Pioneer Park Mini Golf (Niles, IL)

May 13, 2007, late afternoon

Pioneer Park was probably the last course within a 30-minute drive that I hadn't played, so I coaxed Alma to come out with me on what was not the warmest day in existence, although it wasn't bad in the sun.  Still, there was no one on the course, and we breezed through it.  The course par was a fairly low 40, and after a couple easy pars, I took a rough 5 at the third and my potential flirtation with par was pretty much over.  Four over through seven, I aced #8 to make the turn at three-over 23; Alma holed out #9 to match me.  We stayed even through 13, with Alma sinking a long, uphill putt to par that hole, then split the next two; Alma hit another long par save at #16 to keep things all even at +5.  At #17, the ball had to travel through a hole in a log to reach the green; while I knocked my first shot through and made par, Alma had trouble finding the hole, and anything that missed rolled all the way back to the tee.   She finally had to settle for the course's oddly high maximum of 8, which naturally made up the bulk of the final margin.  It was an unfortunate ending to a round that was otherwise solid, if unspectacular, for both of us.