In the 1950's a man named George opened a driving range on the corner of Dempster and Waukegan Roads in Morton Grove, Illinois. The place was a hit and crowds came from all over Chicago to hit buckets of balls at the largest, most well maintained range in the area. So George decided to build a place next door where families could play a little golf while dad practiced his chip shot. He called this place George's Gorgeous Golfing Gardens. Filled with fountains, topiary, and fanciful objects, this miniature golf soon became an even bigger hit than the driving range. And so Par-King was born.

While the original course is no longer with us, George's dream of a beautiful golfing garden lives on to this day. When the first Par- King branded course opened in the 60's, it was referred to in trade publications as the Taj Mahal of miniature golf. The Chicago Tribune labeled it "positively futuristic." Our courses have only gotten better with age.

Every winter the wooden figures and mechanical objects on our courses are refurbished and repainted with meticulous detail. Each of these objects is completely original and some of them, such as the turtle and the clown, were created for that first golfing garden.

Here's some Par-King trivia you can use to impress your friends:

-The lowest verified score on a Par-King course is 33.
-The lowest possible score is 17.
-The rollercoaster is made of over 750 wooden pieces.
-The carousel horses are each carved out of wood.
-The clown turns to the side over 3,400 times a day.
-The chances of winning a free game are 1 in 32.