Mini golf and a beer: New indoor putt putt and sports bar spot to open soon in Erie

Posted by Admin December 6, 2024 Golf

Spread the love

The owners of a new indoor mini golf bar in downtown Erie have their eyes set on opening sometime in December. The recent Erie snow has pushed back their plans for an earlier start, but the owners still are aiming for a mid-to-late December opening day.

Tony Arrigo and Tom McQueeny, co-owners of Hazards Mini Golf and Social Pub, soon to be on the second floor of 419 State Street, are awaiting a few more moving pieces, including a liquor license, before opening their doors in December.

“We have such a unique concept here that anyone can do it,” Arrigo said. “Whether you are having a beer and want to play some putt putt, cool. Kids can do this, you don’t have to plan on it. You can be downtown having dinner with family and say ‘Hey, we can play putt putt.'”

The $650,000 project has been a concept for more than three years, dating back to John Persinger’s time as the CEO of the Erie Downtown Development Corp. The construction began in early summer of 2024.

“When we first started with the idea there was nothing down here, like not even the food hall,” McQueeny said. “Now with all of the transformation it looks unrecognizable.”

“We got the ball rolling with a couple of buddies, including Tom, and a lot of transformations over the past two-and-a-half years until we settled on mini golf,” Arrigo said. “Now we’re running an 18-hole mini golf course, full bar, one golf simulator, a multi-sport simulator and multiple TVs.”

The downtown location

The new owners have heard concerns about their new location, yet they think it is the ideal spot.

“I’ve been hearing things like two golf bars downtown doesn’t make sense, but we are completely different concepts,” McQueeny said, referring to Five Iron Golf at 1000 State St. “We’re also friends with those guys (Five Iron), so we can work out events. It’s not competition but its more about getting people downtown.”

The owners hope that this location will help other businesses and sites in downtown Erie, including the new parking garage on West Fifth Street or the Flagship City Food Hall.

What can people expect at Hazards?

When visitors take the elevator to the second floor of the building, which also includes the Brig Cigar Lounge and Dollhouse at Pointe Foure, they will be greeted at the front of Hazards by a host.

From the host stand, visitors can determine if they want to play a round of mini golf, have a drink at the bar or both.

“You can pay right there for mini golf,” McQueeny said. “The plan so far is we want to be accessible for kids and kids parties, which will be a daytime situation because we want to make sure there will be time where it will be 21 and over for the bar experience.”

If you are at Hazards to play mini golf, $10 will buy a round with equipment included. There will be same-day replay discounts and all-day passes available, those prices have not been determined.

Each hole at Hazards has a theme. The majority of the themes are based on movies or highlights of Erie. The owners don’t want to give away too many of their secrets for the course, though.

A fully stocked sports bar at Hazards

The bar at Hazards has a drink menu with draft beers, a cocktail list and soft drinks.

“We have a sports bar where you can watch any game, that’s the plan at least,” McQueeny said. “In downtown, there’s not a ton of places that provide games, so we want to provide that for downtown and college kids.”

The owners are also planning to host live acoustic music on Fridays around the bar area.

Mini golf league, memberships available

On Mondays and Tuesdays beginning in January, Hazards will be offering leagues for teams of two or four players.

During the leagues, teams will play through 18 holes on select time slots and keep scores. League play will include playoffs and a championship.

Those interested in setting up a league should contact Hazards for more details.

Hazards also offers a membership for $99 a year that includes unlimited golf and other perks.

Learning more about Hazards

Hazards will continue to update its social media on details from prices to specials.

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com.