GUERNEVILLE, Calif. — At the edge of Sonoma County’s wine country is Pee Wee Golf in Guerneville. It's an odd, eye-catching attraction with monsters, giant kangaroos and even cannibals. When driving into the course, it's hard to miss the brightly painted dinosaur at the edge of Highway 116 and the Russian River.
Current owner Tim Bosque says Pee Wee Golf is like no other miniature golf course you’ve been to before. Built in 1948, the sculptures take you into the quirky mind of Bill Koplin.
“He was a welder in WWII, and he and his brother built this golf course here,” said Bosque.
As you putt around the course, it’s pretty clear that Koplin had a wild imagination. The steel-reinforced concrete statues have a sort of psychedelic look. Some are recognizable while others are a little mind boggling, like the mountain-shaped purple figure.
“Not sure what [that is]. Maybe some kind of space creature,” said Bosque.
The 36-hole golf course is not only challenging, but a little a little confusing and scary. The art is all over the place, including a snake-shaped bear with a hat on, and the stubby polka dotted crocodile. Bosque says the most unexplainable and most questioned statue on the course is the cannibal hole.
“It looks like we have cannibals here, two guys cooking someone in a pot,” said Bosque.
TAKE A TRIP ON BARTELL'S BACKROADS:
► See an interactive map of everywhere John has visited on the backroads
► Watch all of the Backroads videos
► Follow John on Facebook
Koplin, his son Bill Jr. and his brother Lee eventually built mini golf courses in other places like Florida, Mississippi, Bakersfield and Lake Tahoe, which is still open today.
“They have the same features as here, maybe a little different paint,” said Bosque.
In the 1970s, the Koplins sold Pee Wee Golf to the state because they wanted to build the Highway 116 bridge on the land.
“It sat dormant for a few years, but then the state decided to move the bridge back a bit further, so then it was sold to one of the neighbors here,” said Bosque.
In 2019, the golf course went up for sale again and Tim bought it not for the golf course but the house.
“The golf course came with the house, so I decided to open it up,” said Bosque.
Bosque and his family slapped on some new paint and fixed up the place not knowing the property is prone to flooding as shown on the historical high-water marker at the entrance of the course.
“The mud can be tough to get off. It takes a week to clean the place out after a flood,” said Bosque.
For over 75 years, Pee Wee Golf has been family favorite both for its entertainment and shock value.
MORE MINI FUN ON THE BACKROADS: Modesto's slot car race track isn't just for kids. Adults embrace their childhood love for tiny hot rods, too.
