The 2016 Skyway Open presented by the Minneapolis Downtown Council is set to tee off for the 10th year on Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28 in the Downtown Minneapolis skyway system. The event features a challenging and innovative miniature golf course featuring holes designed and built by various local architects, designers and contractors.
The Skyway Open is a miniature golf experience unlike any you’ve seen before. The holes range from using the traditional golf ball and putter to more outside-the-box, unconventional challenges that in years past have resembled pool, pinball and other varying tasks. This year’s course will feature 17 holes—10 new and seven classics—that will be unveiled the day of the event.
The event runs 12-9 pm on Friday, 10 am-6 pm on Saturday and 12-4 pm on Sunday. Sign-up is available on SkywayOpen.org/Play as well as on-site, and varying tee time options for adults and children are available. All ages and skill levels are encouraged to register. Participants check-in and tee off at Minneapolis City Center’s (40 S. 7th St.) first floor and will weave through 50th South 6th Street, RBC Plaza, Gaviidae Common and IDS Center to complete the course. Friday golfers are invited to stop by the 19th Hole Celebration at Union’s REV Ultra Lounge (731 Hennepin Avenue). The 19th Hole begins at 7 pm and will feature the Skyway Open awards presentation along with complimentary food and beverages.
“Part of our organization’s 2025 Plan goal is to create a consistently compelling downtown experience year-round, and that means producing fun events for all ages and abilities throughout the year,” said Leah Wong, Vice President of Events and Marketing, Minneapolis Downtown Council. “The Skyway Open not only pays tribute to our state’s love of golf during the winter, but it also partners community organizations together for a fun outing that everyone from business colleagues to families can enjoy.”
The 10th Annual Skyway Open is made possible by Birdie Sponsors Fish & Richardson, Jimmy John’s, Morrie’s Cadillac and Shorenstein Properties.
Designers developing new holes for this year’s Skyway Open golf tournament include BKV Group, HGA, Otogawa-Anschel Design+Build, Gensler & Associates + Gardner Builders, Cuningham Group, RSP Architects + Kraus-Anderson, Wilkus Architects + Thomas Printworks, Alliiance, RBC Plaza: KBS + Cushman & Wakefield | Northmarq + Shea + Unispace, and Coen + Partners + Landscape Renovations. Returning holes include BKV Group’s ‘Pinball’, HGA’s ‘4 Squares’, HGA’s ‘Putt-Putt’, Andrea Christenson – Cushman & Wakefield + Smart Associates + Ryan Company Inc.’s‘IDS Replica’, Leo A Daly’s ‘Foshay’, Otogowa Anschel Design + Build’s ‘Shoot for the Moon’, and Cuningham Group’s ‘City of Lakes’.
Once again this year, a panel of industry experts including the American Institute of Architects Minnesota will judge and present awards for Top Golf Hole Design, Most Challenging Golf Hole and People’s Choice Golf Hole. Participants will also have the chance to be chosen as Best Dressed Players group.
This year’s Skyway Open is produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council and co-produced by Sheba Productions. It coincides with theIntersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan both through producing an engaging downtown experience as well as proceeds going toward the Ending Street Homelessness Committee.
For more information on the 2016 Skyway Open, visit www.skywayopen.org or follow @MplsDowntown on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the Minneapolis Downtown Council:
Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business associations in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The MDC’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Planwas designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit DowntownMpls.com.
About the 2025 Plan:
The Downtown 2025 Plan strives to achieve 10 initiatives that will help leaders and citizens build on Downtown’s assets and guide Downtown Minneapolis’ development. These include doubling downtown’s residential population, transforming Nicollet Mall into a must-see destination, creating a compelling and walkable environment around the clock, leading the nation in transportation options, ending street homelessness, forging connections with the University of Minnesota and more. The 2025 Plan has a network of websites including 2025Plan.com,ExploreDTLiving.com, BeInBusinessDowntownMpls.com and MinneapolisIdeaeXchange.com. The 2025 Plan is a Minneapolis Downtown Council initiative implemented in 2011.
