TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – If you grew up playing mini golf in Tyler, you know the one that closed. Now, someone is bringing it back. It’ll be off South Broadway, near Grande Boulevard.
“We’re super excited about bringing something neat to Tyler,” says Blair Swaim, the CO-Owner of a miniature golf course in development.
“We’re just trying to make small steps, you know, toward getting it to come to fruition.”
He says he is excited to introduce to the public “The Yard Mini Golf” soon.
“The one that was in Tyler for like 50 years or something like that recently closed down last year. so everyone says that they miss playing there, and so we’re hopefully going to provide a new one for them to play on,” says Swaim.
But it’s more than a fun place to play, it’s exactly the kind of amenity city leaders say is fueling tyler’s growth.
“Here in tyler and smith county, we have a very resilient economy that continues to grow,” says Scott Martinez, the President and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council.
In 2026, Tyler is outpacing state and national growth, projected to add nearly 12,000 jobs annually over the next 5 years.
Martinez says it’s not just about economic development and new businesses coming here; it’s about creating places where families can spend time and where young people decide they actually want to stay.
“Having an amenity like a miniature golf or bowling or anything that’s family-centric that provides that entertainment really enhances our quality of life here,” says Martinez. “Entertainment’s important when you look at especially younger people. We’ve got over 20,000 college students at our colleges and universities here, but we want to keep them.”
Swaim says it’s simple: Tyler deserves a place where everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, can just have fun together.
“A three-year-old can play mini golf and a 93-year-old can play….Tyler’s a wonderful place to live and grow up,” says Swaim.
Blair Swaim tells us they plan to have “The Yard Mini Golf” open to the public by this fall.
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