Who invented mini golf, anyway?
Imagine the looks their neighbors must have given that brave soul. I picture the inventor of mini golf scurrying around their backyard with a hacksaw, cutting into some PVC pipe, then burying the PVC in the ground. Wiring up a windmill with electricity so the blades would rotate with the consistency of a metronome, thus blocking the path of a golf ball.
I can see the neighbors now. Whispering to one another, shaking their heads. “So and so is really losing it.”
Whoever the mad genius is who’s responsible for bringing mini golf into this world, I’m glad they did. Mini golf is the perfect activity for different generations of families and friends to enjoy together.
If you’re in Grand Rapids and looking to get your putt-putt on, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s explore the best mini-golf spots in town.
Contents
Map of the Best Mini Golf Courses in Grand Rapids, MI
Indoor mini golf courses
All true mini golf aficionados know there’s no such thing as an off-season. We gotta grind year-round to keep our game at its peak. Here are some excellent options if you want to go mini golfing indoors.
Great Lakes Glow Golf
Great Lakes Glow Golf is THE spot for glow-in-the-dark mini golf in Grand Rapids. It’s also the only indoor mini-golf place open all year in the city, so grab your putter. Eighteen holes of glow-in-the-dark fun await you.
As a super cool added perk, there are 20 or so retro arcade games here as well. They are free to play with the purchase of a round of mini golf.
- Address: 3494 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
- Website: Great Lakes Glow Golf
Mystical Forest Mini Golf
Mystical Forest is in the legendary Double JJ Resort. JJ’s has on-site lodging, horseback rides, golfing, indoor and outdoor water parks, golf, and more amenities. It’s a great place to take the family for a weekend.
As for the mini golf, it’s 18 holes of joy.
Murals and black lights make Mystical Forest a singular mini golf experience. The built-in structures and obstacles you must putt in, around, and over are top-notch.
Mystical Forest is in Rothbury, Michigan, about an hour northwest of Grand Rapids.
- Address: 5900 S Water Rd, Rothbury, MI 49452
- Website: Mystical Forest
Outdoor Mini Golf Courses
When the arctic cold of Michigan winter breaks, the days get longer, and the sun returns to Michigan. If you’re like me, that means one thing – time to take your mini golf game outdoors.
Grab yourself an Arnold Palmer (the drink, not the golfer), and let’s take a look at the best outdoor mini-golf spots in Grand Rapids.
Pirate’s Landing
If I could plan out the perfect summer day in West Michigan, it would look something like this: brunch and bloody Marys at one of my favorite hot spots. Followed by a trek to Holland to enjoy the sunshine at Lake Michigan. Holland beach is world-class, and no trip would be complete without a stroll down the pier to admire the lighthouse, affectionately known as “big red.”
After that, we’re off to Pirate’s Landing for some mini golf and ice cream at the attached Captain Sundae. Reese’s peanut butter cup flurry for me, please.
Pirates Landing is a West Michigan ICON. And they stick the landing with the pirate theme. There’s a pirate ship you can eat your ice cream in, jolly roger flags hung everywhere, and heavy-duty boat rope lines the course.
- Address: 375 Douglas Ave, Holland, MI 49424
- Website: Pirate’s Landing
AJ’s Family Fun Center
AJ’s is right next to LMCU ballpark, so it’s a great option if you’re looking for something to do before or after a West Michigan Whitecaps baseball game (the Detroit Tigers class A affiliate ballclub).
They’ve got all the usual suspects for a fun center, like video games and go-carts.
But you’re here for the mini golf.
AJ’s has 18 holes of pure glee. Some mini golf spots are shaggy, with worn-down greens and tired-looking features. Not AJ’s. They’ve got a waterfall and holes that are plush and verdant.
An afternoon spent mini golfing at AJ’s is sure to be a “hole-in-one” (sorry, couldn’t help it).
- Address: 4400 Ball Park Dr. NE, Comstock Park, MI 49321
- Website: AJ’s
Double Dip Depot
I’ll always have a soft spot for Double Dip Depot. It’s close to my childhood home, and we spent countless hours putting our summers away here. Double Dip Depot was a bit run down and scruffy during my childhood, but the place got a facelift in the 2010s, and now it looks like a million bucks.
Like many mini golf places, there’s an attached ice cream shop, so you can treat yourself after putting in some WORK on your short game.
- Address: 3284 Remembrance Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534
- Website: Double Dip Depot
Craig’s Cruisers
Craig’s Cruisers is one of my favorite indoor playgrounds in Grand Rapids because they have everything. Including an indoor rollercoaster.
Their mini golf course is excellent, winding its way up and down a hill. You’ll get great views of Craig’s Cruisers outdoor activities, which include bumper boats, go-carts, and an insane zipline.
- Address: 5730 Clyde Park Ave SW, Wyoming, MI 49509
- Website: Craig’s Cruisers
Loeschner’s Village Green Mini Golf
Boasting not one but two 18-hole courses, the Village Green is inarguably THE best mini golf course in Grandville. It also happens to be the only mini-golf course in Grandville, but hey, it’s still great.
Grab your putter, and if you’ve got the stamina, try to play a full 36 holes. At Loeschner’s Village Green, having a good time is par for the course (sorry, I’ll stop).
- Address: 4521 Chicago Dr. SW, Grandville, MI 49418
- Website: Village Green
Dairy Ranch
Everything about the Dairy Ranch is old school. Their website (don’t have one), their low pricing, and their mini-golf course.
Dorr is about 30 minutes south of metro Grand Rapids, so plan accordingly. Did I mention they have ice cream? Treat yourself!
- Address: 1717 142nd Ave, Dorr, MI 49323
- Website: N/A