Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Altadena Golf Gardens, 2556 North Lake Avenue, Altadena, California

Miniature Golf De Luxe, You are cordially invited to OUR OPENING, Wednesday Evening, Aug. 27 (1930), Of Altadena's first Fine Miniature Golf Course at North Lake Avenue and Foothill Boulevard,
Altadena Golf Gardens
An orchestra will furnish music which will be broadcast to all parts of the grounds through Michael's public address system, FREE PARKING, For patrons of the course at all times.

Michael's was the road house directly below the entrance to the miniature golf course and after the golf course closed down about 1932, Michael's, and later the Venetian Dining Room and Gardens used the previous golf course area as an outdoor dining area, filling in the depressed nine hole fairways with ornamental scored red colored concrete.  All exists in fine condition today, with night lighting still in position and all the lava rock and other ornamental features such as a small California mission ball trap still extant.















A reopened miniature golf course along with a rejuvenated road house serving Michael's fine steaks is just what we need to reactivate the top of Lake!  Perhaps the community would be interested in helping the present property owner, a church, turn the property into a thriving, money making local business which could be a community gathering place, as Michael's and the Venetian Gardens were back in the day.  From old reports we know that the many Altadena civic groups gathered for the meetings and luncheons at Michael's, later at the Venetian Dining Room and Gardens.  My mouth is watering for a fine steak and my palms are itching for a good round of local minature golf, right in my own backyard!  And there is plenty of onsite parking to satisfy any county requirements, parking that goes unused most of the week....................


5 comments:

  1. Dale, thanks for your Mystery History guess on my blog, but no thanks for the link to the back story! Doing the big reveal is my job on my blog. You've given it all away, and now there's no sense in me doing my big reveal on Thursday since you've done that already.

    By the way, I'm doing an architectural and historical tour of City Hall for bloggers only on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 10:30 a.m. and of course you're welcome to come if you're available.

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  2. Hi Ann,
    Sorry, I didn't think I gave it away...Could be open to interpretation, I just know this site and building well since it's in my neighborhood.... And, according to local legend, the basement of the old hotel including the basement bowling alley is still there, accessed through a locked door in the La Pintoresca Library..... Can you get me in that locked door? I'm really interested in seeing the old hotel basement....And again, I'm sorry, as I wasn't thinking about ruining your "Mystery History"....

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  3. I've been guilty of something similar, TA!
    And, if that local legend is true, then where there is a Will, There is A Way!

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  4. Speaking of the great reveal, this post is fascinating. I'm going to walk by in the next day or two.

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  5. Thal, I've heard the same sort of legend about the Hotel Green--that the basement is accessible through either Stats or the patio shop across Raymond. I like to believe both rumors are true. If you get in, take me with you!

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