Whispering Pines and Marge's Lakeside

What do I like to do when it's 90 degrees in the evening? Well, I like to go to Parkside Whispering Pines miniature golf course - the oldest miniature golf course in the country - and then top off the evening with a drink on the beach at Marge's.

I have very fond memories of Whispering Pines (which may still have been called Tall Maples Miniature Golf Course at that time, I'm not sure) from my teenage years of going on there on dates and for an ice cream down at Seabreeze afterward. Those were simple times, yes? Anyway, I still love going there and playing miniature golf. No other mini golf place can compare. This is not Putt-Putt, it's not some "Disney-fied," commercialized version of miniature golf.

Designed in 1929 by Robert Ocorr, Whispering Pines was built and opened for business in 1930. This is the oldest surviving (and thriving) miniature golf course in the country. It is the old-fashioned, real deal - it has the windmill, two-tiered holes, mysterious pipes which make where the ball ends up rather unpredictable. It's amazing to think that before my parents were born, people were playing on the same course where I've taken my kids and still go myself.

Based on the fact that Marge's Lakeside Inn is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, it's another establishment that's been around longer than I have! I only found it a few years ago, but I do enjoy sitting on the sandy beach right by the water listening to the waves and enjoying a drink. You don't even realize you're in Rochester when you're sitting there. You can pretend you're on vacation. I would definitely recommend spending a warm, moonlit night on the beach there. If it's earlier in the week, it's less crowded, and could even be considered romantic. Fridays and Saturdays, and definitely this past Fourth of July weekend, were pretty packed.

The atmosphere inside at Marge's is pretty "Gilligan's Island," but that's okay. It makes the transition from being in the parking lot at Seabreeze to being on the beach all the more fun.

yours in music (and mini golf),
Tracy