One family, four businesses

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

June 29, 2026

CRIVITZ – What began as a stop for landscaping materials, local entrepreneurs Noelle and Eddie Sakowicz said, quickly turned into the purchase of Northwoods Landscape Center and Putter Up Mini Golf.

“My husband was getting some landscaping materials from Northwoods Landscape Center for our current landscaping business (Eddie’s Ideal Landscaping) and stopped at the mini-golf course, too,” Noelle said. “He came home and told me he learned that both businesses were for sale.  He said, ‘Don’t worry, we’re not going to buy both, but I’m really interested in the landscape company.’”

Famous last words, Noelle said.

“So, we talked about it and then met with the previous owners (Chad and Jennifer Poels),” he said. “We [reviewed] the purchase price [for the landscape business] and got all of that figured out. Then we wandered next door to get some ice cream.” 

At that point, Noelle said conversations shifted to a potential double sale, she said.

“My husband kept reminiscing – ‘it used to be a whole adventure fun land park with a go-cart track and bumper boats and everything,” she said. 

Noelle said Eddie was a regular customer at the course with his parents.

“He said, ‘I’ve wanted to buy this since I was eight years old,’” she said. “So, we did.”

Noelle said they are now the proud owners of both the Northwoods Landscape Center and Putter Up Mini Golf – located just steps apart on County Road X. 

“It takes about 60 seconds to walk from one [business] to the other,” she said.

Noelle said the Poels have been very helpful during the transition.

Entrepreneurship experience

Though new to the mini-golf industry, Noelle said they have experience in landscaping and entrepreneurship through their ownership of Eddie’s Ideal Landscaping and the Peshtigo Laundromat.

Noelle said they have spent the past 16 years growing Eddie’s Ideal Landscaping into a business that serves families and businesses throughout Northeast Wisconsin, continuing to learn and adapt to their customers’ needs.

The new landscaping business, she said, will complement Eddie’s. 

“Eddie’s is a full landscaping company, where we go out and build out comprehensive landscaping jobs,” she said. “Northwoods Landscape Center is more [about] selling landscaping materials including trees and flowers.” 

Though now fully immersed in small business ownership as co-owner of four businesses, Noelle said she began her career in education.

Noelle said she worked five years as a special education paraprofessional and one year as a kindergarten teacher before choosing to become a stay-at-home mom.

“Now, [our kids] come here with me and play unlimited mini golf,” she said.

Operations and improvements 

Noelle said the business currently has three employees overseeing landscaping and mini-golf operations, with the rest of the staff made up of family members.

Updates, she said, are underway at the mini-golf course, which include the addition of water fountains and waterfalls.

“We are planning to also offer cosmic golf at our indoor facility on Friday and Saturday nights,” she said. “On some nights, we can have up to 60 [mini]-golfers.”

Noelle said the largest segment of the landscaping business is its bulk materials division, which includes mulch, rock, decorative stone and gravel, all sold by the yard.

Customers, she said, can have materials delivered or pick them up with a truck or trailer.

According to northwoodslandscapecenter.com, the center offers about 30 varieties of topsoil, mulch, sand and gravel. 

Noelle said they have also added plants, trees and shrubs, as well as outdoor decor, broadening options for customers. 

“Some of our most recent additions to inventory include red maple trees, dark green arborvitaes and a variety of apple trees,” she said.

So far, Noelle said the greatest challenge is simply getting the word out, given the number of new developments across each of their businesses.

“We’re changing and expanding our hours and are now open seven days a week,” she said. “Previously, the landscape center was available by appointment only.”

Noelle said there are a lot of people in the area who don’t even realize Putter Up Mini Golf is open, as it was closed for several years and only reopened a couple of years ago.

“Also, the mini-golf course had a self-service kiosk, which was utilized most of the time,” she said. “Now, we want to greet all of our mini-golfers and personalize the business.”

Even though Eddie has always dreamed of owning Putter Up Mini Golf, Noelle said his skills, vision and interests are primarily focused on the landscaping side as they work to personalize the business.

“[The mini-golf] side of the business is more mine,” she said.

Noelle said parts of the mini-golf experience remind her of her time working with children in the classroom.

“I love being able to be part of mini golf [operations], because I still get to work with kids, and I get to see them have fun and enjoy being out here,” she said.

Growing into a year-round business

With both new businesses operating primarily in the warmer seasons, Noelle said she and Eddie are working to expand and balance seasonality.

“We are looking at expanding the arcade area [at Putter Up Mini Golf] into a pavilion so customers can enjoy a longer visiting experience here,” she said. “By next year, we’re hoping to have a kitchen up and running, [as we plan to obtain] our food-management license. We have a kitchen here already, but we plan to add items like pizza and walking tacos.”

At Northwoods Landscape Center, Noelle said the plan is to keep the store open year-round, but with reduced hours during the winter months.

“We will also be selling bulk salt and sanded salt, as a lot of people up [north] have gravel driveways – so the salt isn’t as effective as a sand/salt mixture,” she said. “Customers will also be looking for bagged salt and window scrapers and other winter weather needs.”

Noelle said they also plan to offer pre-cut Christmas trees. 

“I also do some crafting [that will be for sale],” she said. “I’ll be making wreaths for us to sell, and once we get our food license, we will be hosting Christmas and winter events for families, like a Christmas event with hot cocoa and snacks.” 

Noelle said other cold-weather activities are also planned for mini-golfers.

“Cosmic golf is golfing in the dark featuring light-up golf balls,” she said. “We have little discs that go into the holes that light up, so people can see where the hole is. We plan to add neon lights to make the experience even more memorable.”

 Noelle said they also have chickens and a goat pen next to the outdoor mini-golf course.

“The kids and I love that,” she said. “We will have baby goats here in the next couple of weeks.”

 Noelle said the goal is a positive family experience, with a focus on keeping customers happy across all four businesses.

“We [really] do go out of our way to try to accommodate everybody,” she said.

Organized chaos

Noelle said customer proximity to their businesses is evolving, and it has been somewhat surprising how far some people travel to visit them.

Landscaping customers, she said, are typically local residents or cabin owners who use materials in the area.

Mini-golf visitors, however, Noelle said, often come from farther away.

“I just had someone this past weekend tell me they drove an hour and a half to come here,” she said. 

Noelle said she has learned a lot about herself through the many roles she balances as she works to “keep it all together.”

“I have always known this about myself, and I guess it applies to running numerous businesses as well, but I thrive in busy, stressful, chaotic situations,” she said. “That’s where I do my best.”

Noelle said her ability to thrive in busy, stressful environments extends into how she approaches their other businesses. 

She said the laundromat, which offers year-round stability, has changed significantly since she and Eddie purchased it in 2020, including the gradual rollout of technology to improve the customer experience.

“We are [in the process of] upgrading the machines,” she said. “Our customers currently can use an app for payments – which allows them to see, before they even come to the laundromat, which machines are available to them.”

Noelle said users can leave the laundromat to run errands and receive an app notification when their load is nearly finished, giving them time to return and switch their laundry.

“[On occasion], the washing machines have problems, and if there is a problem – and it’s a minor one – we can reset it and restart the washer for them from our end anywhere,” she said. “We are gradually upgrading all of the machines to have that feature.”

Visit the previously mentioned website for more information on Northwoods Landscape Center. 

Head to Facebook for more on Putter Up Mini Golf, Eddie’s Ideal Landscaping and Peshtigo Laundromat.