Black lights, glow-in-the dark mini golf heads to Monroe as Charlotte company expands

A new way to escape the summer heat is coming to Monroe in August, featuring glow-in-the-dark entertainment amid black lighting.

Monster Mini Golf will open an indoor miniature golf location Aug. 3 at 114 East Sunset Drive in Monroe’s Sunset Plaza shopping center, the company said Wednesday. Miniature golf here involves 18 holes with black lighting and a glow-in-the-dark course populated with animated skeletons, trolls and clowns.

This is the third Monster Mini Golf location in the Charlotte area, joining sites in Charlotte and Gastonia.

The Monroe location will create between 20 and 25 jobs in Monroe, Monster Entertainment CEO, said Chris King, the franchisor of Monster Mini Golf. Monster Mini Golf’s total employment in the Charlotte area will fluctuate seasonally between 55 and 75 employees, King said.

About Monster Mini Golf

The indoor mini golf facility will go in the space beside Monroe Family Pharmacy and join a Family Dollar and Food Lion in the Sunset Plaza shopping center.

In addition to the 18-hole mini golf course, the 11,500-square-foot Monroe facility will have a four-lane bowling alley, an arcade, a DJ, an alcohol-free snack bar and themed party rooms for events.

It will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. A round of golf costs $10 for children and $13 for adults.

“We design it to be a low-cost entry point and affordable family fun,” King said. “We try to rely on being a volume business and not taking all the families’ money.”

Art with local references, such as Union County’s Randy Travis and (non-Monroe-area President) James Monroe, will decorate the walls.

The first 100 guests at the grand opening will receive a free game of mini golf and a $7 arcade game card.

A million-dollar investment

King and his wife, Kristin King, moved from Florida seven years ago to open Monster Mini Golf locations in Charlotte, where Monster Entertainment is now headquartered.

King brought 20 years of guest experience franchising to Monster Entertainment when he joined the company as its COO in 2015.

King and fellow franchisees acquired the company last year. King is now the CEO of Monster Entertainment. He said he’s invested about $1 million into opening each Charlotte area store.

About Monster Mini Golf

Founded in 2004, the company has 30 locations across the US and Canada. The Monroe location will be the 31st location.