Kendahl Mini Golf in Cloquet Opens for 55th Season

CLOQUET, Minn.– With summer coming up and school ending for the year around the area, families are going out to try and find activities to do during the summer.

That means places like Kendahl Mini Golf in Cloquet are opening up for the season.

What started as a mini golf course in a backyard has become a popular summer spot in Cloquet as it gets ready for their 55th season.

“We’ve been here a long time. It’s kind of a family run thing, 3rd generation,” said Kendahl Mini Golf Owner Bill Erickson.

Bill Erickson was 11 years old when his dad Kenneth Erickson designed and built the course in their backyard in 1966.

Erickson says he doesn’t exactly know where the idea came from but it quickly became the place to be in the Cloquet area.

“When I was 12, 13, 14 years old I had just about every friend in the neighborhood because they wanted to golf,” said Erickson.

Aside from moving the clubhouse and some minor renovations, the course has stayed the same since it opened decades ago.

Because of the pandemic, Erickson decided to push the opening of the course to early June instead of weekends in May. This allowed them time to replace the carpets, order new clubs and golf balls and added foam inserts at every hole.

“We thought, ‘Let’s not push, let’s not rush into anything, let’s get a lot of stuff done that we don’t get an opportunity to do,’” said Erickson.

The mini golf course means a lot to Erickson but he also knows how much it’s meant to the community of Cloquet and beyond over the years.

“Many people I talked to will say, ‘When your dad was here we had our first date here 40 years ago or 30 years ago. Or I brought my kids, now I’m bringing my grandkids.’” said Erickson. “Just generations of people. It’s just unique.”

The course is now open seven days a week for the season and will be only open on weekends after September 10.