An Arlington landmark, the Putt-Putt Miniature Golf Course, has closed, yielding finally to the high-rise buildings that have been sprouting rapidly along the boulevard where it has been for nearly 30 years. The days had been numbered for some time for the 36-hole course, at 4401 Wilson Blvd. near Ballston Common, since Radnor/Buchanan, the developer that owns the three-quarter-acre site, announced plans in 1986 to build a high-rise residential and office complex there to be called the Ellipse. "It's just real sad," said Diana Gerke, who worked at the course off and on for the last four years. "Basically, when somebody asked you for directions, you could say, 'Do you know where the Putt-Putt is?' It's just very well known in Arlington." Course manager L.J. Bruton said he had hoped to operate for another six-month season, beginning April 1, but he received notice in December that the developer no longer would continue the month-to-month lease. Project manager Peggy Dubynin said preliminary survey work for the development will begin soon on the site and that it will also be used as a work place for construction on an adjacent development. The course, the only one in Arlington, was built in 1960 and immediately attracted a loyal, multigenerational following, Bruton said. As late as last summer, lines formed regularly outside the course. "I think it's good for all ages. I saw a lot of young people play there," said Don Close, a Falls Church resident who said he had played there for 22 years. His 26-year-old son Kevin became a professional on the miniature golf circuit after honing skills on the Arlington course. Bruton said his course grossed about $150,000 in its last season. According to Donna Lloyd, a spokeswoman for Putt-Putt Golf Courses of America, the Arlington site ranked among the company's most profitable for 36-hole courses. There are more than 360 course locations in the United States, she said, with sizes ranging from an 18-hole course to a 90-hole course in Augusta, Ga. Lloyd said many of the older courses in the 35-year-old operation have succumbed to the shifting winds of the real estate market, disappearing as leased property becomes developed. "There is a real typical turnover in miniature golf, which is usually located in the suburbs. As Arlington exemplifies, as neighborhoods develop and prices increase, then we usually have some transition," she said. Bruton agreed. "When I got into the game, you could lease property. But now, to build a Putt-Putt in the right place, you're talking about a million {dollars} or more per acre," he said. Still, Lloyd sees a future for the game. "It's appeal is so broad," she said. "We're experiencing a whole new wave of development. It's just that now a much greater percentage {of the courses} are located on property owned by the franchises." County Board Chairman Ellen M. Bozman said that county officials, recognizing the local appeal of the game, are searching for a site for a miniature golf course. She said considerations lead invariably to an expensive location. "It takes a larger site than {one} might initially think. And it has to have convenient parking. That was one nice thing about the Ballston area, with the parking lot." A simple 18-hole course takes a minimum of about one-fourth of an acre, or 10,000 square feet, Lloyd said. According to Alan Fluke, owner of a franchise in Rockville, another suburban Maryland miniature golf course will open in 1990 in Germantown. In Virginia, there are courses in Alexandria and Fredericksburg. The Germantown, Alexandria and Rockville Putt-Putts will honor coupons and certificates from the Arlington location.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK6zr8eirZ5nnKSworiOanBxcV9lgHB%2Bkmibnq6VobyxucSnq2aqn6G5tHnOr5yrZaCqwbV5z66rrWWTpMKzv8RobZ6blJquda6MnGhxm11pfaKwjJprbmtdZX5ygZOfaXBxaWiGcA%3D%3D