Tuscaloosa PopStroke opens with Big Al, 'Yea Alabama,' city officials and more

No Tiger (Woods) appeared at the ribbon-cutting, but a prancing pachyderm, a couple of CEOs, a mayor and other officials helped open Tuscaloosa's PopStroke on a chilly Thursday morning.

"I can't believe I'm standing next to Big Al," said Greg Bartoli, CEO of the Jupiter, Florida-based company, which opened its first PopStroke in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in 2019.

The newest addition to the string of family golf/entertainment centers, located on previously undeveloped land just off McFarland Boulevard, adjacent to Hampton Inn and facing toward the east side of the University of Alabama campus, features two 18-hole putting courses designed by Tiger Woods' TGR Design team.

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Dark-blue boxcar-like containers have been converted into working and serving spaces for beverages and foods, centered on a green turf offering foosball, ping-pong, cornhole and Jenga options.

Fifteen-time majors champion Woods' TGR Ventures and TaylorMade Golf Co. came on as partners with PopStroke in 2020. In early 2023, PopStroke announced expansion plans into 13 new cities, which included Tuscaloosa.

Like many sports fans, even from rival SEC territories, they follow the Crimson Tide, Bertoli said, and were happy to set the first collegiate-edition PopStroke down in the Druid City. After the ribbon-cutting, a UA pep band (smaller version of the 400-piece Million Dollar Band) played a rousing "Yea Alabama."

"The great thing about putting, anyone can do it, regardless of skill, age or background," he said. "Whether you're a pro like Tiger, a casual player or a complete beginner."

Tuscaloosa PopStroke's most highly visible lure, from the road, is an end-on container standing about two stories tall, showing the PopStroke logo and four wide-screen TVs, matching those scattered around the facility.

The courses, labeled Blue and Black (fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act), abut McFarland Boulevard, with rolling and twisting vivid green hills, offset by blazing-white-sand traps. Food and beer service containers enclose the games green, with two-tone picnic tables throughout. Space heaters can be found in spots, to help out winter months. Atop the bar container, there's a second-level seating/viewing deck, overlooking the courses.

The ribbon-cutting came about 11 months from the time PopStroke talks began, and about nine months since ground-breaking, said Kip Tyner, City Council President, and representative of District 5, where the golf venue has been built. After wishful plans to open in fall, site pre-design and design changes pushed it back into winter. This week's bitter cold weather bumped the opening back a few days more.

"Just think: What gets done in nine months?" Tyner said, noting he was crying tears of joy 11 months back. "Because you hear it all the time: 'Where can I find family-friendly entertainment?' It doesn't get any better than this place. There's so much more for people who don't want to golf."

PopStroke isn't installing freezers, he said, preferring to bring its foods in fresh daily. Bartoli recommended folks try the wings, smash burger and chicken tenders, though the menu, dubbed "elevated pub food," also offers Korean barbecue pork taco, cheese steak, salads, other sandwiches, dogs and more.

Beverages available include a variety of draft and bottled beers, wines, sparkling wines, and cocktails, including a Fairway Mary (Tito's vodka, Bloody Mary mix, lime juice, worcestershire sauce, served with olives, pickle and a slice of bacon), Kick Your Putt Margarita (Maestro Dobel diamante tequila, lime juice, agave and the option of a Grand Marnier floater) and others.

The Tuscaloosa-specific mixes include a Bama Slamma (vodka, rum, amaretto, orange and pineapple juices, and banana liqueur) and Crimson Tea (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, razzmatazz liqueur, sour mix and Sprite).

Milkshakes and ice cream on offer include a Cookie Monster, Peanutbutter Perfection, Dixieland Delight, S'mores, floats and more. PopStroke also included a tribute to Nick Saban, Tyner said, in The Crimson, which includes cinnamon ice cream in a cinnamon-infused vanilla iced glass, with a caramel drizzle and whipped cream, and garnished with an oatmeal cream pie, the recently retired coach's favorite breakfast snack.

Foods and drinks can be delivered anywhere in the facility, through the PopStroke mobile app, and digital scoreboards are available.

More: PopStroke Tuscaloosa menu

"This is exciting," said City of Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. "It's more than just an entertainment venue. It's for us another building block adding to the quality of life. This is going to reach everyone from three to 83."

With its highly visible location and family-friendly atmosphere it can attract more than just students, but possibly corporate events, birthday parties and more, he said. "It gives another notch on the belt of what the city's accomplishing."

PopStroke's addition builds on the cumulative power of quality-of-life offerings in Tuscaloosa, he said.

"You've got everything from a symphony to PopStroke, to what the University of Alabama brings every single day, beyond just athletics, with the arts and culture," he said. "From the River Market to the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa has been building itself up, block by block, initiative by initiative. I expect in the future to see even more projects like this continue to manifest themselves across our city."

The Tuscaloosa location hopes to tee up as many as 250,000 visitors per year, Tyner said. The listed hours at www.popstroke.com/tuscaloosa are 10 a.m-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 10 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. An all-day pass will be $25. Children (3-12), seniors (60 and up) and military get a 20 percent discount.

The PopStroke address is 680 Harper Lee Drive, Tuscaloosa, 35404, and the phone is 205-719-5780. For more, see www.popstroke.com/tuscaloosa.

Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa PopStroke opens with Tiger Woods-designed courses