Back in early July, I did a post about Rainbow Golf Gardens, Lorain’s “pitch and putt” golf course located near Lakeview park in the early 1930s.
That triggered an email from longtime blog contributor and researcher Rick Kurish.
Rick wrote, "Your blog the other day about the miniature golf course on
West Erie Avenue adjacent to Lake View Park was interesting. I never knew that
the popularity of miniature golf courses dates to the 1920s; I thought it
all started with the Putt - Putt chain in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Oh well, we Baby
Boomers always thought that everything started with us!
"Just for kicks, I did a
little research and found that at the same time the Rainbow Golf Gardens were
operating in Lorain, that there were also two miniature golf courses in Elyria
and one in Amherst."
Rick’s email ended up being pretty timely.
"I also ran across several interesting ads for Spring Valley,
which was being developed at about the same time,” Rick noted. "Since the once iconic course
was sold a few years ago and is now being redesigned as the Valley of the
Eagles Golf Resort, with a Nicklaus design.
(You can read the Chronicle’s coverage of the opening of the new Valley of the Eagles Golf Resort here.)
But let’s get back to Spring Valley.
"I remember when it was THE course
to play in the area,” reminisced Rick. "According to articles in the Chronicle - Telegram, the
land for the course was purchased in 1925 and the first 9 holes opened in 1926
as a public course.
"Within a year or two the course was expanded to 18 holes
and became a private club.
"The attached ads from June 1927 and April 1928
really push the "exclusivity" of the club and the associated home
lots that were for sale. It would seem that golf was one of many
"crazes" of the Roaring 20s.”
****
I never golfed at Spring Valley, but I did play there – during my "big band” days (which I’ll write about sooner or later) at a formal country club dance. I remember being impressed by the first class service provided by the attentive staff.
