Travis Jankowski preserves Strasburg tradition with mini golf purchase. [Image Source: NEWSWEEK]
Village Greens Miniature Golf, a scenic fixture in Lancaster County for over 50 years, is set to continue its legacy thanks to retired Major League Baseball outfielder Travis Jankowski and his wife, Lindsey. The Jankowskis finalized the purchase of the Strasburg Township course earlier this month for $1.17 million, aiming to enhance the family-friendly attraction while maintaining its natural charm. This acquisition protects the 13-acre mini golf course and surrounding 35-acre wooded property from potential residential development, securing its future as a local destination.
The Jankowskis’ vision for Village Greens and community roots
Travis Jankowski, now a coach with the Texas Rangers and a Strasburg resident during baseball’s offseason, expressed his commitment to preserving the area’s character:
“Once it becomes developed, there’s no undeveloping it,”
he said.
“It’s kind of a way of keeping Strasburg Strasburg.”
His wife Lindsey, who grew up near Strasburg and attended Lampeter-Strasburg High School, reminisced about her childhood visits to the course’s traditional events like the Christmas light displays and Easter egg hunts.
“I feel like everyone who is local to here has been (at Village Greens) since they were little,”
she noted.
With four children under seven, the couple intends to foster a similar nostalgic experience for future generations. The grand reopening scheduled for April 4 will feature new amenities including three outdoor patios with fire pits and an updated snack bar that offers a full coffee menu. The highlight will be Tiny Tees Village, a newly created play area featuring miniature replicas of local Strasburg businesses such as a coffee shop, pizza shop, and barber shop. Lindsey shared her enthusiasm:
Image of: Travis Jankowski
“I think it will be really exciting. I think the community is going to love it – I hope they are going to love it,”
adding,
“Our goal is to have mini golf not just be a one-hour activity, but an all-day experience.”
Transition from longtime family ownership
The sale marks the conclusion of the Petters family’s stewardship, which began in 1972. Oscar Petters, an engineer and former president of Datcom, along with his wife Jean, designed the original 18-hole Orange Course and the more challenging 23-hole Gold Course, both integrating the natural hillsides. After Jean Petters passed in 2023, their daughters, Debra Anspach and Cindy Fairchild, managed the operation until deciding to sell. Anspach described the sale as bittersweet:
“It is our time in life to retire, although this is so bittersweet,”
adding,
“Our whole family will miss being a part of Village Greens.”
Despite leaving the family, the business remains in trusted hands as the Jankowskis, close community associates, assume ownership. Lindsey noted personal ties, recalling that Jim Fairchild, Cindy’s husband, once coached her and her brothers in youth sports:
“Jim Fairchild (Cindy’s husband) was a softball coach for me and coached my brothers in midget football,”
she said, “They were a good family.”
Expanding local investments with a community focus
The Village Greens purchase follows other regional investments by the Jankowskis. In December, Travis opened the Jankowski Performance Complex in East Lampeter Township after investing $350,000 to renovate a former fitness center, adding batting cages, a spin studio, and a red light therapy room. Their involvement with local properties began a year earlier when they acquired an 1800s schoolhouse on Penn Grant Road, also linked to the same family that owned Village Greens.
Initially hesitant about managing a mini golf course, their desire to prevent residential development and the Petters family’s support convinced them to take over. Lindsey reflected on the importance of preserving Lancaster County’s rural character:
“There’s just something about Lancaster County having the land and the farmland staying what it is,”
she said.
“I think it makes it feel like home here, and we want our kids to be able to see that when they grow up.”
Travis described the investment as
a real estate investment we don’t really ever plan on cashing in on.
Preserving tradition while creating lasting community impact
Travis and Lindsey Jankowski’s acquisition of Village Greens Miniature Golf not only safeguards a treasured community landmark but also signals renewed energy for local family recreation. Their plans to introduce modern upgrades and maintain open, natural spaces reflect a commitment to enhancing quality of life in Strasburg without sacrificing its historic charm. As the course reopens with new features on April 4, it is poised to become a vibrant center for families and visitors seeking both nostalgia and fresh experiences in Lancaster County.
