XL Cover Story: Small Worlds - Peter Pan Mini-Golf

On these greens, measure success by the smiles, not the scorecard

After a hike of 25 steps, the reward is a whale with its mouth wide open. A tuxedoed pig. A smiling rabbit. Peter Pan. A giant orange Tyrannosaurus Rex.

It's a hidden paradise at the top of this hill. Trees of different varieties, including tall Texas pecans and oaks. Crape myrtles in the right places. Even a small palm tree. Grass. Over the speakers, the Guess Who's "No Sugar Tonight in My Coffee" seems to be the right song.

For more than half a century -- the owners aren't sure exactly how long -- Peter Pan Mini-Golf has given Austin something to count on: Little has changed over the years.

"I think I first came when I was about 10. It hasn't changed," says Don Wolfe, a parent volunteer at Berkeley United Methodist Church, who is on an outing with teens from the church. "I did see my first dead man right on the other side of the tracks over there. A hobo was hit by a train."

Debbie Brand, a native Austinite accompanying Wolfe, visited Peter Pan as a kid but hadn't been back for at least 20 years. "No, I don't think it's changed any either. That's good. This place is like a flashback to me. It's Never-Never Land," she says.

Mike Dismukes, one of the owners, likes to hear that. His uncle, Clifford Dismukes, who first opened the course under the name Varsity Links, would be proud his idea worked. Give people good family fun and they will come. When Clifford Dismukes died in 1968, Mike's father, Glen, and an uncle, Jack Dismukes, took over the business, made improvements and renamed it Peter Pan Mini-Golf. When Glen Dismukes died in 1998, Mike began running the business that is also owned by other family members.

Glen Dismukes was the creator of all the characters, building each from scratch. "He was the artistic one. While Uncle Jack concentrated on the business side, Dad always concerned himself with the feel and the look of the course, even how the paint held up," says Mike Dismukes.

Players like to club and bash some of the characters, but the chipped paint adds a touch of nostalgia. "That's the beauty of this place. It's not a microwave front. You find old-fashioned fun here," says Wolfe.

Yes. Sitting on the dinosaur's tail is Heather Eisenberg, 25, who is playing a round with Kathy Mauldin, 22. They're lost in their conversation about music. Not even keeping score. When prodded, they stop to reflect about their choice of entertainment on a recent weeknight. "This is one of the cool original hot spots. I like little dives. I like vintage. I like Peter Pan," says Eisenberg.

While adults and students rule the course at night, parents, children and senior citizens converge on the course in the early part of the evening. A warning: Players of legal age have been known to consume adult beverages on the course late at night.
--Ricardo Gándara

Kiddie Acres

Peter Pan Mini-Golf

Skate World

Dart Bowl

Main Story