It’s not often a miniature golf course tests your knowledge of local attractions, but the recently reopened Subpar Mini Golf in Alameda does exactly that. You’ll play two games in one inside this former Walgreens on Park Street, where owner Michael Taft designed a $2.8-million mini golf course that provides a challenging golf experience alongside local trivia.

“I think people like to look at the golf holes and see their community and neighborhood glorified,” Taft says.

Hitting a golf ball over a replica of the Park Street Bridge might be the most entertaining part of the course. The drawbridge is, well, drawn and requires just the right touch to make the ball leap from one side to the other.

You’ll golf through a replica of the Ultimate Pass Windmill, putt around the Chabot Space and Science Center, wind your way through a maze that looks like the Oakland tree logo, scoot into the Sunol Water Temple and watch your ball ride “The Whoopie,” a wooden roller coaster from Alameda’s Neptune Beach amusement park, which closed in 1937.

Then enjoy the ultimate challenge on the 19th and final hole: hit your ball up a narrow ramp on your first try and win a free round.

The course is a blast to play, made even more fun by a wonderful selection of local beers ($6-$8) from Alameda Island Brewing and Altamont Beer Works. There are fries ($4), sandwiches ($10), full pizzas ($22) and more snacks to keep everyone well-fed and happy. A full arcade and three pool tables add additional entertainment options.

The original Subpar in Alameda found such success after opening in 2012, the people behind Ghirardelli Square asked Taft to build one in San Francisco in 2018. The SF location is still roaring today, though the Alameda OG closed when rent prices grew too expensive.

But in 2020, when Alameda’s Walgreens closed down, the space’s huge windows and high ceilings caught Taft’s interest. It took him almost two years to design a new course, themed entirely around East Bay landmarks, and the course was reopened at the end of 2022.

“People are pretty pleased with it, especially the customers who have been with us since the beginning,” Taft says.

Details >> Walk-ins are welcome at Subpar ($11-$14), which is open daily at 1600 Park St. in Alameda, but booking a tee time is encouraged, as the place can get busy. A “glow golf” course ($16), complete with neon lights, will open Aug. 25 with game play Fridays and Saturdays after 7 p.m.; www.subparminigolf.com.

But wait, there’s more >> Head to Urban Putt in San Jose, where you can hit balls amid the downtown skyline, including the landmark Bank of Italy building. Subpar San Francisco offers golfers a course with a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and other Bay Area landmarks. Or go to Tipsy Putt in Emeryville, where you can play two courses: a normal mini golf course, and a table top style where you roll the ball with your hand. For an outdoor mini golf experience, try Golden Tee Golfland in Castro Valley.