Black Beach Mini Golf – Silver Bay, MN

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Reviewed by Mr. Tee and accompanied by The Pink Putter

Played October 15, 2022

On a jaunt up north of Duluth to see the fall colors, we made it a priority to visit the recently opened Black Beach Mini Golf in Silver Bay. I knew in advance of arriving that the course was built by Castle Golf. I was especially intrigued to give it a whirl as we don’t have many (any?) mini golf complexes built by Castle in the state.

Rating

Black Beach is a lovely course. The location near Lake Superior, just off Highway 61, is fantastic for capturing tourist traffic during mini golf season (May-early October in that part of MN). Castle Golf has built some of our favorite courses (Adventure Golf & Raceway, Golf N Stuff), and their general course builds are both fun and great for competitive play. I love that there are quite a few holes with drop pockets that can give you a hole-in-one if you hit the right pace. The lighthouse at the center of the course and the faux rocks surrounding a number of the holes work to match the aesthetics of that part of Minnesota. The owners of the course have done a great job building a community around the course with tournaments and events. Our conversations with the owners made it quite clear that they love the game of mini golf and put a lot of thought into how they run their business. I feel confident in saying that this is the best course in Duluth or north of Duluth, and looking at the photos makes me eager to return.

Wide view of the start of the course
Back half of the course
Love the hole #s cut into the concrete near the tee boxes
Simple design where you need to watch your pace or you’ll take a tough shot from behind the cup
Example of that tough 2nd putt
Subtle obstacles and contours
One of the several shoot-through holes. The rocks look similar to those you find on the lakeside of nearby Superior
Eager to see if the ball goes in for an ace
The scale of the lighthouse is nice and easy to notice off the nearby road
You can see some of the fall colors in the background
Nice drop pocket near the cup on the shoot-through hole
Another drop pocket with a narrow path to get that ace
Classic volcano hole
Those 2s on the volcano holes are always harder than they look
Hit the right line and get an ace but aim too far left and you’re taking a tough 2
The waterway is the much better option on this hole
The cup on the hill without a drop pocket is always a tricky putt
Classic skee-ball hole to finish off and potentially swing the game for or against you
Sign off Highway 61
Community message board with info about leagues
Gotta snap a photo of that cute carved bear in nice looking clubhouse

Black Beach Mini Golf Website

105 Prospect Ave, Silver Bay, MN 55614

Comments

Well designed & built by Castle Golf
Good variety of gameplay and chances for holes-in-one
Adding theming matches the local area (lighthouse)
Owners run local leagues and organize numerous events on-site
Well-maintained and cared for by the owners
Best course either in or north of the Duluth area

Nerdy Notes

  • Cost: $10 (Adults), $9 (Youth 4-12), Free (3 & under), $5 replay
  • Hours – Depends on the Season – Summer 2025 was: Sundays-Thursdays: 10 am-8 pm + Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am-9 pm
  • In 2025, they added additional lighting and did Glow Golf events with balls that have lights in them
  • Host local leagues
  • Host live music events and bags (cornhole) tournaments
  • Clubhouse has snacks, drinks, ice cream, and souvenirs

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