Tiger Woods-backed PopStroke golf opening in Southwest Florida on Saturday

PopStroke had a soft opening for its second golf entertainment facility, and first with Tiger Woods as an ownership partner.

Tiger Woods didn’t show his stripes, but he still left his mark in Southwest Florida this week.

PopStroke had a soft opening for its second golf entertainment facility, and first with Woods’ involvement that included the PGA star as an ownership partner all the way down to his playing a role in designing the two putting courses. Those courses are the focus of the venue off Six Mile Cypress Parkway that will open to the public Saturday at 10 a.m.

“PopStroke at its core is really about bringing friends and family together and in an outdoor, open-air … dynamic environment,” said Bartoli, who credited TGR Design President Bryon Bell for the layout and Fort Myers-based Stevens Construction for making it through some of the obstacles created by the coronavirus pandemic to get the facility opened on time.

Bartoli said he enjoys seeing the wide range of ages enjoying all of the different aspects of PopStroke, from seniors on date nights with a glass of wine or cocktail, to parents having lunch and a craft beer while their kids play on one of the two putting courses, or have some ice cream. There’s also cornhole boards and table tennis.

“It really is such a unique venue and experience,” he said. “It’s one of the only things I can think of that regardless of age, socioeconomic background or skill level, an 8-year-old can enjoy to the same extent as a 78-year-old.”

Woods wasn’t there Thursday because he is preparing for next week’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot. He has won 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus with 18, and is tied with Sam Snead for the most PGA Tour victories with 82.

PopStroke also will have at least two more facilities on Florida’s Gulf Coast. One is slated for North Naples, at a soon-to-be-finalized location, and another in Sarasota in the next year.

“We’re getting really close there (in Naples) — very, very close,” said Bartoli, who headed up the original PopStroke in Port St. Lucie.

Woods, a Jupiter Island resident who has won the second-most majors of all-time with 15, became involved in PopStroke almost a year ago, and soon after, the Fort Myers facility was announced. It broke ground in January and finished on schedule despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Tiger’s been great,” Bartoli said. “He’s really excited about it. You see the work that they did on the design side, and I think this is pretty special.

“Nobody’s had a bigger mark in growing the game of golf than he has, and this is an opportunity for us to continue to play into that, and really expose a whole new generation to the game in a way that’s less intimidating than traditional golf.”

Greg Bartoli, center, the founder of Pop Stroke Golf and Chris Hubman, right, CFO of TGR Ventures along with Lee County commissioners, Ray Sandelli and Cecil Pendergrass cut the ribbon at the new location of Pop Stroke on Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers on Thursday.

Chris Hubman, the CFO of Tiger Woods Ventures and a member of the PopStroke board, represented Woods.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” he said jokingly to the gathering of county officials and others involved with project, referring to Woods not appearing.

Hubman said he talked to Woods on Wednesday night about PopStroke opening.

“He couldn’t wait to get started on designing this,” Hubman said. “He’s most excited about this facility because it’s the first golf course he’s designed with any kind of putting basis.

“This is not like the mini-golf and the putt-putt that people are used to. This is as close as being on a golf course that you’re going to get.”

Woods did post a promotional video to his 6.5 million Twitter followers Tuesday. He will appear in Fort Myers at some point, perhaps before the end of the year.

“I got involved in PopStroke because I thought it was something pretty neat in which people from all different generations could get together, participate in golf without having the intimidation of having to go to a golf course,” Woods said in the promotional video, “and the fact that I get to create something that is different and unique and an experience I think that people will take home and want to come back and do it again.”

“That’s some of the great memories that I will always cherish,” Woods said. “I think that people who get a chance to experience that with PopStroke with their families will feel the same way.”

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press, part of the USA Today Network. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com.

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