Downtown Fairport Harbor Village has an assortment of small, independently owned specialty stores where customers can go inside to browse and make purchases.

However, one of the commercial district’s newest businesses is providing people with a way to have fun outdoors.

Fairport Mini Golf opened June 1 next door to the Fairport Harbor Creamery, an ice cream shop and bakery at 202 High St.

“This is the mini-golf division of the creamery,” said Karen Volzer, who owns both businesses.

The 9-hole, par 23 miniature golf course is situated alongside a clubhouse that doubles as a snack and soda shop with indoor seating.

Volzer came up with the idea to build a mini golf course as she was considering ways to create much-needed additional parking for Fairport Harbor Creamery.

Sept. 19 will mark the five-year anniversary of the creamery, which specializes in ice cream and baked goods that are produced on-site at the Fairport Harbor establishment.

As business increased at Fairport Harbor Creamery, Volzer faced the challenge of creating off-street parking for its expanding customer base.

A few years ago, she took the first step to add dedicated parking spaces for the creamery by demolishing a house she purchased on Second Street. That structure was located directly behind the business.

That house was previously used as Airbnb rentals.

“So if I had to take the house down, then my business brain went to like, ‘How do I replace that income and justify taking down an Airbnb?’ ” she said.

Eventually, an idea arose in Volzer’s mind that an ice cream shop and mini golf course could potentially be good business affiliates.

“So I thought, well, why don’t I do some research?”  she said.

If the house was razed, Volzer envisioned an expanded creamery parking lot on the rear portion of the property, with a mini course being built out front.

Realistically, Volzer thought there might be space to create a 9-hole course.

“So I interviewed several course builders, and found a guy that agreed,” she said. “He actually builds a lot of top miniature golf courses.”

Volzer had talked with a representative of Miniature Golf Solutions, and she later entered into a contract with the Ormond Beach, Florida-based company to build Fairport Mini Golf.

The building situated between Fairport Harbor Creamery and the vacant land created by the house demolition also figured into Volzer’s plans for Fairport Mini Golf.

Initially, Volzer used that building as storage space and to house an auxiliary freezer and ice-cream production room for the creamery.

But last year, as she firmed up plans for the mini golf course, Volzer also built an addition onto the creamery, which gave that structure its own ice-cream production room and a new freezer.

At that point, she decided to convert the adjacent building into the clubhouse and snack and soda room for Fairport Mini Golf.

Volzer furnished the clubhouse with a vintage soda fountain, stools, and tables and chairs that she bought from the Sweet Moses ice cream shop in Cleveland when it permanently closed.

The snack menu in the clubhouse includes items such as hot dogs; soft pretzels; nachos and cheese; and popcorn.

Custom soft drinks, such as cane cola regular and diet; root beer; and black cherry, are made with flavored syrups from Boylan Bottling. Boylan is a beverage company with a history that dates back to 1891.

The course itself at Fairport Mini Golf is designed with a nautical theme, featuring items such as wooden posts resembling those found at boat docks, large rocks, nautical flags and vintage buoy lights.

In addition, Volzer said the course complies with Americans with Disability Act standards, and was constructed with a sophisticated drainage system that helps the greens to dry quickly after it rains.

“It’s really a well-built course,” she said.

During the first six weeks of operation at Fairport Mini Golf, business has been steady, Volzer said.

“We’re doing pretty well, thanks to a lot of word-of-mouth promotion and social media,” she said. “We’ve really done little paid advertising. But people are finding us.”

She said customers have offered positive comments about their experiences at the course.

“People love it,” she said. “Everybody is saying it’s so much fun.”

It will host a Treasure Hunt Extravaganza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 21. During that event, pirate re-enactors from the Black Tide Buccaneers will visit the course and create a fun atmosphere as they interact with golfers.

The Treasure Hunt Extravaganza is taking place the same day as the Lake Metroparks Pirate Triathlon, which begins and ends at the park system’s Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park.

As of July 15, summer hours at Fairport Mini Golf are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The last round of golf each night begins no later than 9:30.

Volzer said she hopes to keep it open through late fall — as long as weather cooperates — for limited days and hours that have yet to be decided.

“We plan on decorating the course for Halloween, and decorating the course for Christmas,” she said. “Fairport Harbor always celebrates Harbor Holiday and a Day with the Grinch in early December. So weather permitting, we’d like to stay open through that event. And then reopen in spring — maybe with an Easter egg hunt.”

Originally Published: July 17, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.