Urban Putt Denver

Denver, CO

Urban Putt, a one-of-a-kind immersive mini-golf experience, is bringing its unique brand of whimsical invention and playable art to one of the hottest cities in the country with Urban Putt Denver.

Located in an historic 1889 building in the city’s trendy LoDo neighborhood, Urban Putt Denver will transport visitors into an innovative world designed to reignite the imaginations of adults with its fantastical mini-golf inventions. Featuring the world’s most elaborate course design blended into a steampunk-themed indoor experience, Urban Putt Denver anticipates becoming a must-see local attraction, complete with outstanding food, a full bar, and ample space for large parties and private events.

In 1993, Steve Fox, the owner of Urban Putt, and his wife Leslie Crawford, decided to host a mini-golf party at their house in San Francisco where guests were invited to design and create their own holes. The creativity that was unleashed by the party guests quickly spread by word of mouth. The event soon became an annual affair, eventually evolving into something like mini-golf’s home-spun answer to Burning Man, as the courses created grew steadily more artistic, ambitious, and incredible.

Doubling down on the community’s enthusiasm for their idea, the pair decided to open Urban Putt in San Francisco’s Mission District. Steve quit his successful career in publishing to pursue his dream of creating a magical place where adults could rediscover their sense of wonder through discovery and invention. He wanted to build a place where people could disconnect from the all-consuming technology in their lives, and allow them to experience joy through one of the nation’s favorite pastimes: Mini-golf. Urban Putt opened in San Francisco on May 5, 2014, to a line around the block; it’s been just as busy ever since.

Photos taken at the original Urban Putt San Francisco location

Urban Putt’s second location, to open in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, will replicate the successful model Fox developed in San Francisco, and improve upon it with the increased amount of space at their disposal. Two custom-designed nine-hole courses will draw inspiration from steampunk (a futuristic sci-fi twist on late nineteenth-century design), blending in many elements of Denver’s local flavor and surroundings. The iconic Rocky Mountains will make an appearance throughout both courses, along with Red Rocks Amphitheatre, ski scenes, Elitch Gardens, Denver International Airport, and more. The incredibly creative and boundary-pushing team of designers and engineers aims to wow guests at every hole. Guests can expect a 100% “virtual” hole, a mind-bending labyrinth hole, as well as a meticulously designed sci-fi submarine and a Flash Gordon era spaceship along the course.

The bar program will feature 16 beers on draft, four tap cocktails, and even three tap wines. Urban Putt Denver will focus on offering local brews and fresh, inventive cocktails, served up by knowledgeable bar staff. A healthy slate of non-alcoholic beverages will also be available for the younger set. And best of all, patrons can bring their beverages with them as they play mini-golf, taking advantage of drink tables at every hole.

Food and beverages served at the original Urban Putt San Francisco location 

While food at conventional mini-golf facilities has an underwhelming reputation, Urban Putt aims to surprise people with the quality of its menu. Winner of an OpenTable Diners’ Choice award in 2019 for its San Francisco location’s restaurant — which frequently receives non-golfing customers for the restaurant alone — Urban Putt’s Denver location will offer a high-end take on boardwalk food, with a menu of elevated American classics like chicken and waffles, house-made corn dogs, pizza, and burgers. All meals, snacks, and drinks will use as many fresh and organic ingredients as possible, and will be served on the course, at the restaurant, and even in an original circa 1920 Denver trolley car by an attentive hospitality team.

Private events, a key part of Urban Putt’s revenue mix in San Francisco, will take on an even greater role in Denver. From corporate teambuilding to private birthday parties and everything in between, Urban Putt can put one of its two nine-hole courses at the disposal of the private booking, complete with in-house catering and a dedicated bar staff. With more than 100 seats available, Urban Putt can offer a custom experience that can’t be found anywhere else.

At the heart of Urban Putt Denver will be the whimsical game you know and love, but with a level of care, consideration and creativity that transforms it into something you’ve never experienced before.

Urban Putt is an immensely popular business in San Francisco, with lines routinely snaking out the door on weekend nights. It has a 4.6 rating on Google after 1500 reviews, a 4.5 rating on Yelp after 1300 reviews, and over 120,000 views on its Facebook page — where it also has a 4.8 star rating. The business is routinely visited by San Francisco’s endless stream of tourists as well as locals bringing their out-of-town guests to what is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. 

While most people come for the reasonably priced mini-golf experience, Urban Putt's restaurant and bar are also incredibly well-regarded. The food is made with quality organic and fresh produce, and the ability to consume drinks on the course is a huge draw. Urban Putt San Francisco’s executive chef, Dane Boryta, is relocating to Denver and will run the kitchen.

At the Denver location, 16 local beers from some of the city’s famed breweries will be available alongside wine, spirits, and four different craft cocktails on tap. These tap cocktails make for an efficient and consistent offering, as they can be made in advance and served quickly and inexpensively. They helped contribute to the $1.47 million Urban Putt made from alcoholic drink sales in 2018 — a third of the overall revenue.

Urban Putt’s restaurant and bar received a Diners’ Choice award from booking platform OpenTable in 2019, as well as previous favorable reviews from publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Eater SF, and Thrillist — who in 2014 called Urban Putt “Quite possibly the best thing to happen to The Mission.”

Interior renderings at Urban Putt Denver 

The overall larger space of Urban Putt Denver compared to the company’s first iteration will allow them to increase their lucrative private event bookings. With ample space for groups of at least 100 people, Urban Putt is confident it will become a popular destination for corporate excursions and private parties. With two courses, one can always remain open for public play even if another is reserved. During daytime hours on Monday through Friday, before Urban Putt will be open to the general public, both courses will be available for private events.

Located in Denver’s Cable Building, a local landmark built in the 1880s to service all of Denver’s cable cars, Urban Putt Denver will play with the history of its new home for a themed room. Private parties will be able to dine and drink inside an actual Denver trolley car, which has been exquisitely maintained in all its early 20th-century glory. As a bonus, that same 40-foot-long trolley car will be available to seat dinner patrons whenever it has not been booked by a private party.

In order to keep the business as efficient and cost-effective as possible, Urban Putt Denver will implement bookkeeping by Restaurant Services, Inc. (RSI), a point-of-sale system from Toast, and online booking through Open Table, which integrates seamlessly with RSI and Toast. Urban Putt will maintain a rigorous inventory management system and employ a full-time maintenance team to keep the complex machinery on the courses operational and well-manicured.

In order to successfully launch in a new market, Urban Putt Denver has devised a marketing strategy consisting of advertising and promotions through social media and local magazine placements; a strong presence on Yelp, Facebook, and Instagram aided by a PR firm; as well as local tv coverage of their spectacular courses.

Steve’s wife is a born and bred Denverite, and after researching new locations, it was clear that her hometown has the ingredients needed to replicate Urban Putt’s success in San Francisco. The city shares similar demographic characteristics with San Francisco, and has the fourth highest concentration of 25-34-year-olds in the country — an important statistic given the preponderance of Urban Putt’s patrons in the 21-35 range.

Located in the historic Cable Building in one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods, Lower Downtown (LoDo), Urban Putt occupies a high-profile spot. Two blocks from the 16th Street Mall — a 1.25 mile-long pedestrian promenade at the heart of downtown Denver — and five blocks from Union Station and Coors Field, Urban Putt Denver can expect plenty of foot traffic.

LoDo is the city’s go-to spot for the best restaurants, bars, breweries, and nightlife, and its residential population grew 25% between 2010 and 2017, according to The Denver Post.