Craig Daily Press / Putt-putt for the fun of it

Archive for Tuesday, July 27, 2004

New owner proud to continue mini-golf tournament tradition

July 27, 2004

Children -- and anyone who happens to be a kid at heart -- had an opportunity play in the Grizzly Open Mini Golf Tournament Monday afternoon and today.

Mike Fredrickson, the new owner of the miniature golf course in Craig, said it was something the previous owners had started and he wanted to continue.

"Everyone just had so much fun with it," he said. "We thought we should keep it going."

He said they plan to have one more tournament before school starts

Having fun is the reason Fredrickson and his wife, Betty, decided the course was a business they wanted to own.

"Our customers are here having fun and usually they are happy," Betty said. "What's more fun than eating ice cream?"

Fredrickson said a staff member acts as scorekeeper for groups of three or four and at the end of the two-day competition the lowest three scores win. Players are divided into age groups.

"The winners each get a trophy and every player gets an ice cream," Fredrickson said.

The Fredrickson are adding a few things to their golf park like a bouncing castle, a jousting arena and music horse carousel.

"The castle is sort of like a trampoline so kids can jump and bounce all over the place," he said. "The jousting is a lot more like an aerobic workout, You can get as rough as you want."

Probably the most impressive addition is the miniature train ride. Fredrickson found the gas powered train, built by the Miniature Train Co. in 1947, in Iowa. When the village is complete there will be a miniature town including a depot. " It is not just the young kids that like the train," he said.