Fore! Virtual golf spots open in downtown Canton with elevated food, unique settings

• Hupp Gulf recently opened in downtown Canton, featuring golf simulators, gourmet hot dogs and cocktails.
• The 19th Hole is now fully open in downtown Canton at the Mills Historic Tower, featuring elevated food and drinks.
• The 19th Hole's owner admits the business has been off to a slow start.

CANTON − Two new downtown virtual golf outlets admit it's been challenging attracting customers to try out their simulators.

But the owners of Hupp Gulf and The 19th Hole believe that once people swing clubs in their unique settings, they'll be coming back. Customized and elevated food menus are another draw, said Jared Clark, operator of The 19th Hole at Mills Historic Tower at Market Avenue and Tuscarawas Street, across from the Stark County Courthouse.

Hupp Gulf opened last month and now has a patio. The 19th Hole had a soft opening in the fall.

"It's been pretty rough," said Clark, who co-owns The 19th Hole with Timothy Gillems. "A lot tougher than we thought."

Hitting the links ... indoors.Virtual golf explodes in Canton and Northeast Ohio

Restaurants, breweries and virtual golf can help draw people downtown, Clark said.

"There needs to be a lot of things to try to be part of the overall community and drive people to see that Canton is a pretty cool place," he added.

Hupp Gulf offers a gourmet hot dog with mango salsa

Hupp Gulf's revamped industrial warehouse space is unlike other bars and golf courses that offer simulators, said Patrick Huth, who co-owns Hupp Gulf with his wife, Whitney Harris.

Hupp Gulf, 420 Second St. NE, gets its name from the former Hupmobile dealership in downtown Canton, which has ties to the origins of professional football and what became the NFL.

"It's a golfer place with a unique vibe," Huth said.

A bar and tables have been repurposed from vintage materials. Ceilings and floors are original in a building dating to the early 1900s. Multiple Trackman golf bays offer virtual games played on an array of courses.

"It's not a strip mall," Huth said. "It's something you don't find. We're one-of-a-kind hopefully just because of the ambience and warehouse industrial look."

Hupp Gulf also can be rented out for special events, birthday parties and private gatherings. Normal hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

"The comment is how cool of a place it is," Huth said of customers. "It's more than just coming to a simulator; it's the experience."

Hupp Gulf offers a menu distinct from its affiliated and neighboring businesses, H2 Wine Merchants and H2 Nosh.

"We wanted to do something unique," Huth said. "We call it the gourmet hot dog, and with hot dogs, you get to add a lot of different condiments to them."

Hot dogs include the tropical mango salsa dog, featuring citrus slaw, sweet and peppered mustard and the salsa on a toasted baguette. The Mexican dog is topped with Mexican street corn, fresco cheese, avocado and tequila lime mustard.

More than golf:Canton's H2 Huth & Harris a dining gem worth a discovery

Salmon wraps, sauerkraut balls and smash burgers

The 19th Hole, 101 Central Plaza S, boasts a bygone ambience with ornate architecture.

Ceilings are 28 feet high and intricately designed. Custom woodwork serves as a backdrop for the bar.

Multiple Trackman golf simulation bays are available.

Once people discover The 19th Hole, they are floored, Clark said, referring to some customers who have stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel downtown.

Clark continues to experiment with the menu at The 19th Hole, which offers homemade sauerkraut balls, smash burgers and salmon wraps.

An updated menu also features Wisconsin cheese curds, zucchini planks, bratwurst, Philly steak or chicken sandwiches, wings, hummus veggie wraps, maple chicken wraps, a wedge salad and flatbreads, including hot honey pepperoni and steak chimichurri.

Birdie chips feature Gold'N Krisp potato chips warmed and topped with melted bleu cheese crumbles and alfredo. Another item is breaded cauliflower tossed in Korean barbecue gochujang sauce.

Drink specials are also promoted, including Tequila Tuesday, Whiskey Wednesday and Feel Good Friday, as well as the Mule of the Week. The beer menu includes local breweries Muskellunge Brewing Co. and UnHitched Brewing Co.

Brunch items were featured during the Downtown Canton Mimosa Trail event earlier this month, including a drunken mousse and shrimp and grits.

"I still don't ever want to go down the Bender's or Melange route," Clark said of the upscale downtown restaurants. "But I think we can show we have an elevated menu that can surprise."

Enough business downtown for two virtual golf spots?

To help draw in a mix of customers, Clark is considering also using golf simulator projection screens for Nintendo Switch video games. Virtual golf leagues are also offered.

Clark believes that both The 19th Hole and Hupp Gulf can do well downtown.

The 19th Hole is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

"To me, it's a win-win," Clark said. "We all get to compete but everybody's customers get to (experience) that respective facility."

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com.

On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint