In September 2024, Jason Port traveled from his home in Las Vegas to Superior, Wisc., to oversee the new greens being laid at Capt’n J’s Mini Golf, a course he has owned since 1999. He stood under a bold-blue sky, on a beautiful late-summer day, while a work crew unfurled rolls of artificial putting green. Port wore a bright smile, nearly as wide as the brim of his baseball cap. Since buying the mini golf course, he has taken great pride in owning and maintaining Capt’n J’s. Originally from Duluth, he returns every year to the Northland to visit with family and friends and meet with his employees.
Before Port bought Capt’n J’s, he wanted to build his own mini golf course in Duluth. He felt there wasn’t enough for kids to do, and he believed mini golf was an activity they could enjoy. While he searched for land, someone told him about a mini golf course in Superior that might be for sale. Port and the owners didn’t reach a deal that year. However, the following year he contacted the owners again, who were now ready to retire. They struck a deal, and Port became the proud owner of Capt’n J’s.
After Port bought the course, he updated it, but he kept the name Capt’n J’s. The J stands for Jim, the first name of the man who built the course. Port planned to own it for 10 years then sell it, but he became attached to it. This summer he will have owned the course for 26 years. “It’s nice to own a business where people come to have fun,” he says. He also tells his employees to have fun and relax. One of his long-time employees says, “Jason is wonderful to work for.”
From late spring to early fall, if the weather is nice, Capt’n J’s Mini Golf welcomes families, groups of friends, and courting couples. The radio, always tuned to KOOL 101.7, softly plays happy, toe-tapping rock and pop music from days gone by. As the golfers make holes-in-one, or miss easy putts, or struggle with the volcano—the hardest hole on the course—cheers, laughter, and groans fill the air. Everyone has a good time.
Port originally thought it would be kids and teenagers who came to play, but he discovered a wide variety of people relish mini golf. Grandparents love to play with their grandchildren. Every year UMD brings their foreign exchange students for an outing. Once a year about 15 Harley motorcycles rumble into the parking lot, and bikers dressed in their leathers compete in a friendly round. Using mini golf to encourage a sense of esprit de corps, athletic teams from UMD and UWS come to golf, and occasionally a bus pulls in with an out-of-town college team, who play to pass the time before a sporting event. Couples come on dates. Recently, one couple, now married, returned to golf and mentioned they had their first date at Capt’n J’s.
Located on Barker’s Island in Superior Bay, Port says his mini golf course “has a unique spot.” That’s a bit of an understatement, as golfers can’t help but notice the impressive 380-foot SS Meteor, the world’s last surviving whaleback ship. Now a museum berthed at Barker’s Island, the Meteor provides both a dramatic backdrop and a source of amusement for Capt’n J’s patrons. Once an hour, a tour guide announces that the ship’s horn will sound in one minute. Golfers listen but become engrossed in their putts once again. Sixty seconds later when the horn blares, almost everyone on the course jumps, jerks, or shudders. Shared laughter and blushing faces follow in a collective gotcha moment of embarrassment.
While waiting their turn to putt, golfers can watch small planes and float planes take off and land at Sky Harbor Airport on Minnesota Point. Geese, ducks, and gulls fly by, and occasionally a bald eagle soars overhead. Sailboats and small watercraft breeze through Superior Bay, and lucky golfers may even see an ore boat glide past.
In addition to Capt’n J’s unique setting, the course is trimmed with vibrant rainbow-colored flowers. The plants are lovingly tended to by one of Port’s long-time employees, who takes great pride and joy in caring for them during the summer. She arrives early in the morning to water the gardens and deadhead the flowers. She is always thinking about what to plant next. “Some people come just to smell the flowers,” says Port. Even if someone’s having a bad game, it would be hard to remain discouraged among the cheerful annuals and perennials.
After golfers sink their ball on the 18th hole and return their putters to the “club house,” they can buy an ice cream, frozen fruit pops, and Dippin’ Dots. While they slurp their icy treats at a nearby picnic table, they can do what all enthusiastic golfers do and talk about their latest round: the great putts, the near misses, the holes they parred, and who had the best score.
Capt’n J’s is a gem of a place—a wonderful opportunity for families, friends, and couples to create memories. Because Port believes it’s important to have quality entertainment at an affordable price, a round of mini golf is $7 and children age 4 and under are free with a paid adult, and the frozen treats are delicious and inexpensive. For more information, visit captnjs.com or Capt’n J’s Mini Golf on Facebook, or call 715-394-4450.
People wishing for a longer outing on Barker’s Island can tour the SS Meteor Whaleback Museum, visit the Lake Superior Estuarium (a small interactive natural history museum), rent a paddle board at North Shore SUP, stroll on the Osaugie Trail, or let their children play at the park. And on Saturday mornings they can shop at the farmers market from 9 a.m. to noon.
Jason Port is right—Capt’n J’s has a unique spot.
