Miniature Golf Now City’s Game

The city parks department has decided to temporarily take over operation of a lucrative miniature golf complex in the Sepulveda Basin and officials said if the venture is a success the city might consider operating other money-making concessions.

The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department also pledged Thursday to spend $100,000 to renovate the Sepulveda Basin Miniature Golf Complex--commonly known as the Sherman Oaks Castle--which deteriorated in recent years after the private firm that was running the complex lost its lease.

“If we make a go of this we can expand on this kind of facility in other parts of the city,” Recreation and Parks General Manager Jackie Tatum said.

The golf complex, which includes three 18-hole miniature golf courses, nine batting cages, bumper cars and 144 video games, has generated about $500,000 in rent for the city annually. Until recently, the complex had been operated by Malibu Grand Prix, which leased the land from the city parks commission. The lease expired in 1989, but was renewed on a month-to-month basis until April 12, when the complex was closed for the renovation.

The city has been trying for several years to find an acceptable operator for the complex. It has twice rejected offers by private companies, some offering to pay as much as $1 million annually in rent.

In 1991, the city agreed to scrap its first bids after private companies complained that the bidding process was too confusing. The second call for bids was also unsuccessful because the city received only one offer, from Malibu Grand Prix, which had been the concessionaire since 1984.

That pushed the city to decide to go into the miniature golf business itself. City officials say they now want to run the complex for at least a year or until an acceptable concessionaire is hired after a new call for bids is issued later this year.

“If no one can do a better job than we are doing, we may continue to self-operate,” said Steve Klippel, chief financial officer of the city’s Recreation and Parks Department.

The refurbishing project began earlier this month when the city started sealing leaks in the roof of the arcade building, he said. Klippel said he expects the complex to be open by June 1.

“It definitely needed some major renovations,” he said.

Klippel said the city will hire subcontractors to temporarily run the arcade, the bumper cars and the batting cages. But he said city officials will oversee the entire complex and operate the miniature golf course.

Funding for the renovation comes from the city’s concession improvement fund, which is generated by city-operated concessions such as the golf complex, Klippel said.

City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes the golf complex, said he supports the renovation plans. “All I can tell you is the place is run down to the point where you wouldn’t go there anymore,” he said.

Times staff writer John Schwada contributed to this report.