Miniature Golf, 1950's
And now for something completely different...!
I love amusement parks, carnivals, world's fairs, and any place that people visited for fun. And that includes miniature golf courses! The "goofy golf" that we know today originated about 100 years ago (although there were small putting courses before that). I know that I enjoyed going to a few that still exist; one that is only a few miles from where I live now (Castle Golf on Sepulveda).
So, while digging through some boxes of oversized slides, I was happy to find six or seven great vintage (early 50's) photos of folks playing putt-putt in some unknown location (I sure wish I knew where, though). This first image is a particular favorite!
How many people look this good when they're playing mini golf? Seriously. The photographer (her husband) took about five hundred photos of this lady - an aspiring actress, apparently - posing in various cute outfits. But none quite as fetching as this ensemble! 
Would you buy a used car from this man?
SO... I am curious to know if you, the beloved viewer, would like to see more of this kind of thing? Or are you furious at not getting your daily dose of Disneyland? Since my supply of Disney park slides is getting smaller and smaller, throwing in the occasional digression like this will keep this blog going a bit longer. I might delve into my meager collection of souvenir items as well.
34 comments:
Naw I'm not mad (unless mad as in "hatter" qualifies hehe)
1st, it's yer blog, so what catches your eye (like this lady...) you oughtta feel free to post on yer blog. 2nd, I also like pics with a "period" feel in general so this works for me. 3rd, variety is good so the odd excursion around is fine by me too. :)
Awesome shots.
There was an MG course on La Cienega off Pico...but Franklin of course is in Hollywood...if these are from CA at all...tough one.
P.S.
Use to play a lot of air hockey in the 70's at Castle on Sepulveda!
Keep showing mini golf, amusement park, roadside attraction and everything else!
Just my opinion.
I love all the places people visited/visit for fun too! I agree with Chiana...it's your blog....you should post what you like! I know I'll keep checking in!
i for one come here for my daily dose of Major P which happily comes with his always fun and often quirky sense of humor! would be lost without that, so yes, please make yourself happy coz i think that makes us happy, too :D
in the first pic, the aspiring actress looks a LOT like a young Elizabeth Taylor! she is so pretty. interesting how this little course appears to be right in the middle of town, so on their way to the soda fountain they can stop in for a quick round!
She's got style and beauty. Keep doing whatever your doing Major. It is all appreciated. After all the name of the blog is not "Disneyland Gorillas Don't Blog".
This is cool too. I also love photos of Knott's Berry Farm.....
Great stuff! And a refreshing change of pace... I vote for more sir!
I would certainly not be opposed to more of this sprinkled throughout to prolong the enjoyment of the Disney slides. I'd be even less opposed to souvenir posts! I love the memorabilia.
nice pictures. what was the name of the mini golf place that used to be right near disneyland again?? it's buggin me now haha
I agree with Nancy, the picture content is less important to me than the Major's humor. Vintage pictures of almost anything amusement, travel or architecture related with funny or informative commentary is what keeps me coming back to a lot of blogs.
I live 3 blocks from Castle Golf and don't go nearly as often as I should. Maybe only once or twice a year.
A quick Google search finds a Seymour Jewelers at 1212 Hermosa Beach Ave in Hermosa Beach, CA that was established in 1950. Plugging the address into Google Maps shows this address as a block off the beach, clicking Street View, the surviving period architecture remaining on the street could be a close match to the architecture in the background of the first photo.
I find quite a few Franklin Flower shops across the country; Louisiana, Tennessee and many more. Checking the street view of the addresses doesn't yield anything that looks like photo 1, but Idon't find a Franklin Flowers in Hermosa Beach.
oh well.
I've never seen a post on this blog that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, including this one, so keep doing what you do, thanks!!!
I'd buy a car from Manny, come on, you can trust that smile! Love that jacket!
Grew up at The Castle on Sepulveda in the late 70's, had my first "date" there in 1979!!!
Another thought - if she was an aspiring actress, that could mean they are in Hollywood and the Franklin Flower shop could relate to Franklin Blvd.
Or not.
Hrundi (and Viewliner, who emailed me), thank you for doing the research that I should have done! I just ran out of time. I believe that the Hermosa Beach location seems most likely, which is very cool!
I'm glad to know that people enjoyed today's photos... now maybe I can throw in some vintage Las Vegas slides for good measure!
I still live in the same city that I grew up in and when my family moved here, there was a small old-fashioned miniature golf course right in the middle of the city. It wrapped around a gas station that was on a corner and it had shops on one side of it and houses on the other side. It was abandoned and overgrown and it sat there for a couple decades before they bulldozed it. To this day nothing has ever been built on that land, which is weird because everything is all built up around that property. Just thought I'd share that, even though it isn't the same one as in the photo......:-)
yellow_sub, I think the course that was across from Disneyland (on Freeman Way) was a "Golf 'n Stuff." It had the little king that was swinging a club on the sign. Unless you're talking about the DL Hotel mini golf course that used to be on the corner of West St. and Cerritos Ave.?
Since your blog description already states that we may see photos from othe places besides Disneyland, I think you are good for go on the minature golf.
Did you buy these in Los Angeles? Here’s my guess: the clue is “Franklin Flower Shop”. I think these were taken in the late 40s at a miniature golf course in Hollywood on Franklin Ave. (just a guess, don’t know if there was one there or not.). I have a feeling these two are newlyweds spending the day looking around Hollywood. The hibiscus and lantana plants also point to it being a California location.
I love the manicured shrubs and little concrete landscaping. Betcha it’s Hollywood!
Great shots major. And a big "me too" with the other posters above who'd love to see more of this kind of stuff!
You're blog is not just photos. Your commentary entertains us all.
As long as the images are interesting (and especially when they depict mid-century SoCal), I'll continue to enjoy them. Viva Gorilla!
CJ
I'd like to leave my thoughts on your post, but it seems a lot of your fans have already said what I think. I am sad to hear the Disney stock has diminished, but I think you're trying to keep up the quality of the blog from other avenues, and I really appreciate it. I'm sure we all have strong memories about amusements other than Walt's (like maybe Movieland Wax Museum?) and I think you're bringing your "style" to those other amusements. Did you really have to go through 500 "actress" pictures to find the one you posted? If you did, I appreciate it. I already am planning on twittering it, of course, giving credit to Gorillas Don't Blog.
Much respect.
Wow, now those are some fab mini-golf slides! As much as I love DL I enjoy just as much your non-DL stuff too. I vote for more digressions!
Hi... just happen to cross your site...
Im planning to go to Tokyo or Hong Kong Disney this Christmas. Hoho and I found some stuffs from Hong Kong Disneyland here as well:
disneycloth.cwahi.net
I will definitely take tones of photos there!!!
Looks like Gittelson Miniature Golf on Hollywood Blvd., between Harvard & Serrano on the north side of the street.
They used it in an episode of Mission Impossible: once. Peter Graves picked up his self destructing instructions hidden in the windmill. Torn down for a mini mall in the 1980's.
I would love to see more pictures of it!!
Hermosa Beach resident here.
Seymour Jewlers has been on Hermosa Ave as long as I can remember.
Hermosa Beach did have a minature golf place on Pier Ave at Manhattan Ave. (which would be a 1/2 block from present Seymour's and then a block up).
Please continue to branch out :)
Pursuit-of-amusement related pictures presented in your unique style are sure to please this regular reader.
Thanks!
Great blog and excellent old Miniature Golf blog post :-)
Clearly Gittleson Brothers' on Hollywood Boulevard! Thanks for posting — many happy memories here, and an apparent paucity of pictures or info about this wonderful, tree-shaded course...
Jeff Whitman
Los Angeles, California
I worked at Hi Point miniature golf course as a teenager
My dad and his brothers owned the "Hollywood Golf Course" after World War II. I have a picture but not sure how to post it. From the picture it looks like the Guardian Arms Apartment is nearby so I'm guessing it was on Hollywood Blvd near Western in what is now Thai Town. They were the Palmer Brothers. They split up and my Uncle Len bought a golf course in Glendale and my dad, Gene bought one in Eagle Rock next to Bob's Big Boy. The third brother, Charles, was not interested in miniature golf any further.
Gary, if you look at my info above (below the blue moon) you can find an email address, I'd love to see your photo!!
My father joined my grandfather who owned and built Hi Point Minture Golf Course in 1964. After the building was destroyed in a fire in 1970 he built and operated the Westland Twinn theaters where the Westside Pavilion used to be on Pico and Overland.
Googled F.H. Jeweler and found one mentioning Los Angeles and another in Hermosa Beach, that's been in business over 50 years.
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