Flickr photoset of last days of Tucson minature golf course

Dianne Stevens says: "When I heard the Magic Carpet miniature golf course here in Tucson was closing, I thought about that big Tiki Head and wondered what would become of it. It looks like it's destined for the landfill, but I thought you'd enjoy the photos."

Link (Here's some backstory)

[#1 posted by Scrofulous , May 13, 2008 3:59 PM]

It looks like it's destined for the landfill, but I thought you'd enjoy the photos.

I've heard rumors that many of the exhibits are being auctioned off, the Giant Tiki is supposed to go to The Hutt, a bar on Tucson's 4th ave.

On a personal note I have fond memories of playing miniture golf with my friend Curtis while his sister/babysitter made-out with her boyfriend in the parking lot.

Sigh.

[#2 posted by DianneS , May 13, 2008 4:21 PM]

Now I'm sure the Tikki is really a Moai and I was just being intellectually lazy. I'll have a beer at The Hutt if they rescue the thing.

[#3 posted by kirakira , May 13, 2008 5:45 PM]

Horrors! Where will I go to get my Polynesian monolith on?

[#4 posted by efergus3 , May 13, 2008 7:50 PM]

#2: You're right. It's a Moai similar to what they have on Rapa Nui. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai

[#5 posted by HarveyBoing , May 13, 2008 8:17 PM]

According to this March 17, 2008 article in the "Tucson Citizen" paper, the Hut nightclub has agreed to take it. The article mentions that the costs for moving and restoration will require a fundraiser, so if you're interested in helping out, it might be worth contacting the Hut's management.

Apparently, Valley of the Moon (where many of the other pieces from Magic Carpet Golf are going) is itself in need of financial support, to the tune of $500,000. Excess proceeds from the Hut's fundraiser will be donated to Valley of the Moon, but according to the article you can also contact their spokesman, Charlie Spillar, to help them directly (presumably either to donate money, or as the article mentions, to provide a home for excess pieces Valley of the Moon can't house).

As for the question of "tiki" vs "moai", I suppose technically "moai" is most precise. However, inasmuch as "tiki" describes not just a specific kind of carved statue, but also a sort of pop culture, and inasmuch as the Easter Island-style moai show up in tiki culture, I think "tiki" is reasonably correct. :)

I played 9 holes at Magic Carpet about four years ago, and it was sad to see how dilapidated it had become. I'm sorry to hear it finally failed. Mini-golf in Tucson will never be the same!

[#6 posted by HarveyBoing , May 13, 2008 8:36 PM]

Weird. When I first Googled that "Tucson Citizen" article, I was able to read it, but now (just five minutes later) it appears to require a login (free registration). Sorry about the inconvenience. I copied the most pertinent info in my previous comment, for what it's worth. :)

[#7 posted by Stefan Jones , May 13, 2008 10:17 PM]

Even though some of the pieces are kind of primitive, that's a very elaborate putt-putt course.

Back in the heyday of mini golf, and maybe even now, there was an industry that sold statues and obstacles.

Now I'm having a real sad-on about the course I used to go to in Bayville on Long Island. It was part of a tiny little entertainment complex with a mini golf course, enclosed arcade, and a amusement park with a merry-go-round, tiny roller coaster, and a few carnival type rides. The putt-putt course was well kept but very basic, with painted-plywood obstacles.

The place is probably still there.

And sweet Jesus, there it is. Most of the rides are now inflatables, and there's a batting cage where there was once a little graveyard of busted up ride cars.

[#8 posted by nothingistrue , May 13, 2008 11:02 PM]

sad, I grew up with that golf course, and always loved the tiki head. I'll miss the giant monkey with swinging tail too.

[#9 posted by therationalpi , May 13, 2008 11:41 PM]

I'm just about 21, and ever since I can remember, Magic Carpet was a pretty rundown joint. The place had a unique charm from the unique statues and obstacles, but poor maintenance kept the place feeling dirty and uninviting. As much as I want to say that it was a fond memory of my childhood, I must say that ever since I was five I just thought of it as a place that, with a little work and marketting, could have been a whole lot better.

I probably just wasn't around in its heyday.

[#10 posted by Cargodog , May 14, 2008 5:29 AM]

I used to play there with my younger brother in the early 80's when we'd fly down from Toronto to visit our snow bird grandparents every winter.

It's strange how certain memories stick in your mind. The swinging monkey tail was definitely one of them.

The Magic Carpet Mini-Putt was definitely the anchor to my fading memories of visiting Tucson. Sad to hear that time has caught up to the course and to see it in such need of repair.

[#11 posted by popvoid , May 14, 2008 9:19 AM]

People ask me all the time if I ever miss Tucson and think about moving back. I tell them that I do miss it, but I don't think about moving back because the Tucson I grew up in doesn't exist anymore. With the dismantling of Magic Carpet Golf, that just about finishes up the last vestige of the Tucson I knew.

[#12 posted by jkiniston , May 14, 2008 11:23 AM]

@6 HarveyBoing Delete the cookie they set and you'll be able to continue reading. The site lets you read three stories without registration.

[#13 posted by kiint , May 14, 2008 11:34 AM]

i grew up playing on that course too, and I will indeed miss the swinging monkey tail and the spooky Sphinx right behind it....good times

[#14 posted by Hot Lava , May 14, 2008 2:17 PM]

The link to the Tuscon Citizen article still works off my blog entry from back in January.

http://tikitalk.astropad.com/archives/free-giant-tiki-head-in-arizona/

[#15 posted by brownhb , May 15, 2008 12:13 PM]

yup, it's going to the hut - anyone know when?

[#16 posted by EricArnold , May 15, 2008 10:43 PM]

For those interested in the aesthetic of the Magic Carpet sign, check out the Endangered Architecture project that my uncle in Tucson has undertaken.

Fridge magnets of historic Tucson signs including Magic Carpet Golf.