Photos: Puttshack
Southdale Center plays host to high-tech mini golf concept.
When Krista Peterson was looking for a place to host the annual holiday party for Peter’s Billiards & Home, she needed only take one look at Puttshack’s billiards-themed hole of mini golf before she knew she had found the perfect party match for her family’s business. “Of course, I loved the pool table one,” Peterson says. She thought employees would enjoy it too, along with the air hockey-, Pac-Man- and Tetris-themed holes, and all of the other clever game themes scattered across Puttshack’s four mini golf courses.
Last October, Puttshack opened at the eastern end of Southdale Center, near Kowalski’s Markets, offering customers of all ages a unique, indoor, upscale mini golf experience perfect for everything from date night to a family outing to a large-scale celebration. “Mini golf is all something we know and love,” says Puttshack’s chief marketing officer Susan Walmesley. “There’s a nostalgia to it.”
Puttshack features four different courses of 9-hole mini golf. Screens help guide players through the game. “Trackaball” technology keeps a tab on the score for you. The tee features a black hole upon which you place the ball. Hit once you see the tee light up green.
What sets Puttshack apart from the standard mini golf experience is the technology. “It’s tech- infused mini golf,” Walmesley says. “It’s really interactive.” With the proprietary technology built right into the golf ball, there is no need to keep score at Puttshack. The ball is assigned to an individual player and tracks the number of hits made during play, displaying the results on a monitor connected to each hole. The ball also notes any points lost via hazards or acquired via bonus areas. “High score wins,” Walmesley says.
Hopping Across the Pond
Puttshack made its debut in the United Kingdom in 2018. And while there are four locations in England, Edina’s Puttshack is the 16th location in the United States, with many more planned. Edina is the first Puttshack to open in Minnesota although another one is already in the works for Minneapolis.
Jan Worthen heard about Puttshack from a friend in Colorado who had been to one locally and saw there was one opening in Edina. On her friend’s recommendation, Worthen and her husband went to check out Puttshack with another couple. “The design was great,” she says. “It was fun, clean and the food was great.” Worthen says they loved how different the mini golf experience was. “It was innovative … We’d definitely go again,” she says. Not only would they visit again, but Worthen says they’d make it a family affair. “We’ll go back with the kids,” she says.
Peterson had the chance to take her kids, and they love it. “They think it’s super fun,” she says. “I love the fact that it’s a place I can take the kids, and my husband and I also enjoy it,” Walmesley says. “There aren’t many places you can take multiple generations.”
Innovative Design
Krissy Sommerstad hosted her golf-loving husband Paul Sommerstad’s 42nd birthday at Puttshack. Their party consisted of 20 adults — all first timers. “I think everybody loved it,” Sommerstad says. “The sets, themes and displays are all so cool … Everyone was surprised and delighted by the technology of the game. It took us a while to figure it out, but once we did, it made it all the more fun.”
Supertubes are found throughout the course. It’s a green glowing circle that will score extra points and maybe even a hole-in-one.
Sommerstad says with each hole’s unique opportunities for bonus points or hazard deductions, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but it’s a fun one. For example, the trivia hole requires players to look at a Minnesota-themed question on the monitor and then putt toward true or false to answer the question. Get it right and score points. Get it wrong and lose points. On the fourth hole, if you can putt your ball under a flashing token to complete four in a row, you’ll earn 10 bonus points. On the pinball hole, you can collect bonus points by hitting flippers along the way.
“There’s some element of skill. There’s some element of luck,” Walmesley says. And with four courses, there is plenty of variety as well. Not all of the games are unique to each course, but no two courses are the same, enticing players to try multiple courses during their visit.
Peterson has had a chance to play three of Puttshack’s courses and loved that there were two ADA accessible courses. “It seems like almost anyone can play,” she says.
Tee times for the nine-hole courses can be reserved online ahead of time, although walk-ins are also welcome based on availability. Costs range from $9 for kids under 12 years of age to $14 for adults. Kids are welcome at Puttshack until 8 p.m., when it becomes a venue exclusively for ages 21 and older.
Food and Drink
In addition to the mini-golf, Puttshack features a full bar and restaurant. “It’s a global concept,” Walmesley says. “Most everything is made from scratch.”
The Atlanta Hot Sandwich features spicy fried chicken.
Walmesley says the highlights of the menu include Buffalo Chicken Dip and an “incredible” burger. Peterson had a chance to try the dip and loved it. She says the Pad Thai Chopped and Korean BBQ Bao Buns were also really good. “We were really impressed with the food and drink quality,” Sommerstad says, noting their party menu of heavy appetizers like sliders, flatbread pizza and Caesar salad. “Everything was really good.”
Sommerstad also gave the thumbs up to the Martinis and specialty drinks they ordered. “We have as good a mixologist as we do a chef,” Walmesley says. “We feature 12 craft cocktails and a handful of mocktails.”
The Spiced Pineapple Mezcal Margarita is topped with a hibiscus sugar rim and features a jalapeño popsicle.
In the warmer months, Puttshack opens its doors to an expansive terrace, expanding its already impressive capacity. And for those looking for their own space, Puttshack offers a rentable private dining space with a bar and private course that can accommodate 80–100 guests, depending on the set up.
“I definitely want to go back with the kids,” Sommerstad says. “And other adults.”
Puttshack
330 Southdale Center; 952.900.7888
Facebook: Puttshack
Instagram: @puttshack
