COURTHOUSE — A mini golf course with a local theme may open in the spring if the weather cooperates and construction proceeds on schedule, according to Jason Blanchette, owner of Anderson’s of Virginia Beach.
The City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 16, unanimously approved a conditional use permit that will allow for construction of the course at Anderson’s location at 1925 Fisher Arch near Sandbridge Road. Construction on the 18-hole course will take place over the winter, Blanchette said. It could be completed by March.
Each hole of the golf course will be custom-designed to have a Virginia Beach theme, Blanchette said. The concepts for the holes include fighter pilots, horses, Sandbridge Beach, and False Cape State Park.
“We’ll probably start in the Princess Anne corridor and move further northward as we look for ideas,” said Blanchette, who added that all of the plans aren’t yet finalized.
The mini golf course, which will cover about 15,000 square feet, will be located next to the store’s restaurant, Sage Kitchen. In an effort to appeal to adult players as well as to kids, alcoholic beverages will be available.
Currently, Sage Kitchen features live music on Friday or Saturday, and there is a playground for children whose parents are listening to music. The golf course is part of an ongoing effort to pull diverse customers into the store, according to Blanchette.
“We are always looking for the new and exciting,” Blanchette said. “Brick and mortar needs to survive in this era of online sales. We want something that the local folks can come to and have a good time because sometimes it seems as if the southern part of the city gets left out. Most events are at the Oceanfront.”
The cost of building the mini golf course will range from $150,000 to $350,000, according to Blanchette. It will be open seven days a week all year except in cases of weather events or if the course is covered by snow.
Anderson’s, which has been at the Fisher Arch location since June 2016, also has a location in Newport News. This is the first venture into mini golf, Blanchette said.
So is Blanchette a mini golf enthusiast? “I love it. Who doesn’t like to play mini golf?”
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Is this such a great idea? Given all of the flooding in the area, the last thing we need is a mini-golf course. The business plan itself is a failure. Not to mention the concrete and plastic that goes along with it. Ashville Park is directly behind Anderson’s as well.
Each and every new building, development, plan, design, needs to be highly scrutinized by the citizens. We are the only ones who will be able to keep our properties above water.