"It's Been Fun," But Miami Lakes Sports & Golf Is Closing

Since 1984, west siders have enjoyed perfecting their golf game or baseball bat swing at Miami Lakes in Miamitown.

Miami Lakes Sports & Golf in Miamitown will close at the end of this year, says co-owner Tim Mittlehauser. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Miamitown, Oh.) - A west side business where families have hit the batting cages, practiced their golf game, or played a round of putt-putt for 36 years is going to close.

A sign has been posted on the office door at Miami Lakes Sports & Golf that the business will call it quits at the end of this year. It thanks all the customers who have visited over the past 3 1/2 decades.

Tim Mittlehauser says he and co-owner Dan Peters opened the business in 1984.

“We’ve been here a long time and it isn’t quite the business it once was. We’re getting tired and it’s time to move on,” Mittlehauser explains while taking a brief respite from mowing the grass at the driving range on a hot afternoon.

The property off State Route 128 in Miamitown has already been sold to an excavation company which Tim says has plans to fill in most of the pond currently used for the golf driving range.

The sign at the office informing Miami Lakes customers that the business will be closing. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

A lot of memories have been made at Miami Lakes for a few generations of west siders. It’s been an affordable place to spend a few hours working on your golf swing hitting floating golf balls into the flooded gravel pit that serves as the driving range. Island greens and a fake fisherman on a boat serve as fun targets for those able to place their golf shots well.

Countless little leaguers and beer league softball players have trained their swings by hitting the yellow, machine-thrown practice balls in the indoor and outdoor batting cages.

Mittlehauser will miss operating what many consider a hidden gem of Cincinnati’s west side. Some of his employees over the years have been children of other former employees.

“It’s just been fun. You get to meet an awful lot of baseball people and golf people. We’ve had who knows how many employees – buried most of them, unfortunately,” he observes.

Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

He marvels at how much has changed since he and Peters opened Miami Lakes. That first year when only the driving range existed, customers were using wooden drivers. Now, they are using metal drivers and hitting golf balls further than ever.

“That 280 fence,” he says, pointing across the driving range pond, “nobody could get close to it. Now, guys hit it 30 yards over that thing. I never even fathomed stuff like that would happen.”

The first batting cages were opened in the business’ second year. They installed a go-kart track in the early 1990s, but it closed in 1999.

“That wasn’t a good move. That one didn’t work out too well,” Tim chuckles.

Mittlehauser says he and Peters have no plans to open another facility.

Learn more at miamilakesgolfandsports.com.

A family enjoys the putt-putt course at Miami Lakes. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.