After a long weekend exploring the San Antonio River Walk, visiting the Alamo, and pedaling e-bikes out to the historic missions, Justin and I were running low on energy — but not on the desire to do something. We needed a plan that was a little more low-key than. What we landed on turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly memorable parts of the whole trip: a round (okay, two rounds) of mini golf at Cool Crest, the oldest continuously operated miniature golf course in Texas.
Finding Cool Crest
We discovered Cool Crest while scrolling through things to do. It checked every box: interesting, nearby, a little competition, and just unconventional enough to feel like an actual find rather than a default tourist activity. We grabbed a Lyft and headed to 1402 Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio’s Deco District, where Cool Crest has been welcoming golfers since 1929.
Cool Crest first opened its doors in the fall of that year — right at the start of both the Great Depression and a nationwide miniature golf craze. San Antonio alone had more than a dozen mini golf courses at the time. Cool Crest outlasted every single one of them. It’s not just the oldest mini golf in Texas; it’s one of the oldest continuously operated miniature golf courses in the world.
A Course with Actual History
Walking up to Cool Crest, you immediately notice this isn’t your average chain putt-putt with plastic windmills and cartoon obstacles. The original 1929 course — now known simply as the 1929 Course — features elegant Art Deco design with terraced levels, pristine white concrete, tropical landscaping, and original fountains. It looks like something out of an old Hollywood film, and in the best possible way.
The story behind the place is just as compelling as the design. In 1937, Harold Metzger, a retired trucker, and his wife Maria leased the property and transformed it with lush tropical landscaping and a stylish Art Deco aesthetic. The Metzgers ran it for more than 60 years, and their fingerprints are all over the place. Mrs. Metzger’s beloved dog Pidlepadle — who lived to be 19 — is actually buried at hole 18 on the original course. That’s the kind of quirky, warm detail that makes a place feel real.
In 1959, the Metzgers re-engineered the original 18-hole course and added a second 18-hole course alongside Fredericksburg Road, giving Cool Crest its current layout of 36 holes across two distinct courses.
After Maria Metzger’s passing, the property sat dormant for a stretch — but San Antonio wasn’t about to let it disappear. In 2009, the Historic & Design Commission designated Cool Crest a historically significant site, and City Council unanimously approved its rezoning. A family of four brothers — the Andrys — purchased it in 2013 and spent months restoring it to match archival photos.
We Were Basically the Only Ones There
When we arrived, the place was nearly empty — and honestly, that made it even better. We had both courses almost entirely to ourselves. This is likely because we were, as far as we could tell, the only people in San Antonio willing to play outdoor mini golf in 98-degree heat. A dubious honor, perhaps, but we’ll take it.
Pricing is straightforward: adults pay $15 per round (in 2024), and the second round is 50% off. That’s what got us to commit to both courses despite the heat. The value was hard to argue with.
The Courses Are Nothing Like Regular Putt-Putt
Here’s the thing about Cool Crest that sets it completely apart from the mini golf you’re probably picturing: the course is designed differently. Not just aesthetically, but structurally. These aren’t flat, predictable layouts with bumpers and ramps. The holes use elevation changes, angles, and terrain in ways that make each one feel like its own puzzle.
Some holes were genuinely fun. One of the standout moments was a tee box that was split and elevated above the landing area — you’d line up your shot, give it a swing, and your ball would actually catch air before dropping to the level below. It’s the kind of hole that makes you laugh out loud the first time, especially if your ball does something unexpected on the way down.
Some holes were challenging in the best way — the kind where you study the angle for a moment before swinging, and still manage to get it wrong. And then there were a few holes that I’m fairly certain I had never seen anything quite like anywhere else.
One hole, in particular, made me pay a small tax for my enthusiasm. The approach was steeply angled going uphill, and I hit the ball just a little too hard — which meant it came rolling back toward me faster than expected. On a second attempt, I overcorrected, and somehow the ball wandered off into some brush alongside the course. I searched. Justin searched. The bright pink ball had simply vanished into what was not, by any reasonable measure, a dense thicket. And yet. I had to pay for a replacement ball, which felt like the universe’s way of keeping things interesting. That one hole probably tells you everything you need to know about my scorecard: I finished the 1929 Course with a 77, against a par of 53. Justin, the actual golfer, shot a 65. Neither of us was setting records, but at least we were out there.
The Mid-Round Pit Stop
After finishing the first course, we were hot. Not “a little warm” hot — legitimately, genuinely, deeply hot. Cool Crest has a bar on site (part of the Metzger Biergarten, which serves craft beers, seltzers, wine on tap, and cold brew), and we made a beeline for it. I thought that the evening time would be nice to be here — play some golf, listen to live music, have a drink. A cold beer and some ice water later, we felt human again. We caught our breath, watched the afternoon light shift across the Art Deco stonework, and decided we were absolutely doing the second course.
The Second Round (Real Talk)
I’ll be honest: the second course was a humbler experience. The mid-round drinks helped, but they weren’t enough to fully counteract the cumulative effect of two-plus hours in nearly triple-digit heat. By the middle of the second 18 holes, we were no longer approaching each tee box with strategic curiosity. We were playing through.
And yet — something interesting happened. While Justin’s game wilted in the heat (he shot a 72 on the second course, against that same par of 53), mine apparently did not. I finished the 1959 Course with a 67.
Let me say that again: I beat Justin. On a golf course. With a scorecard and everything. There’s a reasonable argument that the heat worked against him more than me, or that his real-golf instincts are somehow less transferable when your brain is overheated. I am not interested in that argument. What I am interested in is the fact that the scorecard exists, I have it, and it says what it says.
Is Cool Crest Worth It?
Cool Crest is a genuinely special place. The history alone makes it worth visiting, but the courses themselves are legitimately well-designed and more challenging than anything you’ll find at your average commercial mini golf venue. The Art Deco aesthetic, the tropical landscaping, the original fountains — it all adds up to an atmosphere that feels unhurried and a little bit magical. The 50% discount on the second round makes it easy to justify staying for both courses.
If I had to do it again: I’d not to go in the peak heat of a hot Texas afternoon, but maybe in the evening when things start to cool down when there is also live music, making a night out of a slower pace.
If you’re planning a trip to San Antonio, you already have the River Walk, the Alamo, and the missions on your list, why not do something a little different?
Cool Crest Miniature Golf is located at 1402 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78201. Current hours: Wednesday–Thursday 4–8pm, Friday 4–9pm, Saturday 10am–9pm, Sunday 12–6pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday, and closed in January and February for maintenance. For more info, visit coolcrestgolf.com.