Saturday, June 25th marked the kick off of the inaugural Downtown Open, a pop-up miniature golf course setup along the sidewalks of Downtown Charleston, WV. Hosted by the Charleston Area Alliance, the course features 28 unique, customized holes designed and built by local businesses. The Downtown Open is set up in parks, walkways and green spaces throughout downtown for 10 days and is free for all to play. Players are encouraged to bring their own putters, however there are also putters available to borrow at select downtown merchants. Course maps and scorecards are also available to anyone interested in a round of putt-putt.
Pickering Associates sponsored the second hole, located along the riverfront park. Office Manager and Architect Charles Keefer, Project Architect Eddie Bumpus, Mechanical Engineer James Lowry, and Contract Manager Stephanie Donahoe constructed the hole at the firm’s office on Lee Street in West Side Charleston. Thinking big, they built up their hole into a building, complete with rooftop HVAC units, drains, and a billboard sporting the Pickering logo.
The team’s creativity paid off, earning the title of “Most Challenging Obstacles,” and setting the bar high for next year’s design. “It’s getting a lot of talk on the course, and the kids love the ball returns,” said Charles Keefer.
The temporary putt-putt experience is approachable and playable by individuals of all ages and will be open through July 10th. You can view a map of the entire course, here.