Sir Goony Golf – Lake George, NY

No Comments

Played on August 24, 2019

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

After doing a nine-part series on the history of the whimsical franchise and the sadly defunct location near us in Minneapolis, I have become even more enthralled with the cartoonish style of the Sir Goony Golf courses. The first of this nationwide franchise opened in 1962 by Dutch McGrath in Chatanooga, Tennesee, and from what I can find for history online, this course in Lake George was built in 1970. Sir Goony Golf and Around the World were the specific reasons we made Upstate New York a destination mini golf trip after the whirlwind experience of Holey Moley. Expectations were high and immediately eclipsed after pulling into the parking lot.

Rating

Hole-in-One – What a gem! Lake George is known to being home to one of the internationally renowned and the all-time best courses, Around the World. And yet, I put this Sir Goony Golf course in the exact same category of top 10 courses in the world. Seeing all of the obstacles and holes in full working order and then some was an unbelievable treat. At no point in my life was the Spring Lake Park Amusement / Goony Golf course in Minnesota in a condition comparable to the way these 18 holes remain today. All of the moving parts worked and the shoot-thru environments were functional. The cartoon-y characters felt alive with vibrant colors that are likely touched up on a regular basis. Based on the maintenance people we saw at work behind the scenes, there is clearly a high level of care put into this course. I’m glad to see it and this is one of the top courses I hope to revisit many times in the future.

The curb appeal of this course is mega!
Making friends before we even start putting
Charming handpainted sign = chef’s kiss
The Pink Putter is ready to take on this whole course
Mr. Tee aims to putt through the pumpkin
This polar bear reminded Robin of her experience playing Slip N Putt on Holey Moley.
Use to be a Tentacle Timmy like this 10 minutes from our house
This Hickory Dickory Clock is in impeccable shape and well painted
A fully functioning door and primary colors on the castle!
Love the lights bulbs in these eyes. Gotta get back to play at night.
Leapin’ Lena plays infinitely better than the one I grew up playing
Win a free game by hitting into this ugly mug
Watch the video above to see how excited I was to make this

John Margolies 1970s photos side by side with our 2019 documentation

Pros

Classic 1970s styled course
One of the few Sir Goony Golf courses left from the national chain & probably in the best shape
Tons of handmade & painted signs
Kitschy obstacles/character shoot thrus play properly (a rarity on these older courses)
Impeccable maintencance

Cons

Nothing. Mini golf perfection. Ok, the turf played a little fast but I’m ok with it.

Nerdy Notes

  • 18 holes, Par 46
  • Off season weekend (Fri & Sat.) 9am – 9pm.  In Season, daily 9am – 11pm
  • Adults $7.95, Children 2-11 $6.95. Coupons available on their website.
  • Metal putters, colorful balls
  • The adjacent Gift World shop has a variety of Goony Golf merch
  • Even if you’re just passing through Lake George, this is only 2 city blocks away from the interstate

You may also like