News | November 25, 2018
Lance Maggart
A new miniature golf project is in the works for the western end of downtown Grand Lake and visitors could begin playing on the as yet undeveloped course as early as next summer.
Long time Grand Lake area resident Brian Reynolds and his wife Gretchen have been looking for the right investment property for quite some time. The couple have been fans of miniature golf courses for years and the relaxing family fun dynamic they create. It was the long defunct Lilliputt golf course that served as a source of inspiration for the couple as they planned their efforts.
“We would come up every summer at least once and play at Lilliputt,” Brian Reynolds, who has lived in Grand Lake for over two decades now, explained. “We felt it was a need that needed to be met. The bars outnumber churches and places for kids to have fun. This is something for everyone from 70 year olds to three and four year old kids.”
After looking around for the right location the Reynolds decided on purchasing an empty lot on Grand Avenue on the west end of town, not far from Portal Road and Triangle Park. The Reynolds new miniature golf course, which will be called Meandering Moose Miniature Golf, will be located in the empty lot directly west of the Bear’s Den and right across Grand Avenue from Mountain Mongrels.
The Reynolds purchased the lot in Oct. 2017 and have been working with officials from the Town of Grand Lake to help work through the planning process. Meandering Moose is expected to have 18 holes, nine of which will be handicapped accessible, on a multi-tiered layout with several holes on each tier.
Meandering Moose will also include a clubhouse facility that will offer light snacks and simple refreshments. Officials from the Town of Grand Lake said there are currently no plans in place to offer alcoholic beverages at Meandering Moose when it opens.
Reynolds said Harris Miniature Golf, a company that designs and constructs miniature golf courses, is expected to start construction work next spring, depending upon weather. Some excavation work has already been completed. Reynolds expects to have his new business up and running for a soft opening prior to Memorial Day weekend next year with a grand opening event to follow. Meandering Moose Minature Golf is expected to operate from Memorial Day to Labor Day with extended operations both before the start of summer and afterwards as weather and other factors allow.