Course Built Using Eco-Friendly AGS Modular Advantage® System
Traverse City, Michigan, Door County, Wisconsin, a popular tourist destination, is home to several miniature golf courses, but the Evergreen Miniature Golf Course that opened there in the village of Fish Creek this year is a unique, 18-hole, completely ADA accessible mini golf course designed and constructed by Adventure Golf & Sports (AGS) using their eco-friendly Modular Advantage® System. Unlike traditional mini golf courses built using concrete and adorned with classic props like windmills, oversized chairs, partially sunken sailing ship masts and the like, this course surrounds players with beautiful trees, gardens and educational exhibits about sustainable practices and the environment!
"I wanted a non-traditional course,” says Kerry Johnson, entrepreneurial female owner of the Evergreen Miniature Golf Course. Johnson, a former K-12 school educator explains “…I wanted it really nature-based and nature-themed to reflect the surrounding environment as much as possible but also add some beautiful water elements which they (AGS) did.”
Johnson chose AGS to design and build her course because “They have this amazing product. It’s not really out there anywhere else. Because of the nature theme and focus on environmental education, the eco-friendly qualities of the modular advantage were obviously appealing with what we were trying to convey. I looked other places to see what else was out there and honestly they’re the only ones that have this style course.”
The Modular Advantage Mini Golf System used by AGS to build the course features patented, interlocking, flexible panels made of recycled materials that are permeable for water drainage. Excavation is minimal compared to concrete construction requirements, allowing trees, flora and fauna to remain intact, and the permeability helps eliminate ponding on the mini golf holes for a quick-dry, no mess operation.
Johnson says the average length of the mini golf holes on the Evergreen course run from 24 to 39 feet, so it plays more like a fairways and greens course. “When I go to other miniature golf courses, it’s just a very different quality, a different feel,” says Johnson. “It feels like a higher quality course than the harder cement-based courses… More of a natural feel. And we really like it. We’re really happy with it.
“The ball doesn’t roll fast because it’s not on concrete and carpet…It’s a softer feel. It’s a slower feel…I think some of the people who like our course the most are competitive golfers because it is more like a true putting green style… It looks like an easier course than it is. That is partly intentional because we wanted it ADA accessible throughout the whole course…But most people that play it are surprised at how challenging it is and they enjoy it more because of that.
“One of the things we hear a lot about is that it’s one of the most beautiful courses people have been to. And I think that has a to do with the fact that we kept as many of the pine trees in there. We also have natural-looking water elements so it looks like a natural river, pond and a little waterfall. The idea is to just have it be part of the environment, part of nature. I think we accomplished that really well.
“…I did want to combine it with some of my educational background. I love to work with students and teach people and I also love the outdoors and nature, so I chose the environment-focused theme. There are educational exhibits and signs throughout that teach people (about these topics)…It’s a supplemental feature. If they just want to play a game of miniature golf that’s okay too, but if they’re waiting around, there’s something to read and learn from and I’ve had a lot of positive response from that…It’s been really fun.
“The main focal point at the entrance to the course is a waterfall. It’s a little waterfall with a river that runs down to the pond towards the front of the course along the highway…It’s a 20 by 40 (foot) pond and we have some pretty fountains down in the pond as well... We light all of those up at night and it looks gorgeous. Aside from the water features, I’d say the trees are probably one of the favorite elements when people come in because they look so grand and beautiful.
“There were a few things I wanted to integrate and be part of the course. We’ve added a Pollinator garden, rain gardens, a Xeriscape garden. We have two ring gardens. One of them was done in partnership with the ecology club at the local high school who helped design it…and then there is also a Xeriscape garden. It’s a type of garden design that requires less water basically…All of the gardens have colorful, educational signs that teach visitors about these concepts. I worked with a local greenhouse that focuses on native plants…And then I did some of my own planting with native annuals and perennials.
“Being a new business owner was very challenging at times, to learn and understand everything and learn how to work with contractors! But it was a great experience… They (AGS) design beautiful courses and I’ve visited plenty of their courses in other places and they really do wonderful work… Their construction crew was awesome. They did such a good job handling all of my questions and concerns and continue to do so to this day. I have nothing but good things to say about the construction crew.”
Adventure Golf & Sports (AGS) is a global leader in the design and installation of fun, interactive, cost-effective entertainment attractions like Miniature Golf, Pickleball, Shuffleboard, Bocce Ball, Duck Pin Bowling and other recreational courts. Besides traditional concrete-poured installations, AGS has long term experience installing interlocking panel system versions like the Modular Advantage® Mini Golf system and Bunkers & Bumps™ for a variety of indoor and outdoor applications for mini golf businesses, family entertainment centers, amusement parks, campgrounds, retail centers, hotels and resorts, as well as installations on rooftops, piers and cruise ship decks.
For more information about the AGS Modular® Advantage Mini Golf system, as well as custom designed miniature golf courses from AGS and pre-made portable systems that can be used in a variety of situations, email
