September 14, 2018
by Tom Loftus (aka Mr. Tee)
When searching to play mini golf in the Twin Cities Metro, we dearly miss having the option to play the outdoor complex that was Goony Golf. In focusing on Sir Goony Golf / Spring Lake Park Amusement in this series, I wanted to highlight each of the three courses. We’ll start with the last course added to the premises.
When we worked on our original reviews of Goony Golf, I dug around the internet for archival materials. My main interest was the waterslide. The early visits to Spring Lake Park Amusement are hazy but I remember the waterslide clearly. I knew it was on site and removed before revisiting the course as an adult in the 00’s. I talked to the former owner Pat and she provided context for the removal.
We got rid of the waterslide in the early-1990’s. We suddenly were notified in the late 1980’s that casualty insurance was not available for waterslides. Other businesses were also affected, horse riding stables and others that I don’t remember now. That eventually resolved itself but in the meantime we struggled through for awhile having people sign waivers. Then Anoka County decided to build a wave pool and that pretty much was the nail in the coffin. When I think back, I don’t know how we made it through that period. Failure was not an option, I guess.
In order to utilize this significant piece of land, the owners added a 3rd and final course. The Championship Course took on a new personality that the original two courses. No massive cartoon characters. No fairytale scenes. 18 challenging holes with an unusually high Par of 62 that the two of us rarely reached. It’s devilishly difficult and as the turf wore down in the waning days, it was nearly impossible.
An Earlier Version of the Scorecard
Final Scorecard Design
Part 2 – It Came From Tennessee (or maybe Florida)
