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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 30, 2006 Glowing about golf Glow-in-the-dark miniature golf is an inexpensive way to entertain the kids, and grown-ups just might like it, too By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MEDFORD — Perhaps boosted by cold and drizzly weather much of the week, a new recreational opportunity inside the Rogue Valley Mall has had hundreds of visitors glowing about the valley's only lightless golf joint. Ashland mom Vicki Finch visited the mall's new Glow Golf after discovering the course while Christmas shopping and hearing nonstop from her children who wanted to play. "This is our first time playing and we came just to do this, too," Finch said. "We didn't even come to the mall to shop. We saw it last week when we were shopping and all week the kids have wanted to do it. I'd never heard of glow golf before, but it's really cute and it was reasonably priced." Thursday, more than two-dozen golfers meandered the 18-hole course just outside J.C. Penney's. For about the cost of a game of bowling or a session of skating, golfers play 18-holes for up to three rounds. Advertisement A spin on popular miniature or Putt-Putt golf, Glow Golf features black lights, neon colored paintings, glow in the dark balls and darkness. The course is completely in the dark surrounded by neon marked putting greens and vivid paintings of underwater creatures and scenery. Owner John Rite, who lives in Kansas, created their rendition of golf in the dark — a handful of other chains exist — with a group of partners about four years ago. The first of 19 courses nationwide opened in 2003 in Phoenix, Ariz. "Glow Golf was a spin-off of a concept called Glow Range. We had a company in Phoenix that had glow-in-the-dark targets on the driving range," Rite said. "So we tried it with miniature golf and it's been a huge success, very well-received." For a regular game of golf, three rounds of the 18-hole course, kids pay $6 and adults pay $8. In addition to regular golf games, Glow Golf hosts birthday parties and offers group rates. When it first opened, mall shoppers regularly wandered by to check out the mall's only dark spot. Now, manager Arnold Dawkins, a retiree who makes golf clubs for pro players in his 'spare time,' says return visitors know which color glow bracelet they want when they win, which holes are their favorites and how the system works. Dawkins said most players get a bigger kick out of the glowing environment and the chance to recharge their fluorescent golf balls than they do swinging a club. "If their ball gets a little dull, they plop it in one of multiple chargers located throughout the course some of the kids have more fun charging the ball to make it glow more than anything else," Dawkins said. As a bonus, the end of the course offers a chance to land in one of two holes. One hole completes the round while another awards its player with a free round of golf and a glow bracelet prize. Thursday, Medford mom Becky Schalz' daughters, 7-year-old Kaitlyn and 9-year-old Kylee, played a trio of rounds to pass the afternoon. "I think it's pretty neat," Schalz said. "The kids are out of school and today was really cold, so this was a nice way to get some exercise and keep them entertained. Definitely a change of pace and something I hadn't heard of before." Ashley, the 5-year-old daughter of Finch, the Ashland mom, agreed. "Glow Golf is great. I love it a lot," she said. "You get to see better even in the dark. It's just fun ... ." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. IF YOU GO: Glow Golf is in the Rogue Valley Mall on the upper level near JCPenney's. Admission is $6 for kids, $8 for adults and free to kids 4 and under with a paying adult. Group rates are available and the facility hosts birthday parties. It's open during mall hours, seven days per week. For details, call 858-6655. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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