This miniaturized merry-land, originally called GOLF LAND II, first dropped its draw-bridge for the public in July of 1975 at a cost of $705,000, and covered five acres of land owned by the city of Los Angeles, but never developed because of its “undesirable nature” (pictured at the bottom). Due to its highly visible site at the north-west corner of the intersection of the 405 and 101 freeway (the busiest interchange in the world), most Angelinos know this place even if they have never set foot inside the fanciful oasis.
The origin of these ghosts (as past down through the decades) is that one night, while playing a round of mini-golf, a mother and her child met with an unfortunate end. The next morning, both were found at the bottom of the adjacent river below course 3 with head injuries. Whether these deaths were the result of a tragic accident or foul play is still a mystery. Although no one has ever verified this story, the legend still persists to this day.
It is also interesting to note that this tale is not unlike the legend of La Llorona , the ghost of a weeping Mexican mother (usually dressed in black), who wanders the banks of rivers and other bodies of water in the South-Western United States and Mexico, grieving for her own drowned children. Could there be a connection? (for more info)
The Friday and Saturday night racing rituals are said to have started sometime in the 1950's and extended all the way into the 1980's, until a minor (who was a passenger of a racing car) died in a fatal collision. The tragic event caught the attention of the public, and in turn, pressured the police to crack down with road blocks, curfews, and an increased presence. Thus, the racing moved out of the hills and into the valley. When filming episode 15, it was discovered that the cameraman had a personal connection to this location. He was a friend and classmate of the young man, whose death sparked the end of this deadly curve's reign of terror.
