(Photo by Andrew West/The News-Press)
The new golf entertainment property in Fort Myers follows the debut facility in Port St. Lucie and is the first to feature two putting courses that Woods helped to design: “The Cub,” geared to beginners, and “The Tiger,” a more challenging layout. “I got involved because I thought it was something [where] people from different generations could get together [and] participate in golf, without having the intimidation of having to go to a golf course,” Woods said in a promotional video. Two more facilities are planned for other Gulf Coast locations.
In Fort Myers, Fla., PopStroke has opened its second golf entertainment facility and the first with Tiger Woods’ involvement as an ownership partner and contributor to the design of its two putting courses, the Naples (Fla.) Daily News reported. The facility opened to the public on the morning of September 12th.
PopStroke opened its first facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and plans to have two more on Florida’s Gulf Coast within a year, the Daily News reported—one in North Naples and another in Sarasota.
Of the Fort Myers facility’s two putting courses, “The Cub” is more geared to beginners and “The Tiger” is more challenging, the Daily News reported. Golfers can keep their score with an app that also includes the ability to order food and drinks from the on-site restaurant for delivery to them on the course.
The Fort Myers facility is open Sunday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-midnight, the Daily News reported. Rates are $14.99 for 18 holes, with reduced rates for seniors, military, and children 6-12 and 5-under.
“PopStroke at its core is really about bringing friends and family together and in an outdoor, open-air dynamic environment,” founder Greg Bartoli said at the Fort Myers course’s opening, the Daily News reported. Bartoli noted that 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. The facility also offers cornhole boards and table tennis.
“It really is such a unique venue and experience,” Bartoli said. “It’s one of the only things I can think of that regardless of age, socio-economic background or skill level, an 8-year-old can enjoy to the same extent as a 78-year-old.”
Woods became involved with PopStroke almost a year ago, the Daily News reported, and soon after he did, plans for the Fort Myers facility were announced. After a groundbreaking in January, construction 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,” Bartoli added.
Chris Hubman, the CFO of Tiger Woods Ventures and a member of the PopStroke board, represented Woods at the opening of the Fort Myers facility, as Woods prepared for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club.
“[Woods] 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,” Hubman added. “This is as close to being on a golf course that you’re going to get.”
Woods did post a promotional video to his 6.5 million Twitter followers in advance of the Fort Myers opening, the Daily News reported, and there are plans for him to appear at the facility, perhaps before the end of the year.
“I got involved in PopStroke because I thought it was something pretty neat [where] people from all different generations could get together [and] participate in golf without having the intimidation of having to go to a golf course,” Woods said in the promotional video. “And [because] I get to create something that is different and unique [for] an experience I think that people will take home and want to come back and do it again.”
Woods recalled practicing and playing with his father Earl, who introduced him to the game.
“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 [at] PopStroke with their families will feel the same way.”
More photos of the Fort Myers Popstroke facility can be viewed at https://www.naplesnews.com/story/sports/golf/2020/09/10/tiger-woods-backed-popstroke-golf-grand-opening-fort-myers-saturday/5743883002/
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