Opening this Saturday, Puttshack brings a range of indoor, tech-infused mini-golf courses to the ground floor space at 1625 Chestnut, previously shared by Ruby Tuesday, Express, and J. Crew.
Throughout the 26,000 sq. ft. venue, there are four nine-hole courses, two of which meet ADA accessibility requirements. Arcade and sports themes run throughout, with layouts modeled on football pitches, bowling lanes, pinball machines, and Tetris, complete with moving obstacles in the shape of the game’s iconic blocks.
Other course challenges include a giant beer pong setup, a carnivalesque mini-duck shoot, and interactive trivia with players answering by putting their ball through True or False chutes.
There are no scorecards or pencils; game info is displayed on screens throughout the space, and progress is tracked by sensors in each player’s ball. Visitors can reserve a course at any of the electronic kiosks onsite, or in advance through Puttshack’s website. A maximum of six people is allowed per team, with players advancing one at a time at each of a course’s holes. It’s $16 per adult per course, $10 for under 18s, with a second course half-off before 4 p.m. on weekdays.
The courses encircle the main dining area, with seating for 185 across high-rise tables and booths. At the center of the space is a heavily stocked 26-seat bar, slightly larger than the bar in the adjacent dining area, which can be closed off for private events and accommodates 65 people (whole space buyouts are also available). Along the walls are old arcade game marquees, framed photos of Pac Man ghosts, and a series of portraits of characters like Link, Princess Peach, and the Megaman family.
The whole concept comes courtesy of entrepreneurs Adam Breeden and brothers David and Steven Jolliffe. Breeden is the brains behind similar ventures like Flight Club, a chain of cocktail and tech-powered dart lounges with a Philly location planned for this summer, while the Jolliffes founded TopGolf, outdoor electronic golf driving ranges with over 90 US venues that continues to expand internationally. Since launching Puttshack in 2018, the collaboration between Breeden and the Jolliffes has so far resulted in 13 locations across the US, including Philadelphia, and 17 worldwide.
The few Philly-specific touches at Puttshack’s latest spot are mostly on the restaurant’s menus. In addition to the flatbreads available at the chain’s other venues, there’s a “cheesesteak” option with shaved roast beef, grilled onions and peppers, and house-made whiz ($16). Similarly location-specific across different Puttshacks are the spring rolls, or “tailpipes,” in this case filled with roast pork, provolone, and garlic-grilled broccoli rabe, with $1 from each sale of the menu item going to Philabundance.
The rest of the menu, developed by Puttshack’s executive chef Mark Boyton, ranges from salads, chicken sandwiches, and cheeseburgers, to “globally-inspired shareables,” like saffron-marinated chicken skewers, poutine, wood-fired octopus, and bao buns of either Korean BBQ pulled pork or jackfruit as a vegan option.
The bar boasts 10 signature cocktails, two of which feature submerged popsicles — a hellfire jalapeño one in the spiced pineapple mezcal margarita that infuses the drink as it melts, and a blue-sky popsicle for the pisco punch, served alongside the cocktail in a box filled with hemp smoke. The Perfect 10, Puttshack’s old fashioned, uses decade-old Russell’s Reserve bourbon, while the locally-inspired Fish House Punch blends Myer’s dark rum and Martell VS Single Distillery cognac with lemon and lime juices, peach schnapps, and a candied lime wheel.
Beyond cocktails, the bar offers eight draft beers from breweries like Yeungling, Blue Moon, Modelo, Sam Adams, and 14 bottled or canned options as well as seltzers. A selection of wines are available by 6-oz, 9-oz, or the bottle, alongside a wide array of spirits, from standards like Tito’s and Espolon to $76 shots of Cierto Private Collection Extra Anejo and Tears of Llorona tequilas.
A day-time family-friendly destination, Puttshack is 21+ past 8 p.m., with a rotation of DJs planned for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
1625 Chestnut Street | 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday–Wednesday, 11 to 1 a.m. Thursday–Saturday | 21+ after 8 p.m. | puttshack.com
