Tee Time No More –Abandoned Mini-Golf
If you’re looking to play a few rounds of mini-golf, you may be out of time. It’s become such an increasingly difficult business climate for miniature golf courses that it’s now trendy for owners to leave the business behind and cash in on their property instead.
Miniature golf as we know it today started in the 1950s when David Lloyd opened a Putt-Putt Golf course in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with two unique innovations. On his Putt-Putt course, each hole was encased by an aluminum barrier and the carpet was specifically designed for playing conditions.
Within 20 years the Putt-Putt Golf Corporation had franchised out dozens of locations across the southeastern United States.
The popularity of mini-golf began to slow down during the 90s with the rise of at-home technology. Customers started to seek more interactive forms of entertainment. And in the age of computers, kids just aren’t as interested in outdoor activities. Some minituare golf course owners survived by evolving into “fun centers” by adding on additional activities like laser tage arenas, batting cages, bumper cars, go karts, and arcades. Golf-only sites used to be the norm within the Putt-Putt Corporation, but today they’re few and far between. Miniature golf by itself just doesn’t draw in customers anymore.
We’ve experienced the same trend here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Rich’s Golf Center in Wyoming still remains closed after announcing that it wouldn’t open for the 2016 season. And there was a miniature golf course on the Dallas Highway, right before Harvey’s Lake, for as long as I can recall– but it’s gone now. The wooden sign out front said LAKEWAY GOLF.
I don’t know anything about the history of that location other than information online indicating that it may have opened in 1955.
After sitting as an abandonment for quite some time, it was eventually demolished well over a year ago. Sadly, it’s another place that seems fated to become a part of our lost history. If you know anything about LAKEWAY GOLF and have stories or pictures to share, please do.
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Cheri Sundra © 2017
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Cheri Sundra--Guerrilla Historian 
If that is the place I’m thinking of, it was located on the left hand side of the road as one drove towards Harvey’s Lake. There was also a driving range as well. I believe IK can see the remains of that in some of the pictures! Wasn’t there an ice cream stand at the top of the hill on the same side?
Yes and batting cages as well when I was younger.
This breaks my heart! So many memories of the driving range and mini golf at this location. I do remember they expanded to include batting cages on the othe side of the parking lot for a while, but I guess it wasn’t enough. The state of dis-repair, and eventual demolition, brings tears to my eyes. 😪
What’s up? Your writing style is awesome, keep up the good work!