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| - You've heard of the Cleveland institution of B.A. Sweetie's, right? You know the one, the largest candy selection you'll probably ever see. Anyway, about a year ago they decided to breathe life back into a faded and forgotten putt putt golf course. Yeah, that's right, a candy store is getting into the mini golf business - it's so wrong it just might work. So where the hell is it? Well, saying this place is out of the way may just be a tad of an understatement. You've probably driven past it dozens of times over the years and never noticed it. Located between Interstate 480 and Brookpark Road, it's a patch of green in a concrete jungle.
I don't really know the history of the place, but I have a feeling it was wasting away, forgotten for years before B.A. Sweetie's got their hands on it. Actually, it looks like the place used to have go-karts given the decaying and overgrown track in the back. Past history aside, they put in nearly 5000 hours to bring the mini golf area to where it is today. What do you get for 5000 man hours these days? Well let me tell ya:
-Two 18-hole courses labeled hard and easy
-All new, one-piece greens (no seams, guys)
-New lighting for night playing (they are open until 11pm Friday & Saturday)
-A koi pond with pellet dispensers for feeding
-Working waterfall with an elevated gazebo
-Landscaping with plenty of trees, grass and mulch
There's also a concession stand that reminded me a bit of what you'd get in a 1980's roller rink - nachos, hot dogs and the like. More importantly, you can get soft serve ice cream (10% milk fat, none of that healthy crap) in chocolate, vanilla and swirl, with, wait for it...over 100 toppings. You didn't think that a place brought to you by the folks at B.A. Sweetie's wouldn't have candy, did you? Sure, 80% of you will probably go for Oreos, Snickers and Reese's cups, but still, having the choice is still pretty cool, right? Just remember, no food on the course.
Yeah, it's a place for families with kids, but my wife and I (who's the one that convinced me to go in the first place) had a blast, too. With our coupon it cost us $5 a piece for 18 holes (it's normally $7) and the small cup of ice cream with one topping a little over $2. Oh, and before I forget, if you sink a hole-in-one on the last hole you get a chance to spin their "wheel of prizes". From what I remember you could win free games and free food. Cool little gimmick. The last hole's a bitch, so don't get your hopes up.
This place is a slice of Americana that is fast disappearing. It's not full of strobes, black lights and a booming techno soundtrack. It's not equipped with animatronic clowns (shudder), rotating windmills or video games. It's just putt putt and junk food in its simplest form, minimalist nostalgia, and I hope it manages to stick around. Now get your kids out of the damn house and see to it that it does.
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