Dear Aunt Peg,
Here we are in Estes Park, Colorado.
OK, we have played this course every year since I was 10 years old. Every night that we stayed in Estes Park. Mr. Mitchell has become a family friend. You know, he bought this course in 1955. And it still only costs $3.00 to play. Before he bought this course, he owned one in Cody, Wyoming. He bought the one in Cody for $5,000, and he made $8,000 on it the first year he owned it. (1952). That Cody course is still in existence - it’s run by the city now.
I love Mr. Mitchell’s signs. That side room used to have arcade games in it (Ms. Pac-Man and one other, if I remember correctly), but now Mr. Mitchell has turned it into a sort of a miniature Estes Park museum.
I love the place where the people who win free games get to sign their names.
Mr. Mitchell always had the most interesting selection of golf balls to choose from. This is the only photo I’ve got of Mr. Mitchell, as he doesn’t like to be photographed. I played with a red ball, and a ball that was painted to look like the globe of planet Earth!
They let you pick your own club, which is excellent. This was a crowded day, so there were a lot of clubs in use. There were people on almost every hole.
Luckily the scenery is WONDERFUL!!!
This was a felt course. It was a little wrinkly. That happens with his course. But he does just replace the carpets from time to time.
Mom likes how he has well-placed boards with clips and pencils for your score card.
Every hole has either a bench or plastic chairs. Mr. Mitchell understands that the elderly may need to be able to sit between holes. Grandpa loves that.
LOOK at those flowers!!! You know, when Mrs. Mitchell was still alive there were a LOT of columbines and lobelias.
The alligator's mouth used to open and close, but it doesn't work anymore. It also doesn’t give an automatic hole-in-one if you putt through it anymore.
I know. It hasn’t for years. But when we were little, it always worked. Sigh.
LOOK!!! The windmill has made a propeller on Aaron’s head!!!
The infamous 4th hole that taught me to putt straight.
Mr. Mitchell’s kids own the gas station.
Look how many older people there are on this course!!
Well, there are so many people who have been coming here for years. Everyone comes there and talks to Mr. Mitchell for 5 or 10 minutes before they play. Plus, it’s cheap. It’s cash-only. But, where can you get that amount of entertainment for that price?? Plus, Mr. Mitchell gives away a lot of free games to people who have been coming there for years.
He changed this hole since we last saw it. He added a piece of wood on the left-side barrier so you couldn’t cheat by hitting your ball really hard, bouncing off the backstop and over the side.
Yeah, when we were kids we used to just whack our balls really hard to try to bounce over the left side!!
I love how he’s got hand-painted backgrounds on so many of the holes. I wonder if Mrs. Mitchell painted them?? In any case, they’ve been continually re-touched - they always look fresh.
This windmill is still a guaranteed hole-in-one, as he’s maintained this ditch that directs your ball. When I was younger, I thought the ditch had just been worn in by years of play, but mom recently told me that it's actually how the hole is designed.
Man, we looked forward to this hole when we were kids!!!
Dad missed the entrance to the windmill, however. Mom says, “It happens.” Dad blew a raspberry at us.
Another painting, and a fun picture of the aforementioned beautiful scenery.
I love the foxes. I love the moon.
Unfortunately, the back plank on this hole is completely dead. Mom says it used to bounce back a little bit. You used to be able to hit it off the back and roll in, but not anymore.
There was an elk just outside the fence. Sorry about the poor quality of the photos, that was due to my having to take the photo over he chain-link fence at the edge of the property. There was a sign on the fence, saying to be sure to keep the gate closed so the elk don’t come in and eat the flowers on the golf course.
Man, I love Estes Park!! I remember one year, the elk all just came to the park next to the library and just sat in the park!! Like, a whole herd of them!!! Apparently they hung out there for a couple of days!!
The whole front range is painted here. Long’s Peak is on the left, Hallett’s is near the middle, and the Mummy Range is on the right.
Here’s the free game hole.
Uncle Dave’s family won FIVE free games one night!! Look!! It’s Michael’s signature!! He’s our illustrator!!!
You know, when we started playing minigolf here, Dave was too young to play on the course near our home in Nebraska. But Mr. Mitchell will let children of any age play - with adult supervision. It was such a treat for Dave to get to play, instead of just watch. That’s one of the reasons this course is so beloved by us. And probably gazillions of others.
Statistics (from four nights of golf):
Par: 51
Aaron: 41/40/47/41
Barb: 39/39/44/42
Paul: 48/47/44/44
Difficulty (1-6 putts, 6 putts being the most difficult): 1 putt. Partly because he’s set the par so high, which really makes children feel encouraged. On the scorecards, he even prints "Keep your score and watch your game improve."
Rating (1-10 balls, 10 being the most wondrous): 10 balls according to Aaron.
You know, this is a rating that takes into account familiarity, and other intangibles like, owner friendliness, adjacent elk, and fabulous mountain aromas.
Coming next: Cascade Creek Mini-Golf
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