Perhaps mini-golf is not my sport. Getting overzealous with the putter seems to be my weakness, even when I visualize where I want that multicolored golf ball to go. But even so, mini-golf is always a fun time no matter what skill level you lay claim to.
With the unpredictability of the weather, mini-golf courses are now being built entirely inside so that rainy days hold no sway over enjoying a round. Scenic City Mini-golf is one of these courses, located on the corner of Cherry Street and East Seventh Street.
The indoor course of Scenic City features 18 holes of mini-golf in a maze-like fashion that winds within the location. It’s almost shocking to see that mini-golf, a popular tourist attraction across many cities, has been surprisingly devoid in downtown Chattanooga; especially with Chattanooga’s mini-golf roots that tie the town in as the birthplace of mini-golf.
According to the Web site Tennessee Treasures, in 1928, Garnet Carter decided to miniaturize the game of golf. Building an original sized golf course was taking too long, and he wanted something to entertain the guests at the Fairyland Inn. Carter family member Bill Chapin said that Carter developed 300 acres atop Lookout Mountain as a resort community in 1928 with the Fairyland Inn as the cornerstone of the development. He wanted to build a world-class 18-hole golf course, but with the entertainment needs of guests at the Inn in mind, he came up with the idea of miniature golf.
From there, his mini-golf creation was a huge success. With even the most serious golfers visiting Lookout Mountain to try mini-golf, the natural grass turf was so worn away that Carter patented a process to cover the surfaces of the course with a byproduct of cottonseed hull recycling and a mixture of green paint. With this problem solved, he applied for the trademark for miniature golf under the name of Tom Thumb Golf Courses. Soon, Tom Thumb courses opened all over America, even movie stars like Gloria Swanson putted in Hollywood, Tennessee Treasures reports.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, Carter had made over $1 million in two years from miniature golf. The uncertainty of the time led Carter to sell all the rights to W. H. Robinson, a Heinz pickle manufacturer from Philadelphia, for $200,000. It was these earnings from miniature golf that Carter put into a new tourist attraction on Lookout Mountain he called Rock City.
Now miniature golf courses are all over, from the course at the New Hampshire state prison inmates were allow to build, to another inside the Lincoln Nebraska State Hospital for the insane. Scenic City’s course offers the basic layout of mini-golf as well as the fun and frustrating derailing elements of the game. On the course, there are blue colored water areas and brown colored sand areas that will lead to an extra penalty putt if your ball lands within these regions.
Using simple materials, like wood blocks, inclined surfaces and ramps, Scenic City has made a deceivingly simple course a real skill session. They offer a frequent putter card, though, so coming back to try and master the course is easy and inexpensive.
For adults, the price for a round of golf is $7. They offer a matinee of $5 before 5 p.m. Children ages three to 10 are $5, and children under three years old are free with paying adult. Groups of 10 more can receive $1 off per player, and it’s only $1 extra to play the full course for a second round for anyone. These prices include 18 holes of mini-golf and rental of putter and golf ball. Scenic City Mini-Golf also offers party packages and gift certificates. On the other side of the course at Scenic City is the 19th Hole Blue Bell ice cream parlor. After working up a sweat on the course, visit them for milkshakes, ice cream cones, coke floats and sodas. Blue Bell is in the top three running for my favorite brand of ice cream, and Scenic City serves homemade vanilla, mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, blackberry cobbler, butter crunch, butter pecan, strawberry, and cookie dough.
Scenic City is also very tied into helping the community. This month, they are working to help the Tennessee Children’s Home in asking patrons to bring in donations listed on their Web site in return for a $1 round of mini-golf. They also partner with non-profit organizations to help raise money through charity mini-golf tournaments or working with those who want to do organization spirit days, where 10 percent of the sales will go back to the organization.
Check out Scenic City Mini-golf online at www.sceniccityminigolf.com or visit them at 21 East 7th Street. Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.