Wilkshire Hills mini golf course open
Bob Smith, owner of Wilshire Mini Golf, at the concession stand with team leader Sydney Haas, left and Taylor West.
The recently opened Wilkshire Mini Golf course may not be what most people expect from a putt-putt course. The 18-hole course poses a number of challenges, including water hazards, sand traps, a river and a pond. Fountains spout seven feet into the air. And greens that look perfectly flat are anything but.
Bob Smith came up with the idea for a mini golf course to make use of some of the two acres of land he owned near the Wilkshire Event Center.
“I wanted to put in something that would attract families and bring all ages together,” said Smith. In designing the course, Smith brought in Harris Miniature Golf Courses from Scranton, Pennsylvania, a firm that has designed and built mini golf courses worldwide.
The course was designed using GPS coordinates and elevations to guide the excavator as land was dug, graded and leveled.
“The holes on the periphery are wheelchair accessible and that’s by design,” said Smith. At the end of the fourth hole, a separate path takes wheelchair golfers to the last five holes. “So it’s nine holes total, but if they want to play 18, they can just repeat the course.”
On a recent tour of the course, music poured through the sound system designed by David Beachy of Current Systems in Strasburg, while Smith pointed out various challenges built into the course. In addition to rough, white turf areas that form artificial sand traps, other challenges include hitting the ball across a river, through a log and over a pond.
Even the greens themselves pose challenges because they are deceptively flat looking. It is not until the ball is hit or a player walks on the green that the banked sides and gradations are discovered.
Smith also pointed out the landscaping done by Ackerman Landscaping of Bolivar. In addition to a generous amount of shrubbery and plants, the firm placed several tons of small rocks throughout the landscaping.
“If you look closely at the rocks, you’ll see that one of the men on the crew left a few surprises,” said Smith, referring to a heart shape, two crosses and a peace sign formed with rocks. “I think one of these days I might just get on the speaker system and announce a contest for finding those.”
Smith said a number of organizations have already contacted him about holding tournaments on the course, and the business has seen as many as 100 golfers in a day.
The grounds include a pavilion with picnic tables and a concession stand selling Hershey’s ice cream and a variety of snacks.
Smith said he plans to stay open as late into the year as possible. “Some places, the kids all go back to school and they close. But, sometimes the nicest part of the summer comes in September and October.”
The course is managed by Patty Smith and the stand is crewed primarily by high school and college students, with Sidney Haas as the team leader.
“We have some people who just come here to eat ice cream, sit at a table and watch the players,” said Smith. “We want that. We just want families to come out here and enjoy their time.”
Wilkshire Mini Golf is located directly behind the Wilkshire Event Center at 474 Jeanne Anne Lane, Bolivar. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.