We visited the iconic Wanneroo Botanic Gardens for Glow Golf with our three boys (16, 14, and 11) during the Christmas season, and it quickly became one of our favourite evening activities in Perth. After spending a few enjoyable hours playing both courses and watching the gardens light up after dark, we left talking about how unique the experience was.
Is Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf Worth the visit for Families?
So, should you add Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf to your family’s Perth itinerary? Yes—especially if your kids are old enough to stay up past sunset and enjoy a fun and budget-friendly outdoor activity. It’s best suited for families who like to play mini golf, appreciate gardens, and want something different from the typical tourist stops.
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Here’s what makes it work:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unique billiards-style course, unlike any other | Can get busy during school holidays |
| Outdoor glow golf with LED balls (not a typical indoor blacklight) | Bug spray needed around dusk |
| 36 holes across two courses on one ticket | Not ideal for very young kids who struggle with late evenings |
| Gardens lit up beautifully at Christmas | |
| Leapfrogs restaurant and ice cream on-site | |
| Free parking |
Plan 2–3 hours here, arrive before dark if you want garden photos, and stay after dark for the glow golf experience.
About Wanneroo Botanic Gardens & Glow Golf
Wanneroo Botanic Gardens sits in Perth’s northern suburbs, about a 5-minute drive from Joondalup and roughly 30 minutes from Perth CBD. You’ll find it at 25 Drovers Place, Wanneroo.
The property covers around 5 acres (2 hectares) of landscaped gardens featuring winding pathways, rockeries, waterfalls, and shaded areas under tall trees. It’s easy for families to explore and stroll through, even with the whole family in tow. The original owner, a trained landscape architect, personally planted over 500 species across the property—and it is stunning!
The mini golf complex is marketed as one of Australia’s largest outdoor courses, with 36 holes split across two distinct 18-hole courses. One ticket gives you access to both.
Glow balls and Christmas decorations made an evening to remember at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens
What makes the Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf Unique?
If you’ve done indoor glow golf before—the kind flooded with blacklights and fluorescent paint—this is completely different. At Wanneroo Botanic, the glow effect comes from LED golf balls that light up in different colours. You’re playing outdoors, surrounded by lit-up gardens rather than enclosed in a dark room. We loved the fresh air, the sound of the stream, the lights on the plants to see along the way, and the glowing golf balls were a first for us.
You can visit during daylight, at dusk, or after dark, and each time feels quite different. Arriving about an hour before sunset gives you the best of both worlds.
When planning your visit, allow 2–3 hours to complete both courses. Add more time if you want to have dinner at Leapfrogs. Our review focuses on visiting during the Christmas season when the gardens add extra festive lighting—more on that later.
Mini Golf Courses: Garden Course vs Billiard Golf
Your entry ticket covers both 18-hole courses, and you can play them in any order you like. We found it helpful to know what we were getting into before we chose which course to play first.
Garden Mini-Golf Course
The Garden Course is the more traditional mini golf experience. You’ll putt through garden beds, past small ponds, over bridges, and around waterfalls. The holes feature the usual obstacles you’d expect—ramps, curves, and challenges that vary in difficulty.
For families with younger or less experienced players, this course is more intuitive. There are plenty of “easy win” holes mixed in with trickier ones, which keeps everyone’s morale up. Even a seasoned mini golfer will find a few holes that require some thought.
Billiard Golf at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens
The Billiard Golf course is the standout feature here and something we hadn’t seen anywhere else. Instead of winding garden holes, you play on greens with raised side rails—like a pool table. You bank your ball off the rails to reach the hole, treating each putt more like a pool shot than traditional mini golf.
This course felt more like a fun puzzle game than mini golf. Our older boys, who are 14 and 16 years old, loved experimenting with angles and bank shots. It added a twist to the usual experience and sparked some genuine competition between them.
Our Recommended Play Order
Start with the Garden Course at dusk. You’ll get great photos of the gardens, and the course is easier to navigate when you can see all the landscaping. Then, switch to Billiard Golf once it’s fully dark—the glow balls really pop against the dark surroundings.
The Billiard Golf (when played as intended) has some complexities, with multiple holes on some courses and a different point structure than a typical game, and it requires players to bank shots before putting their ball in the hole. We decided just to play this course as you would a regular mini golf course.
If you’re into the challenge of playing the Billiard Course as intended, then you might want to consider playing it first (since it does take more focus and brain power), and then you can play the Garden Course as usual to follow.
Our Family Experience (Visiting with Teens at Christmas)
We arrived at the gardens around 6:30 PM on a December evening while petsitting in Perth. The sun was still up, but fading, which gave us time to check in, grab our glow balls, and figure out our game plan.
At the front desk, each of us chose a different coloured LED ball—well, almost all of us had different colours. You will have the choice of 4 colours; a couple of us doubled up. Checking in at the front counter was quick and straightforward, with staff explaining both courses and handing over scorecards. We pre-purchased our course online, so we showed our confirmation and were able to get started right away.
We tackled the Garden Course first. The paths were easy to follow, and there was enough variety in hole difficulty to keep everyone engaged. One hole with a steep ramp and tight curve near a waterfall had us all taking multiple shots—our 11-year-old finally sank it first, which he reminded us about for the rest of the night.
On the Garden Course, we had a couple of hole-in-ones (including one technicality where someone’s ball bumped another into the hole – we just counted it as a hole-in-one for the fun of it).
The Billiard Golf course was the clear winner for our teens. Watching them figure out bank shots and adjust their angles added a layer of strategy that regular mini golf doesn’t have. Joel, our 16-year-old son, treated it like geometry class (his words, not ours), while our 14-year-old son, Zac, just hit hard and hoped for the best – it seems like his general strategy anyway. Both approaches somehow worked.
Because we visited during school holidays, it was fairly busy. We waited a few minutes between some holes to have our turn, and let a couple behind us go ahead since our family of 5 was a bit slower than they were. There were plenty of outdoor seating areas if we had to wait to play a hole, and at Christmas, plenty of photo opportunities between holes anyway.
The Christmas lighting made everything feel special. Fairy lights wrapped around trees, illuminated figures dotted the gardens, and festive music played softly in the background. Even in the darker sections of the course, the pathway lighting made navigation easy.
Practical Info: Tickets, Times & How to Plan Your Visit
Details change seasonally, so always confirm current prices and hours on the official Wanneroo Botanic Gardens website before you visit.
Ticket Structure
- Per-person pricing with different rates for adults, children, and family passes
- One ticket includes access to both 18-hole courses (36 holes total)
- Glow Golf is typically best to play from around 5:30 PM into the evening (just before dusk until close)
- Check for last tee-off times—they’ll cut off entry before closing to ensure everyone finishes
Best Time to Arrive
We’d suggest arriving 30–60 minutes before sunset. This lets you:
- Enjoy the gardens in natural light
- Take photos before it gets dark
- Transition naturally into Glow Golf as the sun sets
Booking Tips
- Book online during weekends, public holidays, and WA school holidays
- Some third-party deals (RAC WA, Groupon) pop up occasionally—worth checking
- Vouchers often require pre-purchase and presentation on arrival
- Note that discounted deals sometimes have non-refundable conditions
Visit Duration
| Family Type | Recommended Time |
|---|---|
| Families playing both courses + photos | 2.5–3 hours |
| Families playing one course only | 1–1.5 hours |
| Adding Leapfrogs for dinner | 3.5–4 hours |
The gardens are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, with hours in the evenings as late as 8:30 PM on open days. Be sure to check their website to confirm specifics before your trip.
Gardens, Lighting & Christmas Magic
Even if you’re mainly there for mini golf, the gardens themselves deserve some attention. We are sure you will enjoy them!
During Daylight
In late afternoon, the gardens feel peaceful—leafy paths, small ponds, wooden bridges, and plenty of photo spots. Kids can explore between holes, and the landscaping offers enough variety to keep things interesting. The tall tree canopy provides welcome shade on warmer evenings.
After Dark
Once the sun sets, the experience transforms. Pathway lights keep everything navigable, while feature lighting highlights trees and garden sections. During our December visit, the Christmas installations added another layer: twinkling trees, illuminated figures, and that festive atmosphere that makes everything feel somewhat magical.
Photo Opportunities
- Group shots on the wooden bridges
- Kids holding glowing balls in darker corners
- Lit-up trees as backdrops
- The waterfall areas with evening lighting
Here are some of our favorite Christmas photos from Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf:
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- Glow balls and Christmas decorations made an evening to remember at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens
What to Bring & Family-Friendly Tips
A little preparation makes the night run smoother, especially with younger kids or during warmer months.
Essential Items
| Item | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| Bug spray | Insects are active at dusk (they fade later in the evening) |
| Comfortable walking shoes | You’ll be on your feet for 2+ hours |
| Light jacket | Evenings can cool down, especially after dark |
| Water bottle | Stay hydrated between courses |
Costs, Value & Who Can Play
Mini golf at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens is a mid-range family outing in Perth. It costs more than a free playground visit but less than big-ticket attractions. For an evening activity that keeps everyone entertained, we found it reasonable.
What’s Included
- Access to both 18-hole courses (36 holes total)
- Garden entry during your visit
- Glowing golf balls after dark
What Costs Extra
- Food and drinks at Leapfrogs
- Ice cream at the admission counter
Value by Family Type
| Family Type | Value Assessment |
|---|---|
| Families with teens/preteens | Great experience—competition and strategy keep older kids engaged |
| Families with kids 6–10 | Good experience—mix of easy and challenging holes works well |
| Families with toddlers | Limited value—they’ll enjoy the lights, but won’t play much golf |
| Couples or friends | Fun date night or group outing, especially with the Billiard Course |
Better Than Indoor Glow Golf
Most indoor glow golf spots are quick 20-minute games in shopping centers or entertainment complexes. Wanneroo’s outdoor setting, garden atmosphere, and unique Billiard Course make it feel like an experience rather than just an activity. You’re not rushing through—you’re spending a whole evening out.
We enjoyed being out in the cool evening doing one of our favourite activities: Mini Golf!
Final Verdict
Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf is worth the stop for families visiting Perth who are looking for something active, fun, social, and easy to slot into an evening. It works particularly well for families with kids over 5 years old who enjoy games and don’t mind staying up a bit later than usual. The Glow Balls and the Billiard Course alone make it stand out from every other mini golf we’ve tried.
If your family enjoys mini golf, evening outings, and doesn’t need a high-adrenaline activity to have fun, book this one. Check the official website for current dates, Friday and weekend hours, and any seasonal deals … and have fun!
Wanneroo Botanic Gardens Glow Golf was one of our favorite things to do with kids in Perth, but there was really no shortage of family-friendly activities. Read our full blog here listing our favorite things to do as a family in Perth, (plus a few things that will be on our list for our next visit)
