Cool Crest on the road to recovery

Randal Martin (left) and Cole Barton of Frontier Surveying Co. take laser readings at Cool Crest miniature golf course on Fredericksburg Road. New owners are revitalizing the facility. Randal Martin (left) and Cole Barton of Frontier Surveying Co. take laser readings at Cool Crest miniature golf course on Fredericksburg Road. New owners are revitalizing the facility. Photo: Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News Photo: Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 75 Caption Close Cool Crest on the road to recovery 1 / 75 Back to Gallery

One of San Antonio's historic landmarks is getting a face-lift this spring.

Cool Crest miniature golf course, which closed in 2007, is gearing up for a June grand re-opening thanks to brothers James, Albert, Phillip and Mitchell Andry, who purchased the property last year.

Tuesday, Cool Crest underwent the first step in its rehabilitation when Frontier Surveying Co. came out to map a 3D image of the course's topography.

“This is 3D scanning,” said Frontier owner Ivy Rodriguez Young. “It's capturing every detail of the concrete and the different elevations of the course, and we'll be able to take measurements on the computer after it's loaded in; that's helps later with developing or improving.”

A lot of developing and improving will have to be undertaken before the projected opening date; the Andrys plan on recreating the look of the course exactly as it was in the 1950s and '60s from archival photos.

“Back in its heyday, everything was so richly planted you really couldn't see from hole to hole,” project adviser Steve Houston said. “That's what they're hoping to replicate.”

The minigolf course was a popular hangout for the Art Deco District along the Fredericksburg Road corridor, but after owner Maria Metzger couldn't maintain it any longer, it closed.

When she died in February 2010, the property fell into disrepair. But savior came in the form of a doctor — Dr. James Andry, who, with his brothers, purchased the property when it hit the market.

“It's always been a love of ours,” Dr. James Andry said. “So when it came up for sale, we desired to acquire it.”

After untangling the city's red tape surrounding an abandoned alley that cut through the property, the Andrys were able to call Cool Crest theirs, and enlisted the help of Young, who grew up in the area and went to Providence High School, to help start the rehabilitation process.

Young said she was enthusiastic to help her childhood friends restore an old San Antonio favorite hangout with some new technology.

“I'm just happy to help and be a part of a big development for San Antonio,” Young said as she stood on the sun-dappled course supervising the survey process. “Every time I mention it to anyone I know, they just light up, because they've been here and they had a good time.”

stressler@express-news.net

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