Northern Lights Recreation Family Entertainment Center in Harbor Springs, Michigan, will hold the grand opening of a new nine-hole mini golf course from July 5 through July 12, marking the debut of its first course designed and built by Adventure Golf & Sports.
The mini golf attraction will serve as the centerpiece of Rocky’s Beer Garden, one of several additions introduced by owner Bill Lloyd after acquiring the facility in December 2024.
Other recent additions include Louie’s Sports Bar & Grill, ValoArena and Krazy Darts. The new offerings complement the center’s existing 16 bowling lanes, two-story laser tag arena and arcade games.
Lloyd said the new course differs from traditional themed miniature golf layouts by emphasizing a tournament-style putting experience.
“Their value proposition is different than conventional mini golf courses,” Lloyd said. “Adventure Golf and Sports builds more of a tournament style putting course.”
According to Lloyd, the fully illuminated course is designed for both experienced golfers and families with children. The layout includes nine holes with varying elevations, left and right breaks, faux sand traps and obstacles intended to challenge players while remaining accessible to a broad audience.
“It’s got different levels. It’s got break left, break right,” Lloyd said. “So it definitely will throw a challenge to a person who aspires to sharpen his or her putting game.”
Lloyd also highlighted the course’s accessibility features, saying the design complies with requirements for people with disabilities.
“On top of it all, it’s ADA compliant,” Lloyd said. “They can come out and a wheelchair can go through all nine holes with the greatest of ease.”
Adventure Golf & Sports constructed the course using its Modular Advantage Mini Golf System, which incorporates permeable panels and turf intended to provide rapid drainage and reduce maintenance requirements.
Lloyd said the system performed well during heavy rains in northern Michigan earlier this year.
“We had torrential downpours in northern Michigan this April,” Lloyd said, “and there was no threat of any washouts. It did a great job of getting the water right into the earth where it belongs instead of pooling up and washing out.”
Lloyd said the company also provided landscaping elements and worked around limited available land to create the course layout.
“I was a little bit land-locked,” Lloyd said. “And so I worked with the AGS design team and they, in a very creative way, designed a course that was able to fit right into the only section of land that I had that I could make work.”
Northern Lights Recreation has operated in Harbor Springs for more than 20 years. Under Lloyd’s ownership, the facility has undergone renovations and expanded its lineup of attractions with new entertainment and dining offerings.