing through. Part of the reason for the challenging play is due to a few of the less ideal or idiosyncratic elements of the course. While I can appreciate non-traditional cups, a few of them are far too small. This is compounded by the current state of the turf. Midwestern winters wreak havoc on turf and the greens are overdue to be replaced. I understand this is a small amenity to a larger campground. I imagine the course doesn’t receive a massive amount of traffic or generate a lot of revenue so I don’t expect the condition to change anytime soon. If you’re heading through Wisconsin and need a stop off the highway, this is a unique and clever little course that is worth exploring.

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken photos with this moose over the past 20+ years

But I had never noticed this nearby campground advertising mini golf

A handpainted sign is always a good start to exploring a new course

and a quirky little dad joke sign is always up my alley

After you head through the clubhouse, you’ll discover a homemade lil course

Glad to see my investigation paid off with a new discovery

Tough hole with lots of sloping. Challenging deuce.

Charming little hole signs where you can write down your score

Sandtraps and greens could use a little more regular maintenance

Concrete pavers and rocks make for challenging rebound shots

Cute little pond and a fire pit (?) hole that is in dire need of new turf

The way these two holes intersect is clever

Challenging obstacles to navigate but top-notch ambiance

New turf is a must here. The ball moves very unpredictably.

Pool table and fireplace in the clubhouse

Parkland Village Campground Website

N6150 Julianna Rd, Black River Falls, WI 54615

Pros

Homemade / clever design
Challenging hole layout/cup placement
Pond and trees provide a nice ambiance

Cons

Putting is frustrating due to turf condition and inconsistent cup sizes
Better maintenance is needed especially with real sand traps and trees surrounding holes
A number of the obstacles, hole signs, and hazards have seen better days

Nerdy Notes

18 holes. Par 68
Cost: Adults (13 & over) $5 | Children $3 | Under 5 years old Free
Hours may vary due to staffing and availability
Course is located next to the clubhouse and next to an outdoor swimming pool and pond
Take exit 116 for WI-54 E off of I-94. Head towards the large orange moose and around the nearby pond to find the entrance to the campground