JERSEY CITY — The Golden Door Mini-Golf course was quite a sight for downtown Jersey City residents, young and old, who wanted to get in some putting fun.
That sight is no more. The course near Hamilton Park shut down officially at a closing party/fundraiser Tuesday night.
About 50 people attended the event, playing a nine-hole course designed by various artists.
The course opened in late June with a fundraiser for the Jersey City Museum. Donors paid dollar amounts designated for the golf holes targeted. Since then, the course was opened to the public for a $5 fee.
Developers Paul Silverman and his brother and developer partner Eric helped make the course a reality by donating land for the course as well as helping bring the artists together. Paul Silverman said on Tuesday about $80,000 was raised from the course that went toward the museum’s operations.
The museum has been in financial difficulty at least since last year, when it suffered over $400,000 in funding cuts and had to lay off its full-time staff. At one point, the museum was opened only one day a week but recently reverted back to a four-day a week operation schedule.
Silverman said he and his brother will work with the museum to raise more money in the future. Meanwhile, the land is eventually slated for a 200-unit residence. – RK