By CHRIS VAUGHN ARLINGTON — In the shadow of the looming billion-dollar stadium with 60 yards of LED television screen and acres of posh suites is a 40-year-old attraction with green-carpet putting holes, exotic animal figures, fountain drinks and batting cages. The place represents Ken Smith’s original $65,000 investment on East Division Street, a Putt-Putt entertainment complex that at one time was sandwiched between the motel royalty of Arlington’s boom years, the Cibola Inn and the Kings Inn. But Smith, reluctantly favoring his business sense over sentimentality, is closing perhaps the oldest miniature golf attraction in Tarrant County and auctioning off almost everything, down to the stubby pencils and hot dog warmers. Instead, he will focus on his four other entertainment businesses in Arlington, Fort Worth and Hurst, including three other Putt-Putt courses. "It’s lasted 40 years," he said. "Who would have expected that?" All in all, not a bad run in a business where 15 years is a heckuva milestone. Forty years translates to innumerable Scooby-Doo/Fat Albert/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle/Pokémon birthday theme parties, awkward teenage first dates, Cub Scout outings and professional putting tournaments. In fact, 35 to 40 of the nation’s best Putt-Putt putters over the last 30 years will be gathering Sunday at the course for one final tournament. The record for the 18-hole course is 20, although that was set before the concrete ...
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