Forgotten by time, derelict mini-putt course rediscovered as neighbourhood treasure

Ben Babcock lines up his putt, paying careful attention avoid the torn patch of turf in the middle of the green.

You need to sweep first before you play on it, but it may not be this way for long.

"I'm afraid we're going to lose this to obscurity.'- Ben Babcock

This long-abandoned relic of urban recreation, partially overtaken by shrubs trees and years of decay, has been rediscovered by residents of the central Hamilton Stinson neighbourhood.

On June 4, the remnants of the mini putt course, just south of the escarpment rail trail, will be highlighted as part of a community initiative called 100In1Day Hamilton, hosted by Surprise!Hamilton.

Last year for the event, a collective of community volunteers illuminated a section of the escarpment rail trail near the mini-putt course with hundreds of lanterns.

This year group plans to run the illumination again and also shed some light on the historic putting greens.

The lumpy turf, warped by years of freeze and thaw cycles; the chipped and mossy stones lining the putting green; the fact that bringing a broom to these links is just as important as bringing a putter: it's all part of the charm of this miniature golf course, said Babcock.

Looking to give the space new life

He's one of the people behind the Surprise!Hamilton group. He and his wife Christina Babcock and their friend Diane Girard are the main drivers of the mini-putt installation.

"This is a great space, but it's gone to sleep a bit. You have to live in the space to give it that life," he said. With more use, the space could be transformed into a real community treasure, he said. 

Christina said the group wants to create a positive use of the public space.

"It's the whole idea of, if you pick up the litter, nobody's going to litter there because there's no litter there," she said. "If you're using the space in a positive way, other people will use the space in a positive way."

Currently the space is used in a variety of different ways. Some people bring putters and play on the greens, while others have set up makeshift shelters on the holes, turning the faded green turf into a carpeted living space.

Only five of the original putting greens are still useable. Time and neglect have buried and all but erased the other few holes.

'A really spectacular mini-putt'

Diane Girard said she can remember the mini-putt course when it first opened in the late 1980s. She said the course was owned by the bowling alley that operated on Charlton Avenue East.

The business sunk a lot of money into the course along the side of the hill, outfitting it with several ponds and a waterfall. 

"This was a really spectacular mini-putt," she said. There were no windmills or any flashy gimmicks like that, "It was a true putter's green." 

But when the business failed and closed down, the putting greens were left to decay over time. This is why Ben said he wants to save this space. It was once a beautiful hub of fun and community, and it can still be returned to that state, he said.

"I'm afraid we're going to lose this to obscurity," he said, adding the event on June 4 is about revitalizing the space.

Keep it secret, keep it safe

But not everyone wants this space to be revitalized.

Sarah Ottewell and Devon MacDonald said they've been coming to the site for years and want it to remain the way it is now.

"I never see anyone playing. It's always just us," Ottewell said. If we were to come one day and have to wait in line, some of its charm would be lost, she said.

"It's not a safe place anyway," MacDonald said. "There's a reason, I think, why no one has said anything about this space for so many years, because people understand what it is and isn't, and are OK with that.

"What, are we going to get a staircase up there now?" he said. "It's not well maintained: that's part of the character of it."

Ben said he and Surprise!Hamilton have been as mindful as they can be about the many groups that use the space, and doesn't want to step on any toes. 

"I'm trying to gently show that if we involve the space, it will feel safe and comfortable."