Historic Hood River
Miniature Golf?
2-23-2018
Notes
I’ve seen this Fred Donnerberg photo of the Columbia Gorge Hotel many times before, but I never noticed the miniature golf course set up on the front lawn. If there are any historians of miniature golf, perhaps they can tell us when the “rotating windmill” was invented for the final hole. This photo seems to predate that critical innovation.
Charlott
I am thinking this was probably the 1930’s or early 1940’s. Don’t know a thing about golf, but know about Fred. Actually he went by the nickname of Tony, a native Oregonian having been born in 1881 an avid mountain climber. I have photos he took on a climb of Mt. Adams in the early 1920’s and served his country in the military. He was also a Crag Rat.
Jill Stanford
Gosh I miss this place and the wonderful restaurant featuring, at breakfast, "honey from the sky".
Arlen Sheldrake
thanks for the reminder Jill…..now back on my bucket list for 2018.
Judy
The last I heard they still did the "honey from the sky" presentation at breakfast. It is supposed remind the diner of WaGwinGwin Falls.
Jill Stanford
Arlen – you can still get your honey from the sky at the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge, perched above that roaring cataract. I’d rather it was the old C.G. Hotel but honey on a biscuit is honey on a biscuit!
arlen sheldrake
thanks Jill….I am now due for a trip North!
Barbara Parsons
We lived in the Columbia Gorge Hotel when we first moved to Hood River during WWII. For a few weeks, until we found a place to rent. I have a photo of myself standing by the fireplace in the parlor there with the resident Great Dane. Two "library ladies" were residents of the hotel, and they made me a book out of brown wrapping paper with glued-in colored pictures from magazines. Mother and I would sit together on the hotel’s tall lawn swing and take turns "reading" it by making up stories to go with the illustrations.
Jeffrey Bryant
A Hood River Glacier article of 07-31-1924 describes the golf obstacle course, and lighting at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. It is claimed to be the first one established on the Pacific Coast.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1924-07-31/ed-1/seq-1/