JACKSON, Mich. — If you’re looking for a roaring good time in Jackson this summer, look no further than Jurassic Golf. A place that combines dinosaurs and mini-golf.
Jurassic Golf has only been open for a couple of weeks. The 18-hole course is brand new with different textures around the course where it resembles sand bunkers.
“It’s a very challenging course. There’s not a lot of hole-in-one holes so you really have to place your ball well. Other than that it’s something new and exciting. That’s what kind of sets it apart. We have dinosaurs. I haven’t been on a course that has dinosaurs on it before,” Marketer Max Walz said.
But there’s more to it than just mini-golf. Located at the site of the former golf dome at 3600 Wayland Drive, there are plans to use almost every square inch of the land.
“We’re going to have the driving range with a tracking system on that. We’re going to have cover heated tees so people can hit year-round outside. Indoors we’re going to have four simulators and a bar, so it will be a wintertime destination for that with golf leagues indoors. We’re going to have a lot of different things that will work well together,” Owner Tim Blake said.
Where did the concept of dinosaur-themed mini-golf come from? That’s a tough question to answer according to Blake.
“We played around with a bunch of ideas. That was one of the ones we came back to a couple times. The kids seem to really love dinosaurs. They know more about them than the adults as far as what they know and what they eat. We want to keep expanding that. We were limited by the timeframe for opening. So, we want to get some bigger ones and different ones,” Blake said.
He is the owner of a heating and cooling business as well as the Blake Building in downtown Jackson. After some peer pressure, he hopped into the golf game.
“It was basically everyone around me saying I should do it,” Blake said. “I started looking at the costs and it kind of made sense. I didn’t do it to make money and if it does, then great. But, I did it mainly because it’s something good to do in the area. I think it will work well with the rest of the facility.”
As they continue to expand their golf course Walz says they want to bring some competition to set themselves apart from other locations.
“We’re going to have adult leagues and couple's leagues coming in hopefully by July,” Walz said. “We’re going to have a sponsored restaurant in Downtown Jackson or around the downtown area. If you bring us your receipt and come to the course you get a buy one get one round so you and your significant other can come out, enjoy date night, keep it fairly cheap, and support local businesses downtown.”
Tory Grodi works as a “dino tamer” at Jurassic Golf. She saw the job posting online and applied immediately.
“I’m out here wrangling these dinosaurs every day to protect the kids while they’re playing putt-putt golf,” Grodi said.
Keeping with the theme of Jurassic Golf.
The turnout has been consistent right out of the gates according to Blake. Jurassic Golf opened on Saturday, June 12.
“I’ve been amazed by the response from the community and the number of people talking about it. How many people have heard about us without even doing much advertising? Just through word of mouth,” Blake said. “It’s just been non-stop people out here. Even during the week. We’re about twice what we expected business-wise.”
Blake says there are even bigger plans for entertainment options at their golf course and that the public should stay tuned.
Jurassic Golf is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. They hope to open the driving range earlier in the morning in the future.
It is $7.50 for adults; $6.50 for seniors or students; $5.50 for children. Kids under three are free. They also offer a family pack up to two adults and four children for $25.
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