Detroit putt-putt course to feature blighted house, wrecked car

By Alexis Wiley
Fox 2 News Reporter

DETROIT (WJBK) -- Steve Coy is a Detroit artist and a professor at Lawrence Tech University.  He and his students are designing a putt-putt golf course in the shadow of Corktown's iconic Michigan Central Station.

"Each student is designing a par, and we're going to make a free and open to the public miniature golf course for Detroit," he said.

On this course, you won't be putting around windmills, you'll have to avoid a burned out house.

"A wrecked car, there's a toilet, there's a course that's going to mimic construction on the street," Coy explained.  "This is just a small use of land that will hopefully bring some fun to the community."

The land belongs to the Imagination Station, a Corktown nonprofit that supports art.

Does Brandon Walley with the Imagination Station feel the course is making fun of the city's challenges?

"I don't think so because that's definitely not the intent."

"For one, it makes a really interesting theme for a putt-putt course.  For two, it's stuff that we're surrounded by and dealing with, so I think to have fun in those scenarios might be able to change some perceptions," Coy said.

"It's presented, I think, in a very positive and fun way.  When this course is done, I think it will rival anything that you see at an amusement park," said Walley.

"Urban Put-Put" has plenty of support.  The kick starter campaign has raised $3,000 in just four day.  That money will cover construction costs and operations.

"Urban Put-Put" is scheduled to open on December 1 with the Polar Bear Classic.