You won't find any of the iconic images traditionally associated with miniature golf on the new course at Spirit Mountain, the ski and recreation area in Duluth.
There are no windmills or gaping clown maws. There isn't even a replica of the city's Aerial Lift Bridge or Enger Tower like Renee Mattson, the director of Spirit Mountain, had in mind when she asked renowned architect David Salmela to design the newest addition to the recreation area's adventure park.
Salmela finally agreed to do it -- but not in those predictable ways.
"The more he warmed up to it, the more he saw the potential to do something unique," Mattson said.
The nine-hole course is a single flat surface lifted a few inches off the ground. It is enclosed by knee-high walls and the pins are covered with shed-like roofed structures. Salmela eschewed artificial grass for a smooth surface made from richlite, a mix of recycled paper and resin.
The first paying customers on the course this month wondered if it was even finished, because it didn't have the putt-putt staple of artificial turf.
The setup has the feel of a playhouse compound. Or, as Salmela described it: "like a cattle chute."
Instead of mounds and embankments, golfers work around a combination of wooden rectangles and circles that lie flat on the fairway. These obstacles were arranged by Spirit Mountain staff. It is possible, though not easy, to get a hole-in-one on every hole.
