Recently, a pal and I stop by the wine shop for a quick tour of some Spanish wines, along with some free tapas and paella. The wines are being served by a young woman who is standing inside a somewhat dilapidated open-air shack. To some people, this venue would be a turn-off.
I am not "some people."
This old, beat-up, open-air shack is a staple from my teenage years. The wine shop is located at the site of the former Golfland USA Miniature Golf Course, a favorite hang-out where if you shot a hole in one on the last hole (through the motorized windmill), you won a large cheese pizza from the on-site shop.
During the Spanish wine tasting, my friend and I take our bowls of paella and sit on the rickety, worn-out, brittle wooden benches that are still at the golf course. This whole experience is nostalgic and depressing all at the same time. The grass is still landscaped and trimmed, which is creepy since the rest of the place is completely abandoned. The reality that it is abandoned is made even creepier by the fact that most of the holes and the lights and the statues are all still completely intact, minus the electricity and water features.It's a shame, too, because the place isn't in horrible shape, despite being closed for years. While sipping tempranillo and eating rice, it's easy to imagine Golfland USA being opened again -- it really is in that decent condition.
I don't see it happening, though. Western Electric (AT&T, Lucent, and everything else it has been) is long gone. Sure, there are some businesses in the old building, but it's well-past its heyday, much like the mini-golf course. Such a shame, though, to see a fun family place no longer making memories.
