In Lincolnwood, a suburb touching the city limits of Chicago, an establishment has reached a historic milestone. Novelty Golf & Games, along with its adjoining eatery Bunny Hutch, is celebrating 75 years of operation with a Diamond Jubilee this weekend, July 20-21, as detailed by the Chicago Tribune. The event will orchestrate a confluence of nostalgia, live music, games, and family fun, harkening back to an era when such local amusement businesses were more widespread.
Despite a rapidly changing cultural landscape, Novelty Golf & Games has preserved its allure. "Not many families are running their own business for 75 years," Craig Klatzco, the current proprietor, told the Chicago Tribune. By gently embracing the past, they continue to lure generations of customers, from Baby Boomers to Generation Z, with miniature golf and batting cages.
Alongside the golf courses, visitors will find novelty structures that pay homage to cultural icons—the likes of a TARDIS from "Dr. Who" and a small Eiffel Tower. As time progresses, keeping pace with changing trends is vital. "Kids today are different," Klatzco explained to the Tribune, noting shifts from dating hotspots to family-friendly venues.
On a more personal nostalgia trip, a patron recounted to the Chicago Reader rekindled their love for sports through the batting cages at Novelty Golf & Games. The simple joy of striking a ball and swinging a bat provided a therapeutic respite during tough times. The establishment poses not just as a recreational nexus but also as an emblem of heritage, with Klatzco's grandmother Rose Klatzco having stepped into the amusement arena back in 1949, the same year Novelty Golf was established. The family has sustained their ownership over the decades, only leasing the Bunny Hutch to Tony and Bill Zaya, who also share in the history of the place by having run a South Side diner before this venture.
