Two years after its initial opening, Cosmic Mini Golf, the black light miniature golf course located at Northpark Mall, is still going strong.

“Nobody in the mall thought it would last this long,” said Victoria Burleson, sophmore undecided major who works at the mall.

Since the golf course opened, there have been a few improvements to the establishment. There is now a back room used for parties that is covered in handprints that glow underneath the black lights.

“The birthday person gets to put their hand in glow paint, and put their hand print on the wall in the party room,” said Denise Lee, manager of Cosmic Mini Golf.

Another new feature offered is the Grow to Putt program for kids 5 years old or younger. Parents can pay a one-time fee of $10 for the program, and until their child turns 6, he or she can come back anytime and play for free. Kelly Johnson takes advantage of the program for her son Preston, age 4.

“We were passing by the golf course one day last winter and we decided to go in,” Johnson said. “Golf totally consumes Preston. He made his own course in the backyard. He is always ready to play. During the winter, we came here two to three times a week. We save a lot by coming here.”

“I like golf $1,000,” said Preston Johnson before he ran off to finish his game.

Although they are still in business, the miniature golf course suffered from slow business while the mall was undergoing renovations.

“People thought we were closed,” Lee said. “We got the word out by doing a television interview. It ended up helping us.”

Now that the renovations are nearing an end, Lee hopes the improvements will boost business.

“We are in an area where it’s kind of dead,” Lee said. “Even though this is the main entrance, people use the food court entrance. That slows us down some. I am excited about the renovations.”

Lee said of the jobs she has held, managing Cosmic Mini Golf is the best.

“It’s a very unique job,” Lee said. “I get to work with kids. I get to work with families. That’s something that I want to do.”

A round of golf costs $8 for adults, $6 for kids 6 to 12, and $3 for children 5 or younger who are not part of the Grow to Putt program. A player has the opportunity to go up to three times around the course. If Missouri Southern students present their college IDs, they only have to pay $6 per person.