Played July 9, 2023
Reviewed by Mr. Tee
Back in 2019, Scott Gadd reached out to A Couple of Putts because he had heard about our work on a course that we designed in Durham, North Carolina called Bull City Mini. He shared with us his idea to open a mid-century modern styled bar / mini golf course a few hours away in Charlotte. We both love the mid-century modern look and were intrigued to see how that course would come to life. Later in 2019, I was headed through North Carolina after the 2019 Masters of Mini Golf and checked in with Scott to see if they had progress on the build-out of the space. The timing worked out to visit the space for the future course and meet up with Scott and the person who would be designing the whole facility as you can see photos below.
Fast forward to 2023, I’m headed through the south to play in a few competitive putting tournaments in Georgia and North Carolina, and knew I would be passing through Charlotte on an off-day. I reached out to Scott and while it didn’t work out to meet up with him at the course, I did receive a warm welcome from the staff when I arrived to play.
Update March 2024: A March Charlotte Observer post shared that Stroke “closed in mid-February due to debt issues and failed lender renegotiations. Its finances were tied with sister concept The Royal Tot before its closure. The Royal Tot has since reopened under new ownership”. For the moment, this means that Stroke is closed indefinitely and it’s hard to know whether it will ever reopen again or not.
Rating
Prior to visiting the course, I had seen photos of Stroke Putt and it was quite clear that they executed the visual identity of the space and it looked like an incredible place to hang out for drinks. I was most curious about the 9-hole course itself as I know Scott intended to set the course up in a way that it was integrated into the overall vibe and atmosphere. The seating adjacent to the holes and mid-round golf cart bar setup are on the mark and look fantastic. The entire course is carpeted in turf with gold pins and well-made signs with drink holders designating each hole. The first two holes on the course are fairly straightforward with sharp-looking angled pieces of wood to help you land a hole-in-one. Nothing out of the ordinary but like any good course, they allow players to warm up before being seriously challenged. The next few holes provided a good mix of gameplay and risk/reward opportunities with a final skee-ball hole that is beautifully built and can swing the results of a game. While I liked that the whole course felt seamless with the turf floor, the one negative is that there were several places in the course where the turf was not tought unintentionally lumpy. You can see this in a few of the photos below and it definitely impacted the play on a few holes like #6. This is my only complaint aside from being greedy and wishing for more holes because I thought the whole space was well thought out. The furniture, choice of books on countertops, plants, signage, and bar room layout make it one of the best places to visit if you’re a fan of grabbing a drink and taking a few putts. If you’re a fan of mid-century modern style, then this is a must-visit as it is the only course that has truly nailed this style.
1318 Pecan Ave Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28205
Pros
Well-executed mid-century modern style
Nice variety of holes
Course has a relaxed atmosphere that is integrated into the overall design
Several exceptionally fun/creative holes like #5 & #9
One of the classiest courses we’ve ever played/visited
Incredible space to hang out after playing and have drinks
Cons
Turf is a bit lumpy in places and impacts the gameplay
Wish there were more holes (not a complaint but more wishful thinking)
Nerdy Notes
- $12/round
- Weekly local leagues. 9-holes on the course and 9 holes on Power Putt (Golden Tee-esque putting game)
- Drink specials and info about bingo events can be found on their website
