There is no denying the creativity of our fellow humans, especially when fueled by boundless optimism. How else to explain the myriad roadside attractions that summon travelers from the highways and country roads of America? No matter the season of your travels, an array of memory-makers will beckon. Be sure to pack your golf clubs; for every South of the Border or Boll Weevil statue, there’s a nearby golf course for you to play. We’ve put together a 3-part series of some of the … well, oddest commemorations you can imagine and paired them elegantly with area golf opportunities. Time to blend the camp with the course and play some golf around America!
Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick (Cleveland, Ohio)
Simply put, the home to the Demon In The Box, a vessel that may (or may not) contain a demon. Why take the chance? Plenty of other occult and fantastic exhibits await the believers and non-believers alike. Then play the Sleepy Hollow course. Not the one where Bram Bones road as the Headless Horseman, but certainly invokes the fear that Ichabod Crane felt. Booo!
Sleepy Hollow golf course 12.7 miles from the Buckland Museum
This Stanley Thompson-designed course is a gem. The Toronto-based Thompson was a bridge between the golden age (wonderful) and space-age (wretched) design philosophies.
Cardiff Giant Farmers Museum (Cooperstown, New York)
By all accounts, a complete fabrication to win a bet … and draw tourists with dollars to spend to … and make some money. Upstate NY, just south of Syracuse, saw the revelation of the Cardiff Giant in 1869. The man of blue gypsum now resides near Baseball’s hall of fame, and one of the great, golden-age golf courses in the northeast.
Leatherstocking golf course 0.8 miles from the Farmers Museum
Route 66 Musical Road (Tijeras, New Mexico)
If you find yourself near Tijeras, New Mexico, wondering what it would be like to hear rumble strips sing America The Beautiful, what are the odds? Part societal experiment, part get your kicks from route 66, the stretch of roadway near Tijeras (scissors in Spanish) takes a little digging to find, but what a story you’ll later tell. Then, visit the Paako Ridge course and play its 27 holes. Part of the Santa Fe golf trail, Paako will celebrate its 20th birthday in 2020.
Paako Ridge golf club 10.7 miles from Singing Road
Prehistoric Gardens and Rain Forest (Ophir, Oregon)
It’s not Jurassic Park The Movie, but what is? Ernie Nelson, known as E.V. to family and friends, built this spectacular park along the coastal Oregon highway. It’s not near much of anything, but beautiful Bandon is 35 minutes up the road. Nelson did his due diligence and created statuesque homages to the great dinosaurs of the Earth’s history. For the golf, stop into the locals’ course in Bandon. Not part of the spectacular (and worthwhile) Bandon Dunes resort, Bandon Crossings was built by Dan Hixon, a pacific northwest golf course architect of great renown.
Bandon Crossings golf course 33.7 miles from Prehistoric Gardens
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