Northern Lights Recreation to open new AGS mini golf course July 5-12

Northern Lights Recreation in Harbor Springs, Michigan, will celebrate the grand opening of a new nine-hole mini golf course designed by Adventure Golf & Sports during July 5-12. The project expands the family entertainment center’s outdoor lineup and adds an ADA-compliant attraction built with AGS’s Modular Advantage system. Why it matters: - The new course adds a summer outdoor draw to Northern Lights Recreation, broadening the Harbor Springs family entertainment center beyond bowling, laser tag and arcade play. - The course is designed for both casual players and golfers looking for a putting challenge, while remaining accessible for wheelchair users. - The project gives Northern Lights Recreation a differentiated attraction in a local market where nearby mini golf is described as more novelty-focused. What happened: - Northern Lights Recreation will hold the grand opening of its first mini golf course during July 5-12. - Adventure Golf & Sports designed and built the nine-hole course in Harbor Springs, Michigan. - The mini golf course is the feature outdoor attraction at Rocky’s Beer Garden. - Bill Lloyd became owner of Northern Lights Recreation in December 2024. - Lloyd has added Rocky’s Beer Garden, Louie’s Sports Bar & Grill, ValoArena and Krazy Darts to the property. - The entertainment center had long been known for 16 bowling lanes, a two-story laser tag arena and arcade games. The details: - Lloyd said the AGS course offers a tournament-style putting experience rather than a conventional novelty layout. - The course includes fast greens, nine fully lit holes, undulations, obstacles, breaks to the left and right, faux sand traps and one bridge over a sand trap. - Lloyd said the design creates a challenge for golfers while still being playable for children. - The course is ADA compliant, and Lloyd said a wheelchair can move through all nine holes with ease. - Adventure Golf & Sports built the course with its Modular Advantage Mini Golf System. - The system uses patented permeable panels, flexible components and permeable turf to support quick-dry, low-mess performance with minimal maintenance. - AGS says the system reduces the need for excavation and concrete pours and helps avoid cracking and water pooling associated with concrete-built courses. - Lloyd said heavy spring rain in northern Michigan did not wash out the course and that water drained into the ground instead of collecting on the surface. - Lloyd also said he purchased the landscaping package, which added river rock, interlocking panels and a paver brick system connecting the holes. - Lloyd said AGS worked creatively to fit the course into a land-constrained section of the property. Between the lines: - The opening shows how family entertainment centers are adding smaller-footprint attractions that can fit limited land while still creating a new revenue stream. - AGS is positioning its modular system as an alternative to traditional concrete mini golf, especially for operators who want easier maintenance and better drainage. - The ADA-compliant design also signals that accessibility is becoming part of the attraction’s value proposition, not just a compliance checkbox. What’s next: - Northern Lights Recreation will promote the course as part of Rocky’s Beer Garden during the July 5-12 opening window. - AGS says it continues to offer custom-designed miniature golf courses and portable systems for indoor and outdoor use. - More information is available by email at info@agsgolfandsports.com, by phone at (231) 922-8166 or through the company’s website . The bottom line: - Northern Lights Recreation is using a new AGS-built mini golf course to refresh its Harbor Springs lineup and add a weather-resistant, accessible attraction with broad family appeal.