Coming to Las Vegas in early 2024 is an entertainment center featuring 36 holes of championship putting greens, a two-story restaurant, four full-service bars, games and more.
PopStroke broke ground on the Town Square restaurant earlier this summer and held a groundbreaking ceremony for the two golf courses this week.
It’s hard to argue with founder and CEO Greg Bartoli when he talks about the legitimacy of golf courses. PopStroke started as his idea in 2019, but some golf heavyweights quickly signed on, starting with Tiger Woods.
“Obviously, Tiger is a huge influence on the game of golf and he has a huge brand,” Bartoli said. “We have also recently added TaylorMade as a partner. Between Tiger and TaylorMade, we have two of the biggest names in golf, which has been great for our recognition.”
Bartoli calls the project not just a restaurant with golf or a field with food and drink.
“It’s a great entertainment package. The restaurant is half of the puzzle, and the golf is the other half,” she said. “It’s an entertainment center with a lot to offer.”
PopStroke already has seven locations open and plans to open one more a month in the near future. The current ones are located in Florida, Arizona, Texas, and Alabama. Las Vegas, Bartoli said, is a natural fit for the company.
“It’s a growing city, a vibrant community with both the everyday community and the tourist community,” he said. “It’s just an ideal fit for us. We are a fast growing, soon to be international, national entertainment brand. If you’re not in Las Vegas, it’s hard to call yourself a national entertainment brand.”
The putting greens are equivalent to PGA Tour facilities, he said, making them a challenge for experienced golfers. But since it is about putting, they are playable for everyone.
“There are no tricks,” he says. “It’s not miniature golf in the traditional sense. They are immaculate, professionally designed putting courses with incredible landscaping.”
It’s not TopGolf either, although Bartoli understands the comparisons.
“In a way they are similar in that they are modern, trendy, have music and a lively atmosphere,” says Bartoli. “I would say we resonate with a broader demographic by virtue of putting in the sense that everyone can do it and it’s not intimidating, so I think our audience is a bit more stretched than theirs.”
PopStroke’s Las Vegas facility is expected to open in January, ahead of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.
Nevada State Mid-Am
Over the weekend, Jacob Dexter put together a good finish at the Nevada State Mid-Amateur. The Gilroy, California, resident shot rounds of 71-71-70 to finish with a 1-under 212 at Red Hawk Golf Club in Sparks and win the title five shots clear of Daren Johnson.
Dexter made five birdies, two bogeys and a double during his final round to maintain a comfortable cushion over Johnson, who was made up for a second-round 75 and had to rally from a big climb on Saturday.
Rebels Ratings
– UNLV sophomore Theinna Huynh reached the quarterfinals of the US Women’s Amateur last week at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, marking the best finish by a Rebel player in the women’s amateur tournament most prestigious in the country. With her achievement, Huynh is exempt from the field next year.
– UNLV seniors Caden Fioroni and Ben Sawaia were named 2022-23 Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) NCAA Division I All-America Scholars for maintaining a minimum 3.2 GPA while playing more than 50 percent of the team’s games this past season. It is the first time that Fioroni, who studies sociology, and Sawaia, who studies economics, have received this distinction.
