Iowa State will soon be home to Putt Art, a miniature golf course that will combine art on campus with a unique golfing experience.

Playable art is the focus of a miniature golf course that will be opening at Brunnier Gallery on April 23 as a result of a combined effort by the gallery and Design 129 classes to raise funds and awareness of art of campus.

Putt Art, which will be open for a month with a suggested donation of $5 to play, will have some holes on the west lawn of the Scheman building and some inside Brunnier Gallery, said director of art of campus Lynette Pohlman.

Each hole on the course was designed by a group of Design 129 students and they are all very nontraditional, having themes centered around pieces of art on campus, she said.

“One hole includes golfing with a radio-controlled car, and on other holes, the traditional golf ball has been replaced with a nerf ball or basketball,” she said.

Pohlman said they really wanted students involved in the design process because many students are unaware of the more than 200 major works of art on campus and don’t know how to interpret them.

“This golf course will be a unique way to promote art literacy among students while raising money for art on campus,” she said. “This gets them involved and interested.”

Design 129 professor Bill Boon said he has never had a class do something like this before.

“This is brand new for my class,” he said. “Our projects become product-oriented where we are usually process-oriented.”

The Design 129 recitation classes divided into groups of about eight people and made models that were presented to a committee composed of various university staff who chose the best ideas to build, he said.

It was exciting for the students when they were selected, but “having to produce a product under the scrutiny of the world is a tough job,” he said.

Design 129 student Nikki Elbert, a junior in housing and the near environment, said the project has been a lot of work, but it’s also been fun.

“We were really excited to get chosen, but the best part will probably be building and painting it,” she said.

Boon said he decided to cancel the final project for the class because Putt Art ended up being an enormous undertaking, but it is “definitely worthwhile.”

“It’s not the most graceful process,” he said. “But is worthwhile because of the learning experience and the students’ enthusiasm.”

A golf tournament for Iowa State students is planned for Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m.