| It is quite amazing that Golden Park was able to host pro baseball for as long as it did (through the 2008 season). The Red Stixx (which left in '02) were a lame duck in their final season and it certainly seemed like the Catfish have been on their way out for the past four seasons. The owners had their eyes on Columbia, SC, but were unable to get a new ballpark built there. After extensive renovations in 1996 (it played host to softball in the '96 Olympics), Golden Park is fine place to see a game. The park has a covered grandstand, though much of the covered seating is taken up by the newly constructed luxury boxes. The box and reserved seating are individual folding chairs, while the general admission seating is metal benches. A large concourse featuring concession stands and a small gift store is located underneath the seating areas. Concessions are limited in variety but prices are reasonable. The exterior of the ballpark is beautiful - the facade is red brick and the numerous sidewalks are well landscaped. Because of the "lame duck" nature of the team during the '02 season, it was obvious when I went that the management was not giving much of an effort. Attendance was poor, the grounds crew was awful as they didn't know how to unroll the tarp, and there were numerous blank ads on the outfield wall. The area certainly seems to be big enough to support pro baseball, but perhaps softball has become the sport of choice here after the '96 Olympics. Despite the construction of many new parks in the SAL, Golden Park is still a sufficient park for the SAL. But with attendance not increasing much, it was only a matter of time before the Catfish found greener pastures. The owners will be moving the team to a new ballpark in Bowling Green, KY for the 2009 season.
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