SARASOTA, Fla. – Only the presence of Tiger Woods himself could enhance the grandiosity of Southwest Florida’s newest PopStroke.
One of the greatest golfers of all-time didn’t make it to the ribbon-cutting for the latest location of his golf and entertainment concept just yet.
But his paw prints are still all over it.
At PopStroke, the golf and dining concept Woods founded with partner Greg Bartoli, the golf legend is actively involved with designing the course and tweaking it to perfection, Chris Hubman, chief financial officer of Woods’ TGR Ventures, said.
“Even though this is the third location, every hole is unique and every hole is not just a replica from one city to the next,” Hubman said. “He’s very involved. People would be amazed how much time he spends thinking about that, giving his input and tweaking the final product.”
With Woods’ blessing, PopStroke officially opened its Sarasota, Florida, location on Thursday, April 28. It features two 18-hole golf courses, an ice cream counter with milkshakes, a children’s playground area, outdoor dining, a foosball table, corn hole, and three bars, one of which is upstairs on a rooftop reserved for guests 21 and older.
It’s sure to be a popular place for families looking for weekend activities, couples young and old on date nights, groups of friends looking to party and retirees looking for something to do. Just wear a hat and sunscreen as summertime approaches and brings with it the notoriously brutal Florida heat.
The diversity of ages and family sizes available in the Sarasota market made it an attractive place to bring PopStroke, Bartoli said in an interview.
“This community is thriving and its growing; there are retirees and young professionals and everything between,” Bartoli said. “It really checks the box on everything PopStroke has to offer. It’s an ideal fit for us.”
The Sarasota PopStroke can fit 400 people at once, making it the company’s biggest location so far. It’s also the first to have a rooftop bar, which Bartoli said can be rented for private parties.
Sarasota is only the company’s third location, but PopStroke has a small but mighty world domination strategy planned for the next few months. A location in Orlando is scheduled to open next month, Hubman said, and five more will open before the end of the year, including in Tampa.
Aesthetically, PopStroke is nothing like a traditional vacation town miniature golf course. There’s not a single plastic alligator with its mouth open or wooden windmill in sight. It’s all sleek and stylish, with bright green turf grass and slate colored walls. Plus, what mini golf course has tuna tartare, a black bean veggie burger and reuben eggrolls on its menu?
Of course, the only thing that could have amped up the excitement for the Sarasota opening of PopStroke would be if Woods himself showed up, shook everyone’s hand and then proceeded to play the tougher of the two 18-hole golf courses, hitting a hole-in-one at every turn.
With or without Tiger, PopStroke is bound to be embraced by the Sarasota community as quickly as it opens.
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