The ornamental water wheel at Old Sawmill Miniature Golf started turning in 1995, and for nearly 30 years, it provided a picturesque backdrop and watery ASMR for generations of putt-putt enthusiasts. But the wheel was no match for the flash flood of August 18, 2024, when nearly 15 inches of rain fell on Oxford, CT, in a matter of hours. All along Route 67, the town’s main road, homes, businesses and bridges were washed into the Little River; three lives were lost and the road itself remained closed for months.
When the Turcott family, who owns the course, first saw the damage, they were devastated. Their property was stripped and cratered, recognizable only by its signature red caboose, whose 20 or so tons weren’t going anywhere. Everything else was ruined or simply gone: the footbridge washed out, the green carpets mudbound, no stone (or brick) left unturned. All that remained of the equipment rental shack was a dozen clubs salvaged from the receding waters; a few hundred of their rainbow golf balls are probably gyring in the North Atlantic garbage patch by now. Insurance offered nothing.
So what was a small family business to do? A deep dive into Old Sawmill’s Facebook page gives a sense of the story, though it merely traces the contours of a massive IRL mobilization of community. Within days of the flooding, people were sharing and contributing to a Gofundme, buying “Oxford Strong” stickers to benefit affected businesses and just showing up. The course’s social media account favors the hashtag #stupidflood, which embodies the get-on-with-it spirit of the comeback. The comments are full of community members volunteering to stack stones or mulch flowerbeds or scrape 30-year-old industrial carpet glue off pavement.
Bit by bit, with donations of materials and time from local electricians, contractors and landscaping companies, the course was pieced back together. A local Boy Scout built a wishing well for the new 18th hole. Inevitably, there were setbacks: a massive order of carpet turned out to be “Shrek and Grinch green” rather than the classy forest green that defines the Old Sawmill aesthetic. The water wheel, which hadn’t washed too far downstream, was retired from its spot on the 16th hole, but it assumed a new role as a road sign out front.
I came back to Old Sawmill as soon as I heard about its soft reopening in June. I’m always in search of excursions for the informal summer camp I run (most days we have two campers; both refer to me as “Mom”). We have been known to go as far as Mini-Golf at Saybrook Point (lighthouses, salt breeze) or Safari Golf in Berlin (zoo animal statuary, proximity to Stew Leonard’s), but the Old Sawmill, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (weather allowing), is the closest to New Haven, and definitely the chillest.
The appeal of the place is immediate, its vibe rustic and tasteful. Even if you weren’t golfing, you wouldn’t mind strolling over the footbridge and meandering around the plantings and potted flowers, enjoying the mix of sun and shade. When Al Turcott founded the business, he was inspired by the mini golf he played with his children on a Myrtle Beach vacation. He realized that clowns and plaster giraffes weren’t quite right for his hometown, so he took inspiration from Oxford’s history of lumbering. (Crosswinds Farm and Sawmill still processes custom-cut native lumber, and donated the wood for the aforementioned wishing well.) A miniature replica of a sawmill, including old-timey-looking objects salvaged from local mills, sits at the apex of the course.
Upon arrival, we paid ($10 children, $12 adults, cash only) and crossed the new footbridge over the Little River, which stayed politely true to its name during our visit. Most of the holes are par 2, with relatively few stunts. A patient putter with an appreciation for geometry has a good chance of sinking some holes-in-one. One could power through the whole course in half an hour or so, but it’s better to keep the pace leisurely. Take time to listen to the river. Sit in one of the pagodas to do scorecard math with your little pencil. Keep the party’s banter low-key enough that no one wants to throw a club in a water hazard. If your wish at the 18th hole was for refreshment, it’s worth noting that the property’s larger snack shack is not likely to reopen. Chips and soda are available from the rental desk, and, in the spirit of community, the family is happy to recommend local restaurants.
Although Al Turcott has turned over the daily operations to co-owners Josslyn Turcott, Doreen Larcock, Allison Blakeman and Jared Blackeman—his daughters and grandson—he’s still the guy who once bought a caboose from a railroad museum because it would look cool on this property. A representative online comment: “Al,s [sic] always been one of the good guys in Oxford, Ct! He’s given his heart and soul to the community!” It was only fitting that Al be the one to build the new water wheel for the 16th hole, slightly smaller than the original, but just as soothing to observe.
On July 25, nearly two years after the flood, the course hosted a grand reopening, complete with a ribbon cutting and food trucks and local luminaries. The celebrations from longtime customers have been vocal, both in person and online. The Old Sawmill has traditionally been a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day enterprise (several of the owners are educators), but they are planning to add weekends in September and October. When there’s a sudden downpour—we’ve already had several this summer—Josslyn Turcott says she still gets flashbacks, but then she takes a deep breath and posts about these (temporary) weather closures on social media, assuring followers of sunny days ahead.
Written by Sarah Harris Wallman. Image 1, offering a long view of the course, sourced from @OldSawmillMiniGolf. Images 2-4 photographed by Sarah Harris Wallman.
