Urban Putt
The Verdict
"Book online for weekend evenings or you'll wait an hour. The bar is full-service and the restaurant is solid. Fourteen holes takes about 90 minutes. All ages before 8pm, 21+ after."
What you need to know
Mini Golf With a Bar Tab
Urban Putt is an indoor miniature golf course inside a converted Victorian building on South Van Ness in the Mission. Fourteen holes spread across two floors, each designed by different local artists and fabricators. The result looks like a science fair crossed with a carnival: kinetic sculptures, LED lighting, and mechanical obstacles that actually work.
The course opened in 2014 and expanded to a second location in San Francisco’s Presidio, but the Mission original remains the better experience.
What Makes It Worth It
This isn’t a chain mini golf course. Each hole is a one-of-a-kind art installation. A Victorian parlor hole features a working player piano. A Rube Goldberg machine hole sends your ball through an elaborate chain reaction. The final hole, a San Francisco cityscape, dumps successful putts into a model of the Bay.
The full bar and restaurant operate independently from the golf, so you can eat and drink without playing or play without eating. The cocktail menu is better than it needs to be for a mini golf place.
Good for dates, groups, and families (kids allowed before 8 PM most nights, adults-only after). Reservations recommended on weekends.
Visiting
Address: 1096 South Van Ness Avenue, Mission District
Hours: Monday-Thursday 4 PM to 11 PM, Friday 4 PM to midnight, Saturday 11 AM to midnight, Sunday 11 AM to 11 PM
Cost: $15-$17 per round. Reservations recommended.
Best time: Weekday evenings for shorter waits. Saturday afternoons for families.
What to know: Games take 60 to 90 minutes. Walk-ins accepted but weekend waits can be 30+ minutes. The restaurant doesn’t require golf reservations.
Getting There
16th Street BART, walk three blocks south on South Van Ness. 14-Mission bus to South Van Ness. 49-Van Ness/Mission bus stops nearby. Street parking on side streets off South Van Ness.
📍 Location: This activity is in The Mission District. Explore the neighborhood →
