Remnants of Hole 18, the end point of the front course, with the reflecting pool and railing. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

In its 1960s heyday, the neon-lit sign at 38153 N. Sheridan Road in Beach Park beckoned to families, servicemen from Great Lakes, and high schoolers. Many summer evenings were well-spent, next door to a go-kart track, and its acclaim traveled along Sheridan Road, from North Chicago to Kenosha. It has furtively gone the way of the go-kart track, which disappeared over a decade ago.

Demolition work commenced March 21 on the long-shuttered Sisolak’s Miniature Golf-A-Rama, as the Beach Park Village Board continues a program to beautify its Sheridan Road commercial corridor to make it more attractive to businesses and developers, while also keeping with the municipality’s 2008 Comprehensive Master Plan.

“A lot of comments have been made about the Golf-A-Rama, and surely, it’s a personal issue, but everything has a lifespan,” said Beach Park’s village administrator Jon Kindseth. “In order to attract more development opportunities, long-standing structures where we enforce demolition is to remove dilapidated enclosures.

“In this case, it was on a voluntary basis,” he said. “This is not the only site. Developers generally like to see a clean parcel, similar to the village’s efforts at the Wadsworth and Sheridan roads. That site demolition, aided by state grant monies, drew developer interest within one month of completion.”

The Golf-A-Rama property, currently owned by the Wilmer Trust, with an Island Lake address,

The sign for the 10th hole and looking west to what was once the front of the 18-hole miniature course. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

contracted privately for its demolition. Wadsworth-based Web Excavating, Inc. is scraping the parcel clean. Remaining traces of the once-popular destination spot motivated local residents, and those who remember, to retrieve pieces that adorned the putting greens. The parcel has now been completely cleared.

“People look shocked, even ready to cry,” said John Schanbarry, owner of the excavating company. “They’d stop here to take a last look. Things were picked up as mementos like the big kangaroo over one of the greens. There were some oriental pieces, even the rock garden along the pathways … those had little signs telling you where they came from around the country.

“Somebody came and took all the putters that were still in the ticket office,” he said. “The concrete benches were claimed by neighbors. The demolition is being paid for by the owners.”

This view of the bench and fallen decorative fence stood near the ticket office. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

Sisolak’s Golf-A-Rama opened in the early 1960s and was part of an entertainment and recreation enterprise with an oval go-kart track, arcade hut, and concession stand. Later, a driving range and batting cages were added to the mix. By the late 1980s, the mini-golf course had survived but was sold, as the other activities were ceased.

By 2005, the course was summarily closed for noncompliance with village ordinances. The business was revived four years later, and operated for short time before shutting down completely. The property stood vacant for more than a decade, eventually becoming overgrown with weeds and volunteer trees covering the once-colorful topography.

“The site is part of a tax-increment financing district, with water and sewer already there,” said Jerry Nellessen, the village’s community development director. “This will be a shovel-ready project, and the village is still business-friendly.”

Nellessen also said that no tax incentives for businesses will be offered, due to the village’s rare

With excavation equipment in the background, the former Sisolak’s Golf-A-Rama is now a memory after 45 years. Demolition began March 21, and the parcel has been cleared. (Photo by Gregory Harutunian/for Chronicle Media)

circumstances.

“Beach Park levies no commercial or residential property taxes,” Nellessen said. “We are one of the few communities left in the state that levies no municipal tax. So there’s no tax rebates, as we don’t have a property tax to begin with.”

At present, the village is in the process of modifying and updating its comprehensive plan.

“This isn’t something we put on a shelf, and refer back to,” said Kindseth. “The update is being done by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning as the regional agency, with local technical assistance coming at no charge to the village.

“We’re all new to the village in the last two years, hired new staff for code enforcement along our commercial corridor, with an emphasis on Sheridan Road,” he said. “The Golf-A-Rama site demolition came through a mutual agreement with the property owner, since the buildings were in a state of disrepair.”

However those buildings still carried a fondness in the memories of local residents and commuters that passed the property almost on a daily basis.

“It was a big part of my childhood,” said Jennifer Ashley. “I still remember when my middle school teacher brought us here as a graduation present. We used to come here a lot, and now, it’s gone.

“It’s one of those things, you’d thought would be there forever. But nothing lasts forever.”