Par Excellence Redux: The Back 9

It’s a hole lot of fun. Book a Tee Time today! (includes admission)

In a unique collision of recreation and art, the Museum commissioned a two-part miniature golf course of playable works of art by local and national artists. This course is a reimagining of the wildly popular 1988 exhibition Par Excellence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A public call for proposals for area artists, designers, and architects attracted diverse artists who designed holes of varying difficulty, including the museum’s Teen Art Council. The custom-built playable miniature golf course will be split into two exhibits: The Front 9 (Summer) and The Back 9 (Fall). Designed to use the museum’s galleries with COVID protocols, the two 9-hole courses will be comprised of a surprisingly varied collection of themes and forms, promising an unusual twist on a familiar pastime.

The Back 9 Artists: Wesley Baker, KT Duffy, Eve Fineman, Annalee Koehn, Vincent Lotesto, Joshua Lowe, Jim Merz, Donna Piacenza, David Quednau, and Liam Wilson & Anna Gershoni.

The course opens October 13th with advanced Tee Times.

Advanced registration will be available for private event rentals of the fully playable mini-golf course. This is the perfect setting for kids’ birthday parties, company retreats, weddings, and more. Send inquiries to events@elmhurstartmuseum.org

The exhibit will pay homage to Par Excellence (1988) conceived by Chicago artist Mike O’Brien with a special display of ephemera, newspaper clippings, photos, and a recreated hole by designer Annalee Koehn. The original exhibit sold out daily and found its way to the pages of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, CNN, and the Chicago Tribune among others. The course went on tour to downstate Illinois before returning to Chicago as a rebranded commercial miniature golf course called ArtGolf.

Artist-designed golf courses are now a popular addition to many Midwest museums such as the Walker Art Center, The Sheldon, and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but Par Excellence is widely believed to be the first.

COVID 19 Safety Protocol

As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation we are making efforts to make the Par Excellence Redux mini-golf course as safe as possible.

• Capacities have been reduced for assigned tee times
• The museum will continue to follow Phase 5 Restore Illinois guidelines.
• Clubs and balls will be cleaned after use
• Pencils and scorecards will be single use
• Guests will be asked to practice physical distancing
• While the Elmhurst Art Museum is working hard to make your visit as safe as possible, any public destination carries an inherent risk. The museum shall be held harmless from any liability regarding your personal visit.

Media Partner: Colossal

Sponsored by: American Gardens, Bartlett Tree Experts, Brewpoint Coffee, Community Bank of Elmhurst, W.S. Darley & Co, DIT Workshops, Dugan & Lopatka, Elmhurst Artists’ Guild, Elmhurst Park District, Elmhurst University, Howard & Howard, Lakeside Bank, Kilwins, Maxine, Pints, Quality Home Service, Reconciled Solutions, Schwartz Injury Law, Superior Ambulance Service, TCF Bank, Wangler and Company, and the Museum’s Development and Programming Committees.