This news comes almost a year since the expansion was announced, and the anticipation among people who are into this sort of thing is palpable. The location in The Colony will include two 18-hole miniature courses designed by Woods, open-air dining, a play area for kids, an ice cream bar and separate areas for private parties. The property spans 13,000 square feet.
In a statement to the press, PopStroke founder and CEO Greg Bartoli cites the Dallas area as an ideal location for this facility because, apparently, we just love golf that much.
"The rapid growth of the Dallas metropolitan area, coupled with its deep-rooted connection to golf, made The Colony a perfect destination for our expansion into Texas," said Bartoli.
It’s always fun to learn more about how out-of-towners perceive us. They probably heard about all the millionaires who live here and made the same assumptions we did.
Between PopStroke (the second golf-related business in the complex), music venues like Lava Cantina, countless means of entertainment ranging from movie theaters to immersive arcades and that giant Ferris wheel, Grandscape might be the closest thing North Texas has to Disney World.
Sure, we already have Six Flags in Arlington and we’re getting a new Universal Studios in Frisco. But neither of those spots has a Nebraska Furniture Mart. The ball is in their respective courts to step it up.
Speaking of balls, high-tech golf balls are one of many ways PopStroke aims to enhance the putt-putt experience. The balls are designed to transmit the score directly to an app, taking the onus off customers to keep track of their score.
Of course, this kills one of the most loved and honored traditions of putt-putt: lying. To be frank, the exclusion is borderline un-American. It will be an uphill battle (uphill shot?) for PopStroke to find an equally fun replacement for arguing with friends and family over who’s winning and accusing each other of cheating.
Drinking might just fit the bill and lead to as many if not more lively arguments. PopStroke will offer an expansive outdoor beer garden as well as lengthy menus for both craft cocktails and wines, if the menu for the Katy location is any indication. (The menu for the Grandscape location is not yet available.)
As for the food, there’s something for everyone, as you’d expect from a concept that centers on entertainment. The appetizer menu (again, in Katy) has all the usual suspects for those who come to these places looking to pig out on snacks. Wings, nachos, pretzels and mozzarella sticks are all in the lineup, as are more offbeat bites like tuna tartare.
The entrees are equally crowd please-y. There are four different kinds of burgers, including veggie and turkey, as well as wraps, sandwiches, salads, tacos and flatbreads.
The menu also lists 24 different flavors of milkshakes and a selection of fancier “signature shakes.” The Peanut Butter Mudslide, their boozy milkshake option that blends peanut butter whiskey, vanilla ice cream and Kahlua, is at the top of our list of things to try if it's carried over to the Grandscape PopStroke.
PopStroke will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 27 at 9 a.m. before opening to the public the following day. We already know what you’re wondering and the answer is no. Tiger Woods will not be in attendance. But he did design the courses, so we guess you could say he’ll be there in spirit, always.
PopStroke, 5770 Grandscape Blvd., The Colony, opens on Thursday, March 28.
