Station North mini-golf course to make Artscape debut

This year’s Artscape also brings the arrival of putt-putt in Baltimore city.
A new mini-golf course designed by students from the Station North area is getting ready to debut on July 21.
Located at the corner of N. Charles St. and Lafatyette Ave., the eight-hole course has been in the works since last year, when the National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $35,000 grant. Activating the linx was a full neighborhood effort.
“Everyone involved in this had some sort of tie to Station North, or at least around the district. We wanted it to be a project for the community and by the community,” said Station North Arts and Entertainment Interim Executive Director Amelia Rambissoon.
Sixty eight students from the Baltimore Lab School, the Baltimore School of Design and Margaret Brent Elementary Middle School were tasked with the design of each hole. FutureMakers developed a curriculum that helped the students through the process. They came up with holes that depict video games, sneakers and pay tribute to Arabbers.
“We didn’t come up with any sort of theme. We wanted to leave it open. A lot of kids had never played mini-golf before or never heard it,” Rambissoon said.

The students also worked with four local artists to turn their designs into something that would fit the course. Illustrations and 3D designs then went to design and architecture firm Gensler, who turned that into 3d illustration that could be used to fabricate the holes by Station North makerspace Open Works.
Landscape architecture firm Mahan Rykiel created the site plan, and was assisted by the Neighborhood Design Center.
While initial plans called for the holes to be located at four sites, Rambissoon said it ended up being logistically easier to locate the holes all at one site.
While final details are still being completed this week, the course will be the first spot for putt-putt in Baltimore when it opens next week.
Following Artscape, the course will be open through Oct. 6. Future hours haven’t been announced, so it may only be temporary.