When San Antonians read and hear about historic preservation, old buildings may come to mind. Vintage entertainment venues can matter, too. With its growth of greenery shading two courses for 85 years, Cool Crest Miniature Golf drew the attention of the young Power of Preservation Foundation.
On Wednesday, August 13, at 6:30 p.m. Power of Preservation will host the second miniature golf tournament its has staged since Cool Crest’s 2013 reopening.
Cool Crest was closed form 1998-2013, and its reopening has since drawn large crowds, some visitors nostalgic for the past, other, younger customers experiencing the venue for the first time.
This year the foundation hopes the tournament will raise sufficient funds to restore Cool Crest’s deco-style sign, a Deco District landmark, and serve as a preview for its annual October PROMenade gala. Shanon Shea Miller, director of the City’s Office of Historic Preservation, sees the evening as an opportunity to bring together people passionate about preservation.
“(Cool Crest) is a great, kind of unusual structure, and that’s what we like to highlight: that historic preservation is fun and interesting,” Miller said. “Cool Crest is such an important feature. It’s a big part in the childhood of San Antonians.”
Foursomes and individuals can compete while they listen to the sounds of local band Los #3 Dinners. Tickets can be purchased individually or given with table sponsorships at Power of Preservation’s PROMenade.
The Awesome Foundation’s San Antonio Chapter is one such group which purchased several tickets to PROM and will have a team present at Cool Crest. Miller said Awesome SA and the Foundation share many of the same goals in pursuit of building a more livable city that respects history even as it welcomes new and interesting changes.
“Both organizations are about promoting what’s special about San Antonio,” she said.
Michele Jacob, Awesome SA dean, said preservation fits within the philosophy of the Awesome Foundation, which is why they formed a tournament team.
“You think of historic preservation as more established, older generation,” she said. “We’re trying to reach out and show the significance of how important it is to support downtown or the core; we’re trying to bring it to a younger generation.”
Jacob sees Cool Crest as a “treasure”, saying its 85-year history shows a continuity of San Antonio’s history, from the past to the present.
“We’re so lucky to have these jewels,” she said. “In other places they’ve either been developed over or forgotten.”
Power of Preservation offers tickets to young professionals, including Geekdom members, in the hopes to create more interest in younger generations.
Miller said this event will also be the lead up to PROMenade, a formal event held at the Women’s Pavillion in Hemisfair Park on October 23. The 400-guest, 1968-themed “Peace, Love, and Preservation” dinner will raise awareness and funds for hands-on preservation projects. Tickets for both the Cool Crest Tournament and PROMenade can be purchased on the Power of Preservation website.
Featured/top image: Cool Crest Miniature Golf Course. Courtesy photo.
Related stories:
The Return of Cool Crest and Vintage Miniature Golf
Hot Wells Conservancy Brings History Back to Life
Why the San Antonio Conservation Society Matters
Artists and Developers Eye Historic Buildings, Imagine Possibilities
