Let’s Putt Around

LET’S PUTT AROUND

Sometimes an opportunity comes along that allows us to step outside our comfort zone
and take a leap of faith.

This chance turn in the road came in 1987 for me. One rainy afternoon I took a wrong
turn in Markham and found myself driving past a bright neon sign advertising a mini-putt
golf course for sale.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I dropped in to see what it looked like.
Piles of plywood sections were meticulously stacked to the ceiling in a warehouse. The
owner explained that it was an 18 hole golf course he needed to sell to make room for
his dirt track racing. The price was right, so I bought it on the spot.

After renting a truck and bringing it all back to Belleville, the first challenge was finding a
big enough location to hold an 18 hole mini-golf course. I drove around and around the
city, scouting locations. Finally, I discovered a vacant building at 14 West Bridge Street,
near the four corners of Belleville. It had been previously used as a government building
and was full of small offices.

The agreement I made with my new landlord Albert VanReewyk was to retain the offices
but expand the openings to allow more space. The next hurdle was renovating the
interior to accommodate 18 holes of mini-golf, a pool table, a skeet ball machine, and a
licenced restaurant, all within the allotted space.

Family, friends and even kind strangers that became friends helped build CC’s PUTT
AROUND in only two months. Thank goodness for the excellent staff, manager
extraordinaire, Julie Carson and the multi-talented contractor, Tony Parks, who made it
happen.

We installed indoor/outdoor green carpet, rented a pool table, bought a popcorn
machine, pizza oven and even a hot dog machine. One day, right in the middle of the
chaos, a young student from Loyalist College dropped in and offered to hand paint
golfing murals on the walls for us! The walls were opened and painted, a bar and
restaurant constructed, and the 18 hole mini golf course was painstakingly
reassembled.

While Julie hired and trained the staff and Tony designed and built the interior, I was
busy obtaining permits and sourcing suppliers for golf balls, putters and food.
One evening, we hosted a private party for friends, family, contractors and staff, and
C.C.’s Putt Around opened to the public the next day!

It was a big hit with kids and parents alike as soon as the doors opened. Birthday
parties were a great attraction. Pizza or hotdog, popcorn and a drink plus 18 holes of
mini-golf sold for $10. We often hosted up to 10 birthday parties on the weekend.
Jacqueline, our charismatic mascot, enthusiastically donned her Gopher costume for
many events.

We had competition mini-golf tournaments between groups such as Intell v/s CJBQ,
Teachers v/s Students, church groups, and City Council. Even a group of single dads
came in on Sunday mornings to do their laundry next door and play a round of golf with
their children. A gang from the Legion got together once a month and a member
commented that it was a high lite of their month.

Creating a safe, fun spot for kids to enjoy their birthday parties and special occasions
was a genuinely magical experience and we loved every minute of it.
Thanks to everyone who visited CC’s Putt Around. Being a grown-up kid again was a lot
of fun in Belleville.