Guerneville Pee Wee Golf
You all know you’ve driven by Guerneville’s adorable mini golf spot on your way to spend a day at the river. We know this because there’s not one of us who hasn’t caught the huge dinosaur that oversees the course, which was built in 1948, out of the corner of our eye when hitting Guerneville on 116.
And yes, you read that correctly, Guerneville Pee Wee Golf has been there since just after WWII. Not only that, but the course was built by a welder by the name of Bill Koplin who asked his brother, Lee Koplin, to come out and help him make his dream a reality. Apparently, the experience was so transformative for Lee Koplin that he went on to become one of the pre-eminent pee wee golf course designers of all time.
Long story short, which is par for the course, the fun little course in a tiny river town inspired a nationwide craze.
If you’ve yet to tee it up at Guerneville Pee Wee Golf, let us give you a quick rundown of what you can expect in addition to the aforementioned huge, snarling T-Rex. When you arrive, you will be greeted by a large red mushroom in the small patio area before you see a big gray whale awaiting you on the first hole. Along the way, there’s a large cactus, a duck that we can’t name due to not wanting to get Disney licensing involved, as well as a large panther of the pink variety, if you catch our meaning.
There’s also a rocket ship, a pink castle, an angry sun and a small gorilla, just to name but a few of the kitchy sculptures joining you on your round. The course also has video games, ping-pong and night golfing available featuring blacklights. Do with that information what you will.
Perhaps the biggest bonus is the recent arrival of The Hot Box BBQ truck, which sits out front and is absolutely killer. — Don R. Lewis
Guerneville Pee Wee Golf, 6155 Drake Rd. 707.869.9321. guernevillepeeweegolf.com.
