Played on August 4, 2015
Reviewed by the Pink Putter
Back in the summer of 2015 when we were invited to play Manatawny Greens, the Director of Parks and Recreation in Pottstown also made a recommendation for us to play Schell’s in Reading, PA. This was a course we previously hadn’t heard of so we made sure to plan it into our day trip with my dad.
A little Schell’s history:
“In 1952, Lloyd Schell built and opened a small establishment to sell ice cream on a small plot of land in Muhlenberg Township.
In 1953, after Lloyd’s son Paul came home from serving in the military, Paul made the decision to purchase the adjacent property to his fathers ice cream place and open an establishment to compliment the ice cream with hot dogs and root beer. But, the main attraction would be a mini golf course for people of all ages to enjoy. This original building was approximately 20×18 in size and the mini golf course was eight holes.
This exciting new establishment known as Schell’s, did not take long to grow in popularity, and in the 1960’s, Paul purchased more land behind the facility to expand the mini golf course. The hot dog and root beer establishment now included homemade BBQ made from a secret recipe from Paul’s wife, Jessie.
Sixty three years later, Schell’s is still family owned and operated, and supplying good food, ice cream and fun for the whole family on the mini golf course. The family also owns and operates the Ranch House in West Lawn. Schell’s and The Ranch House, now have Paul’s two sons, Scott and Dennis carrying on the tradition of the family business.”
Rating:
Hole-in-One – Not only does Schell’s provide major bang for your buck (27 holes for a mere $6.25 and even less for seniors and kids), Schell’s is a moment of well-preserved, classic nostalgia seemingly frozen in time. This course is chock full of undulating terrain, classic tropes like pipe play, humps, jumps, narrow paths, sand traps, water hazards and a plethora of hand-painted signage. It’s immaculately clean and extremely well-maintained, especially considering its age. And in addition to the mini golf, there’s a Drive-In and Dairy Swirl on premise to satisfy your craving for salty or sweet. I won’t say too much more, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking, but if you are in the Reading, PA area, this is a course that I highly recommend you go out of your way to play.
Pros:
Clean, well-maintained course
Fun variety of game play
Multiple water features
Unique, hand-painted signage
27 holes for the price of 18
Drive-In and Dairy Swirl barn on site
Cons:
Minimal themed obstacles
Nerdy Notes:
- Rubber covered putters
- Flags (hand painted steel) in holes
- $6.25 per adult for all 27 holes
- 27 holes, par 72
- Last hole collects balls and offers chance to win free game!
- Special rates for parties and organized groups
